CBSE Class 12 English Memories Of Childhood Assignment Set B

About the Authors

Zitkala-Sa
Zitkala-Sa (1876–1938) pronounced Zitkála-ša, which translates to “Red Bird” also known by the missionary-given name Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was a Sioux(Yankton Dakota) writer, editor, musician, teacher and political activist. She wrote several works chronicling her youthful struggles with identity and conflict between the majority culture and her Native American heritage.

Zitkala-Sa’s articles in the Atlantic Monthly included “Impressions of an Indian Childhood” and “School Days of an Indian Girl”. All these works were autobiographical in nature, describing in great detail her early experiences with the dominant American culture. In her well-known American Indian Stories, she expresses a literary account of her tension between wanting to follow the traditions of the Yankton Dakota while being excited about learning to read and write, and being tempted by assimilation.

Bama
Bama was born in 1958 as Faustina Mary Fatima Rani in a Roman Catholic family from Puthupatti in the then Madras State. Bama’s grandfather had converted from Hinduism to Christianity. Bama’s ancestors were from the Dalit community and worked as agricultural labourers. Bama had her early education in her village. She wrote on her childhood experiences which formed the basis for her first novel, Karukku published in 1992.When the novel was published, Bama was ostracised from her village for portraying it in poor light and was not allowed to enter it for the next seven months. Bama’s novels focus on caste and gender discrimination. They portray caste-discrimination practised in Christianity and Hinduism. Bama’s works are seen as embodying Dalit feminism and are famed for celebrating the inner strength of a woman.

Theme

Children may be young and innocent but they cannot tolerate injustice if they are determined. The lesson ‘Memories of Childhood’ is a portrayal of two autobiographical accounts. One by American Indian woman and the second by a Tamil Dalit writer. Both stories highlight the women’s oppression, class barriers, racialism, discrimination and exploitation that tend to pull them down. Both the stories advocate the statement that seeds of rebellion are sown early in life. Children may be young and innocent but they cannot tolerate injustice if they are determined.

Justification of the Title

Justificatin of the Main Title ‘Memories of Childhood’
The title is well suited as the extract presents autobiographical episodes of two different girls living at distant places. Both the women belong to the marginalized communities, who look back on their childhood , and reflect on their relationship with the mainstream culture. Both were victims of prejudice and oppression. They experienced indignation, sadness and outrage and were deeply affected by their unpleasant experiences of childhood. Both were strong women who fought against injustice. However, they both used the power of the pen to fight oppression.

Justification of the Sub-Titles ‘The Cutting of my Long Hair’

Zitkala-Sa was a Native American. She was taken away from her mother forcibly because the white people wanted the native Indians to adopt their culture. Zitkala revolted the way the Indian girls were forced to wear dresses in an immodest way. She was shocked to know that the school authorities were going to cut her long hair because in her community shingled hair were worn only by cowards. She hid herself under a bed in a large room. But when she was caught, she resisted by kicking and scratching. But she could do nothing when they pinned her to a chair and cut off her hair. But her spirit could not be suppressed.The women in her community were very particular about their hair. The loss of her hair was the worst indignity that she went through. The title is thus apt.

Justification of the Sub-Title ‘We too are Human Beings’

On the other hand, Bama was a low-caste girl. She saw the upper caste people showing discrimination against lower caste people. They could not touch food and other items of the upper caste people. They had to work for them and bow their heads. Her spirit too revolted against this injustice. She felt terribly sad and agitated. She could not understand this inhuman treatment since she strongly believed that all are human beings. She wanted honour for all. Her brother Annan told her that she could do away with these indignities if she worked hard. Bama studied hard and stood first in her class. Many people became her friends. The title aptly illustrates her journey compelling people to respect her.

