Shabanu (23 page)
Authors: Suzanne Fisher Staples
I refuse to cry out, and Dadi in his fury is like Tipu, bloodlust in his eyes. He can beat me to death if he likes. The pain grows worse as the blows strike already-bruised flesh. But I take Sharma’s advice. I recall the beautiful things in my world and, like a bride admiring her dowry, I take them out, one by one, then fold them away again, deep into my heart.
I hear sobbing, as if from a great distance, and my knees crumple. Dadi catches me in his arms and buries his face against my bloody tunic. He holds me against him, and through a haze of pain, I realize it is Dadi sobbing, not me.
“The secret is keeping your innermost beauty, the secrets of your soul, locked in your heart,” Sharma’s voice whispers in my ear, “so that he must always reach out to you for it.”
Rahim
-sahib
will reach out to me for the rest of his life and never unlock the secrets of my heart.
Allah (
Ah
-luh)—God in Arabic, the language of the Islamic religion.
Allah-o-Akbar (
Ah-
luh
oh Ahk-
bahr)—“God is great!”
Asalaam-o-Aleikum (Uh-suh
-lahm
oh Uh-
leh
-koom)—Traditional greeting.
betel (
beet-
uhl)—A nut with red juice and narcotic properties.
bhai (
bhii)
—Brother.
Bugti (
Buhg-
tee)—A tribe living in eastern Iran, southwestern Pakistan, and southern Afghanistan.
chadr (
chad-
duhr)—A cloth worn by women as a head cover.
chapati (chah-
pah
-tee)—A flat, round bread made of whole wheat and water and cooked in a flat pan over an open fire.
Eid (
Eed)
—An Islamic festival that ends a period of fasting.
ghazal (
ghuh-
zuhl)—A poem sung to drum and flute music.
Guluband (Goo-loo-buhnd)—The family’s finest camel.
hookah (
hoohk
-uh)—A tall pipe with a small brass bowl in which tobacco and raw sugar are burned. The smoke is drawn through water held in the pipe base into a long, flexible mouthpiece.
hunteray
(huhnt-
uhr-eh)—“Giddyap!” to a camel.
Islam (
Ihs
-lahm)—A monotheistic religion of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
jelabi (juh-
leh
-bee)—A pretzel-shaped, deep-fried sweet.
jelabi-wallah (juh-
leh
-bee
wah-
luh)—
Jelabi-
maker.
kabob (kuh
-bahb)
—Cubes of meat roasted on a stick over a fire.
kafi
(kah-
fee)—A religious poem set to music.
Kalu (
Kah
-loo)—A young camel in the herd. His name means “black.”
kharin (
khuh-
reen)—A green desert plant with edible sweet red flowers.
khip (
kihp)
—A brushy desert plant used to thatch roofs.
Koran (Kuh
-rahn
)—The holy book of Islam, written in the Arabic language.
krait (
kreht)
—A deadly snake.
lungi (
luhn-
gee)—A long piece of cloth usually worn wrapped around the waist.
mahendi (muh-
hehn-
dee)—Part of the marriage ceremony in which women have their hands and feet painted in intricate designs with henna.
Marri (
Muh
-ree)—A tribe of Baluchistan.
maulvi (
mohl
-vee)—An Islamic priest.
mehrab (muh
-rahb)
—Walls built to show Muslims in which direction they should bow to face Mecca for prayer.
Mithoo (Meet-
hoo
)—A baby camel whose name means “sweet.”
mujahideen (muh
-jah-
hih
-deen)
—Muslim fighters engaged in battle with a non-Muslim enemy.
Muslim (
Muh-
slihm)—A person who follows the religion of Islam.
nawab (
nuh-
wahb)—A Muslim king of one of nearly 700 princely states that once formed part of what is now India and Pakistan.
paan (
pahn)
—A delicacy made of leaves and nuts of the betel plant plus other ingredients, such as fennel seed, sugar, and other spices.
pashmina (puhsh-
mee
-nah)—A fine wool used to make soft shawls.
Pathan (Puh
-tahn)
—A nation of tribal people who live mainly in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province.
pogh (
pohg)
—A thorny desert plant that camels like to eat.
Rajput (
Rahj-
puht)—A race of Hindu desert warriors in India.
Ramadan (
Rah-
muh
-dahn
)—The month of daytime fasting in the Islamic religion.
rupee (
roo
-pee)—The money of India and Pakistan. A Pakistani rupee is worth about six cents in United States money.
sahib (
suh-
hihb)—A respectful title.
salaam (suh
-lahm)
—A greeting.
shatoosh (
shah-
toosh)—A shawl made of wool so fine it can pass through a lady’s ring.
shenai (shuh-
nii
)—An oboelike musical instrument.
