Response Prep

                    “Brand Malala”: Western Exploitation of a School Girl

Social perspective:                                                                                                                                                                                                 

With reference to society, Grayson’s overall claim about Malala attempts to raise awareness on gender justice by critiquing how the West, UK in particular, exploited her to become a “marketable western commodity” (Grayson 593). We were so fooled by the social media, we failed to realize that there were two other woman in the shooting with Malala who did not receive the care and support they deserved to get. The media, with its biased deeds, focused on the publicity of only Malala’s incident in order to serve western interests. The author refers to the double standards present in our modern day society and how, in our case, Malala was given the finest treatment that others deserved to have. She reveals a concernment of how the exploitation of women is so deep-rooted in our society that it is “highlighting divisions in many ways” (Grayson 595) and that this unfair treatment is major problem in today’s modern world. The text focuses on delivering a message on the injustice and wrongdoings the government is liable for.

Logical perspective:

Grayson takes a moral standpoint throughout the text. She tells that the West took advantage of Malala’s shooting and used her as a Western commodity, not as a means to offer help towards the women of the east. She provides evidence to her standpoint by asking us “I wonder, how many people can name the other girls injured when Malala was shot?” (Grayson 596). This portraits the unfair treatment executed by the media. Malala was surrounded by attention and “immense media coverage” (Grayson 597) while the others are being suppressed. This is convincing because the “two tier system” Grayson mentions in her text depicts the unjust treatment present in our society. The author clearly states that it’s not Malala she has a problem with but with the “extent she is being exploited by her new mentors in the UK” (Grayson 593). She holds a clear viewpoint that she is against the Western approaches on media publication.

Rhetorical perspective:

At some point throughout the text, Grayson used a sense of mad sarcasm when she referred to the “mentors in the UK” (Grayson 593). She tries to express the degree of irritation she has towards the actions of the West. She takes somewhat an argumentative position throughout the text demonstrating the rejection the thousand other victims were exposed to when only Malala’s story was publicized. On the other hand, she appears to be explanatory when she gives examples to the statements she speaks. For instance, she gives examples of how Rigoberta Menchu “was thrust into the limelight” like Malala to further express her outlooks on such manners. Furthermore, she includes a lot of rhetorical questions in her text like “what quality of care and support did they receive?” and “Can we assume she will not be targeted in UK?” to evoke a broader sense of understanding of what she is trying to express and to just leave us with few questions in mind that would help us comprehend the main issue. The author uses words like bright, caring and committed to show her unbiased opinion on Malala and that it’s the government she has a problem with, not Malala as a person. She does not display any sort of ambiguity in her attitude and voices a clear view on the topic.

Emotional perspective:

In the emotional perspective a variety of tones can be concluded from the text. First of all, it’s obvious she has an angry tint when she says “This does not help the cause of any woman while one is exploited and others are being suppressed!” (Grayson 598). The tone is clearly emphasized when she includes an exclamation at the end of the sentence and it demonstrates her anger towards the exploitation of Malala. At the same time, a sense of sympathy and consideration toward the oppressed can be grasped throughout the text as she mentions the opportunities and rights denied from the people. Ironically, she not only shows sympathy towards the oppressed but also for Malala. The phrase “As an intelligent young role model, I don’t imagine Malala would want this” (Grayson 598) demonstrates a notion of compassion towards Malala despite her exploitation by the West. She seems to understand that it’s not her fault of what happened and believe she deserves the peace she was not given.

Ethical perspective:

The text carries a strong moral message that everyone deserves equal rights. It strives to achieve social justice and it does so by encouraging “greater equality” (Grayson 594) not only to the oppressed woman but for everyone who experienced similar sufferings as Malala. Jonathon Rao admitted his concerns to the newspaper and stated “I guess I was worried that she was probably a pawn in a bigger game” which highlights the unjust ethical approach that the West targeted Malala’s incident. She indirectly claims they were using her to satisfy their interests. The text calls for the responsibilities of human rights that the government failed to give to the people and that social justice should be restored.

Work cited:

Grayson, Carol Anne.  “”Brand Malala”: Western Exploitation of a Schoolgirl”.  Shifting narratives.  Zane S. Sinno, Lina Bioghlu-Karkanawi, Dorota Fleszar, Najla Jarkas, Emma Moughabghab, Jennifer M. Nish, Rima Rantisi, and Abir Ward.  Mazraa, Beirut:  Center for educational consultation and Research, Educart,  2015.  Print.