Memories of Childhood Zitkala-Sa and Bama 10

 

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Memories of Childhood Zitkala-Sa and Bama

 Before you read This unit presents autobiographical episodes from the lives of two women from marginalised communities who look back on their childhood, and reflect on their relationship with the mainstream culture. The first account is by an American Indian woman born in the late nineteenth century; the second is by a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer. Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, born in 1876, was an extraordinarily talented and educated Native American woman who struggled and triumphed in a time when severe prejudice prevailed towards Native American culture and women. As a writer, she adopted the pen name ‘Zitkala-Sa’ and in 1900 began publishing articles criticising the Carlisle Indian school. Her works criticised dogma, and her life as a Native American woman was dedicated against the evils of oppression. Bama is the pen-name of a Tamil Dalit woman from a Roman Catholic family. She has published three main works: an autobiography, ‘Karukku’, 1992; a novel, ‘Sangati’, 1994; and a collection of short stories, ‘Kisumbukkaaran’, 1996. The following excerpt has been taken from ‘Karukku’. ‘Karukku’ means ‘Palmyra’ leaves, which with their serrated edges on both sides, are like double-edged swords. By a felicitous pun, the Tamil word ‘Karukku’, containing the word ‘karu’, embryo or seed, also means freshness, newness. Reprint 2025-26 I. The Cutting of My Long Hair The first day in the land of apples was a bitter-cold one; for the snow still covered the ground, and the trees were bare. A large bell rang for breakfast, its loud metallic voice crashing through the belfry overhead and into our sensitive ears. The annoying clatter of shoes on bare floors gave us no peace. The constant clash of harsh noises, with an undercurrent of many voices murmuring an unknown tongue, made a bedlam within which I was securely tied. And though my spirit tore itself in struggling for its lost freedom, all was useless. A paleface woman, with white hair, came up after us. We were placed in a line of girls who were marching into the dining room. These were Indian girls, in stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair. As I walked noiselessly in my soft moccasins, I felt like sinking to the floor, for my blanket had been stripped from my shoulders. I looked hard at the Indian girls, who seemed not to care that they were even more immodestly dressed than I, in their tightly fitting clothes. While we marched in, the boys entered at an opposite door. I watched for the three young braves who came in our party. I spied them in the rear ranks, looking as uncomfortable as I felt. A small bell was tapped, and each of the pupils drew a chair from under the table. Supposing this act meant they were to be seated, I pulled out mine and at once slipped into it from one side. But when I turned my head, I saw that I was the only one seated, and all the rest at our table remained standing. Just as I began to rise, looking shyly around to see how chairs were to be used, a second bell was sounded. All were seated at last, and I had to crawl back into my chair again. I heard a man’s voice at one end of the hall, and I looked around to see him. But all the others hung their heads over their plates. As I glanced at the long chain of tables, I caught the eyes of a paleface woman upon me. Immediately I dropped my eyes, wondering why I was so keenly watched by the strange woman. The man ceased his mutterings, and then a third bell was tapped. Every one picked up his knife and fork and began eating. I began crying instead, for by this time I was afraid to venture anything more. ..........Zitkala-Sa Memories of Childhood 63 Reprint 2025-26 64 Vistas But this eating by formula was not the hardest trial in that first day. Late in the morning, my friend Judewin gave me a terrible warning. Judewin knew a few words of English; and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting our long, heavy hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards! We discussed our fate some moments, and when Judewin said, “We have to submit, because they are strong,” I rebelled. “No, I will not submit! I will struggle first!” I answered. I watched my chance, and when no one noticed, I disappeared. I crept up the stairs as quietly as I could in my squeaking shoes, — my moccasins had been exchanged for shoes. Along the hall I passed, without knowing whither I was going. Turning aside to an open door, I found a large room with three white beds in it. The windows were covered with dark green curtains, which made the room very dim. Thankful that no one was there, I directed my steps toward the corner farthest from the door. On my hands and knees I crawled under the bed, and huddled myself in the dark corner. From my hiding place I peered out, shuddering with fear whenever I heard footsteps near by. Though in the hall loud voices were calling my name, and I knew that even Judewin was searching for me, I did not open my mouth to answer. Then the steps were quickened and the voices became excited. The sounds came nearer and nearer. Women and girls entered the room. I held my breath and watched them open closet doors and peep behind large trunks. Some one threw up the Reprint 2025-26 Memories of Childhood 65 curtains, and the room was filled with sudden light. What caused them to stoop and look under the bed I do not know. I remember being dragged out, though I resisted by kicking and scratching wildly. Inspite of myself, I was carried downstairs and tied fast in a chair. I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities. People had stared at me. I had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet. And now my long hair was shingled like a coward’s! In my anguish I moaned for my mother, but no one came to comfort me. Not a soul reasoned quietly with me, as my own mother used to do; for now I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder. II. We Too are Human Beings When I was studying in the third class, I hadn’t yet heard people speak openly of untouchability. But I had already seen, felt, experienced and been humiliated by what it is. I was walking home from school one day, an old bag hanging from my shoulder. It was actually possible to walk the distance in ten minutes. But usually it would take me thirty minutes at the very least to reach home. It would take me from half an hour to an hour to dawdle along, watching