I Am Malala Themes

Perhaps the central theme of I Am Malala—even more important than the power of education—is the theme of women’s rights. Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who narrates the book, is passionate about the equality of the sexes, and often quotes the founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, regarding this issue: “No struggle can succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is…

From the first scene—in which Malala is shot by the Taliban for riding a bus to school—to the final chapter—in which Malala lobbies for a UN resolution in favor of universal education—I Am Malala celebrates the importance of education. It could be said that education determines the way Malala comes of age: the more she learns, the more she recognizes the value of learning, and the more mature she becomes.

Education empowers people, not…

Since her rise to global fame in 2013, Malala Yousafzai has become almost universally renowned for her selfless devotion to helping the people of her country. She’s the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the world’s most prestigious award for helping other people. There are even those who think of her as a “living saint”—incapable of doing any wrong. In light of Malala’s reputation as a highly, or even perfectly, moral young…

Malala is an icon, renowned for her support for education and women’s rights. As a result, one of the most prominent themes in I Am Malala is the theme of fame itself: how heroes and role models, known by millions of people they’ve never met, can contribute to change or distract from it.

From a young age, Malala is surrounded by good role models. Her paternal grandfather, Rohul Amin, is a famously brilliant speaker…