Sher Dil (
Shurh
Dihl)—A puppy whose name means “lion heart.”
sito (
see-
too)—A desert plant with a sweet, succulent root used as a source of water in a drought.
subadar (
suhb-
dahr)—Officer’s rank in the Desert Rangers.
syed (
sii
-yiht)—An Islamic religious leader who traces his lineage back to the prophet Mohammed.
Tipu (
Tih-
poo)—A young male camel named for an eighteenth-century explorer.
toba (
toh
-buh)—A freshwater pond that serves as a water supply for desert nomads.
Xhush Dil (
Hoosh
Dihl)—A camel whose name means “happy heart.”
Questions for Discussion
- How is the life of Shabanu’s family affected because the family has no male children? How is their financial well-being affected? Explain how having no brothers has shaped Shabanu. Do you believe that having a son is a high priority for a family in your culture?
- Many people love animals, but Shabanu’s affinity with the camels, especially with Guluband and Mithoo, is extreme. What freedoms does Shabanu obtain from her job of caring for the camels? List things she learns from the camels that help her to understand human beings.
- When Shabanu begins to realize that Guluband might be sold, Dadi says, “What Allah wills cannot be changed” (
this page
). How does Shabanu feel when it really happens? Why does she reject her impulse to take the animal and run away (
this page
)? Later (
this page
), Shabanu has intellectually accepted her father’s decision, but emotionally it is a different story. Explain why she feels she has lost her joy, her freedom, and her identity. How do you interpret her statement (
this page
) that the experience has taught her “both the strength of my will and its limits”? How does this foreshadow later events? - One of the novel’s minor themes is the relationship between father and daughter, a tricky one in any culture. What makes it even more complicated in Pakistan? Note the times when Dadi acts from his feelings about Shabanu and those when he follows
tradition. For example, examine the scene when the camels fight (
this page
–
this page
). When Dadi does things “for her own good,” is he being a responsible father, or is he trying to break her spirit? How do you think American culture affects father-daughter relationships? - Shabanu
is the name of a princess. Considering our Shabanu’s character and station in life, what is appropriate and inappropriate about her name? At the bazaar in Rahimyar Khan (
this page
–
this page
), do you think it is her name or her nature that causes the shopkeeper to give Shabanu the valuable gifts? Defend your answer with examples from the story. The shopkeeper’s kindness touches Shabanu’s heart. Explain how her gratitude may be more important than the items themselves. - In the United States, how long are the young considered children? How long does childhood last for Muslims? At thirteen, Phulan is supposed to be a woman. Point to her conflicting feelings about her role and her forthcoming marriage to Hamir. Why does she wear a black
chadr? - A dilemma is any situation requiring a choice between equal—often equally unpleasant—alternatives. Explain Shabanu’s dilemma when she and Phulan meet Nazir Mohammad and his hunters. Shabanu’s choosing to save her sister from rape leads to the story’s climax. On
this page
, why is Shabanu angry at her sister? “She was asking for it” is still used as a defense by rapists. Does Shabanu’s anger show an antifeminist response or is she, too, a victim, but a victim of her culture? - Irony is the use of words to express something other than—often the opposite of—their literal meaning. The chapter explaining that Phulan will marry Murad and that Shabanu is promised to Rahim is titled “Justice.” First discuss the irony of the title, then look at the decisions made in this chapter in terms of the customs of Shabanu’s society.
- Shabanu has always displayed her independence, and her mother has been understanding. Why do you think her mother slaps her when she says she will go to live with Sharma? Sharma accuses the family of having bought Phulan’s happiness and their security by selling Shabanu. Do you agree or disagree? How is this arrangement different from their having arranged Shabanu’s marriage to Murad? Defend or attack Dadi’s argument.
- Sharma tells Shabanu she has two choices: Keep Rahim’s interest by learning the tricks of women or come to live with her. Considering the culture and Shabanu’s character, predict what she will do. What would you have done?
- What is Sharma meant to represent in the story? Is she wise or simply a rebel? Shabanu faces her future armed only with Sharma’s advice: Keep your innermost beauty locked in your heart. What does this mean? Do you think it will protect Shabanu?
Q: When did you know you wanted to become a writer?
A:
I have always wanted to write—from the time I was a toddler, walking around with pencil and paper, asking adults to teach me to write my name, or the names of flowers, or things around the house. I was different from other family members, and I felt like an outsider. Writing was a way to express myself. And in stories I found ways of looking at the world that helped me make my own sense of it.
Q: What inspired you to write
Shabanu?
Was there a
specific person who inspired Shabanu’s character?
A:
I worked on a literacy project for women in a rural village in Pakistan’s Punjab province, and during my time there met many women who were eager to tell me stories about their lives. I found myself seeing that our experiences were very similar. Despite the profound differences in our cultures, we shared hopes, dreams, a sense of humor, a sense of romance. It made me want to further explore the universality of human experience.
