I am Malala
Blog Questions
Expectations: 1.You need to choose TWO blog questions and write paragraph responses. 2. Skim the other questions and have an idea of how you would respond. 3. Make a comment to TWO of your classmates responses.
Part One: Before Taliban
- Free as a Bird (Pashtunwali code, badal, purdah, niqab, burqa)
- Malala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
- Describe the context of the chapter title (Free as a Bird) as it relates to Malala? What are some examples that reveal this?
- Dreams
- Malala’s cousins think she is a “city girl” because of her slang, her clothes, and her mannerisms. Do we still cling to these stereotypes when we meet others different from us? When has this happened to you?
- As hard as life was (is) for Pakistani women, how did Ziauddin answer Malala’s question about why life was this hard? Why did he do this?
- A Magic Pencil
- What would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
- What of Malala’s reaction to seeing the children at the dump? Why do you think she reacted in this way?
- Discuss the incident where Malala learns that some of the wealthier children wouldn’t be returning to school. Do we have comparable issues in the U.S. today?
1) Explain the context of the title "As Free as a Bird"
ReplyDeleteThe title shows how Malala wants to be. She wants to have freedom and be able to do what she wants. "... I would never cover my face like that. My face is my identity" (Yousafzai 18). This quote shows how even though everyone around Malala covers their faces and thinks she should to, she does not. Malala wants to be free to do what she wants and her father supports her.
I can relate to Malala wanting to have her own identity. I would never want to be something like a clone or look just like all of the other girls. She should have the right to choose to cover her face.
DeleteI agree with you Brian, on what "As Free as a Bird" means. Your meaning makes sense, and the quote you used helped show a great example of how Malala wants to be free, and her own person. It shows that she is proud of who she is, and will be free, no matter what.
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DeleteI totally agree with you on what the title "As Free as a Bird" means. I think that Malala wishes she has some of the freedoms like we have in
the United States. She wants to be able to do whatever she wants and not be told how to dress or live.
Describe the context of the chapter title (Free as a Bird) as it relates to Malala? What are some examples that reveal this?
ReplyDeletea.) The title “free as a bird” relates towards Malala because she had her own way of life. She stated in the book “I told my parents that no matter what other girls did, I would never cover my face like that” (Yousafzai 17-18). This shows that she did not want to be like everyone she wanted her own identity as she also states “My face was my identity”
I agree with Payton. Malala wanted to have her own identity. If I were Malala I would think the same thing. You should not have to look just like everyone else.
DeleteI agree with Payton because Malala should have the right to be her own person and be unique. I would want to be my own person, and not let anyone try to take me down or take something that I really care about away from me.
DeleteI also agree with Payton. Like Maddie said Malala has the right to be her own person.
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ReplyDeleteWhat would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
a.) If i had Sanju’s magic pencil I would use it to have all of the money I could imagine. Most importantly I would bring back friends and family members that I have lost. The dangerous thing about this is that the power could go to someone's head or get someone in trouble.
I agree with Payton. Having the pencil would be dangerous. There would be people who wnated it, or the power could go to your head.
DeleteI agree with Payton and Brian. Something so powerful would easily be taken for granted or the power could go to your head.
DeleteI agree with Payton. If that pencil was real, many people would use it to their own advantage so they can be powerful. They would also use it to seem better than others, but not everyone would use it like that.
DeleteI agree to your statement when you said that the power could go to someone's head. I, too, would like to bring back family members and friends who have past.
DeleteI agree also. Being able to have all the money I wanted would be great, but at the same time working hard for what you earn goes a long way.
DeleteMalala’s cousins think she is a “city girl” because of her slang, her clothes, and her mannerisms. Do we still cling to these stereotypes when we meet others different from us? When has this happened to you?
ReplyDeleteI believe that we do still cling to the stereotypes of the world. If someone were to walk in with dirty clothes people would judge them. They could be an amazing person, but people don’t give themselves a chance to get to know them. When I first moved here in seventh grade people told me I was a stuck up. I don’t know why they thought this considering I just met them. My first guess was the clothes I was wearing. I made sure that I looked my best in order to make a good first impression. The person that made that comment ended up being a great friend. She just had to give me a chance.
I agree with your statement that we still use stereotypes, and it was wrong for that person to assume that. It is a great thing that they looked past the stereotype they gave you and became your friend.
DeleteI agree that we still use stereotypes. We use them for how people talk, look, or act. Stereotypes are still present in our society today.
DeleteI agree that many people still use stereotypes, and it's not right to assume how people are. We stereotype a person based on their religion, looks, and how the act. To other people with these characteristics believe it's unfair to criticize them based on someone else who represents this group badly.
