Educated
A tale of a woman’s journey from isolated upbringing to educated scholar.
Summary of 7 Key Points
Key Points
- Survivalist upbringing away from society
- Lack of formal education in early life
- Self-taught learning
- Seeking education despite obstacles
- Attending university against all odds
- Influence of family and faith
- Achieving academic success through perseverance
key point 1 of 7
Survivalist upbringing away from society
Tara Westover’s life in rural Idaho was one that was totally isolated from the rest of society. Her parents were survivalists, a lifestyle that was born out of her father’s paranoia about the government and mainstream society. This paranoia led them to live on a remote mountain, home-schooling their seven children and preparing for the End of Days. They stored food, guns, and fuel, and lived without any modern amenities such as electricity, television, or even running water. For Tara, the world beyond her mountain home was an unknown and dangerous place filled with corrupt influences that her father vehemently warned them against…Read&Listen More
key point 2 of 7
Lack of formal education in early life
The lack of formal education in the early life of Tara Westover, the protagonist of the story, was rooted in her family’s unconventional lifestyle. Born into a survivalist family in rural Idaho, Tara was kept away from the formal education system by a father who distrusted the government and held radical beliefs about education and healthcare. Tara, along with her siblings, was home-schooled sporadically, with the focus of their learning revolving more around the family’s survivalist skills and religious teachings…Read&Listen More
key point 3 of 7
Self-taught learning
In Educated, self-taught learning is depicted as a powerful tool for self-improvement and growth. The protagonist, Tara Westover, a girl born to survivalist parents in rural Idaho, does not attend school or receive any formal education. Instead, she is expected to help with family work and learn from real-life experiences. Tara’s self-taught journey begins when she starts teaching herself to read and write. Her world thus gradually expands beyond the mountains of Idaho…Read&Listen More
key point 4 of 7
Seeking education despite obstacles
Tara Westover’s journey towards education, against all odds, is truly inspiring. Born in a strict Mormon family in rural Idaho, she grew up with deeply ingrained beliefs against formal education. Her father, a staunch believer in the apocalypse, was vehemently against the public education system, viewing it as a method for the government to brainwash its people. He instilled in his children the belief that they could learn everything they needed to know from the scriptures and from working on their family’s junkyard and farm. This left Tara unexposed to formal education until the age of seventeen…Read&Listen More
key point 5 of 7
Attending university against all odds
In ‘Educated’, the protagonist, Tara Westover, embarks on an improbable journey to obtain a university degree, an achievement that is virtually unheard of in her secluded, rural family. Raised in a family that eschews modern medicine and public education, her desire to break out of her family’s oppressive expectations and traditions leads her to self-educate and eventually apply to university. Tara’s academic journey is laden with numerous obstacles, not least of which is the culture shock of stepping into an entirely new world with rules and norms she had never before encountered. Her struggle to reconcile her past with her newfound knowledge and experiences form the crux of her university journey…Read&Listen More
key point 6 of 7
Influence of family and faith
Family and faith played an immensely significant role in the life of the protagonist. Born in a family of survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she was brought up with a unique set of beliefs and values. Her father was a staunch believer in the end of the world, and his paranoia deeply influenced the family’s lifestyle. They lived in isolation from the rest of the world, refraining from sending the children to school, and the mother was coerced into providing for the family through her herbalism and midwifery skills. This family setting, along with the strict faith they adhered to, created a complex, challenging environment for the protagonist to grow up in…Read&Listen More
key point 7 of 7
Achieving academic success through perseverance
In Tara Westover’s story, her journey towards academic success is a testament to the power of perseverance against the odds. As a child raised in a household that did not believe in formal education, Tara was mostly isolated from mainstream society. She was subjected to various forms of physical and emotional abuse in her family, and was forced to work in her father’s junkyard from a young age. Despite these obstacles, Tara never gave up on her passion for learning. She taught herself enough mathematics, grammar, and science to take the ACT, a college admission test, where she scored high enough to be admitted to Brigham Young University…Read&Listen More