Solidarity:
● Malala being in solidarity with Benazir Bhutto - role model
● Miners being in solidarity with LGSM - role model in escaping their heteronormative
views.
● “Solidarity forever” - song
● Malala was in solidarity with her father who acted as her support network, her pillar and
encouraged her to challenge traditions.
● The unity between father and daughter protected and empowered Malala to aim high
and believe in herself as an individual, something that challenged the gender
expectations for Pashtun women.
● Malala demonstrates that there is power in unity which is evident when she is shot and
her life is saved by both local and international doctors, drawing great support to a
common cause: equality.
● Malala’s trust fund for education
● How with community you can achieve so much
Family:
● Both Pride and I Am Malala demonstrate that family may act as a support network and
equip individuals with the courage to challenge traditions, albeit in different ways.
● Yousafzai emphasises her family’s role in shaping her views of society, specifically
against patriarchal values.
● As Ziauddin’s daughter, Malala is given a “usual breakfast of sugar tea and…fried eggs,”
whereby the “eggs” allude to Ziauddin’s own experience as a child, as his sisters were
given “only tea” and the sons were given “eggs.”
● In addition to elucidating Ziauddin’s egalitarian philosophy, the “eggs” also emblematise
Malala’s access to opportunities such as education, which allow her to defy the
patriarchal expectation of staying at home “hidden being a curtain.”
● The notion of family as a source of encouragement to defy tradition also appears in
Pride, although Warchus emphasises the importance of ‘found family’ in the absence of
a biological one.
● Gethin is inhibited by his past trauma in a homophobic family and gains the courage to
go to Dulais Valley only after Hefina’s comforting wishes of “Nadolig Llawen.”
● The Welsh saying for ‘Merry Christmas,’ coupled with a close-up shot of Hefina in her
warm, decorated home, underscores the sense of belonging and family acceptance
which in turn inspires Gethin to return to Wales and challenge the mining region’s
prevalent conservative values.
● Likewise, Joe is able to abandon his biological family and openly defy heteronormative
expectations with the help of the LGSM and SIAN; the tracking shot of his leaving his
home triumphantly symbolises the liberation is able to achieve through his support
network, similarly to how Malala Yousafzai finds “courage again” through her father’s
presence and guidance.
Education:
● The women in both texts defy the patriarchal expectations prevalent in their societies by
amplifying their own voices and challenging forces which suppress them.
● Madam Maryam in I Am Malala defies Fazullah’s ban on older girls’ education, stating
“the secret school is our silent protest.”
● Despite the possibility of being “slaughtered,” a term which evokes to the reader the
brutality engendered by an extreme patriarchal society, Malala’s classmates challenge
privileged male access to education by continuing to go to school.
● Similarly, Sian in Pride is prompted by Jonathan to reject her predetermined role as a
“mother” and “wife” by gaining an education and utilising her “first class mind".
● Warchus also illustrated the women’s struggle towards inclusion in 1980s Britain through
the diegetically sung feminist anthem “Bread and Roses.”
● The mise-en-scene of the women singing “give us bread but give us roses,” showcases
to contemporary audiences how the Women Against Pit Closures defied the image of a
silent, powerless wife by demanding “roses,” metaphorically representing female
empowerment.
● Comparably, Yousafzai required a “tapa” to state “whether or not the men are winning,
the women will bring you honour.”
● The tapeys embody ancient and unchanged tradition, which Yousafzai directly
challenges through the action of rewriting.
● Furthermore, like the song “Bread and Roses,” Yousafzai’s tapa is utilised to defend
women’s place in the public sphere and in political movements.
●
Identity / Honesty:
a. Positives of expression
● Both demonstrate the importance of being open about who you are so as to become a
role model for others.
● Malala’s act of writing her own speech stating that “sometimes it’s better to tell your own
story, from the heart rather than from a piece of paper” allows her to give voice to her
own experiences, thus inspiring other women to do the same.
● Her refusal to let a male figure like her father write her speech according to tradition
likewise allows her to educate her audience in the memoir on the female experience.
● She states that she “doesn’t feel it’s a story about [her] at all” in regards to her memoir,
as by giving voice to her experiences the biography strives to empower women globally.
● Likewise, the personal actions of the LGSM within Onllwyn give courage and hope to
those around them.
