Chapter 8 Memories of Childhood 12
Summary
On Zitkala-Sa’s first day at the new school (which she calls the land of apples), it was very cold and the ground was still covered with snow. The trees had no leaves, which made the place look dull and lifeless.
A big bell rang loudly to call everyone for breakfast. The sound was harsh and disturbing, and it echoed through the building. The loud noise of shoes on the bare floors was also very irritating, and it gave her no peace.
There were too many strange sounds – loud noises and people speaking in a language she didn’t understand. It felt like complete chaos (a bedlam = noisy confusion) and made her feel trapped.
Even though her spirit wanted to fight back and be free, it was useless. She had no control over the situation.
Difficult Words with Meanings (in Simple Language):
| Word/Phrase | Meaning (Simple) |
|---|---|
| Bitter-cold | Extremely cold |
| Belfry | A tower where a bell is hung |
| Metallic voice crashing | Loud and harsh bell sound |
| Clatter of shoes | Loud noise made by many shoes on hard floors |
| Murmuring an unknown tongue | People speaking a language she didn’t understand |
| Bedlam | A place full of noise and confusion |
| Spirit tore itself | She emotionally wanted to fight and be free |
| All was useless | Her resistance didn’t change anything |
A white woman with white hair led Zitkala-Sa and the other girls to the dining room. They were made to walk in a line. Zitkala noticed that the other Indian girls were wearing tight dresses and hard shoes. The younger ones had short (shingled) hair and aprons.
She felt embarrassed and uncomfortable, especially because her blanket (which made her feel modest) had been taken away. Her soft moccasins (traditional shoes) made her feel even more different compared to the others in stiff clothes.
As they entered the room, the boys came in from another door, and she saw that even the boys looked just as uncomfortable.
Then a small bell rang. Everyone pulled out their chairs but remained standing. Zitkala, not knowing the rule, sat down immediately. When she realized no one else was sitting, she tried to get up again — just as the second bell rang and everyone finally sat down. She had to awkwardly crawl back into her chair.
A man started speaking softly (probably a prayer), but everyone kept their heads down. Zitkala looked around, and when she noticed a white woman staring at her, she quickly looked down, feeling nervous and watched.
When the third bell rang, everyone picked up their forks and knives to eat, but Zitkala-Sa began to cry quietly. By then, she was too scared to do anything, afraid of making another mistake.
Difficult Words with Meanings (Simple):
| Word/Phrase | Meaning (in simple words) |
|---|---|
| Paleface | A white person (term used by Native Americans) |
| Shingled hair | Short, cropped hair |
| Moccasins | Soft leather shoes worn by Native Americans |
| Immodestly dressed | Not covered properly or dressed in a way she found improper |
| Braves | Young Native American men (often used for warriors) |
| Supposing | Thinking or assuming something |
| Mutterings | Speaking in a low, unclear voice |
| Venture | To try something (especially when it's risky) |
Zitkala-Sa says that following the eating rules (“eating by formula”) wasn’t the worst part of her first day. Later that morning, her friend Judewin gave her some terrible news: the white women (palefaces) were planning to cut their long hair.
In Zitkala-Sa’s Native American culture, long hair was a symbol of pride, and only captured warriors or cowards had their hair cut short. To them, short or shingled hair meant shame or mourning.
Judewin believed they couldn’t do anything about it and had to submit. But Zitkala-Sa refused to give up easily and said she would struggle first.
She waited for the right moment, and when no one was watching, she ran away quietly. She went upstairs, even though she didn’t know where she was going. She found an empty room with white beds and dark curtains, and she hid under a bed, curled up in a dark corner.
From there, she could hear people calling her name, including Judewin, but she stayed silent. Eventually, several women and girls entered the room, searching everywhere. Someone pulled open the curtains and light filled the room. Then someone looked under the bed, found her, and dragged her out, even though she fought back by kicking and scratching.
She was tied to a chair, and even though she cried and shook her head, they cut off her thick braid with scissors. That moment broke her spirit.
She felt that ever since she was taken from her mother, she had suffered so much — stared at, treated like a puppet, and now had her hair cut like a coward. She cried for her mother, but no one came to help her. She realized she was treated like one of many animals being controlled by a herder.
