Comparison of the Theme of Resistance in the Articles Malala the Powerful by Kristin Lewis and Unstoppable” by Malala Yousafzai

 “Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.” (Bernard Williams)

The article “Malala the Powerful” by Kristin Lewis, “Unstoppable” by Malala Yousafzai, and The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, show how the Taliban could not stop young girls from fighting back in the face of oppression. Two girls, Parvana and Malala, prove themselves to be most resilient when faced with unbelievable misfortune.

Parvana, the protagonist in The Breadwinner, is one of the symbols of resilience. For example, Father was taken by the Taliban in Chapter 2. Chapter 6 has the info of Parvana turning into a boy. “They were going to turn her into a boy.” (Ellis 61) This was bad because women can’t go outside without an adult male, you could not survive. Men were sometimes thrown in jail and then the family can’t be supported. However, the girls in the family would take over the job by dressing as a boy to gain money.

As a result, Parvana needed to dress up as a boy to support her family. Chapter 6 has the info of Parvana turning into a boy. “...Parvana was back on the street.” (Ellis 70) This shows her resilience by her willing to support her family even though it is a large risk. The risk is if she is captured, she can’t support the family and no one else could either. Malala, a brave young girl, also fought against the Taliban in Pakistan and at the United Nations. As she fought for her freedoms, the Taliban try to kill her on a bus they taking from schools.

In the memoir about Malala and an excerpt from her autobiography has proof of the attempt and who she is. “ ...went through my left eye socket and out my shoulder.” However, the attempt that failed only made Malala more famous. The world then knew that the Taliban were to be conquered for them trying to kill Malala, who is now respected gratefully. Malala was almost assassinated because the Taliban wanted everything their way. In the memoir about Malala and has proof of who she is. “...she was also a crusader for girls’ rights…” (Lewis 6)

Malala, on the other hand, opposed that and rebelled against the terrorists. In fact, she got the Children’s Peace Prize for her bravery in rebelling against them. Despite dramatic and difficult obstacles, both Parvana and Malala were able to persevere and demonstrate resilience in the face of oppression.

While it may not have always been easy, both girls found strength within themselves to not just to survive their circumstances, but to thrive. As the famed Carl Gustav Jung once said, “ I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to be.”