● The mise-en-scene of the gay couple kissing on the couch, white Cliff foregrounded and
in the focal point, foreshadows his own coming out to Hefina.
● By remaining honest and “unapologetic” about their identities even in the initially hostile
mining community, the members of LGSM unintentionally become role models for men
like Cliff as he begins to see possibilities of his own acceptance within Gethin’s
triumphant polysyndeton of “I’m home. And I’m gay. And I’m Welsh!” THus, Mark’s
insistence on being “unapologetic” mirrors Malala’s sentiment in her belief that “it’s better
to tell your own story,” as both texts illustrate how truthfulness in presentation can inspire
those around you.
b. Negatives of Expression
● Yousafzai and Warchus both aim to educate their readership and audience on the painful
ostracisation of individuals who wish to express themselves truthfully.
● In I Am Malala, women are marginalised for their womanhood but also for their
outspokenness and expression of identity.
● Yousafzai provides the anecdote of Shabana, a young dancer who is killed by
extremists, to illustrate the dangers of being honest about one’s identity.
● The auditory imagery of the “shots” and the “screaming” evokes to the reader the brutal
reality of living in an authoritarian environment where freedom of expression, such as the
act of dancing, is punished.
● The onomatopoeia of the “chop chop” and “drip drip” of the chicken heads also alludes
to the Taliban’s practices of beheading and foreshadows Yousafzai’s own assassination
attempt - highlighting the life-risking consequences of speaking out about one’s beliefs.
● The illustration of a harsh, punishing society is also evident in Pride, where the director
visualises the LGBT community’s suffering in 1980s Britain.
● The mise-en-scene of the word ‘queer’ spray painted the bookshop window epitomises
this.
● In addition to the slur, the red paint evokes connotations of blood, and symbolises the
physical violence faced by people such as Gethin – which is evident in his later assault
for his sexual identity. This also denotes the dangers of self expression as a queer
person is 1980s London.
● The harshness of the homophobic British society is also heavily implied in the
wide-angle shots of the cold, winter landscape that Gethin travels through to reach his
mother, with the journey itself symbolic of the struggle to remain true to oneself in a
society which prejudices against sexual minorities.
● While Warchus focuses on sexual identity, and Yousafzai on women’s freedom of
expression, both Pride and I Am Malala thus emphasise the difficulty of revealing one’s
true self to the world.
● Ziauddin received death threats from the Taliban because of his activism for equality and
education.
Activism:
● At the macro level, both texts also suggest that being honest about one’s principles and
identity benefits society at large.
○ In Pride, these benefits consist of others overcoming their prejudices.
○ In I Am Malala, these benefits consist of supporting the powerless.
● Ziauddin’s characterisation is central to illustrating activism, as he educated Malala and
her readership on the value of speaking out against others’ injustices.
● His literary allusion to the poem by Martin Niemoller “and then they came for me, and
there was no one left to speak for me,” warns the reader of the dangers of remaining
silent in times of others’ suffering.
● Similarly, he proclaims that “a state is like a mother, and a mother never deserts or
sheats her children.”
● The simile evokes a sense of responsibility, and the diction of “cheats” connotes a sense
of dishonesty and betrayal. While the implied ‘deserts’ are the Pakistani government, the
metaphor also calls on Pashtun activists around Ziauddin to not abandon their principles
for fear of retribution.
● The benefits of openness in Pride concretise in the miners’ overcoming of
heteronormative values and prejudices.
● The mise-en-scene of Jonathan dancing at the Welfare illustrates the positive influence
he leaves on the community by refusing to compromise his individuality.
● Initially Jonathan’s flamboyance and pride, juxtaposed with the lyrics “Shame Shame
Shame” is met by disapproval, the reaction shots of the miners soon shift towards a
more positive tone, and Gary’s statement “I want to learn how to dance” symbolises his
gradual abandonment of heteronormative values and prejudice towards the lesbian and
gay community.
● Pride demonstrates that being open about one’s inherent identity leads to the positive
normalisation of such identities, and thus the overcoming of prejudice, whilst I Am Malala
demonstrates that remaining honest and outspoken about one’s individual principles is
key to eliminating injustice.
