Essay Questions

What did Obama mean when she wrote “Kids know at a very young age when they’re being devalued”, and what was the significance in the book?

Michelle Obama began going to a school where neither the students were taken seriously, and the teachers weren't serious. Obama noticed this as she was a young girl, and she wanted things to be different. Therefore, her mother made her change school, just to make sure her academics were on top. This might have been one of the most important choices Obama's mother had made, as Obama really was able to develop herself and create a good basis for her future because of this. Had she not, she would have noticed herself being devalued, and might not have thought she had the power to become anything she wished.

Obama changes from being a "box checker" to "swerving" to fit into her lifestyle. What does this mean?

When Michelle Obama was young, she wanted perfection and to do everything as good as possible, trying her best to banish all mistakes. However, as she became older and the First Lady of the United States, she began "swerving". This was because she no longer could check all the boxes she wished she could, and instead had to "go with the flow" a bit more, and hope for the best. She didn't have the same amount of control over her own life, as her security now had become a part of the national job of the country. "Swerving" was a way for her to fit in her own goals to the way her life had changed.

Why did Michelle Obama call her book "Becoming", and what does that ideal entail?

Becoming means developing, reflecting, and working on oneself for a goal. This is exactly what Michelle Obama did. She became something different than what she began as, but she still stayed true to her roots and values. This is an inspiration for the people that wish to rise from their ashes, background and perhaps even past, to become something new, to become what they were destined to become, and to become whatever they wish, because doing so is possible.