I Am Malala

In what context does she say these things?

Malala makes some curt statements about the role of women in her culture:

  • “My mother is very beautiful and my father adored her as if she were a fragile china vase, never laying a hand on her, unlike many of our men.”
  • “Most Pashtun men never do this, as sharing problems with women is seen as weak.”
  • “My mother is very pious and prays five times a day, though not in a mosque, as that is only for the men.”

In what context does she say these things? Why do you think at the onset of the book she avoids commentary to statements such as these when she freely voices them later in the story? How is the role of women in Malala’s culture the same or different from yours? What is your reaction to the treatment of women as described by Malala?

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Last updated by judy t #197809
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Because Malala's father believes in education for women - girls such as Malala - she gets a very different view of the role of women in a family. Her father does not act like the typical male in his society, and Malala has the skill of careful observation noting the differences beween her father and others around her. I can only comment on the fact that in the society I was raised in, women were led to believe they could do anything, and in many cases, parents wanted their children to achieve more than they themselves had. My father respected my mother and treated her in a loving, gentle manner. There is no question, that my view of women in Malala's society would greatly conflict with the way men in Malala's society viewed women.