You will never become successful
The first part of the book looks back on the narrator's childhood and her high school years. The narrator admits that she was always someone interested in the process of learning and would go to great lengths to study and be at the top of her class. Obama was told time and time again by her professors that she will never become successful, firstly because she is a woman and then because she is black. Ironically, as she points out, not only did she made a career for herself but she also became the First Lady of the USA.
The hate helped her
From an early age, the narrator distinguished herself from the rest of her classmates through her intellect and she eventually moved to an advanced class. Every day, Obama commuted 3 hours by bus just to get to her school, an experience which is described as being far from pleasant, mainly because she was discriminated against by the rest of the people on the bus. Ironically, instead of making her feel discouraged, the negative way she was perceived by those around her only made her want to succeed even more and gave her the necessary drive to move forward.
On the honor roll
When Obama was transferred to a gifted class, the teachers she had were reluctant to accept her and even give her a chance at succeeding. Obama mentions how she was always looked at suspiciously by her teachers who did not believe she had what it took to be in those classes. Ironically, as the narrator points out, not only did she proved herself as an exceptional student but she was also on the honor roll for four years and finished high school as a salutatorian.
An intruder
Obama was accepted at Princeton and Harvard and the experiences she had while on campus were not positive ones. Obama describes how she always felt out of place, surrounded by a majority of white students who were rich and who flaunted their financial status. Ironically, as the book points out, when it came academically, most children on campus could not keep up. As such, they should have been the ones who should have felt out of place.
Deaths perceived as positive
The second part of the book starts with the narrator describing the death of her father and of one of her closest friends. These deaths affected her tremendously and made her feel hopeless for a while. Ironically, these deaths are also presented as something positive, mainly because it made Obama realize the path she wanted to take in life and the career she wanted to pursue.
