Malala’s classmate and “rival” for success in the classroom, Malka e-Noor is as intelligent, or almost as intelligent, as Malala—yet she doesn’t fight for education or women’s rights, as Malala does. Her presence in the book reminds us that intelligence, while important, isn’t enough: one needs bravery and integrity to enact real change in the world.
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Malka e-Noor Character Timeline in I Am Malala
The timeline below shows where the character Malka e-Noor appears in I Am Malala. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Prologue: The Day My World Changed
...out of bed and prepares for her day of exams. Her rival at school is Malka e-Noor —as she dresses, Malala thinks to herself that she’s almost always beaten Malka on her...
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Chapter 5: Why I Don’t Wear Earrings and Pashtuns Don’t Say Thank You
...participated in almost every student activity—sports, theater, and music. One year, a new student named Malka e-Noor appeared in her class, and quickly began doing better than Malala on her exams. Malala...
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Chapter 11: The Clever Class
...began high school. She continued to do well on her exams, usually defeating her rival, Malka-e-Noor. She had trouble with mathematics, but excelled at writing and theater. She wrote an amusing...
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Chapter 16: The Valley of Sorrows
...and talk about their experiences with the Taliban. Malala goes to Islamabad, along with Moniba, Malka-e-Noor, and many other students. Malala arrives in Islamabad, accompanied by her mother, on August 14....
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...end, Malala does well on her school exams, coming in first (and narrowly edging out Malka-e-Noor). The first half of 2010 is uneventful, compared with the years preceding it. In July,...
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Chapter 20: Who is Malala?
...she’s feeling nervous about her upcoming exams, as last year she came in second to Malka-e-Noor.
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