Determined Shabanu

In the novel Shabanu, by Suzanne Fisher Staples, it is plainly visible that Shabanu, the main character and narrator, can be very determined. First, as Shabanu is tending the herd she notices vultures circling in the sky. She goes there to see what happened. There, in a massive swarm of vultures, is a mother camel, dying from a poisonous snakebite. At the mother’s behind is a baby camel not even half born, and the snakebite prevented the mother from completing the delivery. Shabanu hurried, pushing her way behind the mother camel’s rear and “With a grunt I grab both forelegs, and give a mighty yank… I run to the mother camel’s side, screeching at a vulture perched there… I throw myself across her swollen belly and grab her spine, pressing myself against her with all my might…”(pg. 15). Shabanu was already exhausted from tending the herd, and had to use much strength to accomplish this almost impossible task. She could have just left the whole problem for the vultures to solve, and let the baby die. If she had done so then her family would have lost a good camel that could have helped Phulan’s dowry, not to mention the baby being an awesome pet. Nevertheless, her great willpower and determination told her that this baby was not to be wasted, so she kept on trying, and trying until she finally got it done. This is pure evidence that Shabanu is very determined. Here is another example: Tipu and Kalu, two male camels in the herd, got in a fight to determine each other’s mating rights. Dadi then tried to separate them, in which he succeeded. Tipu, the dominant male, got enraged at Dadi for stopping such an important battle, so he turned his force against him, forgetting about Kalu. Shabanu, determined to stop the mad camel, tried everything she thought of. She screamed at Tipu, and when that didn’t work, she tried to whack Tipu with a pole. When she missed by a couple of feet, she threw the pole at the enraged beast. If it were another person, they would have given up at their first try, but Shabanu kept trying. These examples show that Shabanu is extremely determined and has an immense amount of willpower.