The Use of Non-literal Language in "I Am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai

“My father spoke like a lion, but I could see in his heart he was worried and scared.” The author of I Am Malala used figurative language in her novel to paint a better picture and understanding in the minds if the audience of her situations. For example when she is describing her father’s reaction to news of the spread of Talibanization increasing drastically, she states that her “father spoke like a lion, but I could see in his heart he was worried and scared”. This use of figurative language allows the audience to see that Malala knows her father and understands the situation well enough, making her able to see how vulnerable her father is feeling. Therefore, by using figurative language Malala was able to communicate an emotional connection to her audience. Tone: It is the attitude of the author towards a subject in written composition.

“I told the documentary makers, They cannot stop me. I will get my education if it’s at home, school or somewhere else”. The author used tone in her novel to express her about her situation more clearly to the readers. For example this is seen when Malala expresses how she feels towards the Taliban as they try to take away education for women and she states that, “They [Taliban] cannot stop me. I will get my education if it’s at home, school or somewhere else”. This use of the element of tone shows the audience that Malala’s attitude towards this situation is serious and hopeful. Therefore, by using the element of tone Malala Yousafzai transports her feeling about her situation to the audience in a way that allows the readers to embrace that attitude towards the situation as well. Syntax: Phrases and sentences formed to create effect.

“The last thing I remember is that I was thinking about the revision I needed to do for the next day. The sounds in my head were not the crack, crack, crack, of the three bullets, but the chop, chop, chop, drip, drip, drip of the man severing the heads of chickens, and them dropping into the dirty street, one by one”. The author of I Am Malala used syntax in her novel to provide emphasizes in the situation she is explaining. For example this is seen as she describes the scene of her attempted assassination when she states that, “The last thing I remember is that I was thinking about the revision I needed to do for the next day. The sounds in my head were not the crack, crack, crack, of the three bullets, but the chop, chop, chop, drip, drip, drip of the man severing the heads of chickens, and them dropping into the dirty street, one by one”. This use of syntax shows the audience an interesting description of her thoughts before she was shot. Therefore, by using the element of syntax, Malala Yousafzai created a deeper and more interesting meaning of the word patterns that she described. Diction: Is the author’s style or word choice.

“Peace in every home, every street, every village, every country -- this is my dream. Education for every boy and every girl in the world. To sit down in a chair and read my books with all my friends at school is my right. To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish”. The author used the element of diction in her novel to creature a sense of color and texture of her work. For example towards the end as Malala describes how she wants her world to look like, which is, “Peace in every home, every street, every village, every country -- this is my dream. Education for every boy and every girl in the world. To sit down in a chair and read my books with all my friends at school is my right. To see each and every human being with a smile of happiness is my wish”. This example of diction shows the audience how Malala’s inspiring and powerful words are immensely captivating. Therefore, by using the element of diction, Malala Yousafzai creates an effective and powerful voice, making it easier for the readers to be affected by her story. Imagery: Description of literature that appeals to our five senses.

“As I threw the rubbish on the mountain of rotting food, I saw something move and I jumped. It was a girl about my age. Her hair was matted and her skin was covered in sores.” The author used imagery in her novel to create vivid images in the reader’s imagination. An example of imagery is seen when Malala sees a girl at the mountain of rubbish, describing her as “…a girl about my age. Her hair was matted and her skin was covered in sores”. This use of imagery shows the audience why Malala is so driven and passionate about standing up for equal opportunities in education for every child. Which is because she doesn’t want them to end up like the girl from the mountain of rubbish Therefore, by using imagery Malala is painting an incredibly meaningful image for the audience to understand her motives. Details: The amount of specificity the author writes about.

“Some newspapers ran stories saying that the Americans had actually killed Ben Laden years before this and kept his body in a freezer. The story was that they had than planted the body in Abbottabad and faked the raid to embarrass Pakistan”. The author of I Am Malala used the element of details in her novel to help readers visualize and understand the concepts and situations. For example when she that Pakistanis have resentment towards Americans, she describes that many believed that, “The story was that they [the Americans] had then planted the body in Abbottabad and faked the raid to embarrass Pakistan”. This use of detail allows the audience to get a better understanding of the reasons why my Pakistanis are upset. Therefore, by using the element of details Malala Yousafzai was able to create a better setting for the readers to fully understand where the tensions between Pakistanis and Americans is coming from.