She’s From Idaho

In Tara Westover’s memoir, ​Educated​, gives us a look into her life. In chapter 23, I’m From Idaho, she goes through a rollercoaster of emotions, taking the reader along with her.

The quote “It’s strange how you give the people you love so much power over you,” (Westover, 199) was written by Westover in her journal. She writes this after her brother, Shawn, spread rumors about her to her father, that she sleeps around and could possibly be pregnant. Even though Westover has never even kissed a man she still believes her brother because she unknowingly gave him that power over her.

The quote not only applies to her brother but her whole family as well. She always followed what her father told her to do even if she thought it was wrong or unsafe. Because she loved him she gave him power over her, even as an adult. One of the biggest times she diffied her father was by studying for and taking the ACT. This lead her to move out and apply BYU (Brigham Young University). After living independently from her father she grew to defy and go against him even more.

Her mother also held power over her, although it is not as severe as her father or Shawn’s. When her mother needed her, Westover would always go to help, whether it was to make oils or help deliver a baby. This is shown even less once Westover moves to BYU yet the things her mother has instilled in her are still prevalent. At one point Westover contracts Mono and Strep and is prescribed antibiotics. At first Westover refuses to take the pills because of previous things her mother has told her about them. Westover becomes too curious as to if these things will really happen to her and she takes the pills, finding that they actually do help her symptoms. Later she calls her mother to tell her and her mother tries to exercise her power over Westover by sending oils and minerals to “cleanse” (Westover, 214) her of the antibiotics, yet nothing for her actual illness.

In the end the reader can see that by moving out, Westover has shown that only she has power over herself and while she may love her family, they will not control her any longer.

Works Cited

Westover, Tara. Educated. Pg. 199-213, 2018