Ready Reference Treatise: Shabanu

By Raja Sharma

“Shabanu” by Suzanne Fisher Staples was first published in 1989. It is subtitled “Daughter of the Wind.”

A young girl living in the Cholistan Desert is the narrator of the novel. The story is focused on the young girl’s coming-of-age.

After this novel, Staples wrote two other novels: “Haveli” and “The House of Djinn.” The author had lived for about twelve years in Asia before writing this particular novel.

The story takes place in Pakistan. The country had become an independent nation in 1947, after the departure of the British from British India. Before the colonists left India, they divided the British India into two parts, India and Pakistan.

The Present Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan at the time of independence. India was primarily a Hindu country and Pakistan a Muslim country, East Pakistan and West Pakistan.

In the year 1971, East Pakistan began its own fight for statehood and eventually in 1972 East Pakistan became a separate and independent nation called Bangladesh. West Pakistan retained the name Pakistan.

Ready Reference Treatise: Shabanu
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Major Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Jan 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311235763

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: Shabanu

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: Shabanu

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2015 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples was first published in 1989. It is subtitled Daughter of the Wind.

A young girl living in the Cholistan Desert is the narrator of the novel. The story is focused on the young girl’s coming-of-age.

After this novel, Staples wrote two other novels: Haveli and The House of Djinn. The author had lived for about twelve years in Asia before writing this particular novel.

The story takes place in Pakistan. The country had become an independent nation in 1947, after the departure of the British from British India. Before the colonists left India, they divided the British India into two parts, India and Pakistan.

The Present Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan at the time of independence. India was primarily a Hindu country and Pakistan a Muslim country, East Pakistan and West Pakistan.

In the year 1971, East Pakistan began its own fight for statehood and eventually in 1972 East Pakistan became a separate and independent nation called Bangladesh. West Pakistan retained the name Pakistan.

Shabanu is often classified as a young adult ‘problem novel.’ Before the 1960s most of the literature which was written for young adult readers was basically romance, fantasy, or adventure, however, there were some notable exceptions such as Little Woman and the works of Mark Twain. Most of the young adult novels of romance or adventure were not of the highest quality.

After the cultural turmoil during the 1960s, most of the publishers developed their interest for the books which displayed life realistically. Such novels try to show the imperfections of the adult world and the difficulties which the teens face while growing up.

Shabanu was very well received both by audiences and critics. The book was the winner of a Newbery Honor Award in 1990.

Haveli the second novel written by Staples is a sequel to Shabanu. In her second novel, the author depicts Shabanu’s married life.

Likewise, the third novel Dangerous Skies is set in the Chesapeake Bay area. it also explores that lives of young people who happen to be struggling with traditions and prejudices of the adult world which they find around them.

For all that, Staples does have her critics, both Americans and Pakistani. Several questions are raised on her right and ability, as an American woman, to rightly and compassionately show the life of a young, poor woman of a culture with values and traditions which are so different from the cultures and values of the author.

However, there are some scholars who defend Staples and her work. They says that Staples had lived for more than twelve years in Asia to study the culture and traditions and that was enough to give her the right to write about them.

The book was liked more for the subject. Young Americans hardly knew anything about the culture and traditions of Cholistan in those days, and it was Staples who provided them with a story that was narrated from the perspective of a young girl from Cholistan.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

The story is set in the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan. Shabanu, a young girl, lives in the Cholistan.

The children play their games near the border of India. Shabanu happens to be the second daughter of a loving family of camel breeders. They are very peaceful people.

Shabanu is in the transition period of her age from girlhood to womanhood. Phulan is Shabanu’s older sister. She is already of marriageable age. It transpires that Phulan will be married to Hamir in near future. Hamir is a cousin of their family’s.

Shabanu is also already betrothed to Murad, Hamir’s brother. Since Shabanu is only twelve years old, she is not at all interested in marriage. She loves tending to their camels. She likes teaching tricks to her beloved camels, Mithoo, Xhush Dil, and Guluband.

Guluband has been recently sold by her