What is the prose story Shabine by Hazel Simmons McDonald about?

Answer 1

Summary of Shabine

The story opens with Justine the main female character is telling the narrator to come looked at me you want to see me good. I am going to stand and the light so you can see me better. As Justine walked towards the narrator he describes how she looks he also says how he felt when he saw her. Then he continues to describe her physically and emotionally by a flashback he begins to tell us about some boys who would stand at the other side of the street and taunt her by singing a chant that they made up about her life. He tells us about Justine's two sons, gold and silver. The narrator gives a description of the both boys and also tells us how they would fight for they mother even though they were quite young, their mother would hug them fiercely on seeing this showing her motherly qualities. After this is a short history about Justine which begins where she grew up and lived, at No. 30 Riverside Road.

Her mother was Madame Cazaubon's maid and they both lived in the servants' quarters which were two rooms in the yard. At seventeen Justine's mother died everyone said that it was because of too much rum and grief. The grief was caused by Misié Cazaubon because he was Justine father but he never acknowledges the fact nor sent her to Convent school. Instead he allowed Madame Cazaubon to treat Justine as her maid also but Justine mother never allowed this she used to get very angry and tell Madame Cazaubon that "don talk to her like dat. She not your maid, yu hear?" And Madame Cazaubon would answer her by telling her that "well! And who do you think you're talking to? This is my house, don't you forget that. And you'll never replace me here, slut!" then she would walk off and mutter to herself while she waited for Misié Cazaubon to come home. When Misié Cazaubon reached home she would criticise him of brining shame, trials and tribulation into their home making her the subject of gossip and ridicule among the neighbours on Riverside Road. To get away from her whines he would gobble his food and go in his room. This brings us to the end of Justine's history and this also tells us about her mixed parentage.

The narrator now tells us about himself and how he learnt about the Shabine, whom always fascinated him. He also shares how he would walk along the river wall to the Cazaubon's back yard and leave a paradise plum on the gate post. This tells us how he was in love with Justine and what he would do to see her happy even though his grandmother whom lived next door to the Cazaubon's house warned him about enticing the Shabine. After this the narrator brings us back to the present where he is standing with Justine under the lamp .She asks him if he sees her and if he wants to come and kiss her too? Which he response to by staying silent then Justine walks back to her room. Leaving him thinking about what it could have been like between Justine and him if things were different maybe there might have been a lot of copper.

Answer 2

shabine is about a famiy of four who has been through some very rough and hard times,justine which is a main character who has two sons gold and silve rwhom where bullied by children in their village about their mother being an "jamette"

Answer 3

"Shabine", is basically about the main character is named Justine and she has two sons named Silver and Gold. She had a hard life growing up and so did her sons. Teased by the children in their neighbourhood and they called their mother a 'jamette'. The narrator, the person the writer of the story put to tell the story, had an intense crush on Justine that he would express his feelings by leaving paradise plums for her. The expression in the book," Shabine makes hungry where most she satisfies." This means the boy wants her but cant get her but Justine is giving herself to everyone else.Because of this fascination he has of being with Justine, it will always just be a fantasy and he always would wonder what their life would be like if they were together.

Answer 4

2004