I met a girl named Mariyam in one of the villages of Cholistan. She was an orphan being raised by her grandmother. Because it was just Mariyam and her grandmother, they were very independent and more than a little eccentric—rather like Auntie Sharma and Fatima are in the story. I started to think about what ramifications there would be for a woman who was so different in such a rigidly traditional society. I loved Mariyam’s resourcefulness and courage and strength and worried about what it would cost her.
Q: How did you start writing
Shabanu?
What parts of
the story came together first?
A:
Virtually every scene in both
Shabanu
and
Haveli
is based on a story someone told me about herself, or a relative, or someone she knew. I also relied on things I witnessed myself, like the Sibi Mela; the wrestling matches, both human and camel; the Channan Pir shrine; Derawar Fort; the Desert Rangers. I also watched stories unfolding in the families of my friends in Pakistan. I wrote down scenes based on these reallife stories and then began to connect them. I actually began telling the story from Grandfather’s point of view. I liked the idea that he was old and got confused, mixing up the present and the past. In the Cholistan Desert you often feel as if you’ve somehow gotten caught in a time centuries past—perhaps in the time of the Old Testament. Very early on I heard this strong little voice in the back of my mind. That became the voice of Shabanu, who took over narrating the story.
Q: How did you conduct your research for the book?
A:
A lot of times I would see things as I traveled and did not understand their significance. So I would go to the library at the University of the Punjab in Lahore and look up old documents about the Abbasids, or the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage Institute in Rawalpindi to look for documentation of history, and for the origins of myths and legends. I also interviewed many people who were from Cholistan and knew the nomads, the shrines, the poetry and traditions.
Q: What were some of your most interesting experiences
while living in Pakistan?
A:
I was constantly surprised by the rural peoples of Pakistan, most of whom were extraordinarily poor. They were living on the very edge of survival—yet they were extremely generous, hospitable, and dignified. They always offered me a meal or bread and tea—whatever they had. They were always welcoming and kind. Living and working among them made me grow and taught me the value of an open mind and heart. There were some terrible times—times of drought when their animals were dying and they were forced to leave the desert—but they were always courageous and hospitable.
Q: What books do you like to read? Who are your
favorite authors?
A:
I love to read in connection with what I’m doing. I’ve just been to China, and so I devoured a variety of fiction and nonfiction about China: Nien Cheng’s
Life and Death in Shanghai
, Ha Jin’s
Waiting
and
The Crazed
, Eleanor McCallie Cooper’s
Grace: An American Woman’s Forty Years in China
, May-lee Chai and Winberg Chai’s
The Girl from Purple Mountain
, Anchee Min’s
Red Azalea
.
My current passion is archaeoastronomy—legends and myths about the stars, sciences and mathematics, in Persia in particular.
My favorite authors are Gabriel Garcia Márquez and Virginia Euwer Wolff, Wendell Berry and Billy Collins and Naomi Shihab Nye. There isn’t enough room to name all of the authors I love!
Q: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world
,
who would you choose, and why?
A:
My husband, Wayne, because I don’t see nearly enough of him. Or my brother or my sister or my nieces and my nephew—I love my family and spent years living away from them. I’d love to spend more time with them now.
Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a fiction
writer?
A:
When I was a news reporter, I knew I wanted to be writing fiction. Stories had always played an important part in my life, and I was more interested in the kinds of information they provide about human behavior than news stories do.
Q: What do you consider the most rewarding part of
writing books for young people?
A:
I love being a part of the community of publishers, writers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and readers. I also marvel at the magic in the process of bringing a story to life—all of the chaos and possibilities that refine themselves into a story that feels real and true. There seems something beyond human intelligence at work in it, and it always moves me. (It also drives me crazy a good part of the time!)
Q: Do you ever use suggestions from readers in new
books?
A:
Not really, although that isn’t intentional. A lot of readers complain that my stories don’t end the way they’d like to see them end. They feel as if they’re just left hanging, with no more pages to read! But open endings are the only ones that satisfy me, and I don’t know how to do it differently.
On the other hand, readers say they’d like another story about the characters I’ve left suspended at the end of a novel. I can’t do that unless I have another good story idea, but perhaps those comments keep my mind open to ideas for another novel about characters I’ve written about before.
Q: What advice do you have for young writers?
A:
I think it’s very important to honor your ideas and your dreams. When I was younger, my family worried because I was a daydreamer and an idealist, and because I wanted to be a writer. I didn’t know how to want to be something else. And I’m very happy to have ended up doing what I do. Your dreams can’t come true if you don’t have dreams. My parents also were right, however: It’s important to be practical and to learn to do things that are perhaps less fun to do. But those dreams are essential.
And ideas: If you don’t respect your ideas, make note of them, and keep your mind open to them, they’ll float right past you, like fish in the ocean. So I think journaling is important—being in the habit of making notes about what moves you, what impresses you, how things feel to you. If you don’t respect your ideas, nobody else will. Keeping a journal gives weight and substance to your thoughts and ideas.
