I am Malala: Class VI (Class 6) ICSE English Literature

“Why I don’t wear earrings” from I am Malala is a chapter for Class VI (Class 6) ICSE students in English Literature. In some other boards, the Malala chapter is also named “Why I Don’t Wear Earrings and Pashtuns Don’t Say Thank You” or “Leaving the valley”.

About Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997 in Mingora (Swat Valley) in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Her father was an educational activist, and inspired by him, Malala started speaking about the right to education for girls from an early age. Malala was attacked in 2012 by the Taliban but the attack did not deter her. Today, Malala Yousafzai is internationally recognized as an advocate for education of children. Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her efforts.

Question and Answers

Question: Why did Malala like to play with her plastic mobile toy?

Answer: Malala liked to play with a plastic mobile phone as it was given to her by her father. She liked to imitate her father while he was talking on his phone. Of all her toys, this plastic phone was her favourite.

Question: Why is Malala mother “unmoved” by her explanation for stealing from Safina?

Answer: Malala’s mother is “unmoved” because she believed that Malala should have set an example by not doing the same and teaching Safina a lesson in a better way.

Question: Why did Malala stopped wearing jewelry?

Answer: Malala stopped wearing jewelry as she felt guilty of stealing Safina’s jewelry. She thought why should she wear these troubles which tempted her to steal. She wanted to punish herself for what she had done.

Question: What kind of a student was Malala?

Answer: Malala was an intelligent and confident student. She participated in every competition – singing, dancing, etc. She was the class topper and she helped her classmates to solve their problems.

Question: What became a compulsion for Malala? Which incident finally made her stop?

Answer: Stealing things from Safina’s house became a compulsion for Malala because it gave her a thrill. When her mother found all the stolen things in her cupboard, this incident finally made her stop stealing.

Question” Who lived in the camps? In what way was their situation worse than Malala’s?

Answer: The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) lived in the camps. Their situation was worse than Malala’s as they had to stand in queues for hours to get food and water.

Question: Describe Malala’s life before she became an IDP.

Answer: Before they became IDPs, Malala and her family lead a simple and peaceful life. Malala went to school and used to love reading books. She had interests on the snow-topped Mount Elum and on the fruit of their apricot tree. They were Pashtuns, who preferred to sit on floors instead of chairs. The only valuable items they had was a TV, fridge and a washing machine.

Question: Describe the sights and sounds that Malala noticed on the journey from her home to Mardan.

Answer: On the journey from her home to Mardan, the streets were busy and over crowded. People with their belongings were in cars, rickshaws, mule carts and trucks waiting to get away. Thousands of people were leaving with just their clothes. Everyone was depressed.

Question. ‘A diamond must be cut many times before it yields even a tiny jewel’. In your own words explain what this line means to you. Why do you think Malala chose to recite this poem?

Answer: This line means that everyone has to struggle a lot before anything good happens to them in life. Only pain and hardship gives rise to a real gem that glitters brightly. I think Malala chose to recite this poem as she and her family had to face a lot of hardships in the valley, living in constant fear and hardship. This line gives hope for a better day to come.

Question. Why do you think education and learning were important to Malala?

Answer: Education and learning were important to Malala because she had packed all her books and notebooks in her school bag when they were preparing to leave the valley but her mother told her leave her school bag behind. While staying with her cousins, she missed her books ad kept thinking of her school bag that had books such as of Oliver Twist and Romeo and Juliet waiting to be read.

Question. If you had to leave your home as Malala had to, what would you miss the most?

Answer: If I had to leave my home as Malala had to, I will miss my friends the most. I will miss my school, my teachers, the playground, and my favourite restaurants.

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