Difficult Words with Simple Meanings:
| Word/Phrase | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Trial | A hard or painful experience |
| Submit | To give in or accept something unwillingly |
| Shingled hair | Very short, chopped hair |
| Warriors | Brave fighters (soldiers or heroes in her tribe) |
| Whither | (Old word) Means “where” |
| Dim | Not bright or dark |
| Huddled | Curled up tightly, trying to stay hidden or warm |
| Shuddering | Shaking from fear or cold |
| Tossed about like a puppet | Treated roughly without care, like a toy |
| Indignities | Acts that make someone feel ashamed or insulted |
| Anguish | Deep pain or sadness |
| Herder | A person who controls or leads animals |
Word Meanings from Zitkala-Sa's Story
| Word | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shawl | A cloth worn over the shoulders |
| Moccasins | Soft shoes made of leather (worn by Native Americans) |
| Bell | A ringing sound used for instructions |
| Formula | A fixed rule or routine |
| Pale-faced woman | A woman with very light/white skin |
| Clinging dress | A dress that sticks to the body |
| Creeping | Moving slowly and quietly |
| Gnawed | Bit off or cut off |
| Braid | Hair woven into a plait |
| Shingled hair | Hair cut very short |
| Prisoners of war | People caught during a war |
| Resisted | Fought back or did not agree |
| Dragged | Pulled forcefully |
| Tied fast | Tied tightly |
| Felt like an animal | Felt helpless and badly treated |
Word Meanings from Bama's Story
| Word | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Elder | An older person |
| Vadai / Bhaji | Indian fried snacks |
| String | Thin rope or thread |
| Packet | A small wrapped parcel |
| Humiliation | Feeling of being insulted |
| Polluted | Made dirty (in the caste sense, considered "impure") |
| Untouchable | A term used for lower castes in old Indian society |
| Provoked | Made very angry or upset |
| Discrimination | Treating people unfairly because of who they are |
| Caste | A social group people are born into |
| Bazaar | A market |
| Fascinated | Very interested |
| Snake charmer | A person who entertains with snakes |
| Stall | A small shop or stand |
| Pedalling cyclist | A man riding a bicycle (often to show tricks) |
| Puppet show | Dolls used to act out stories |
| Advice | Helpful suggestion |
| Study hard | Learn seriously and with focus |
| Earn respect | Gain people’s honour or praise |
Q1. The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?
Answer Even though Zitkala-Sa and Bama come from different countries and cultures, both faced discrimination and unfair treatment in their childhood.
Zitkala-Sa, a Native American girl, was forced to give up her culture. Her hair was cut against her will, which made her feel insulted and powerless.
Bama, a young Dalit girl from India, saw how people from her community were treated badly just because of their caste. She was shocked to see how upper-caste people humiliated the lower castes.
Both girls were hurt by the injustice, but they didn’t give up. Zitkala-Sa resisted the cutting of her hair, and Bama decided to study hard to fight caste discrimination.
The common theme in both stories is the oppression of the weak and how they stood up against injustice, even as children.
Question 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?
Answer Yes, I agree that children notice injustice very early in life and it affects them deeply.
Zitkala-Sa, when she went to the white-run school, quickly understood that they wanted to change her completely. They took away her traditional clothes and moccasins, and forced her to wear hard shoes. The strict rules made her feel trapped and sad. The worst part for her was when her long hair was cut without her permission because, in her culture, short hair meant mourning and shingled hair meant cowardice. This hurt her a lot.
Similarly, Bama was in just third grade when she learned from her brother that the reason her community was treated badly was because they were born untouchables. She saw people from her community being humiliated by the landlord, which upset her deeply.
Both these girls saw and felt injustice at a young age, which planted the seed of rebellion in them.
Question 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?
Answer Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama belonged to groups that were treated unfairly and faced discrimination when they were children.
Zitkala-Sa experienced racial discrimination. The school authorities wanted to cut the long hair of Native American girls, which was very important in her culture. She tried to hide under the bed and fought back by kicking and scratching when they tried to cut her hair. Even though she fought bravely, she was caught, tied to a chair, and her braid was cut.
Bama faced caste discrimination. When she was eight, she saw an elder from her community holding food in a way that seemed strange to her because upper-caste people thought the lower-caste people were ‘polluted’ and should be avoided. This made Bama feel very sad and angry. She was so upset that she wanted to touch the food herself to show her anger.
Both girls strongly reacted to the unfair treatment they faced and showed their anger and resistance in different ways.
