Shabanu Essay, Research Paper

In some cultures, parents treat their children like slaves. They are forbidden by their parents to control their own lives. In Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind, Shabanu is a girl who struggles to please her parents, who often take advantage of their power over Shabanu to control her life.

At first, her struggles are at home with small issues, but rapidly develop into larger matters. Dadi is furious after Shabanu begs him to save Mithoo. Shabanu s actions show that she has compassion, which is nothing to get angry about. Mithoo believes Shabanu is actually his mom, so she did what a mother is supposed to do. Shabanu is forced to marry someone who is already in his fifties and has three wives. Someone who has many wives cannot possibly love her. Her parents sacrifice her happiness in order to make Phulan happy. Shabanu s parents never think about Shabanu when making decisions that will affect her.

Shabanu wants to stay close to and protect the things she loves, but has to give them all up because of her parents wishes. Her favorite activity is taking care of the camels. Shabanu s parents wants her to do women s work instead not because they care about her future, but because they want to show off to others that they have raised two proper young ladies. Mama and Dadi are being very cruel to her by taking her away from the camels. Guluband, her favorite camel, is sold, even though she begged her father not to sell him. Her father values Phulan more than he values Shabanu, so he sells Guluband for Phulan s wedding dowry. Dadi even slaps her for objecting to his wicked actions. Shabanu loses all of her happiness in an effort to please her parents.

Shabanu is a very caring girl who will do extraordinary things to please others. Readers often sympathize with her efforts of choosing between the choices that will benefit her, and the choices others want her to make. When she tries to escape and gain her freedom, her favorite camels breaks its leg, which shows that sometimes, neither choice could be fully beneficial to the person.