Alicia kim's blog

Introduction:
Educated is a memoir by Tara Westover. It was published in 2018. Educated is a story of Westover and her journey through child labor to get an education. This novel shows events from Westover’s childhood to her twenties. It is a famous memoir not only nationally but also worldwide.

Plot:
Tara Westover grew up with her parents and 6 siblings on an Idaho farm. Her dad refused to let the kids go to school or get medical care because he was paranoid about the government. When Tara was 9, her mom had a car accident that made her lose confidence in her healing abilities. Around this time, Tara’s brother left for college, so Tara had to help her dad with his dangerous scrap work, making her want to go to school too, but her dad said no. The family dynamic changed as Tara’s mom became more independent, but her dad’s extreme beliefs kept the family isolated on the farm. As a teenager, Tara got more independent with jobs and activities, but her strict religious dad still controlled her life. When Tara was 13, her brother Shawn moved back home and started physically abusing her. Her other brother, Tyler, told her to go to college to get away. Tara studied hard and got into BYU, pretending she was homeschooled. College was hard at first, but she did well and had to work a lot to pay for it. When she went home, her dad made her work for him and her brother kept abusing her. A bishop helped Tara get funding. As she studied more, Tara realized how messed up her childhood was. She changed her major to history and applied to study abroad in England. Studying at Cambridge in England helped Tara grow a lot. She did well and was encouraged to go to grad school, but still felt ashamed of her past and hid it from friends. Tara got a big scholarship for a master’s at Cambridge. Her relationship with her family back in Idaho got worse – her brother Shawn was acting crazy and violent. Tara’s sister, Audrey said Shawn, had abused them both. Trying to confront her family about the abuse caused a big rift. Tara became estranged from most of them, except her brother Tyler. Losing her family made Tara depressed, but she finished her PhD and built an independent life.

Analysis:
In this memoir, we can observe the author’s childhood and hardships from her point of view. Her life story shows that knowledge is power, but those in power can try to control what you know. Tara’s dad tried to limit what she and her family learn while she grew up. He decided what was “true” and didn’t let them get proper medical care or education. As Tara got older, her brothers Tyler and Richard were able to go to college and learn more about the world outside of their family. This showed Tara that there was a bigger world beyond her isolated family. With their encouragement, Tara eventually went to college, even though her dad was strongly opposed to it. Her journey shows how important education is for gaining independence and control over your own life. When people who hold power try to keep knowledge from you, it makes it harder to find freedom. However, with support, Tara was able to get an education and start her path, even though it meant losing contact with most of her family. The story highlights how financial troubles can also limit access to education and knowledge. Tara was only able to go to college because teachers and others helped her get scholarships and funding. For many students, the cost of higher education makes it very difficult to seek more knowledge and opportunities. Overall, Tara’s memoir shows the power of education to transform lives, but also the challenges people face when those in authority try to control what they can learn.

Conclusion:
Educated by Tara Westover is a memoir of the author, published in 2018. The memoir describes the events of her life from her childhood to her twenties. Despite getting home-schooled and forced into believing a lie, she had worked hard to achieve her goal of getting a PhD. This novel shows people with power force you to believe in the lie or control the knowledge and the truth, so it is harder to be free. Also, education is not just knowledge; it also helps us gain independence and control over our lives. It is a memoir that helps us understand getting an education is important and learning to be grateful for it.