Independent Reading Project by Ruby Crawford-Caciur

I Am Malala by Malala Yousfzai and Christina Lamb

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-20 17:27:45 UTC

Ruby Crawford-Caciur and Dara Agbeja

About the Author

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-20 17:40:36 UTC

I am Malala is about Malala's life story. She was born in July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan. She has two younger brothers, Khushal and Atal, a father who was a principal and founder of multiple schools, and a sweet, caring mother. She is the youngest Nobel Prize winner. SHe is known for being a symbol of fighting for girls education. She has survived an attack from the Taliban after being shot in the arm.

Subject Focus

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-21 17:16:13 UTC

The subject focus of "I am Malala" is about Malala's life story about growing up in a patriarchy Pakistan. As she grows older, she speaks out for girl's education and is a symbol for it.

Key Individuals: Malala Yousafzai

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 21:10:20 UTC

Malala Yousafzai was an important individual in the book, I am Malala. She went from a young school girl in Mingora, Pakistan to a globally known advocate for girls' rights to education. She was also a brave activist against the Taliban's rampage in Swat Valley. They wanted girls out of the schools, but she wouldn't let this happen. This led to her getting shot by the Taliban on October 9th, 2012.

Key Individuals: Ziauddin Yousafzai

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 21:20:24 UTC

Ziauddin Yousafzai was an important individual in the book, I am Malala. He was an advocate for education, public speaking on many occasions. He owned 3 campuses of the Kushal Public Schools, where he allowed boys and girls too attend regardless of how much the Taliban wanted girls out of school. He also encouraged his daughter, Malala, to become educated and have a voice.

Pivotal Moment

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 21:24:39 UTC

The most pivotal moment in the book, I am Malala, is the assassination attempt on Malala. This was the event that turned her from a local activist, to a global activist. She obtained national support due to her survival and recovery.

Vocabulary

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 21:46:15 UTC

Pashtun:

Definition- A person who belongs to the ethnic group. This ethnic group forms the largest part of the population in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Part of Speech- Noun, adjective

Sentence usage-

Noun: "i couldn't tell at first, but the young boy was a Pashtun like me!"

Adjective: "The young girl learned about Pashtun traditions from her father."

Madrasa:

Definition- A Muslim school, college, or university.

Part of Speech- Noun

Sentence Usage- "The Taliban wanted to shut down any madrasa providing education to girls."

Mufti:

Definition- A Muslim expert that is knowledgeable of the religious law and is therefore qualified to share legal opinions.

Part of Speech- Noun

Sentence Usage- "The grand mufti of our city gave his legal opinion on the new economic policy."

Rhetorical Device: Imagery

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 21:56:55 UTC

Malala uses descriptive terms to create mental pictures for the reader.

Example:

"When I close my eyes, I can see my bedroom… I can hear the neighborhood kids playing cricket… I smell rice cooking as my mother works in the kitchen…"

Impact:

The impact of the imagery is that it helps the reader feel what Malala went through (pathos) and fully immerse themselves in her experiences.

Rhetorical Device: Tone

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 22:02:19 UTC

The author's attitude shapes the feeling of the story.

Example:

"The terrorists thought that they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear, and hopelessness died. Strength, power, and courage were born."

Impact:

The impact of the tone is that it shows how defiant and perseverant Malala was.

Rhetorical Device: Metaphor

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 22:08:43 UTC

Malala's father uses powerful metaphors to put things into perspective.

Example:

"You have put the first stone in standing water"

Impact:

The impact of the metaphor is that it shows the oppressed society under Taliban rule (standing water), and the stone represents Malala's activism.

Rhetorical Device: Irony

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 22:14:58 UTC

Malala uses plenty of situational and verbal irony in her book.

Example:

"No. They will not. And for them to listen to us, we have to be loud... we have to be loud in the whole world"

Impact:

The impact of irony is that it shows how in order to fight for the hushed rights of her people, she must be loud and gain international attention for her cause.

Cultural Aspect

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 22:23:01 UTC

A prime example of a cultural aspect in the book, I am Malala, is the status of women and girls at the time. They had to cover up their faces with burqas in public and had to do things like walk with a male relative in public at all times, and swara (where a girl is married off against their wills. They also were not allowed an education.

Historical Aspect

oluwadarasimiagbeja — 2025-08-28 22:31:17 UTC

A prime example of a historical aspect is the rise of the Taliban and their influence on girl's/women's education. They shut down schools that taught females. The Taliban diminished female rights through violence in Swat Valley.

Point of View And the Reader's Interpretation Perspective

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 02:51:02 UTC

How the point of view in the book "I am Malala" helps up with perspective is it is giving us first person insight on Malala's oppression and what she went through while in Pakistan suffering from the effects of the Taliban.

Theme/Central Message

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 02:54:41 UTC

The theme of the book "I am Malala" is the power of one voice to create change. Through out the book Malala showed a strong belief in the right to education. She also showed her bravery and how she would not back down.

1. Key Events/Claims

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 02:56:56 UTC

Growing up, Malala, falls in love with learning. Always competing for the top grades and her dad running the school

2. Key Events/Claims

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 02:59:15 UTC

The Taliban slowly starts alluring the people in Pakistan with radio podcast and people start listening and following their rules such as no listening to music, watching TV, and forbidding girls to go to school.

3. Key Events/Claims

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 03:00:42 UTC

Malala then starts doing interviews and public speaking and becomes a symbol for girl's education.

4. Key Events/Claims

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 03:01:56 UTC

Malala then gets shot by the Taliban and survives. She lives to tell her story, still being a symbol for girl's education.

Context: Place

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 03:06:09 UTC

The book "I am Malala" has a majority of the book taking place in Swat Valley, Pakistan. It is known to be very beautiful and have mountainous regions, as Malala said to have some of her family up there.

Context:Time

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 03:08:10 UTC

"I am Malala" took around the time of mid-2000s. Where Swat Valley was starting to get taken over by the Taliban.

Context: Circumstances

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-29 03:09:56 UTC

The circumstances of mid-2000s Swat Valley, Pakistan was the Taliban was taking over making many laws such as, not allowing girls to go to school, no watching tv, or no listening to music

Vocabulary

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-30 02:33:06 UTC

Pashtun:

Definition- A person who belongs to the ethnic group. This ethnic group forms the largest part of the population in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Part of Speech- Noun, adjective

Sentence usage-

Noun: "i couldn't tell at first, but the young boy was a Pashtun like me!"

Adjective: "The young girl learned about Pashtun traditions from her father."

Vocabulary

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-30 02:34:36 UTC

Madrasa:

Definition- A Muslim school, college, or university.

Part of Speech- Noun

Sentence Usage- "The Taliban wanted to shut down any madrasa providing education to girls."

Vocabulary

rubycrawfordcaciur — 2025-08-30 02:35:58 UTC

Mufti:

Definition- A Muslim expert that is knowledgeable of the religious law and is therefore qualified to share legal opinions.

Adjective: "The young girl learned about Pashtun traditions from

Part of Speech- Noun

Sentence Usage- "The grand mufti of our city gave his legal opinion on the new economic policy."