all the fun and games that were going on, all the entertaining novelties and oddities is the streets, the shops and the bazaar. The performing monkey; the snake which the snakecharmer kept in its box and displayed from time to time; the cyclist who had not got off his bike for three days, and who kept pedalling as hard as he could from break of day; the rupee notes that were pinned on to his shirt to spur him on; the spinning wheels; the Maariyaata temple, the huge bell hanging there; the pongal offerings being cooked in front of the temple; the dried fish stall by the statue of Gandhi; the sweet stall, the stall selling fried snacks, and all the other shops next to each other; the street light always demonstrating how it could change from blue to violet; the narikkuravan huntergypsy with his wild lemur in cages, selling needles, clay beads and instruments ..........Bama Reprint 2025-26 66 Vistas for cleaning out the ears — Oh, I could go on and on. Each thing would pull me to a stand-still and not allow me to go any further. At times, people from various political parties would arrive, put up a stage and harangue us through their mikes. Then there might be a street play, or a puppet show, or a “no magic, no miracle” stunt performance. All these would happen from time to time. But almost certainly there would be some entertainment or other going on. Even otherwise, there were the coffee clubs in the bazaar: the way each waiter cooled the coffee, lifting a tumbler high up and pouring its contents into a tumbler held in his other hand. Or the way some people sat in front of the shops chopping up onion, their eyes turned elsewhere so that they would not smart. Or the almond tree growing there and its fruit which was occasionally blown down by the wind. All these sights taken together would tether my legs and stop me from going home. And then, according to the season, there would be mango, cucumber, sugar-cane, sweet-potato, palm-shoots, gram, palmsyrup and palm-fruit, guavas and jack-fruit. Every day I would see people selling sweet and savoury fried snacks, payasam, halva, boiled tamarind seeds and iced lollies. Gazing at all this, one day, I came to my street, my bag slung over my shoulder. At the opposite corner, though, a threshing floor had been set up, and the landlord watched the proceedings, seated on a piece of sacking spread over a stone ledge. Our people were hard at work, driving cattle in pairs, round and round, to tread out the grain from the straw. The animals were muzzled so that they wouldn’t help themselves to the straw. I stood for a while there, watching the fun. Just then, an elder of our street came along from the direction of the bazaar. The manner in which he was walking along made me want to double up. I wanted to shriek with laughter at the sight of such a big man carrying a small packet in that fashion. I guessed there was something like vadai or green banana bhajji in the packet, because the wrapping paper was stained with oil. He came along, holding out the packet by its string, without touching it. I stood there thinking to myself, if he holds it like that, won’t the package come undone, and the vadais fall out? Reprint 2025-26 Memories of Childhood 67 The elder went straight up to the landlord, bowed low and extended the packet towards him, cupping the hand that held the string with his other hand. The landlord opened the parcel and began to eat the vadais. After I had watched all this, at last I went home. My elder brother was there. I told him the story in all its comic detail. I fell about with laughter at the memory of a big man, and an elder at that, making such a game out of carrying the parcel. But Annan was not amused. Annan told me the man wasn’t being funny when he carried the package like that. He said everybody believed that they were upper caste and therefore must not touch us. If they did, they would be polluted. That’s why he had to carry the package by its string. When I heard this, I didn’t want to laugh any more, and I felt terribly sad. How could they believe that it was disgusting if one of us held that package in his hands, even though the vadai had been wrapped first in a banana leaf, and then parcelled in paper? I felt so provoked and angry that I wanted to touch those wretched vadais myself straightaway. Why should we have to fetch and carry for these people, I wondered. Such an important elder of ours goes meekly to the shops to fetch snacks and hands them over reverently, bowing and shrinking, to this fellow who just sits there and stuffs them into his mouth. The thought of it infuriated me. How was it that these fellows thought so much of themselves? Because they had scraped four coins together, did that mean they must lose all human feelings? But we too are human beings. Our people should never run these petty errands for these fellows. We should work in their fields, take home our wages, and leave it at that. Reprint 2025-26 68 Vistas My elder brother, who was studying at a university, had come home for the holidays. He would often go to the library in our neighbouring village in order to borrow books. He was on his way home one day, walking along the banks of the irrigation tank. One of the landlord’s men came up behind him. He thought my Annan looked unfamiliar, and so he asked, “Who are you, appa, what’s your name?” Annan told him his name. Immediately the other man asked, “Thambi, on which street do you live?” The point of this was that if he knew on which street we lived, he would know our caste too. Annan told me all these things. And he added, “Because we are born into this community, we are never given any honour or dignity or respect; we are stripped of all that. But if we study and make progress, we can throw away these indignities. So study with care, learn all you can. If you are always ahead in your lessons, people will come to you of their own accord and attach themselves to you. Work hard and learn.” The words that Annan spoke to me that day made a very deep impression on me. And I studied hard, with all my breath and being, in a frenzy almost. As Annan had urged, I stood first in my class. And because of that, many people became my friends. Reading with Insight 1. The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them? 2. It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion are sowed early in life. Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children? 3. Bama’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does Zitkala-Sa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?