Message

In ‘The Cutting of My Long Hair’, the author, Zitkala- Sa struggled and triumphed against the prevailing prejudices against native American culture and women. Her works criticised the dogma prevailing in society. She brought to light the evils of oppression. In ‘We too are Human Beings’, the author, Bama, has brought to light the social oppression caused by the caste system in Indian society. She was spared the ignominy of caste oppression as she followed the advice of her brother to study well and stay on top of her class. This ensured respect for her and she was spared the pain of discrimination.

Summary

PART–I: ‘The Cutting of my Long Hair’
The first part deals with the account of Gertrude Simmons, an American Indian, who fought against the prejudices of the society against American Indians. She vividly describes her experiences on her first day at the Carlisle Indian School. The customs and rules of the place were strange and new to her. She was forced to wear tight fitting clothes and discard her soft mocassins. All this was considered undignified in her culture. At breakfast, she was embarrassed as she did not know the routine of the place. When she came to know from her friend, Judewin, who knew a little English, that they were planning to cut her hair, she protested by hiding under the bed, even though she knew it was futile. In her culture, cowards and mourners wore shingled hair .When she was caught, she resisted by kicking and scratching. She could do nothing when they tied her in a chair and cut off her hair. But her spirit could not be suppressed. She felt like an animal driven by a herder.

PART–II: ‘We too are Human Beings’
The second part is an excerpt from the autobiography ‘Karukku’ by Bama – a Tamil Dalit. She was in her third grade when she becomes aware of the indignities that the lower caste people face. It took Bama ten minutes to reach home after school but she would dawdle along, watching all the entertaining novelties and oddities in the streets. She would gaze at the shops and the bazaar enjoying the street scenes and so she would take at least an hour to reach home. One day, Bama saw an elderly man of her street carrying a packet of ‘Vadais’ by the strings and walking in a peculiar manner, holding the parcel away from his body. Bama found his manner of carrying the parcel very funny. Later, her brother explained to her that the incident was not at all funny as she had initially thought, but very pathetic. The people from the lower caste were treated as untouchables. The higher caste people believed that if the lower caste people touched the parcel it would be polluted. That’s why the elder was carrying it in that manner. This provoked and angered Bama. The lower caste people had to work for the higher caste and bow their heads. Her spirit revolted against this injustice. She felt terribly sad and agitated. She could not understand this inhuman treatment. Her brother Annan told her that she could do away with these indignities if she worked hard. Bama studied and stood first in her class. Many people became her friends.

CHAPTER IN A NUTSHELL
• Two women–marginalized communities, caste and racial discrimination – made to feel lesser than mainstream culture – deep sense of alienation – seed to rebellion sowed in early life – injustice of any form not escape notice of children/compulsory physical and social conformation breaks spirit.
• Who was ‘Zitkala Sa’? Pen-name of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin–American Indian in late 19th century–suffered racial discrimination.
• Who was Bama? Pen-name of Tamil Dalit woman–Faustima Mary Fatima Rani–suffered neglect, pain, poverty, oppression by higher castes in India.
• The cutting of my long hair.

Zitkala-Sa’s first day in school, cold, snowfall, students wore stiff shoes and tightly fitting clothes, small girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair – meals eaten by procedure/formula, (a) 1st bell – chairs drawn from under table, (b) 2nd bell – all sat, (c) 3rd bell – began eating – a warning, friend had hear of cutting their long hair, had heard unskilled warriors – shingled their enemy’s hair, in her community, shingled hair was worn by cowards and short hair by mourners.

Struggle in Vain
Crept upstairs in 3-bedded large curtained room, crawled under bed, dragged out and hair shingled, felt helpless and miserable, like animal driven by herder. We too are human beings – in 3rd class not heard about untouchability openly but felt, experienced and humiliated. 

