#texttoself

[quynh-le-blog1]

Bridge Builder: Quynh

1. Event from Book: During the first ceremony of Phulan's wedding, the mahendi, the women had their hands and feet painted with henna.

Text to World connection: In places like India, the bride and her female family members and friends gather to apply henna. It’s said that the deeper the color, the stronger the bond between husband and wife, and the better you will get along with the your mother-in-law.

2. Event from Book: Shabanu looks up to Sharma and when she needs her help, Sharma provides her counsel about society.

Text to Text connection: In many young adult novels, the protagonists such as Shabanu herself, has someone to provide with an important role model who is a source of hope for the character.

3. Event from Book: In honor of Hamir, the house, his body is resting in, has become a shrine.

Text to Self connection: As a part of my culture, we build shrines in honor of someone who had died heroically

QUESTIONS

What has happened previously in the book?

Previously in the book, Hamir, phulan's fiance, had tragically died in a fight between him and the hunters. In result of his death, Phulan marries Murad and Rahim-sahib asks for Shabanu's hand in marriage.  Shabanu does not take this lightly and attempts to run away to Sharma to avoid marrying him. However, her attempt fails and finally realizes that she has to obey Dadi's will and marry her future husband.

Shabanu's internal conflict in pages 192-240

From losing Guluband, her Grandfather, and now Murad to Phulan in marriage, Shabanu feels nothing but pain and emptiness. She also feels constrained by society and because of this, she attempts to run away from her family.

[quynh-le-blog1]

Bridge Builder: Sana

Event from book;

"we neither eat nor drink until sun goes down, when we break our fast with tea."

-text to world - Ramadan observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief.

Event from book;

"We spend  the next week cooking sweets for the wedding, making dresses for the women of Hamir's family..."

-text to self -As an Indian, we have special ceremonies where we make sweets and select dresses for the grooms family

Event from book:

"I'll never get used to marrying a man old enough to be my grandfather..." -text to world -In todays society, there are some areas in the world where there are marriages where a couple has a significant age gap.

QUESTIONS What will happen next? I think that Nazir Mohamed will come back and taunt Shabanu and her family because he is the kind of person that would go after people with his guns and threaten them for something he desires.

Previously in the book, Phulan is getting married and the family is having a preparation for the dresses, jewelry, and sweets. Shabanu changes and becomes more independent and not free like Phulan. Phulan is more care free and is not as serious as her sister.

[quynh-le-blog1]

Bridge Builder: Eailya

Text from book: Shabanu is expected to enter adulthood soon, for her case she too after phulan needs to marry and withhold the responsibilities of a woman. Text to text connection From almost any storyline the protagonist usually faces  harsh reality from the expectations of others. The protagonist struggles to find their own identity when they are having to deal with multiple issues within the plot. Shabanu wants to continue expressing her child like manner  but the adults surrounding her say otherwise. Just as any protagonist wants to do something in their life but restrictions are put on them for doing so which in my opinion can drive that character to remain a certain way or pursue something even more that someone or something doesn't like.

Text from book: Grandfathers death making a turning point in Shabanus life since he was the one she shared her struggles with and they both cherished each other deeply Text to world connection: Every where around the world, people lose loved ones everyday. Some deaths are a factor of health and age. other deaths that are brought upon this world are from vicious incidents happening that we cant even predict. Almost anyone has experienced the tragic death of someone we once cared about or even just knew. Sometimes those people helped us in ways we didn't even realize until they were gone. Shabanu lost her grandfather that helped her cope with her struggles just as anyone who has lost someone in their life that affected them deeply.

Text from book: "Auntie takes every opportunity to show mama how superior she is for having borne uncle two sons. Mama always takes it in good humor, but i do wonder if she ever wishes shed had sons, she never shows it. " Text to self connection: From my experience or maybe any other high school student, there will always be someone that announces their own grades to either make someone else feel bad about thier own or to make themselves feel superior than others. Auntie feels that having boys is more useful than having girls just as a any student feels their own grades are better than someone elses. in both cases these people are making the other side feel bad just for the sake of putting that person down for their own amusement.

Shabanu's internal conflict As the certain events have been taking place such as Shabanu losing guluband, grandfather dying, phulans wedding day nearing and the familys departure from their home, they all have impacted Shabanu in some way. As each event has passed, shes moving away from her childhood one step at a time. shes lost her prized animal who she played with and cared so deeply for. Her grandfather that tolerated her childish act and supported her is now gone from her life. her childhood home is now something she has had to leave behind. Even though shabnu is reluctant to give up her childhood so easily, its found some way to take it away from her one way or another. She doesn't want to deal with the harsh reality of a women living in her society. She wants to make something more of her self. in the future maybe she will decide for her self what she wants to do in her adult life rather than having to struggle with losing her self as she grows up.

[quynh-le-blog1]

Bridge Builder: Sana

1. Event from book:

"If God has blessed you with sons, we wouldn't have to break our fingers over a wedding dress"

- Text to world - In some places of the world, people want sons instead of a daughter because they think a son is easier to raise as well as him supporting their own family in the near future.

2. Event from book: 

"You and Phulan are better than seven sons" -Text to self - My mom and dad used to tell me when I was younger that I am better than a son because I am hard-working and can accomplish activities that a son can do. 

3. Event from book: 

'As Muslim girls, we are brought up knowing our childhood homes are temporary" -Text to world - In the Muslim religion, the bride should stay at her in-laws place as a traditional practice.  

QUESTIONS

What has happened previously in the book?

Shabanu lives with her mom, older sister, father, grand father, aunt, and young cousins. They live in a hut in the middle of a desert near Pakistan and India. Shabanu's sister Phulan, is getting married to her cousin Hamir, the family financially struggles to prepare for the wedding. Guluband, Shabanu's beloved camel might be sold for money to help with the wedding expenses.

My prediction of what will happen in the book...

I think that since Phulan is going to marry her cousin, Shabanu's family would consider getting Shabanu married to her other cousin

[hazel-pie]

Because we read to find out who we are:

“Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get a heartache when we read those lines written by the hand of a master and recognize them as our own, as the tender shoots which we stifled because we lacked the faith to believe in our own powers, our own criterion of truth and beauty. Every man, when he gets quiet, when he becomes desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source. There is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we have only to open up, only to discover what is already there.” —Henry Miller

What lines in the book that you are reading right now do you "recognize as your own"--The lines you wish you wrote--the lines you could have written, had you paid attention to your finest impulses? 

[thoughtsofmore]

Nothing but meat tames the lion beast.