DeleteI agree with you Samantha. I feel like many people today stereotype others, especially ones who are not as fortunate or have a disability. I'm my opinion, I feel like we do stereotype people to make ourselves look better.
DeleteI agree with Samantha, that we use stereotype others. Even if they dress up nice and or they dress like a slob we would judge them and say "they try to hard" or "they are a slob".
DeleteI agree that in today's society we still do stereotype others. Like you said when new kids walk in we're so quick to judge even if we may not know them. Also, if we see people with dirty hair we immediately think that they are nasty. When really they may not have money to afford running water.
Delete2)Malala’s cousins think she is a “city girl” because of her slang, her clothes, and her mannerisms. Do we still cling to these stereotypes when we meet others different from us? When has this happened to you?
ReplyDeleteMalala is called a "city girl" because of how she speaks and because of what she wears. Today we still use the stereotypes of people because of where they live. For example people who have a Southern accent are labeled as farmers. We still call people "city boys" and "city girls" today. This has happened to me when I moved here from Colorado. I used different slang and spoke differently than people here did.
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DeleteI agree with Brian is that these stereotypes are still used today, even if you are just using a little different slang from another state
DeleteMalala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
ReplyDeleteThis quote means that you are not defined by the mistakes you make as a child. No matter what you end up being in life a child still has the mannerisms of a child. They are going to make dumb decisions that could affect their life, but most of the time people aren’t going to care about the mistakes you made when you were five or even thirteen years old.
I think this is a very good way of taking this quote. It is very simple, yet to the point and it makes sense in the way her father said it. Although, I don't think that the mistakes Malala made were that big of a deal compared to the decisions that are made by people here, in the United States that are around illegal and bad things.
DeleteI think what he is saying is that even a prophet as a child had to make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes to get to be who they are today.
Delete1)Describe the context of the chapter title (Free as a Bird) as it relates to Malala? What are some examples that reveal this?
ReplyDeleteThe title shows how Malala wants be free. She wants to be herself and not have anyone else tell her who to be. In the book, Malala said, "I would never cover my face. My face is my identity" (Yousafzai 18). Malala is right we shouldn't have to cover our faces because our faces show who we are. Our faces represent us, because each one of our faces are one of a kind. She just wants to be able to do what she thinks is right for her own being.
I agree. I don't think we should have to hide our faces in public. I think that when women cover their faces, it is the culture's way of portraying women as submissive and less than men. I don't think that's right.
Delete1) What of Malala’s reaction to seeing the children at the dump? Why do you think she reacted in this way?
ReplyDeleteMalala was surprised to see children picking trash through the dump to help support their family. She felt bad that they didn't have enough money to be able to go to school to get a proper education, instead of looking through the garbage to help their family's needs. Malala just wants to help people who are not able to get an education because she believes an education can help many people.
You make a very good point. Malala knows she is very lucky and all she wants to do is help others that are not as fortunate as she is. I would be surprised to see such a thing just like Malala was.
DeleteI do agree with you when you said that all Malala wants to do is help others that aren't able to get an education, because I feel like she is the kind of person that would try to help anybody no matter who they are.
DeleteWhat would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIf I had Sanju’s pencil, I would draw anything that I want. I would draw food if I was hungry, the TV remote if I was too lazy to get it, and everything else that I want! I think the dangers of something like this is when one abuses the power and gets greedy. If you used this magic pencil to control others or become powerful, it would have many bad results.
Discuss the incident where Malala learns that some of the wealthier children wouldn’t be returning to school. Do we have comparable issues in the U.S. today?
Malala learns that some of the richer people in her community pulled their children out of her father’s school because they realized that their kids went to school with the poorer common folk. Many of the paying families no longer let their children go to Malala’s dad’s school, and this could’ve meant a difficult time for Malala’s family because they didn’t have much money to start off with.
The US does have similar issues today. I thought about public versus private schools. Public schools would be like Malala’s school, with many of the kids who just need an education. Private schools would be like the schools that the paying families brought their kids to instead, because they had the opportunity to invest in nicer schooling. Also, public schools are often given the short straw when money comes around, whereas private schools usually have more money.
I agree with Stella in that some of the families that look at themselves as superior "fight" the school's administration because they don't want their child being harmed or corrupted because of how they look and such.
DeleteWhat would you draw if you had Sanju's pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIf I had Sanju’s pencil I feel like I would use it for special purposes only. I would use it for one of my relative’s birthdays, or for Christmas. If I could draw something with the pencil, I would draw a new house. I would want to draw a new house because I want to be able to have everyone over to my house and bond with my friends. Some of the dangers of having a magic pencil that Sanju has is he could use it against someone. He could do whatever he wanted with it. For example, if Sanju was mad at one of his friends, he could use the pencil against them. The pencil would be a big responsibility to have.