Leadership
● Pride and I Am Malala diverge in their approach to social change, as Pride overcomes
traditional expectations as a community, while I Am Malala does so through individual
action.
● The recurring motif of the clasped hands in Pride, symbolic of both political solidarity and
personal friendship, communicates to audiences the importance of forging a community
to achieve change.
● The miners’ arrival to the London Pride March of 1985 with the banner “Miners Support
Lesbian and Gays” symbolises their reciprocity and their overcoming of homophobic
prejudice thanks to their interactions with the LGSM, whose acronym is reversed in teh
banner to emphasise this relationship.
● In strong contrast, the extreme violence which characterises Pakistani society at the time
of the Taliban inhibits Malala from mobilising her whole community against authority.
● This violence is portrayed by the “chop chop” of the chicken heads, where the
onomatopoeia alludes to the beheadings by the Taliban against those who defy their
extremist religious doctrine, the Sharia law.
● Yousafzai also diverges from Warchus’ emphasis on collective action and claims that no
“force is weaker than the feeble strength of one” by stating that “one child, one teacher,
one book and one pen can change the world.”
● The anaphora of “one” reinforces to the reader the belief that individuals can defy social
expectations by becoming role models.
● Thus Yousafzai and Warchus present different perspectives of defying tradition through
collective and individual means.
● Pride and I Am Malala converge in their depiction of ruling powers and both include a
higher political power that controls the lives of the people: Thatcher and the Taliban,
respectively.
● Both Yousafzai and Warchus clarify their political stance against the political powers by
their recurring violent and harmful acts.
● To exemplify his position against Margaret Thatcher’s “firm leadership”, Warchus uses a
(quite unflattering) close-up shot of her expression to emphasise her gleaming eyes and
feral smile as she rationalises the harm resulting from her policies. Warchus also clarifies
her associating a leader who considers the people’s feelings and needs with the leader
being “a softie.”
● Thus, Warchus also demonstrated her frigidity and dogmatism, further highlighting her
complete disregard of the job losses and hardships that the miners experienced.
● On a similar note, Yousafzai also urges her readership to mirror her against the Taliban’s
authoritarianism using the onomatopoeia of the “chop chop” and “drip drip” of the
chicken heads. Thus connoting the Taliban’s practices of beheading and punishing
people for speaking out injustices and thus implying her own assassination attempt.
● To further concretise the Taliban’s abuse of power and leadership, she provides the
anecdote of Shabans (a young dancer who is killed by extremists) and the auditory
imagery of the “shots” and the “screaming” – evoking to the reader the brutal reality of
living in an authoritarian environment where freedom of expression such as dancing is
oppressed by the Taliban.
● While Yousafzai encourages her readers to speak out against the dictatorship of the
Taliban by inciting feelings of horror, Warchus compels his viewership to practise
compassion and unity by appealing to feelings of betrayal in his portrayal of Margaret
Thatcher.
● However, both Yousafzai and Warchus urge their audiences to make better decisions
when choosing their leaders – evoking realisation that such a decision could have grave
consequences.
Strength & Obstacles:
● Empowered and tireless, courageous groups refuse to be silenced and instead draw
strength and agency from the hope inspired by others.
● Both illustrate how adversity can bring about the rise of one’s intrinsic resilience and
courage.
● However, where Warchus’ film illustrates how a conservative society places limitations
on minority groups, Yousafzai illustrates how an oppressive patriarchal society can pave
the way for courageous individuals.
● Both examine how courage and strength shines through as a result of social division
inflicted by powerful groups who weaponise traditions and determine the value of others
in society.
● Together, both Warchus and Yousafzai illustrate how allegiance to a cause can create
change, and influence the lives of those ahead of them.
● After her historic United Nations address and Noble Peace Prize nomination, Yousafzai
laments how ‘there was mostly silence from my own country’ because it was ‘centuries
behind’ the Western world.
● Through her achievements, Malala refuses to allow others to determine what is or isn’t
possible, calling out injustice on a world scale.
● This enabled her to make history, illustrating that oppression doesn’t diminish one’s
strength, but instead enables it to grow, which is seen through her memoir which
continues to be an inspirational force amongst its primarily young, impressionable and
open-minded audience who can recognise the need for change, and draw strength and
hope from her accomplishments.
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