Bama’s usual routine while returning from School
Took ten minutes to reach home, watched farmers threshing, entertaining novelties – oddities in streets, performing monkeys; snake charmer, cyclist, Maarymata temple and bell ringing, wild lemur in cages, selling needles, clay beads and instruments for cleaning ears mundane tasks like waiters cooling coffee, people cutting onion, one day saw elderly main carrying vadai/green banana bhajji, holding by string, not touching it, bowed low and extended packet to landlord which amused Bama and narrated to brother who revealed painful fact about their community being discriminated against – once brother on his way from library, followed by landlord’s man who asked where he stayed to show his caste.

Bama is angry: 
Rebellious attitude exhibited – brother urged her to study, make progress and overcome discrimination, Bama did well and became popular and earned honor and respect.

Read the extracts given below and attempt the questions that follow:

1. 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,”

Questions

(i) What does ‘eating by formula’ signify?
Answer: ‘Eating by formula’ signifies special instructions issued for eating.

(ii) Why was the warning terrible?
(a) Special arrangement was made for hair cutting.
(b) Only Judewin could keep long hair.
(c) Hair was to be shingled forcefully.
(d) The author would cut everyone’s hair.

Answer: C

(iii) According to the text what is the cultural drawback of having shingled hair?
(a) Mourning and cowardice had shingled hair.
(b) It was unholy.
(c) You were an untouchable.
(d) Slaves had shingled hair.

Answer: A

(iv) “We have to submit, because they are strong.” What does the speaker mean here?
(a) helplessness to rebel against the system
(b) they were slaves
(c) they were untouchable
(d) tradition being the inseparable part of life

Answer: A

2. 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.

Questions

(i) “Then I lost my spirit,” indicates that the speaker
(a) became adamant
(b) resigned
(c) became spirited
(d) resolved.

Answer: A

(ii) For the author mother was a source of:
(a) comfortable life style
(b) comfort and solace
(c) servitude
(d) depravity

Answer: B

(iii) The humiliation suffered by the author is reflected in the phrase
(a) my mother taken from
(b) not a soul reason
(c) treated her like a puppet
(d) no one comforted me

Answer: C

(iv) Identify the figure of speech used in the line “I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder.”
Answer: Metaphor

3. 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.

Questions

(i) What made the narrator laugh so much?
(a) The way she narrated it was comic.
(b) She saw a monkey dancing on her way home.
(c) The wares sold on the bigman making a game of carrying a parcel was funny.
(d) A big man making a game of carrying a parcel was funny.

Answer: D

(ii) How could the dalits throw away indignities being faced in the society?
(a) fighting for their sights
(b) vehemently showering indignities to the upper class people
(c) rebelling against the custodians of society.
(d) studying hard and making progress

Answer: D

(iii) What words of Annan made a deep impression on the narrator?
(a) avoiding such practices.
(b) getting education by hard work.
(c) fighting such practices tooth and nail.
(d) they were driven by the herder.

Answer: B

(iv) “I wanted to touch those wretched vadais...” Why did Bama want to do so?
Answer: Bama was disgusted when she understood the impact of untouchability and what is was to be marginalised. She felt angry and provoked so she wanted to touch the vadais.

4. 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.

Questions

(i) Which community does ‘this community’ refer to here?
Answer: It refers to a dalit community

(ii) What characteristic of Annan is reflected in the above extract?
(a) maturity
(b) servitude
(c) patience
(d) honesty

Answer: A

(iii) “And I studied hard,” indicates that the author was
(a) complacent
(b) very influencing
(c) strong willed
(d) submissive

Answer: C

(iv) What message can be taken from the above extract?
(a) Education and knowledge help us make progress.
(b) One must rebel.
(c) We must enjoy ourselves.
(d) It is prudent to submit to the powerful circumstance.

Answer: A

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Who was ‘Zitkala Sa’?
Answer: Zitkala Sa is the pen-name of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin. She was an American- Indian born in the late nineteenth century who suffered racial discrimination at the hands of Christians.