I agree, the pencil could easily go to someones' head and it could be used as a weapon.
DeleteI agree with both Maddie and Taylor. The pencil could be used as a weapon.
DeleteWhat is Malala'a reaction to seeing the children at the dump? Why do you think she reacted in this way?
ReplyDeleteMalala'a reaction to seeing the children at the dump is she is shocked. In the text it says, "As I tossed our rubbish onto the heap, I saw something move. I jumped." I believe she reacted in this way because it was a girl her age. I feel like Malala had never been exposed to these awful conditions girls and boys her age have to go through and live with. She doesn't have to work for her family like other kids do.
In a way, Malala is sheltered from the outside world and what goes on around her.
I completely agree, I think as kids we are very focused on ourselves and don't see or comprehend the things that go on around us.
DeleteMalala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
ReplyDeleteTo me this quote means that as a child you act as a child does even if you are someone who will grow up to do great things. So just because you do something during your childhood that doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world, you can still grow up to do amazing things.
What would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIf I had Sanju’s pencil I would draw food, houses, clothes, and other necessities for people who don’t have those things. I’d draw endangered animals, wildlife, and natural resources. I would draw different buildings like schools, hospitals, and safety shelters. I would also be slightly shellfish, and draw a dog for myself, and my dream house, along with a truck. If this got in the wrong hands it could be use for opposite reasons like destruction. Even in the right hands the magic could not always go as planned and things could come out differently than you drew.
I completely agree with you, I also feel that if the pen fell into the wrong hands, it could be used for terrible things. However I like what you say you would do with it. It is very nice that you thought to draw things that benefit others.
Delete• Malala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
ReplyDelete- The quote that Malala's father tells her is a wise quote. This quote can mean many different things, but to me it means that things you do during your childhood do not define who you are as an adult. As a child we tend to be care free and troublesome, so we do what we wish to. This can lead to causing a problem, like breaking your neighbors window. As we become older some of us mature and we no longer act as the child we once were, so we no longer cause as much problems also. During our childhood we act differently than we do as we grow up.
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ReplyDeleteDescribe the context of the chapter title (Free As A Bird) as it relates to Malala? What are some examples that reveal this?
ReplyDeleteI believe that the chapter title (Free as a bird) relates to Malala because even though her and her family do not have the best life, she always has fun in whatever she does. She participates in activities that you wouldn’t always see young girls doing and she tells her parents she doesn’t want to cover her face when she is a teen because her face is her identity. I think that shows that Malala sees life in Pakistan and the customs of the people there differently than a female typically would. She enjoys playing with her brother and being a kid. She enjoys listening to the men talk rather than the woman. She says in the story that she was “hypnotized by this talk of the big world beyond our valley.” (Yousafzai 16) This shows that she has an interest in things that most of the women in Pakistan wouldn’t. It shows how different she is from everyone which I believe is why she is such a standout now.
I agree with your statement. Malala does have a different perspective than other women/girls in Pakistan do. These are good reasons as to why she standsout.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete• Describe the context of the chapter title (Free as a Bird) as it relates to Malala? What are some examples that reveal this?
ReplyDelete- The title "As free as a bird" means having the liberty to follow what you believe, like birds have the liberty to fly where they want. This title relates to Malala when she states "But as I ran off, I'd always wonder how it felt to live in hiding. Living under wraps seemed so unfair-and uncomfortable." (Yousafzai 17). The first sentences shows that Malala has never had to live in hiding before, so she wonders how it would be if she had to. The second sentences in the quotations show that Malala is a person who likes to be able to show her identity, by not having to hide under wraps that cover her. She believes it is unfair and uncomfortable to have to live under wraps so she does what she believes, and that is to not hide under wraps. Malala has a free spirit that allows her to follow what she believes, just like a bird.
Malala’s cousins think she is a “city girl” because of her slang, her clothes, and her mannerisms. Do we still cling to these stereotypes when we meet others different from us? When has this happened to you?
ReplyDeleteI believe that we do very much so cling to stereotypes when we meet people that are different from us. I feel when we travel, the stereotyping is shown. I know personally when I travel and talk to people from wherever I'm at, the first thing I do once they walk away is make some sort of comment to my parents about how different they use words or maybe how different their voice sounds. People that don't live in the Midwest think that we have a southern type accent that to someone who also lives in the area wouldn't notice. With that being said I believe these stereotypes are very present in our everyday lives.