 “Memories of Childhood”,:

 

 Part I: The Cutting of My Long Hair

 by Zitkala-Sa

(A Native American girl's painful experience at a white-run school)

 Paragraph 1:

The narrator describes her first day at a white boarding school. It was a very cold day, and snow covered the ground. The unfamiliar environment and loud noise from a bell frightened her. She felt uncomfortable and far from her home.

 Explanation: The girl is in a new place that feels scary and cold. The customs are strange, and the bell scares her. She feels lost and worried.

 

 Paragraph 2:

At breakfast, she had to follow strange customs. She was confused when others sat quietly, waited for a signal, and then started eating. She tried to copy others but felt out of place.

 Explanation: The school had a different culture. She didn't understand the rules, which made her feel ashamed and embarrassed.

 

 Paragraph 3:

The narrator felt deep pain and humiliation. The worst part came when she overheard someone saying that her long hair would be cut, which was against her culture. In her tribe, short hair meant shame or death.

 Explanation: In her culture, long hair was a symbol of pride. Cutting it would be like losing her identity. She was terrified.

 

 Paragraph 4:

She decided to resist. She hid under a bed to avoid getting her hair cut. She lay there quietly, hoping no one would find her.

 Explanation: The girl tried to protect her pride and culture. She was brave and resisted the injustice in her own way.

 

 Paragraph 5:

Eventually, she was discovered and pulled out from under the bed. She was held down in a chair and her long hair was cut off despite her struggles.

 Explanation: This paragraph shows how the school used force and didn’t care about her feelings or culture. Her freedom was taken away.

 

 Paragraph 6 (Final):

After her hair was cut, she felt broken and humiliated. Her spirit was crushed. She felt like a helpless animal, treated without respect.

🔹 Explanation: She lost her dignity and confidence. She felt like she was not treated as a human, but like an object.

 

 Part II: We Too Are Human Beings by Bama

(A Dalit girl’s experience of caste discrimination in India)

 Paragraph 1:

Bama, a young girl from a Dalit community, recalls how she enjoyed walking home from school. She loved watching street performances, games, and shopkeepers. She would take a long time to reach home because of her curiosity.

🔹 Explanation: Bama was cheerful and enjoyed the little things in life. Her walk home was full of fun and learning.

 

 Paragraph 2:

She describes all the fun scenes she saw—monkey shows, snake charmers, selling of sweets, etc. She would watch these things with excitement.

 Explanation: This shows the innocence and joy of her childhood. But this joy is later disturbed by a shocking incident.

 

 Paragraph 3:

One day, she saw a strange scene. An elder from her community was carrying a food packet by its string and gave it to a landlord. He didn’t touch the food. The landlord also received it carefully, without touching the man.

 Explanation: This incident made her confused. She found it funny at first but later learned it was because of caste discrimination.

 

 Paragraph 4:

When Bama told her brother about the incident, he became serious and explained that the upper castes treated their community as “untouchables.” That’s why the elder couldn’t touch the food directly.

 Explanation: This was a moment of realization for Bama. She understood that her community was being treated unfairly just because of caste.

 

 Paragraph 5:

Her brother advised her to study hard. He said education would help them gain respect and break the chains of caste discrimination.

Explanation: Bama decided to follow his advice. She was motivated to fight inequality by becoming educated and strong.

 

 Paragraph 6 (Final):

From that day on, Bama worked hard in her studies. She topped her class and proved that her talent was equal to anyone’s, despite her caste.

 Explanation: The story ends with a message of hope. Through education, Bama empowered herself and challenged social injustice.

 

Final Message of Both Stories

Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama show how children experience injustice deeply, even if they don’t fully understand it at first. Both stories end on a note of strength and self-respect, showing how education and resistance can help one rise above discrimination.

