Independent Novel Reading Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples “Women Work” by Maya Angelou Rene Smith

“Women Work” by Maya Angelou I've got the children to tend The clothes to mend The floor to mop The food to shop Then the chicken to fry The baby to dry I got company to feed The garden to weed I've got shirts to press The tots to dress The can to be cut I gotta clean up this hut Then see about the sick And the cotton to pick. Shine on me, sunshine Rain on me, rain Fall softly, dewdrops And cool my brow again. Storm, blow me from here With your fiercest wind Let me float across the sky 'Til I can rest again. Fall gently, snowflakes Cover me with white Cold icy kisses and Let me rest tonight. Sun, rain, curving sky Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone Star shine, moon glow You're all that I can call my own (Angelou 832).

Inquiry Question How are the roles of women both similar and different in the American and Pakistani cultures?

Similarities The man is commonly the head of the household “I am angry to think of Dadi or anyone else telling me what to do” (Staples 28). Line 30 (Angelou 30).

Similarities Women take care of most of the housework “I don’t know how Mama found the time, with gathering wood and helping Dadi and making Phulan’s clothes and mending the mud walls and cooking and repairing the quilts” (Staples 21). Lines 1-14 (Angelou 1-14).

Similarities Women are in charge of raising the children Line 6 and 10 (Angelou 6, 10). “In less than a year you’ll be betrothed. You aren’t a child anymore” (Staples 28).

Similarities Women dream of being free and able to own and do what they want Line 18-22 (Angelou 18-22). “I can’t abide anything that keeps me from the animals, from running free and climbing thorn trees” (Staples 29).

Differences In Pakistani cultures, women MUST follow their husbands’/fathers’ will. “‘You know little one,’ he says, ‘these men will kill the woman when they find her.’ I don’t answer. He is reminding me that I must abide by the rules” (Staples 44).

Differences Pakistani girls are told by their parents whom they will marry. “‘In less than a year you’ll be betrothed. You aren’t a child anymore. You must learn to obey, even when you disagree.’ I am angry to think of Dadi or anyone else telling me that to do” (Staples 28). “I am shocked that he also has paid a bride price. Dadi takes a step towards me, a threat in his eye and wearily, as if my body is making a great effort to overcome the laws of nature, I get down from Xhush Dil and stand before my father” (Staples 196- 197).

Differences In the Pakistani culture, women are thought of as material things that can be bought, and as inferior to men. “‘How can I accept a gift from him?’ I ask quietly. ‘Is he buying me?’ ‘Shabanu,’ says Dadi, his voice stern, his eyes commanding me to come to him. ‘He already has bought you. He has paid more than a fair price for a troublesome girl like you. You may as well get used to the idea’” (Staples 196).

Differences Pakistani women must cover their heads “For the first time in my life, I pull chadr over my face and lower my head beneath the gaze of these men” (Staples 44). (Sufia).

Conclusion Women around the world A person is a person Similar, yet different American women are very fortunate A person is a person Culture impacts the way of life Women all around the world are more similar than people think. They dream of being their own person and living a free life. However, even though women dream of these things, American women are much more fortunate than most. They do not have arranged marriages, they are (for the most part) considered equal to men. And they can go out in public without a sheet over their heads. A person is a person no matter where they live, but cultures significantly impact the way a woman is allowed to live her life.

Works Cited Angelou, Maya. “Women Work.” Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, Ninth Edition. Eds. Aron Keesbury and Helen Triller-Yambert. Boston, MA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006. 832. Print. Staples, Suzanne. Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind. New York: Laurel-Leaf Books, 1989. Print. Sufia. Pakistani Girls. Photograph. Muslim Blog. Awidea, 21 June 2011. Web. 18 January 201.