Shabanu Essay

Suzzane Fisher Staples book Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind is about a young girl who is 11 and lives in Pakistan with her parents, older sister, her aunt and her cousins. She lives in a desert where there is always fear of not having water. She belongs to a family that herds camels. Shabanus sister, Phulan is to wed a guy named Hamir. After Phulans wedding, Shabanu is to wed Hamirs brother, Murad.

It is when Shabanu and Phulan visit a watering hole to get water for the family, Phulan gets kidnapped by two guys and she gets taken her to a brothel. After they were finished with her, they gave her money and told her to go back home. Phulans return to the family shocked everyone, especially Shabanu. While trying to save Phulan, Hamir gets shot. Knowing this Shabanu became stronger and a bolder person and decides to give Murad away to her sister. Shabanu finds herself another guy but according to her religion she is not allowed to pick her own husband. After knowing this, her father wants her to get married immediately to an old man, but she refuses to obey the rule, and decides to run away. Her father went out on a hunt looking for her and when he found her, instead of helping her, he beats her until she bleeds.

In the book, Princess Academy, Miri gets enormous amount of respect, and is loved by everyone, her family, friends and townspeople. Miri has never been schooled before, but she begins to understand many different levels of intelligence. Miri is always worried about whether or not she is going to get picked by the prince or not. Although she has never thought of him as hers, shes always been willing to give him up for her friends. Miri would love to join her father and older sister as a miner in Mount Eskel's quarry. Miri is a well-developed strong female character. She is small in size, named after a tiny mountain flower, but big in heart and inner strength. Her relationships with her father, a mountain boy, her best friend, and the prince are complex and realistic. Miri is definitely smart, brave, funny, and independent. However, she does have some growing up to do in this book, some decisions to make, and an important realization to attain.