I am Malala by Aveena Thomas [STUDENT]

Birmingham, England, June 2015

aveena412323 — 2025-03-19 22:39:02 UTC

The only thing I had known about Malala before reading this book was that she survived being shot in the head and she was a women's education activist. I hadn't considered her life after the attack. She now lives in England and experiences culture shock due to their different school systems. Malala felt she was always the smart girl in her school, but she was humbled by other girls who had read hundreds more books than her. I can understand this feeling because I felt the same way before I came to Veterans. I was considered really smart in elementary and middle school, I even got moved up a grade! But VT is full of incredible other people who perform way better than me, so I understand feeling inferior or like you need to catch up when you were on the top before. Change can be disorienting and distressful, but it makes me glad that Malala's spirit hasn't changed despite the rough patches she was forced to endure. She still has high hopes for the future and positivity.

Prologue

aveena412323 — 2025-03-19 23:09:42 UTC

I was shocked to learn that two other girls on the bus were shot along with Malala. I had to Google how Malala survived a bullet to the eye socket (according to her friends) because I couldn't believe that. Malala was airlifted to a hospital in Birmingham and emergency surgeons removed a piece of her skull to create space for her brain to swell and relieve pressure. Although she received extensive care, she was in a medically induced coma for 10 days. I think it's interesting that years later as she writes this book, she still mentions how "the gunman's hand shook" and how she wouldn't fight against an attacker because "she'd be just as bad as the terrorist." These phrases kind of humanize the terrorists. Even after such a traumatic event, Malala manages to stay peaceful and true to her values. She has not let her past control her anger or fear. Instead, she has used it as a weapon to speak out against the Taliban and their actions, which has created more progress than if she were to simply fight back.

Chapter 1

aveena412323 — 2025-03-19 23:22:15 UTC

Malala is named after Malalai of Maiwand, a female warrior who inspired others in battle. Her father would always share the story with his guests and his daughter. The parallels between Malala and the warrior she was named after are very similar. Malala is also a strong, ambitious woman who desires to help others and was gunned down for her actions. However, she continues to inspire people. I think the symbolism of a person's name is very important. It can signify who you want to live up to, or the true nature of your soul. I have always been a fan of learning the origin of a name and its meaning. My name in Thai, Anda, is derived from the Andaman Sea in Thailand. Having a name connected to the sea is a connection to nature, adventure, and the beauty of the ocean. The sea is also full of life, which is a great way to describe my spirit. I do think a person's name is a direct connection to their internal identity.

Chapter 2

aveena412323 — 2025-03-19 23:34:03 UTC

I really like Malala's dad, he's been her number-one supporter since she was born. I like that this chapter covers generational trauma and breaking the cycle. Malala's father was traditional, which meant being cold to his son who struggled with speech, and withholding opportunities from his daughters who were just "waiting to be married." Malala's grandfather and the actions of General Zia are defining factors in Malala's father's character. He could have either followed in their footsteps and treated his daughter how women were in their culture, or be supportive of women. It's like the lesson with the twin brothers. Their father is an alcoholic. One son became an alcoholic and said, “What choice do I have?” The other son never touched a drop of alcohol because “My father is an alcoholic.” Generational trauma can be broken by identifying your options and controlling your response. In this case, Malala having a supportive father who believed in her, even though she is a girl, is a big part of why she is successful today.

Chapter 3

aveena412323 — 2025-03-19 23:50:27 UTC

Ziauddin Yousafzai passed on his passion for education down to his daughter. They both see education as a great gift because of their limited amount of opportunities. Ziauddin's dream was to open a school and he fought hard to make his dream come true despite financial hardships. He was driven by pure passion, and that's something we're missing in our current society. I think people in America take education for granted because we don't see this type of passion anymore. It's all about getting the top scores or into the best colleges, we lose sight of the fun of learning itself. Educators can change student lives too. There have been many stories on the news about teachers who spend money out of their own pockets to provide for their students. For example, I know Ms. Vega at our school buys snacks for her kids out of the kindness of her heart. To reach the level of education that the Yousafzais dream of, we need to match their passion and make education more accessible to everyone, not just the rich or the naturally gifted.

Chapter 4

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 00:15:45 UTC

What caught my eye in this chapter was that the children's favorite game was "Weddings." Pashtun culture is much different than ours, they emphasize women being married off to start a family. But I thought it was strange that the children already knew the customs of a wedding, such as the jewelry. They even told the pretend bride that "Marriage is a part of life. Be kind to your mother-in-law and father-in-law so they treat you well. Take care of your husband and be happy." If I heard a child say that to me, I would be creeped out. Usually, children don't know much about marriage or weddings because American culture doesn't involve them in it. When I was younger, the only wedding things I pretended to do were putting my Barbies in a big dress and saying "You may now kiss the bride!" as I smash the dolls' faces together. The fact that the Pashtun kids know so much about weddings in their culture means they either go to many, many weddings, or their parents have taught them these customs since they were even younger. Either way, this concept was foreign to me.