Question​​​​​​​. What happened when Zitkala-Sa reached the hall for breakfast for the first time?
Answer: Zitkala-Sa did not know how to conduct herself in the dining hall. As the bell was tapped, all the pupils pulled out their chairs and kept standing. Zitkala also pulled out hers but sat on it. When, a second bell rang and all the students were seated, she had to crawl back to her chair. A man’s voice was heard and she noticed that all the pupils had bent their heads over their plates. The third bell was tapped and they picked up their forks and began eating. Zitkala felt extremely embarrassed and started crying.

Question​​​​​​​. What efforts did Zitkala-Sa make to save her hair from being cut?
Answer: As soon as Zitkala came to know about the decision of cutting her long hair, she decided to struggle. Quietly, she crept up the stairs into a large empty room which was dim due to the dark green curtains. She moved to the farthest corner from the door and then crawled under a bed. She did not come out even when she heard Judewin calling her name. They found her and dragged her out. Although she resented by kicking and scratching wildly and shaking her head, they cut her long hair.

Question​​​​​​​. What are the things that fascinated Bama as she passed the stalls in the market?
Answer: Bama was fascinated by the dried fish stall near the statue of Gandhiji. The sweet shop and the fried snacks shops also attracted her. There were many shops and the huntergypsy narikkuravan fascinated her too. He had his wild lemur in cages. He sold needles, clay, beads and instruments for cleaning out the ears.

Question​​​​​​​. Why was the elder of Bama’s street carrying the packet with its strings only?
Answer: The elder held the packet from its strings without touching the packet. Bama’s brother explained that people believed that the landlord was of upper caste and the elder belonged to the lower caste. The lower caste people could not touch the packet as the material in it would become polluted. That is why he had to carry the packet by its strings.

Question​​​​​​​. How did the landlord’s man behave with Annan?
Answer: The landlord’s man, not recognizing Annan, asked him his name with a lot of respect. On getting the answer and realizing that he was from a lower caste and an untouchable, his manner of talking changed. He got to know about Annan’s caste as soon as he knew which street he lived in.

Question​​​​​​​. Which fruit or delicacies did Bama observe in the market?
Answer: There was mango, sugarcane, cucumber, sweet potato, palm-shoots, gram palm-syrup, palm-fruit, guavas and jackfruit according to the season. She would also see the selling of savoury and sweet snacks like payasam, halva, boiled tamarind seeds and iced lollies.

Question​​​​​​​. Who was Bama?
Answer: ‘Bama is the pen-name of a Tamil Dalit woman from a Roman Catholic family. She published three main works, Kurukku, an autobiography, Sangati a novel and Kisumbukkaaran a collection of short stories. Kurukku is an account of the discrimination faced by Tamil Dalit women.

Question​​​​​​​. What warning was given by Judewin to Zitkala?
Answer: Judewin, her friend, who knew a few words of English, told her that she had overheard the pale-faced woman talk about cutting their long, heavy hair. Her mother had told her that shingled hair were worn by cowards. This was a big blow to her.

Question​​​​​​​. How was Zitkala-Sa treated on being traced from her hiding place?
Answer: Zitkala had hidden under the bed. She was found, and dragged out. She tried to resist by kicking and scratching wildly. She was overpowered and carried downstairs. She was tied fast to a chair. She kept crying loudly and shaking her head continuously.

Question​​​​​​​. What did Annan tell Bama to do? What was the impact of his words on Bama?
Answer: Annan told Bama that being born in the low caste, they were stripped of all honour, dignity and respect. He added that education could gain them respect in society. He advised her ‘to study hard and learn’. If they studied and made progress, they would be able to throw away the indignities. His words had a profound impact on Bama. She was inspired to study hard and always stood first in her class and because of this, many people became her friends.

Question​​​​​​​. What does ‘eating by formula’ mean?
Answer: The ringing of the large bell was an indication for all students to assemble in the dining room. Then as the first bell was tapped, they drew out chairs from under the table. As the second bell sounded loudly, they were all seated. A man’s voice and mutterings were heard at the end of the table. Everyone had to bend their heads over the plates. Then a third bell tapped. Everyone picked up the knives and forks and started eating.

