Shawn verbally abuses Tara whe he went unto her room and sw her putting on lipgloss. He believed that she was acting like other women and this went against his religious beliefs

Familiy Dynamics

Tata thought that she had a strong bond with her older brother but he suddenly changes and started absuing her. When Shawn and Tara were in the toliet, her mother was watching and she knew what he was doing was wrong but didn't do anything about it because she was scared of Shawn

Mother-she took her to college

descrimination present in her household when

she was younger.

after leaving her house Tara writes this book, publishes it an gains a lot of success because of the book. taras life expierences convinces her about the toxic family dynamic in her family. tara doesnt completely estrange her family but meets them from time to time, whenever she goes back to meet them she is met with her brothers abuse.

Learning about the n slur and the meaning behind it

Girls not dressing modestly in church

Recieving help from the government for the first time ( a grant)

Doing the grocery shopping on a Sunday

Attending dance lessons for the first time and seeing how different she was from the other gitls

Seeing people that attend church drinking caffeine

Not knowing what the 'Holocaust' was

Quote: "But I understand this one fact: that a thousand times I had been called the n word, and laughed, and now I could not laugh. The word and the way Shawn had said it hadn't changed; only my ars were different"

Witnessing her roomates study during the Sabbath and eating 'forbidden foods' - gentille

Witnessing the Italian architecture

Quote: "I watched them wiggle and leap through the aisles, their thin legs covered only by sheer tights. I thought they looked like tiny harlots."

Tara reveals to her mother that she no longer wants to attend BYU (Brigham Young University), her mother is displeased with this choice of hers. "Don't you stay go", she demands. This comes as a surprise, as she is rebelling her husband's words and regulations. These words from her mother acts as a tool to help further inspire Tara to work harder, as she has never received any support prior to this.

After studying every morning at six in the morning, she begins her forty mile journey to Utah State University to take her ACT exams. She begins to question the exam the woman hands her. The woman thinks that Tara is not being serious as these are exams which an average kid should be able to face. Thus proving how isolated the environment she grew up in was. She thinks she has failed the exam, however she achieves a score of 27.

Tara Westover continues her quest for education despite numerous challenges. She faces obstacles such as her lack of formal schooling,the scepticism of her family and her struggle to adapt to academic settings. Taras determination to learn leads her to enrolling in Brigham Young University,Where she experiences the cultural shock of being surrounded by students with more traditional education backgrounds.

Gene-very traditional and religious father doesn't let his kids go to school or hospitals, he is a very reckless father who doesn't make his kids wear seatbelts and makes Tyler drive when is tired leading to the car crash

Faye-during the first few chapters we see

Faye becoming more independent as a midwife and installing a telephone, but soon after she loses her independence and confidence after receiving a brain injury

Tara-She is the youngest daughter of Faye and Gene and she is very eager and enthusiastic member of the family who doesn't see anything wrong with her way of life

Tyler-Tyler is the most academic of their family, he wants to leave and go to college and doesn't like working as much as the others.