Malala’s cousins think she is a “city girl” because of her slang, her clothes, and her mannerisms. Do we still cling to these stereotypes when we meet others different from us? When has this happened to you?
ReplyDeleteI think many people in today's society still cling and hold on to different stereotypes. I think most of us are stereotyped every single day. When we call some kids "weird" or "crazy". In reality, those kids probably think that we're the weird ones. We are all different. Some of us play sports, some participate in choir or plays. Others are part of anime club or speech club. That doesn't make us "weird", it just makes us, us. I don't think there really is such thing as a stereotypical kid. Maybe more people are interested in something you aren't. Maybe there are few people are interested in something you are. No two people are exactly alike. We are all unique.
I agree with you entirely. I think people are way to quick to judge people before they really know them.
DeleteMalala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
ReplyDeleteThis quote displays the message that blatantly, kids are kids. It expresses that even a child has spoken the word of God or one that is very intelligent, are still kids on the inside. This is commonly seen with kids who have gone through traumatic experiences are still kids on the inside. In other words, it is saying that only through good experience is the childish brain grown out of.
Malala’s cousins think she is a “city girl” because of her slang, her clothes, and her mannerisms. Do we still cling to these stereotypes when we meet others different from us? When has this happened to you?
ReplyDeleteYes, we usually do cling to stereotypes when presented with someone who fits those standards. This is seen most often with people who live and work out in the country. I generally see stereotypes used against “hillbillies” and some other groups of people. There is a deeper level of stereotypes within schools, though. One of the most popular ones I hear is that everyone in band is usually a straight A student in multiple honor societies and honor classes. While this is definitely true in some cases it is not always.
(Free as a Bird) Malala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
ReplyDeleteThis quote to me means that all children or people are the same until they change or try to change, if you have a group of children that all have the same chance at succeeding, they will all do different things because everyone is different. One child may go and try and learn as much as they can and one could slack off and not do as good or stay the same. But they still were equal at one time but one decided to change which made them different.
(Magic Pen) What would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIf I had Sanju’s pencil I would draw thing that make everyone happy and things that will benefit everyone or maybe even a small group but still benefit them. Some of the danger that could come out of something like this is someone could be greedy and draw things for themselves and their friends but no one else and I don't they that was the point of the pencil.
Malala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
ReplyDeleteThis quote to me means that no matter what who or what your "rank" is, you are still a child at heart. Malala does a very childish act by stealing her friend's belongings. Even though she is very mature for her age, she still makes decisions that are immature. Her father is soothing her by telling her this because he knows how terrible and stupid Malala feels about her actions.
What would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIn the book Malala talks about her favorite television show, in the show the main character has a special pen that can draw anything you could possibly want. She says that she would use it for the greater good, but would others? Sadly, not every single person in the world would use the magic pen for heroic purposes. Though it would be pretty awesome to have a pen that can draw anything you could think of.
I agree with you about how not everyone would use the magic pencil for herioc purposes. Some people would take advantage of the pencil for their own selfish reasons, instead of helping others too.
DeleteA Magic Pencil:
ReplyDeleteWhat would you draw if you had Sanju's magic pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?:
- If I had a magic pencil, I would draw a lot of things. Some important and some, not so important. I would draw unimportant things like clothes and shoes that I only wanted, and a big, new house that I did not need, just wished I had. I don't really need these things, I only want them, that's why they are unimportant. Malala, with only some clothes that are in mid condition and a small, shared, unsafe house make the things I would draw even more unimportant. This pen could help people, but could also lead to bad things like overcrowding, too much money and dangerous acts.
What of Malala's reaction to seeing the children at the dump? Why do you think she reacted this way?
-I think Malala was very scared when she saw all of the children at the dump. It was very dirty there, smelly, and unsafe. Those children had to go there to support their family and Malala only wished to help them. She wished for them to have somewhere else to go, a different way of living and even school. The kids that Malala saw at the dump were her age and she felt so bad for them and they were scared of her. Malala told her dad when he got home, because she cared so much. I believe that Malala reacted this way because she was scared, did not know what to do exactly, and felt so bad for them.
Describe the context of the chapter title (Free as a Bird) as it relates to Malala? What are some examples that reveal this?
ReplyDeleteThe chapter title (Free as a Bird) relates to the context by showing that Malala is not held back by anything, somewhat like a bird would be. Like a bird, Malala does what makes her happy. She will sometimes even go against the rules to try and become her own person. Example: In the book Malala says that when she is older she will not wear the cloth on her head so that she wont blend in with the crowd. Malala wants to be her own person and not be like the standard girl in her country. She wants to be original and not like anyone else. Malala is like a free spirit that will do as she pleases, again like a bird.