Chapter 5

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 00:33:40 UTC

When Malala was questioning why jewelry was tempting to her, it reminded me of how I feel about cars and phones. In this chapter she thinks, "What are these baubles which tempt me? Why should I lose my character over a few metal trinkets?" I have always thought the same way about material items. My mom is not the same way, she will always jump at the opportunity to get a new phone, and new TV, and new car, etc. When things are old or cheap, she views them as disposable. However, I've never understood that mentality. What is the point of obsessing over something new and shiny when you already have something working and reliable? It's a good thing that Malala got a taste of stealing but got caught, she could have gone down a different path had she not stopped. But it's weird to think that many criminals steal for the same reason she did, for revenge or our of jealousy. I think it's important for people to take more value in things that belong to them because they are your belongings instead of taking from others.

Chapter 6

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 00:52:15 UTC

Malala describes seeing children digging through a huge trash heap near her home to find scraps that they can sell. This makes her feel bad and asks her father to let them live in the school, but it's hard on him financially because he would miss out on fees somebody else could pay for the room. There is a moment where Malala complains about sharing her room with two other girls because it's hard for her to work. But then she remembers seeing the children in the trash heap and feels guilty. I can relate to this experience. When I was younger and visiting family in Thailand, my mom wanted me to go to this outdoor shelter on a hot day. I complained, saying it was so hot outside and I was going to burn up in the sun, but she made me go anyway. The shelter was for disabled children and volunteers were to cook soup and feed them. I felt bad for complaining after that and passed out popsicles to all the kids. I even hand-fed one boy with no arms and legs.

Chapter 7

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 01:07:48 UTC

I am not a very religious person, so it's interesting and concerning to me how people can twist religion to fit their beliefs. A religious leader, or mufti, tries to shut down Malala's father's school because he believes women shouldn't be educated. The mufti and several others come to their house and they argue about what the Quran says about women. This reminds me of all the debates I see about homosexuality, whether God is accepting of it or not. One side argues that God made marriage between man and woman, anything besides that is sinful. But on the other hand, people argue if God created everything, then he created gay people as well, and they are loved. I believe it's fine to use your religion how you want, but it's scary when they use it to justify oppression or mistreatment of others.

Chapter 8

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 01:31:04 UTC

In this chapter, a terrible earthquake hits and the devastation affects hundreds of thousands of people. Villages were destroyed, children were orphaned, and many people lost everything. During disasters like these, some people lose faith in their God or question the way of the universe. They wonder, "If God is real, why would He let this happen?" It's a valid question, but the universe has balance. After the earthquake, many people were willing to donate or volunteer to help, whether it was rebuilding homes or helping doctors with their medical practices. In situations like these, I always think of Yin and Yang. Two balancing forces that keep harmony throughout the world. It's true that natural disasters like these are horrible and bring misery to those involved. But in all darkness, there is light.

Chapter 10

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 23:02:15 UTC

The Taliban's rule has become more aggressive and everyone is living in an oppressive society now. They have the deal with the risks of police officers being killed or suicide bombings. Schools for girls are shut down and Malala has to hide her passion for education to survive. Many women are forced to hide in general and not step outside, they even place a curfew. This reminded me of a book called "Red Queen," where the main character, Mare, does not fit into this silver-blooded society of high-class people and has to sneak around their land. It's high stakes if she gets caught because she could be imprisoned or killed. I'm getting the same feeling with girls in Pakistan in the chapter, they have to hide and move in the shadows so the Taliban don't catch and kill them.

Chapter 11

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 23:02:19 UTC

There were a lot of quotes I liked in this chapter such as "If one man, Fazlullah, can destroy everything, why can't one girl change it?" It made me wonder why we, even in current society, feel so powerless against the government. Maybe it's because of their money? Their influence? Their connections? But then we hear stories like Malala's and it reminds us that the people have a voice too. Common people can inspire change. In this chapter, it's frustrating to hear that nobody is taking any action against the Taliban, especially since it's so obvious to us that they are the bad guys. But in real life, if Elon Musk suddenly started creating laws that suppressed poor people, we would probably be going through the same situation. That's why it's important to have awareness about what's happening in other parts of the world and to remember that we have the right to speak up for ourselves in times of need.

Chapter 9

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 23:02:22 UTC

Fazlullah gains power over citizens in this chapter by being charming and charismatic. He won their hearts first, and that's how people started becoming loyal to him. This reminded me of President Snow from the Hunger Games. Like Fazlullah, Snow is not an obvious monster. He doesn't shout or threaten people, but he speaks calmly and with an air of wisdom. This makes others believe his rule is necessary and correct, even though he is oppressing and killing innocent people. Fazlullah is the same way, he speaks over the radio as if he is guiding people towards the correct way of Islam. They start becoming obedient to him, like the teacher who quit Malala's father's school since Fazlullah said girls should not have an education.

