Educated is a memoir following Tara's extremely unconventional childhood and journey to Brigham Young University, Cambridge and eventually Harvard. While this would be impressive for anyone, it's especially impressive given Tara's upbringing. Her father, Gene, had extreme views about the world, particularly the government. In an attempt to protect his family from the dangers he perceived from the government, he never got his children birth certificates and never allowed them to go to school. This never stopped Tara's thirst for knowledge. After one of her older brothers went to BYU, Tara realized this was something she could accomplish as well. This was an incredibly challenging task for Tara, as she never went to school or had any sort of formal education (she had to teach herself math in order to pass the ACT).
Once in college, however, things didn't get much easier, as Tara realized her education was far from complete. Growing up, Tara learned from her father that African American slaves had a far easier life than their masters, as their masters worried about how they were going to feed and take care of all their slaves. At BYU, Tara learned that that was the furthest thing from the truth, especially when she saw the famous picture of the scars on the back of a slave from being whipped his entire life. This was a huge shock to Tara. She always knew her father was unconventional, but this was a huge slap to the face.
One thing I couldn't quite figure out was Tara's father's true beliefs. Sometimes he seemed very much set against the government, school and modern medicine, not to mention he wanted to keep his kids away from outside influences and anything that went against their Mormon religion. On the other hand, there were instances where he seemed somewhat fine with Tara and her older brother going to college (although he was very set against it at the beginning), and he was even fine with Tara performing with local theatre groups. This seems so counter intuitive, especially given his extreme beliefs. Part of me wondered if he thought Tara was simply going through a phase when it came to her education, and, towards the end, when he realized that this wasn't the case, he finally snapped and cut her out of his life (although Tara seemed relieved about this as well).
Another character I couldn't quite figure out was Tara's mother. She definitely didn't seem to fully embrace her husband's extreme ideologies at first. She always believed in things such as essential oils to help cure sicknesses, but then it got worse as she started using muscle testing and chakras to cure illnesses as well. At the same time, Tara's mom seemed to encourage her to leave and get some sort of education, despite her husband's beliefs. Towards the end of the book, however, Tara's mom became more extreme in her beliefs, especially as her essential oils business grew and expanded. I really couldn't figure out what she really believed and what she went along with simply to keep the peace. Towards the end, however, Tara's mom seemed in denial, especially when it came to Tara's brother, Shawn. She even tried to convince Tara that her memories were faulty, thereby demonstrating that the devil was at work trying to take her daughter away from her.
Tara's brother, Shawn, was another character. Honestly, it's a miracle Tara didn't end up seriously injured, or even worse. He was always a bit unstable, but after a series of accidents, brain damage caused him to be even worse, to the point that he threatened both Tara and her sister, Audrey, in separate instances. What upset me the most about this was the fact Tara's parents were in complete denial and constantly made excuses for him. Yes, he is their son (I'm not a parent, so I can't sympathize with them in that capacity), but they had to realize that the behavior Shawn exhibited was completely wrong, especially given the fact that they had other sons who weren't anything like him. I still can't figure out why they made so many excuses for him, why he was chosen as the golden child of sorts, always willing to look past his extreme faults and problems.
I think one thing that stood out to me about this book was Westover's claim that they lived off the grid. In some ways, I definitely agree, especially when it came to their interactions with the government. Tara didn't even know when her birthday was, so she picked one for herself around the time family members told her she was born, all because she was born at home and wasn't issued a birth certificate until she left for Cambridge. In other ways, I don't think the Westovers lived off the grid. They still interacted with the outside world on a very regular basis, even going so far as to have a booming essential oils and homeopathic remedies business. Ultimately, Tara's father wanted them to be completely off the grid, but they never got there, as they got distracted by capitalism and their growing business. I find that extremely ironic, especially given the fact that it was something her father seemed to hate. It makes me wonder if he didn't like the government and everything simply because he couldn't do what he wanted, but the growing essential oils business gave him the ability to move past his former limitations.
Something else that stood out to me was the role of professors in Tara's life. While it's not completely out of the ordinary to sometimes have a close relationship with professors, it is rare. Typically in college, you go to class, you listen to the professor talk for an hour, then you leave. There were some professors I had a closer relationship with in college, but I was fortunate enough to go to a smaller college (about a fourth the size of BYU). As a teacher, this really stood out to me and reminded me of the importance of my job. All it takes is one teacher who believes in a student for them to be put on the path for success. On my most difficult days, this is what I need to remember. Tara kept her hardships at home a secret from her professors, and that's something else teachers need to remember; we never know exactly what's going on a student's life or what kind of support he or she needs to be successful.
Despite the fact I can't go to book club, I still came up with some questions that my mom could bring along. Unlike last time, I wrote the questions as I read the book, that way I could come up with some more specific questions. This also helped me create a much longer list of questions than last time. Hopefully you'll be able to use them as well.
- What effect did Ruby Ridge have on Tara's dad?
- Do you agree with Tara's speculation that her dad may be bipolar, or was he just eccentric?
- Tara's dad didn't say anything when she was accepted to BYU. Do you think it was because he resigned to fate or because he didn't fully believe she would actually go?
- In what way did the Bishop and several of Tara's professors step in to be the father figure Tara's dad wasn't?
- Had Shawn not been injured, do you think he would have gone along with his dad's beliefs in the way he did towards the end of the book?
- Had Tara been a boy or treated a little better, do you think she would have fallen in line with her dad's beliefs or not gone off to college?
- What did Emily mean when she said Shawn was a spiritual man?
- Tara's dad saw surviving the explosion as a way "to show people there's another way besides the Medical Establishment." Given his quality of life, is this true?
- Do you think the fact he survived his accident helped Tara's dad and her family solidify their beliefs?
- How did Tara's dinner with her parents at the Indian restaurant near her apartment at BYU represent a shift in their relationship?
- Do you think Tara didn't want to tell people she never went to school after she won the Gates scholarship because it would lend credence to her parents' parenting style?
- Tara's dad claims essential oils businesses offered to buy them out. Do you think this was true or one of his delusions?
- Tara describes herself as a "woman emancipated from pretense". Do you agree with this observation?
- In what ways was Tara's mom complicit with the abuse Tara endured?
- Who was more abusive, Tara's dad or Shawn?
- Why were Tara's parents in such denial about Shawn, especially towards the end?
- Is Tara's academics an example of nature versus nurture?
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