Short Questions & Answers
1. Why did Zitkala-Sa begin to cry at the dining table when others started eating?
Answer: She was upset by the noise, missed her freedom, and felt uncomfortable because a white woman was watching her. Everything was strange and scary, so she started crying.
2. What does ‘eating by formula’ mean according to Zitkala-Sa?
Answer: It means following strict rules while eating. One bell to pull out the chair, the second to sit, and the third to start eating with knives and forks.
3. How did Zitkala-Sa’s first day in the land of apples begin?
Answer: It was very cold, and the school was strict and controlling. She didn’t like the rules and missed her home.
4. Why did Bama reach home late after school?
Answer: She was always distracted by fun things on the way—like street shows, shops, and games. That’s why she took longer to reach home.
5. Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on her first day at school?
Answer: She was sad because she missed her mother, hated the strict rules, and was forced to cut her long hair.
6. What comic incident did Bama tell her brother? Why didn’t he laugh?
Answer: She told him about a man carrying food by a string, which she found funny. But her brother didn’t laugh because the man was doing that out of fear of caste discrimination.
7. Which words of her brother made a deep impact on Bama?
Answer: Her brother said that education was the only way to earn respect. These words inspired her to study hard and succeed.
8. What is common between Zitkala-Sa and Bama?
Answer: Both were victims of discrimination in childhood—Zitkala-Sa faced racism and Bama faced casteism. They both felt hurt but later stood up against it.
9. Why did Zitkala-Sa resist getting her hair cut?
Answer: In her culture, cutting hair was a sign of mourning or cowardice. She didn’t want to lose her identity.
10. What kind of street shows attracted Bama?
Answer: She enjoyed watching snake charmers, performing monkeys, puppet shows, stuntmen, and street plays.
11. What shop items fascinated Bama on her way from school?
Answer: Bama liked looking at stalls selling fried snacks, sweets, dried fish, beads, ear cleaners, and seasonal fruits.
12. How could Bama rise above the humiliation?
Answer: By studying hard and doing well in school, she gained respect and made friends with upper-caste students.
13. How long did it take Bama to walk home from school?
Answer: It usually took 30 minutes to an hour because she would stop to enjoy all the interesting things on the street.
14. What did Zitkala-Sa feel when her long hair was cut?
Answer: She felt like a helpless animal and a puppet being tossed around. She was heartbroken and missed her mother.
15. What advice did Annan give to Bama? Did she follow it?
Answer: He told her to study hard and succeed. Bama followed his advice and became top of her class.
16. “I felt like sinking to the floor,” says Zitkala-Sa. When and why did she feel that way?
Answer: She felt like that when her shawl was removed in front of everyone, and she felt very embarrassed.
17. What did Judewin tell Zitkala-Sa? How did Zitkala-Sa respond?
Answer: Judewin told her the authorities would cut their hair. Judewin accepted it, but Zitkala-Sa decided to resist.
18. Why did the landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother about his street?
Answer: He asked to know his caste because people of different castes lived in different streets.
19. Why was Zitkala-Sa terrified of getting her hair cut?
Answer: In her culture, only mourners or cowards had short hair. Cutting it meant shame and loss of identity.
20. When did Bama first understand caste discrimination?
Answer: She understood it in class three when she saw a man carrying food by a string to avoid touching it.
21. How did Zitkala-Sa try to avoid her haircut?
Answer: She ran upstairs and hid under a bed. But she was found, dragged out, and forced to get her hair cut.
22. What incident made Bama feel very sad on her way home from school?
Answer: She saw an elder from her community carrying food with a string to avoid touching it. She later found out it was due to caste discrimination, which made her very sad.
Memories of Childhood Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Memories of Childhood Important Questions CBSE Class 12 English
Short Answer Type Questions (3 Marks, 30-40 words)
Questopn.1. Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples? (All India 2014)
Answer. Zitkala-Sa was in tears on the first day in the land of apples because she was forced to part with her heavy, long hair. To avoid it, she even hid herself under the bed but she was soon found out and tied fast to her chair. She cried in protest but it all went in vain and she felt the blades of the scissors against her neck and heard them gnaw off her thick braids.
Questopn.2. What comic incident did Bama narrate to her brother? Why was he not amused?
(Foreign 2014)
Answer. While walking back home from school, Bama saw an elder of her street walking towards the landlord, carrying a food packed by its strings without touching it. This made her shriek with laughter. When she narrated the incident to her brother, he was not amused and told her that people of their caste were considered untouchables and that is why the elder carried the packet by its string.