Chapter 13

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 23:02:26 UTC

In this chapter, Malala speaks out more to the media about the struggles with the Taliban. She starts a diary and is doing more interviews. This is a reminder of how media can be used for good and bad. Fazlullah used media and radio to spread propaganda and his orders. Malala uses the media to spread awareness and show the dangers and oppression girls have to go through to receive an education. A more modern example of this would be Tiktok. Some people use it to spread lies or unverified news and others use it for good, such as supporting small businesses or causes. Media has been used to shape global movements throughout history, whether it was through newspapers or cell phones.

Chapter 12

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 23:02:30 UTC

Malala's father is an outspoken man who is fighting for the education of girls and the true values of Islam. However, this is putting him in big danger against the Taliban. He starts sleeping at a friend's house in case the Taliban attacks him at night. Malala and her mother start thinking of plans for if the Taliban were to come, like hiding a knife under the pillow or calling the police in the bathroom. I know what it is like to plan for the worst-case scenario of an attacker. I used to have a family member who was angry at my parents, and I feared they would come to our house at night and fight us. My room is right next to the front door, so I used to make little plans for escaping or calling for help, like crawling out the window or sliding my dresser against the door so they couldn't enter. But generally, making these plans still stirs up a lot of anxiety, especially when the fear of being harmed and real. Malala and her family were brave to not run away from their beliefs of education even though it brought them so much potential danger.

Chapter 14

aveena412323 — 2025-03-20 23:02:53 UTC

In this chapter, Hillary Clinton said that she thinks the peace deal that the Pakistani government and the Taliban agreed to was a sign of surrender or letting them get their way. But Malala gives the perspective that her people "needed peace whoever brought it." It made me think about the news we hear in America about other countries. It's easy to listen and think "Why didn't they do this or that?" But most of the time, we forget that when we are in a survival situation, we freeze and comply. This is shown too with the girl in the red trousers who was getting beat by the Taliban, and even her family didn't help her. In fact, her relative helped hold her down. This is called the bystander effect, and it happens all the time with crime as well. For example, Kitty Genovese was a woman who was SA'd and killed right in front of her apartment. There were 38 witnesses and none of them attempted to help her. This bystander effect is a huge reason that people seeking power can gain control. People are too scared or uninvolved to retaliate. This is why people like Malala are important in society, to fight for change and justice despite the dangers.

Chapter 15

aveena412323 — 2025-03-22 18:33:26 UTC

At the end of this chapter, Malala has to spend her 12th birthday away from her home, and her family has forgotten about it since they were so busy with everything else. She recounts her 11th birthday, which was so much different and happier. This reminded me of this video that spread awareness about children in war. It shows that a lot can happen in one year and the drastic amount of change both Malala and the girl in the video had to go through. I think it must be really tough to move to a new place. I've done my fair share of traveling, and being away from home for one month already was a lot. It's hard to get used to the local standards too, like how Malala was shocked that the school slapped her wrist for being late. It just shows how well humans can adapt, but not without many struggles.

Chapter 16

aveena412323 — 2025-03-22 18:52:47 UTC

Malala asks her father, "What's stopping each and every politician from doing good things? Why would they not want our people to be safe, to have food and electricity?" This reminded me of our class discussion about Hale from Killers of the Flower Moon. He and many other politicians are rich, influential, and tactical. They could easily provide countries with food, clean water, and everything necessary to thrive. However, money is usually the reason they don't. Either they're greedy for more money and want to swindle the people or they're too stingy and don't want to use their money to help. I would like to think if I had money, I would use it for good, like starting a charity or homeless shelter. However, I know money can change people. I have some rich friends and family members who don't get involved with local or global issues. They just keep working to make more money. This is where the saying "Money is the root of all evil" comes from.

Chapter 17

aveena412323 — 2025-03-22 19:13:31 UTC

Malala prays to be taller because she used to be one of the biggest girls in school, but now she's among the shortest. That happened to me too in elementary school, my whole growth spurt was in 5th grade and I have never grown since. I understand wanting to feel taller, especially when you're surrounded by bigger people, literally and figuratively. Malala says that when she stands at a podium to speak, she is barely seen over it, so she has to wear heels to feel respected. I often feel this way too in more casual situations, like going to parties with mainly adults or going to a nice restaurant. You always want to blend in with the crowd and match their energy or size. Malala has to feel like she's big and respected enough to speak at her interviews, and since she's won the National Peace Prize, that image is going to weigh on her even more.