 

 

 Part I: The Cutting of My Long Hair by Zitkala-Sa

 Word Meanings (with context)

Word	Meaning
Bitter-cold	Extremely cold
Belfry	Bell tower
Bedlam	A scene of noise and confusion
Moccasins	Soft leather shoes worn by Native Americans
Shingled	Cut short (hair), cropped
Submit	To accept control unwillingly
Creeping	Moving slowly and quietly to avoid being noticed
Huddled	Gathered closely in a compact position
Shuddering	Trembling due to fear or cold
Mourners	People who are grieving a death
Indignities	Humiliating or degrading treatment
Puppet	A figure controlled by someone else
Herder	A person who takes care of animals; here, used metaphorically for people controlling others

 

Detailed Explanation

Zitkala-Sa, a Native American girl, recalls her painful first day at a boarding school run by white people. She was taken away from her mother and forced to live among strangers in a foreign culture. The loud noises, strange language, and unfamiliar customs made her feel scared and out of place.

The worst part of her experience was when she was told her long hair would be cut. In her culture, long hair was a symbol of pride, and cutting it was a sign of mourning or defeat. Despite her attempt to hide under a bed, she was forcibly dragged out, tied to a chair, and had her hair cut off.

This incident made her feel like she had lost her identity and freedom. She felt treated like an animal, not a human being. Her spirit was broken, and she realized she was just one among many children being forced to follow unfamiliar rules.

 

 Part II: We Too Are Human Beings by Bama

 Word Meanings (with context)

Word	Meaning
Dawdle	To move slowly or waste time
Novelty	New or interesting thing
Harangue	A long, aggressive speech
Tether	Tie something (here, to stop movement)
Threshing floor	Place where grain is separated from husk
Muzzled	Covered mouth to prevent eating or biting
Shriek	A loud cry of fear, joy, or pain
Reverently	With deep respect
Polluted	(Here) ritually made impure according to caste beliefs
Infuriated	Made very angry
Dignity	The state of being respected or valued
Meekly	Submissively or humbly
Urged	Strongly advised

 

 Detailed Explanation

Bama, a young Dalit girl, shares her experience of caste discrimination in a Tamil village. Though she hadn't heard the word "untouchability" in school, she witnessed it regularly. On her way home, she loved watching the fun activities in the streets.

One day, she saw an elder from her community carrying a food packet by its string. He handed it over to an upper-caste landlord without touching the contents. When she told her brother about it, he explained that the upper castes considered them "polluted" and would not allow them to touch anything given to them.

This realization shocked and saddened her. She felt humiliated and angry that her people were treated as inferior. Her brother advised her to study hard and gain respect through education. His words motivated her, and she became determined to succeed academically and fight discrimination.

 

 Common Themes in Both Narratives

• Discrimination: Zitkala-Sa faced racial discrimination; Bama faced caste-based discrimination.
• Loss of Identity & Dignity: Both were treated as inferior and stripped of self-respect.
• Resistance: Both rejected their mistreatment and developed the desire to fight back.
• Power of Education: Bama’s brother saw education as the way to gain equality.

 

 Question and Answers

1. What is the common theme found in both stories?

Answer:
Both stories highlight the pain and humiliation caused by social discrimination. Zitkala-Sa faced racial prejudice in America, while Bama experienced caste-based untouchability in India. Despite cultural differences, both girls felt insulted, resisted injustice, and wanted to reclaim their dignity.

 

2. Do children notice injustice even when they can’t name it?

Answer:
Yes. Children may not fully understand or describe injustice, but they feel it deeply. Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama noticed the wrongs done to them—Zitkala when her hair was cut, and Bama when her people were treated as untouchables. Their emotional reactions show that injustice can’t be hidden from even the youngest minds.

 

3. What kind of discrimination does Zitkala-Sa experience?

Answer:
Zitkala-Sa faces racial and cultural discrimination. Her identity as a Native American is attacked when she is forced to follow alien customs—like eating rituals and cutting her hair. She feels her traditions and dignity are being violated.

 

4. How do Zitkala-Sa and Bama respond to discrimination?

Answer:
Zitkala-Sa resists by hiding and trying to protect her hair, showing her spirit of rebellion. Bama becomes aware of caste discrimination and, motivated by her brother, studies hard to fight for respect and equality. Both turn their suffering into strength.

 

 Summary

“Memories of Childhood” reflects the pain of two girls from marginalized communities.

• Zitkala-Sa’s story focuses on her fight against racial oppression and forced cultural assimilation.
• Bama’s story addresses caste-based discrimination and her resolve to overcome it through education.

Both stories inspire readers to recognize injustice, respect dignity, and use education as a tool for empowerment.