Malala Speech Evaluation

Evaluation of Malala Yousafzai's Malala Day Speech Many people, especially in the United States, take school for granted. They complain about having too much homework, waking up too early, or classes being too boring. When exams roll around and students are under constant stress, they often say that school is "killing them." But in some places of the world, going to school is a literal death sentence, because going to school is against the law. Malala Yousafzai is an 18-year-old female rights activist who, over three years ago, was shot in the head for trying to get an education, yet she miraculously survived. In her 2013 speech given to the United Nations (UN) on Malala Day, Malala Yousafzai addresses the issue that women in some parts of …show more content…
She outlines her argument about the necessity of education and mentions one major force that obstructs education for women -- terrorism. She ties in her personal experience with terrorists, telling the story of how she was going to school when "the Taliban shot [her] on the left side of [her] forehead," (Yousafzai 4) but she survived the attack. Yousafzai's personal experience proves that she, as someone who was shot in the head because she wanted to be educated, is qualified to speak about the injustices facing women who want to go to school, which develops ethos. Additionally, pathos is developed, as the audience is upset and angry that a young girl had to ¬go through such a horrific event. The moving story that Yousafzai tells also shows the importance of education, because although she nearly died to go to school, she is willing to fight for her rights and continue to put her life in danger by doing so. Yousafzai's experience strengthens her arguments, as she has not only evoked trust and compassion from the audience, but has set up a perfect platform to talk more about the importance of