Chapter 18

aveena412323 — 2025-03-25 05:42:32 UTC

Malala has been receiving death threats and facing more danger. Her father suggests they stop campaigning for education rights for a while and hide her away, but Malala is too passionate about the cause to accept that. This made me appreciate her father and his desire to protect his family and students. He has said a couple of times that he can be killed, but just him alone. I think many dads are selfless in that sense, especially when it comes to protecting their kids. My dad took a life-or-death risk for me once. I was on a pool floatie that we brought to Lake Mead. I was lying down and relaxing, looking up at the sky and not realizing how far I was floating away until my family was screaming for me to come back. I was far past where anyone should be swimming, but my dad jumped in the lake and dragged me back to land. I was very grateful, and I'm sure Malala is grateful for her dad too.

Chapter 19

aveena412323 — 2025-03-27 17:33:49 UTC

Malala says she wishes being hassled by a boy was her biggest problem. It's understandable, she has to deal with all these safety precautions to protect herself in public, her father's life being threatened, and the Taliban. She talks about the Twilight series in this chapter, which is total fiction and dramatic. The problems in that story are not realistic, but we often turn to fiction when reality becomes too hard to handle. It's like a coping mechanism. I understand this personally, I can daydream for hours on end to forget about the stresses of real life. There have even been times when after a stressful situation, like when I got into a small car accident, I turned my reality into a fictional scenario. It's easier to process things when you project them onto other people, even fake characters or an alternate version of yourself.

Chapter 20

aveena412323 — 2025-03-27 17:40:56 UTC

To me, this chapter shows how fleeting life can be. Here, Malala is worrying about her exams and being late for school. But an attempt on her life is taken so suddenly when she was just doing something normal, like riding the bus to school. When I think about how easy it is to die, it makes me uneasy. On the ACT day this year, I was driving to my bus stop thinking about how I would do, if I studied enough, etc. I got the green arrow to turn left, but another car ran a red light and did not stop for me. If I had not braked as hard as I did, that car would have T-boned me right into my side of the car. I was shocked initially and as the day went on it dawned on me that I would have died. The car was going so fast, if it hit me that would have been the end. Everything I was worried about would be gone. And I don't have the accomplishments that Malala does, so what would I have contributed to the world? Hearing about these experiences and going through them myself makes me realize how fragile and precious life is.

Chapter 21

aveena412323 — 2025-03-28 06:34:34 UTC

This chapter really shows the importance of faith. It's good to believe in something when things feel out of your control, whether it's a person or a God. This reminded me of a quote from a YouTube series called Alien Stage, "They believed that which could not be solved by human strength, was the Will of God." It's human nature to place our hope and faith into something, especially when it comes to survival. I personally believe that there is some sort of entity or maybe the universe itself that watches over us. The entire neighborhood got together in this chapter to pray, it strengthened everyone's hope for Malala's recovery. Things could have ended much differently if Malala's family had lost hope or lashed out at each other. Instead, their faith held strong.

Chapter 22

aveena412323 — 2025-03-28 06:40:13 UTC

What caught my attention most in this chapter was how much care Malala was receiving as opposed to all the other victims of Taliban attacks throughout the book. Of course, her receiving intensive care is amazing, but I was shocked at the scope of it. Her family was getting calls from the USA for free treatment and politicians wanted to visit her in the hospital as well. When she was getting transported, Dr. Fiona said if Malala had died on the helicopter, she would basically "have killed Pakistan's Mother Teresa." It makes me wonder if Malala wasn't this important role model and political advocate, would she still be cared for like this? The answer is likely no, which makes me question the morality of it.

Chapter 23

aveena412323 — 2025-03-28 06:46:28 UTC

When Malala regains consciousness, one of the first things she worries about is her father and money. She kept writing on paper that they did not have money to pay for the hospital. She even though of a plan, in her sick form, to get a job and earn money to buy a cellphone and call her dad. The worry about the medical bill is a very real struggle. I know plenty of people who have refused an ambulance due to the price and would rather just be driven to the hospital. Even I've experienced the stress of a medical bill after going to the doctor. It can be hard to recover efficiently when exhausted and stressed.

Chapter 24

aveena412323 — 2025-03-28 06:54:52 UTC

My favorite quote in this chapter is "No one knows how much power they have in each and every organ until they lose one." Malala's left ear was shot and bleeding, it was a bit hard for her to hear. I had a hearing scare as well a few weeks ago, where my left ear lost all hearing for about 3 minutes. I thought I went deaf but then it came back. I freaked out about it, never being able to hear properly again without a hearing aid is just... what has to happen. I believed I was cursed. But Malala accepts this change with a brave face. She tells her mother that even if she can't move the left side of her face and smile, she'll still be Malala. I think that perfectly shows human resilience. Humans are very adaptable creatures, and I think Malala and her family's work is amazing.