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Educated: A Memoir Review
Education is defined as the endeavor to give or acquire general knowledge and grow an individual’s judgment and reasoning. However, in her book, Educated: A Memoir, Tara Westover depicts some deep and varying outlooks of education. Born in 1896 in Idaho, USA, to survivalist parents, Tara had to brave a tough childhood without formal education. The book is a real-life account of Tara’s path to the higher echelons of formal education. Her survivalist parents dissented formal education and even the medical system. Tara also got repeatedly abused by her father and older brother, which wounded her emotionally and caused her to be skeptical of her family’s love. Tara then embarks on an eventful academic journey through prestigious universities but can not enjoy her accomplishments without her family. After parental pressure, she almost gives up on her Ph.D. but eventually finds the strength to push on after her relatives support her (Westword 377). This paper explores three different epiphanies that Tara had on her tumultuous journey to achieve an education. Tara’s story proves that education is not just about formal learning but also about self-identity, discovery, and transformation.
The first epiphany that Tara had was that to better herself and be the best version she could be, she had to prioritize herself and her mental health. Tara realized that she was going to have to cut her family off to achieve her true potential. Her father and her brother were abusive and brainwashed, while her mother was mentally ill. Tara often felt alienated from her own family (Westover 309). When she enrolled in college, her relationship with her family plummeted even more because her parents believed her ideologies were different from theirs (Westover 162). Tara then developed a bold mental dilemma; to pursue her education and risk losing her famil