Questopn.3. Which words of her brother made a deep impression on Bama? (Delhi 2014)
Answer. Bama’s brother had told her that because they were born in a particular caste, they were stripped off all honour and dignity. For them, the only way to get their due respect was to make progress by studying hard. Bama took her brother’s words very seriously and excelled in academics to stan^first in her class.
Questopn.4. What is common between Zitkala-Sa and Bama? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama had experienced discrimination in their childhood. While Zitkala-Sa had been a victim of oppression at the hands of the whites in her boarding school, Bama felt and experienced untouchability early in life for being born a ‘dalit’,
Questopn.5. What sort of shows or entertainment attracted Bama? (All India 2013)
or
Which activities of the people would Bama watch keenly in the bazaar?
or
Which actions of the people would Bama watch keenly in the bazaar? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. The bazaar on the way home was always buzzing with activities. The snake charmer, street plays, puppet shows and stunt performances were a few interesting things going on there.
Bama used to love all these things.
Questopn.6. What were the articles in the stalls and shops that fascinated Bama on her way back
from school? (All India 2013)
Answer. On her way back from school, Bama witnessed a variety of interesting things which fascinated her. She saw the dried fish stall, the sweet stall and the stall selling fried snacks. Then there were wild lemurs, needles, clay beads and instruments for cleaning out the ears on sale. She loved to watch the waiters cool the coffee and the chopping up of onions.
Questopn.7. What did Zitkala-Sa feel when her long hair was cut? (Delhi 2011)
Answer. When her long hair was cut, Zitkala-Sa felt anguished and pained. She thought that she was a wooden puppet who had been tossed about in the air. She was really distressed by the fact that nobody came to comfort her like her mother did. She missed her mother very much and felt like an animal driven by a herder.
Questopn.8. What was the advice that Annan gave to Bama? Did she follow it? (All India 2011)
Answer. Annan told Bama that because they were born in a particular community, they were stripped of all honour, dignity or respect. The only way to get all this back was to study hard and make progress. Annan told Bama that education was the key to acceptance by the society so she must learn her lessons really well. Yes, Bama paid heed to his advice and stood first in her class.
Questopn.9. “I felt like sinking tcffhe floor,” says Zitkala-Sa. When did she feel so and why?
(All India 2011)
Answer. When Zitkala-Sa’s shawl was removed from her shoulders, she felt very embarrassed due to her c.linging dress. That was when she felt like sinking to the floor. She considered herself as one of the little animals driven by a herder.
Questopn.10.What did Judewin tell Zitkala-Sa? How did she react to it? (All India 2011)
Answer. The hostel authorities were going to cut the long hair of girls. Wearing short hair was against Zitkala-Sa’s culture. Judewin told her that they would have to submit, for they could not fight the strong authorities. However, Zitkala-Sa disagreed and decided to put up a fight and resist it.
Questopn.11.What does Zitkala-Sa remember about the first day in the land of apples? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. the first day in the Ian8 of apples was a ‘bitter-cold one’ firstly because the snow still covered the ground and the trees were bare. Secondly, die atmosphere of the school was not at all cordial. It was dictatorial and regimental. The author did not understand the language spoken there or the cuiture followed.
She detested the way in which even the day to day activities like eating and dressing up were done ‘by formula’. Even the teachers seemed to be ruthless.
Questopn.12.Why was Zitkala-Sa so averse to having her hair cut ? (Foreign 2011)
Answer. Zitkala-Sa did not wish to get her hair cut because her mother’s words were deeply embedded in her mind. Her mother had told her that only the hair of prisoners of war was shingled by captors. In their culture, short hair was worn by mourners and shingled hair by cowards.
Questopn.13.Why did the landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother on which street he lived? What was
the significance? (Delhi 2010)
Answer. One day, when Annan was returning home from the library, one of the landlord’s men approached him and asked him his name. Thereafter the man asked him in which street he lived. He specifically asked this question because it was aimed at finding out his caste. Annan narrated this incident to Bama to let her know the indignity and humiliation their community had to suffer.
Questopn.14.Why was Zitkala-Sa terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short?
(All India 2010)
Answer. Zitkala-Sa is an American Indian. In her culture, short hair is worn by mourners. As it is, she was disturbed and embarrassed by the rooms of the school. She got all the more terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short.
