Travis VandeNoord English 3223 708175 Assignment 16, January 2, 20131. Examine the behavior of the camels in this novel and discuss how they reproduce interactions between men and women in Shabanu culture. The camels in the novel become as much a part of the story as any character. They are such a prevalent part of Shabanu's story that it is impossible to separate them from the people he interacts with. It quickly becomes obvious that these camels take on many of the attributes of the culture and people around them, making them more human than animal characters. There are simple reasons why camels like Guluband are seen as more humane as he dances and sings alongside them. Shabanu as they cross the desert. Since Guluband has human characteristics, he is seen as a person rather than a camel. When Dadi sells Guluband, the pain Shabanu feels is profound due to the feeling of losing a family member as the camel is so close to her. However, the real similarity comes from Tipu and his interaction with Dadi. After the fight with Kalu, Tipu is enraged by Dadi's interference in the fight. Shabanu tells of the stubbornness and ruthlessness of camels and how Tipu may one day seek revenge. This is very similar to men of culture. Often, when men of Shabanu's culture are opposed, they are ruthless in the vengeance they seek to feel that their honor has been restored. Men rarely let their anger affect them and this can also be seen in Shabanu's family. Dadi also has a strong sense of stubbornness and has a harsh hand when disobeying. The same can be said about female camels and women of this culture as both are expected to give birth to children and care for them while males are used for... ...middle of paper ......r as far as he does his job well, not because he always loves his job. The value he places on his work is also the value he places on himself as a person. The mother is the same with the quality of the clothes she makes for the girls. There is a quiet pride in how much effort goes into creating the clothes and how beautiful they are. That kind of pride once existed in America. As technology has changed and impacted the market, pride has diminished, but people have less personal investment in what they do. A job is a job in America. There is little reward in doing a job well except the reward of doing it, and for most Americans that is not enough to satisfy them. The Shabanu culture still clings to the hope that they will be known as a hard working people and are known for it. It's that aspect of his culture that I respect.