Passage Analysis

Entry 2: Passage Analysis

“Both the army and the Taliban were powerful. Sometimes their roadblocks were less than a kilometer apart on the same main roads. They would stop us but seemed unaware of each other’s presence...people would say they were two sides of the same coin. My father said we common people were like chaff caught between the two stones of a watermill. But he still wasn’t afraid. He said we should continue to speak out” (152).

This passage explains the extreme tension in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. As the passage says, both the army and the Taliban were powerful, but had different motivation. However to the common people, both were very threatening groups. This passage outlines the similar yet differing views of the army and the Taliban and how it affects the lives of the common people, including Malala.

The fact that their roadblocks are “less than a kilometer apart on the same main roads,” has both literal and figurative meanings. It literally means they were stopping people on the same road and seemed unaware of each other being there. But the figurative meaning is that both the army and the Taliban were impeding the progressing lives of the common people. Both the army and the Taliban were stopping many because of their violence. They are also described as two sides of the same coin. This is a metaphor for the similarities and differences of the army and Taliban. Coins are usually a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and power. Both the Taliban and army obviously possess a lot of power. Also, the different sides of a coin usually represent different sides of a related matter. For example, people often toss a coin to make a decision about something, and usually heads and tails represent different arguments, just as the army and Taliban represent different arguments. However they are like reverse sides of the same coin, because they are both feared by the common people, even with their differing goals.

Malala’s father also compares the common people to “chaff caught between the two stones of a watermill.” The two stones of a watermill are obviously the army and the Taliban. This describes the  common people as being “caught between” the army and the Taliban, enveloped in the tension between the two. It seems to the common people that they cannot escape the power of either.

The last sentence, spoken by Malala’s father, highlights a major theme of the novel, “But he still wasn’t afraid. He said we should continue to speak out.” This highlights the prevalent themes of perseverance and fighting for what you believe in throughout the novel. This entire passage is significant because it shows the situation of the novel and also introduces a problem. It shows where Malala gets her inspiration to fight for what she believes in and characterizes her father as the persistent role-model that he is. It also foreshadows the fact that Malala and her father will continue to stand up against the army and the Taliban, and violence in general.

Pakistan Army

Taliban Group