I agree with you. Malala is a very free spirit. I like the example of the cloth on her head because she said her face is her identity, even though every other woman wears one.
DeleteDiscuss the incident where Malala learns that some of the wealthier children wouldn’t be returning to school. Do we have comparable issues in the U.S. today?
ReplyDeleteIn the book Malala notices that some of the normal children are not attending school anymore. She asked her father about this problem. He replys "some of the richer parents took their children out of school when they found out they were sharing classrooms with the sons and daughters of people who cleaned their houses and washed their clothes"(Yousafzai28). This is like some problems we still have today in the U.S. Many people judge you on just how much money you have or other things like that that don't matter. They judge you for your stuff instead of the person that you are. They rich people in Malala's school pulled them because they didn't want them to associate with someone who is in a lower class. Just because you are not weathly does not mean that you are a lesser person.
I agree with you. As we are reading "I Am Malala," we can see that there is still a strong class system within this society.
DeleteYou wrote is exactly what I was thinking. People are quick to judge when it comes to wealth.
DeleteI agree with you 100% because I feel like people judge others on very irrelevant things such as how much money one has.
DeleteWhat would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIf I had Sanju’s pencil I would like to do good with the pencil like Malala wants too. I would draw houses for families. I would also draw them clothing, food, and all the necessities for them to live. The down side would be if the pencil got into the wrong hands, like for instance the Taliban or Isis. They would use the pencil for harm to draw machine guns or bombs. So, even though the pen could do a lot of good, the bad Sanju’s pencil could do would over power all the good.
I agree with Courtney that people could do bad with the pen, but they could also do good.
DeleteI think that's great that use would use the pencil for good and help other people. Most people would use it for themselves and be selfish and not even think about those with less then us. I also agree that if the pencil got into the wrong hands it would be a very terrible situation.
DeleteWhat of Malala’s reaction to seeing the children at the dump? Why do you think she reacted in this way?
ReplyDeleteWhen Malala sees the children at the dumpster it shocks her. It makes her feel bad because she is very lucky to have all she does. Those children cannot go to school because they have to help their family scrounge money to get meals.
I agree with what you have said about her feeling terrible about their situation when she more then them. I think that her feeling so bad caused her to get her father to show him what she had found. She retrieved her father to try to make a difference so that he could help them.
DeleteQ: What would you draw if you had Sanju's pencil? What are the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteA: If I had Sanju's pencil I would try my hardest to get rid of the dangers of the world. However, if there was a pencil like this that got into the wrong hands, we don't know what could happen. Horrible and unpredictable things could occur. They could even use the scare tactic with the pencil by telling people that if they don't do what they say, they can use the pencil to ruin their lives. I'm happy that something like this doesn't exist, because it could go wrong very fast.
Q: What was Malala's reaction to seeing the kids at the dump? Why do you think she reacted this way?
A: Malala had never seen such horrid things because she was lucky enough to never have to deal with that. Also, as a kid, your parents like to shelter you from the bad things happening around us. They want to keep us innocent and happy. Which is why when Malala saw those kids she was confused because she had never seen something like that before.
I love how you would use the pencil for the greater good, not everyone has great intentions. The points you made about how people would take advantage are sadly true.
DeleteWhat would you draw if you had Sanju´s magic pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIf I had Sanju's pencil, I would draw myself many different things. The first thing that comes to mind if you had the pencil would be drawing things for yourself such as money or cars or a big house. That would be the problem. No one would help others with it. Also, what if a dictator of another country got it? They would start war.
¨A child is a child when he's a child, even if he's a prophet¨ What does this quote mean to you?
To me, it means that no matter how perfect you are as an adult or if you are a president or prophet, when you were a child you acted like a child. You did childish things. You weren't always a perfect being.
Malala’s father, Ziauddin, relates a quote to Malala: “A child is a child when he’s a child, even if he’s a prophet.” What does this quote mean to you?
ReplyDeleteTo me this means that even though a child id really special, they will still make many, many mistakes because they are children and children make mistakes.And I think it also means that the child will become wiser, smarter, and stronger then they would have been if they never made the mistakes and learned from them.
What would you draw if you had Sanju’s pencil? What are some of the dangers of something like this?
ReplyDeleteIf I had Sanju's pencil I would probably draw food and money, but I would donate some of the money to different charities and save it up for college. Some of the dangers of this would be people creating things that could hurt others such as war or weapons. People could also draw money and become very greedy and let the greed go to their heads.