Shabanu

Amanda Cerro
Mrs. Looney
Sociology
November 14, 2012

Shabanu Personal Analysis

Vengeance is a major theme in the story. In this chapter alone it is rampant throughout the entire thing. Avery big example of this is when Phulan and Shabanu are at the bank washing the clothes of Phulan that became soiled when she was having her period. Because Shabanu still hasn’t gotten her period, shebecomes bored, and also because Phulan’s head is constantly up in the clouds where she is daydreaming about her wedding. Shabanu wanders off, away from Phulan, which she was directly instructed by herDad not to do, and walks directly onto an embankment where members of the other village are getting ready to go hunting. It is a tradition in their culture, that when a large group of men go hunting,whoever kills the most animals gets to spend an entire night doing whatever they want with a member of the tribe leaders village. Shabanu knows this and she also see’s the lustful looks in the eyes ofall the men there. Some of them say that she is still too young, and she instantly knows that as soon as they see the perfect body and beautiful face of Phulan they will want her. That is veryimpossible because then Phulan would not be able to marry Hamir, who she is lovestruck over. Suddenly Phulan is there and the men want her, Shabanu is forced to scream at them and tell them they are notmembers of the tribe, and throw objects in the way so that the men cannot come up to them. They escape and when they get home Shabanu tells her father what has happened. He Dad gets very angry andgetshis gun and leaves the house. He is gone and the women do not know what is happening. He has left to go and protect his family, mostly Phulan, from having her honor taken away from her by the awful andlying men. He finally returns days later with his clothing covered in blood and announces that Hamir is dead. This is tragic for everyone, but most of all for Phulan because she was going to marry...