Unbowed A Memoir Sparknotes

In Unbowed: A Memoir, Wangari Maathai wrote her life story, filled with battles and achievements. In writing this memoir, Maathai wanted to share her many experiences of struggle, self-discovery, dedication, and perseverance in hopes of encouraging future generations to do the same and make a difference in the world. From her ancestral roots to her activism, she always made a connection to nature, its environment, and the effects it had on the community. Wangari Maathai grew up surrounded by nature, and after being taught valuable lessons by her mother, she developed a strong passion for protecting it and the people living in it. She learned from her mother how to properly plant crops, and doing so ignited her curiosity about the plant process. She experienced the changes within Kenya due to the colonial settlement. Matthai witnessed the labor work, resettlement of land, and change within the ecosystem due to foreign plant species. Watching and helping her family work hard, along with the environmental developments, made her realize the importance of nature and its benefits to the community.

Coming from a rural background, the opportunity for education opened up her mind to new skills and knowledge about the world outside of her home country. Although she learned about and experienced many new happenings in nature, religion, and American society, challenges arose. Maathai faced discrimination throughout her career, but early on while studying in America she did listen, learn, and question the issues that surrounded her. Without the first opportunity to receive an education, would she then discover her passion to restore the environment and the community affected by its changes. Taking all the experiences and skills she acquired in the United States to Kenya not only gave her the confidence to revive her identity but also to criticize the issues back