Questopn.15.Why did Bama take thirty minutes walking home from school when she could have
covered the distance in ten minutes? (All India 2009)
Answer. On her way back from school, Bama got attracted by the little trivialities on the street. The buzzing market, the snake charmers, the lemurs in cages etc., all caught her attention. Thus, it took Bama thirty minutes to return from school, when she could have covered this distance in ten minutes.
Questopn.16.When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of
her community? “(Delhi 2009)
Answer. Bama was a Tamil Indian belonging to the dalit community. She first came to know about the social discrimination faced by the people of her community when she was a student of class three. She saw, on her way back from school, an elderly man carrying a small packet containing some eatables by a string without touching it.
She found it very funny but was shocked to know from her brother that since that bag was for the landlord, it was not to be touched by the dalit who was carrying it. Thus it was carried in such a manner.
Questopn.17.How did Zitkala-Sa try to prevent the shingling of her hair? (Delhi 2009)
Answer. To escape from her hair being cut, Zitkala-Sa crept upstairs unnoticed. She entered a large room and crawled under the bed in the dark. However, she was ultimately found, was dragged out, carried downstairs and tied to a chair. Finally, despite her fierce resistance, her long braid were chopped off.
Questopn.18.Describe the experience Bama had on her way back home which made her feel sad.
(Foreign 2009)
Answer. One day, when Bama was on her way back home, she saw that an elder of ‘her street’ was carrying a small packet of vadai or green banana bhajji. He was holding the packet by its string without touching it. This was because he was an untouchable and his touch would have rendered it unfit for the consumption of the upper caste landlord.
This experience made her feel sad because the incident portrayed that from the beginning, our society has been divided on rigid caste lines. The lower castes have suffered untold miseries and humiliations by the upper caste people.
Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks, 120-150 words)
Questopn.19.What activities did Bama witness on her way back from school? (Compartment 2014)
Answer. Bama’s home was a ten-minute walking distance from her school but it usually -took her from half an hour to an hour to reach. On her way back, many activities and sights caught her attention.
Bama got attracted to many novelties and oddities on the street like the performing monkey, the snake charmer’s snake, the wild lemur in a cage, the cyclist and spinning wheels, the Maariyaata temple and its huge bell, etc. She also noticed the pongal offerings being cooked in front of the temple. There was a dried fish stall near the statue of Gandhiji. There was a sweet stall and a stall selling fried snacks.
Puppet shows, street plays, public meetings of political parties were other entertaining activities. She would see the waiters pouring coffee and vendors chopping onions. She admired the various fruits that flooded the market according to the seasons.
Questopn.20.What are the similarities in the lives of Bama and Zitkala-Sa though they belong to
different cultures? (All India 2009)
Answer. Bama and Zitkala-Sa belong to different cultures. But both have experienced oppression and discrimination in their childhood.
Bama was born a ‘dalit’ and was upset to see the humiliations borne by the members of her community. They were considered untouchables, were made to live apart, run errands and bow humbly to people of the upper castes.
On the other hand, Zitkala-Sa was a victim of severe prejudice that prevailed against the native Americans. In the boarding school, her blanket was forcibly taken off her shoulders. At the same time, the forced cutting of her long hair only made her feel like a defeated warrior, for in her culture, short hair was only worn by mourners.
Thus, both Bama and* Zitkala-Sa have suffered as young members of marginalised communities.
Questopn.21.What oppression and discrimination did Zitkala-Sa and Bama experience during their childhood? How did they respond to their respective situations? (All India 2008)
Answer. Zitkala-Sa was a native American who was forcibly sent to a Christian school. She resisted the strict regimentation of the school. She hated cutting of her hair because in her culture short hair is worn by mourners. When her friend Judewin told her that they would have to give in, she disagreed and decided to fight against it.
Bama, on the other hand, belonged to a marginalised, untouchable community. She was upset to know the discriminatory treatment meted out to the members of her community. She was infuriated at this inhuman practice of casteism.
Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama refused to accept any type of oppression, exploitation or victimisation. Zitkala-Sa throughout her career as a writer criticised dogma and dedicated her entire life to fight against tryanny and oppression. Bama became a Tamil dalit writer and ushered a newness and freshness in her writings. Both of them tried to shed light on the atrocities committed by the oppressors on the hitherto marginalised communities.
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