Shabanu,Good Earth,rebecca Essay Essay, Research Paper
In Shabanu, by Suzanne Fisher, Shabanu must search for her own identity. Shabanu is influenced by her family, especially her completely different older sister Phulan. Phulan is beautiful, more like their mother whom she helps around the house. Shabanu is wild and strong like their father, and helps him with the camels and other yard work. They are both betrothed to marry, when they come of age. For the past few years, Shabanu helps her father with the animals and this year, she must learn to cook food and clean the house. Shabanu has to prepare to be married and learn to live a life of her own. She is betrothed to Murad whom she loved, and will marry when she becomes of childbearing age. Shabanu?s older sister, Phulan is betrothed to Hamir, Murad?s older brother. Shabanu?s family is making preparations for these two upcoming marriages.
When Shabanu?s family arrives at Hamir?s land, Shabanu and Phulan find themselves struggling between Hamir?s family and a wealthy landowner. Shabanu robs the landowner of his pride, resulting to Phulan?s fianc?s murder, which greatly devastates her. She was looking forward to starting her own family with Hamir. Shabanu?s family decides that Phulan will marry Murad, Shabanu?s fianc?. Her parents also decide that Shabanu will marry the evil landlord?s more powerful brother, Rahim-Sahib, who is a wealthy councilman of the district, extremely powerful consisting of many wives. When Rahim-Sahib first saw Shabanu he fell in love with her. Shabanu was displeased at her parents? decision telling her that she must marry Rahim-Sahib, exploited to bring peace to the two families. After Phulan?s wedding, Shabanu and her parents go back home where, Shabanu must wait and prepare for her own upcoming ceremony with Rahim-Sahib. Shabanu is dreading the thought of marrying him. When Shabanu states, ?I know my fate is sealed? (Staples 239) she realizes she has lost her battle, however learns that just because she must marry Rahim-Sahib, does not mean she must love him.
When Shabanu finds out that it is time to marry Rahim-Sahib, she runs away. She was on her way to Sharma?s house, when her father finds her and takes her life. Shabanu?s parents? are always telling her to do what she is told. Yet, Shabanu wants to listen to her heart. She does not want to marry someone for the wrong reasons, because she wants to marry for love. If Shabanu followed her own heart, it would be easier for her to find her own true identity. If Shabanu did follow her heart it lead to her being killed.
Shabanu is searching for her individuality, always comparing herself to Phulan, often giving herself a phony identity. Sharma advises Shabanu that, ?the secret is keeping your inner most beauty, the secrets of your soul, locked in your heart,? (Staples 240) therefore one will find one?s self and not rely on others for independence.
In Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier, the second wife, Mrs. de Winter, is searching for her own identity. She marries Maxim de Winter, and moves to Manderly mansion. While at Manderly, ?she was in the house just as Mrs. Danvers had said, she was in that room in the west wing, she was in the library, in the morning-room, in the gallery above the hall? (DuMaurier 233). The second Mrs. de Winter merely takes the place of Rebecca, as if she was still in the house, the servants were still taking orders, and the eating the same food. The second Mrs. de Winter felt as if she was the replacement for Rebecca, making it difficult to discover her proper identity. When the second Mrs. de Winter begins to realize her identity, as Mr. de Winter?s wife, people start treating her as herself, not as Rebecca. The second Mrs. de Winter and Maxim?s relationship improves, when they share their thoughts and feelings with one another, Maxim tells her his deepest secret. He killed Rebecca, his first wife. In telling this to the second Mrs. de Winter, they experience the hardships together. One of those difficult moments occurred after Mr. de Winter identified her Rebecca?s body, and cops found another body at the bottom of the ocean. Mr. de Winter is questioned. Mrs. de Winter is there for him, as herself, not as Rebecca. Mr. de Winter informs the police that he made the unfortunate mistake of falsely identifying Rebecca?s body. With his new statement, the police came to the conclusion that Rebecca committed suicide. In the end, the second Mrs. de Winter finds her true identity by being herself, but Mr. de Winter could not live with the truths, therefore committing suicide with his second wife.
In The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, Wang Lung is searching for his identity. He is always associating himself with a poor or rich man. When Wang Lung was poor, he worked hard on his land, and used all of his resources. Wang Lung would wake up every morning, and cultivate his land. His land was everything to him, for it was his dignity.
The day came when Wang Lung was to meet his wife. He goes to the House of Hwang and there he sees how rich men live. From that day on, Wang Lung works hard to become rich and respected, like the people in the House of Hwang. So Wang Lung and his new wife, Olan, work hard on their land. During this, Olan conceived three sons and two girls, which was good fortune. Wang Lung and his family overcame many hardships, for instance, the death of his father and of his good friend Ching brought grief to the whole family. Finally, as the years pass, Wang Lung is rich and prosperous; and his land was flourishing. He even bought some land from the House of Hwang. Everyone in the village knew Wang Lung the Farmer, and respected him. As Wang Lung became richer, the villagers became worse. Many people came to Wang Lung for help, including his uncle, who did not work or try to feed his family. Wang told them, if they wanted food or money, they would have to work on his land. He believes one should work for what one receives. Wang Lung became accustomed to the rich life; he bought nice clothes and ate only the finest meals. He even bought slaves and moved into the House of Hwang. Now Wang Lungs past poor life vanished from his memory. He was rich now, and he could buy anything he desires.
Only when Wang Lung grew old did he realize that his real identity was neither a poor or rich man. Wang Lung told his two sons, ?if you sell the land, it is the end? (Buck 350). He advises his children about taking care of the land, and in turn it will take care of them. If they sell the land, it will end what and who they are. Wang Lung took pride in his land; the land was everything to him. It made him who he is, an individual.
These three novels teach the reader to always be an individual. In Rebecca, the second Mrs. de Winter always thought of what other people thought of her. She was always comparing herself to Rebecca. In The Good Earth, Wang Lung was trying to be something that impressed other people. In Shabanu, she was ignoring her true feelings in her heart. These three characters, find themselves in the end. They find out that their real identity is the unique person inside of them, not the person they must live up to or what others expect from them.
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