Question​​​​​​​. What happened after Zitkala-Sa was tied to a chair?
Answer: Zitkala-Sa was dragged out and she was carried down kicking and scratching and then tied to a chair. She cried a lot shaking her head until she felt the scissors had ‘gnawed’ off her thick braids. She then lost her spirit and moaned for her mother but nobody came to comfort her. From then on she experienced extreme indignities.

Question​​​​​​​. Bama watched keenly some of the actions of the people in the bazaar. What were the actions she observed?
Answer: Bama would watch the waiter in coffee clubs cooling the coffee, with a lot of interest. He would lift the tumbler high and pour the coffee into another tumbler held in the other hand. She also observed how people would turn their eyes away to avoid irritation in their eyes, while chopping onions.

Question​​​​​​​. How did the elderly man approach the landlord and offer him the packet?
Answer: The old man went straight up to the landlord. He bowed low and extended the packet towards him. He cupped the hand that held the string with his other hand. The landlord opened the packet and started eating the vadais.

Question​​​​​​​. Name some of the oddities and novelties in the street that attracted Bama.
Answer: The novelties were the performing monkey, the snake charmer’s snake, the cyclist who had been cycling for three days. She enjoyed seeing the spinning wheels, the Maariyaata temple with the huge bell hanging there. She also noticed the pongal offerings being cooked in front of the temple.

Question​​​​​​​. What does Zitkala-Sa remember about her ‘first day in the land of apples’?
Answer: Zitkala recalls that it was a bitter cold day and there was snow on the ground. The trees were bare. There was a large bell that rang for breakfast and its loud metallic sound crashed through the belfry overhead and penetrated through her sensitive ears.

Question​​​​​​​. What sort of shows or entertainments attracted the passers-by?
Answer: The passers-by were attracted by various political parties who would put up a stage and addresses people through their mikes. There would also be a street play, a puppet show, or a ‘no magic, no miracle’ stunt performance. There were other happenings there also, from time to time.

Question​​​​​​​. What was Zitkala’s first reaction to the missionary boarding school in the east?
Answer: Zitkala-Sa saw a line of Indian girls wearing closely clinging dresses and stiff shoes. The crashing of the bell and the noise of shoes and voices were like a harsh bedlam for her in which she was tied. The blanket had been taken off from her shoulders and bells were used as instructions for students.

Question​​​​​​​. How did Bama feel when her brother told her about Untouchability?
Answer: Bama felt sad and infuriated. She felt angry and wanted to touch those wretched ‘Vadais’ straightaway. It was disgusting to do the chores for those people who did not even consider them as humans. She wondered why the upper caste people thought so much of themselves only because they had collected money. Bama hated this discrimination and felt that the lower caste people should never run errands for the upper castes.

Question​​​​​​​. What was the funniest episode that Bama watched one day while going back home?
Answer: Bama saw an elderly man of her street walking with a small packet, holding it by its strings without touching it. When she saw him she felt like laughing aloud. He went straight to the landlord, bowed to him and extended the packet to him, cupping his hands that held the string with his other hand.

Question​​​​​​​. Why do you think Zitkala was so opposed to cutting of her hair?
Answer: Zitkala-Sa had been made to believe by her mother that only unskilled warriors, who had been captured, had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among their own native people, only mourners kept short hair and shingled hair was kept by cowards. She was therefore, dead against cutting of her hair as she didn’t belong to any of the categories.

Question​​​​​​​. Describe the threshing proceedings going on in the corner of the street.
Answer: There was a threshing floor set up in the corner of the sheet. People drove cattle in pairs, round and round to tread out the grains from the straw. The animals were muzzled so that they did not eat the straw. The landlord seated on a piece of sacking spread over the stone ledge watched the proceedings