Educated by Tara Westover
Throughout Educated, Tara Westover shares her story of how and why she left her life and her family in order to become the woman that she aspired to be. In a small town in Idaho, Westover was raised to practice a strict Mormon lifestyle that prevented her from being able to partake in many “normal” events such as receiving an education, receiving medical care, working a job, and even having a birth certificate. At the age of 22, she made the difficult decision to move away from everything she had ever known, in hopes of creating a new and more typical life for herself. Westover prioritized her education and went on to receive her PhD from Cambridge University.
The book Educated is one of the most interesting and inspiring stories that I have ever read! It places a heavy focus on identity, as 22 year-old Tara Westover questions her own. Through her decision to no longer be a child of the strict Mormon religion and lifestyle, and instead to live an independent and accomplished life, we see how she gave herself an entirely new identity. During the beginning years of her life, Westover’s lack of freedom and knowledge may cause her to be considered a subaltern. She struggled to feel powerful as she only ever learned the limited amount of information that her parents taught her. However, Westover chose to honor her curiosity about the world outside of her small hometown. Unlike her other family members, she questions her religious beliefs and her original lifestyle. This leads her to moving out of her hometown and seeing parts of the world that she did not know existed. Furthermore, she received a prestigious education, traveled, and met many interesting people. Westover shows us the power that we have as people, as well as our ability to make decisions that depict who we are and the life that we will live. Her story places an emphasis on the importance and the complexity of finding your true identity.
How often do your decisions determine your identity as an individual?
Do you feel that you could create a new identity for yourself? What would it take in order to do so?
