CBSE Class 12 English Vistas Memories of Childhood Worksheet Set A

 

 

The title is well suited as the extract presents autobiographical episodes of two different girls living in 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. Appropriateness 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. In her community shingled hair was worn only by cowards. She hid 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 loss of her hair was the worst indignity that she went through. The title is thus apt.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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 heard 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.

 

 

Crept upstairs in the 3-bedded large curtained room, crawled under the bed, dragged out and hair shingled, felt helpless and miserable, like an animal driven by a herder.

 

 

Took ten minutes to reach home, watched fanners 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.

 

 

Rebellious attitude exhibited — brother urged her to study, make progress and overcome discrimination, Bama did well and became popular and earned honour and respect.

 

Extract based questions with answers:

1.“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."

Question. What are moccasins?
(a) Soft leather shoes
(b) Hard leather shoes
(c) Leather shoes with stiff soles
(d) None of these

Answer: A

Question. Who had shingled hair?
(a) Asiangirls
(b) European girls
(c) American Indian girls
(d) None of these

Answer: C

Question. Who is the "I" in these lines?
(a) Bama
(b) Zitkala -Sa
(c) Hana
(d) Yumi

Answer: B

Question. How was the narrator feeling in her new school?
(a) Relieved
(b) Uncomfortable
(c) Ecstatic
(d) Mesmerised

Answer: B

2.“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."

Question. How did the narrator react?
(a) She shrieked loudly
(b) Stared back at them all
(c) Threw away the cutlery
(d) Began crying

Answer: D

Question. Who is the narrator?
(a) Bama
(b) Zitkala -Sa
(c) Hana
(d) Jo

Answer: B

Question. What was the narrator unable to follow?
(a) Eating as per direction of the bells
(b) Walking as other girls do
(c) Answering the man
(d) Catching the knife and fork properly

Answer: A

Question. Who was staring at the narrator?
(a) All the students in the dining hall
(b) Muttering man
(c) A pale faced woman
(d) The principal

Answer: C

3. 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.

Question. Who decided to fight the cutting of the hair?
(a) Judewein
(b) Zitkala Sa
(c) Bama
(d) Pale faced woman

Answer: B

Question. Why did the girl resist cutting of her hair?
(a) This was undignified for her culture and traditions
(b) She liked long hair
(c) She felt oppressed
(d) All the above

Answer: D

Question. Name the title of this excerpt.
(a) The Cutting of My Long Hair
(b) We Too are Human Beings
(c) On the Face of It
(d) Evan Tries An O-Level

Answer: A

Question. What view had the narrator‘s mother had about shingled hair?
(a) It was worn by mourners
(b) It was worn by cowards
(c) Both a and b
(d) None of these

Answer: C

4. 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.

Question. Where did the narrator the funny scene?
Answer: At the threshing floor near the street.

Question. What was funny scene amused the narrator?
Answer: An elder of her community brought a parcel of snacks to the landlord, carrying it on a string without touching it.

Question. Name the narrator.
Answer: Bama

Question. What was funny for the narrator?
Answer: a big man, and an elder at that, making such a game out of carrying the parcel.

5. "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."

Question. What effect had the words on the listener?
Answer: Bama did exactly like he wanted and stood first inher class.

Question. What was the outcome of following this advice in people‘s attitude?
Answer: Many people became her friends.

Question. Who spoke these lines to whom?
Answer: Bama‘s Annan (elder brother) to her.

Question. Why did he/she say so?
Answer: He explained to her that they were considered untouchables and they must progress.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Question. How did Zitkala-Sa find the 'Eating by formula' a hard trial?
Answer: She did not know what to do when the various bells were tapped and behaved unlike others. When the first bell rang, she pulls out her chair and sat in it. As she saw others standing, she began to rise. She looked shyly around to see how chairs were used. When the second bell was sounded, she had to crawl back into her chair. She looked around when a man was speaking at the end of the hall. She dropped her eyes when she found the paleface women looking at her. After the third bell, others started eating, but she
began to cry.

 

 

Answer: " the text –experiences of two small girls from marginalized communities—forced to accept the rules laid by people of so called high caste—both humiliated and tortured for being from low caste—throws light on how they had to sacrifice their self, right to self-esteem and were subjected to unbearable humiliation—characters symbolize communities—personal experiences universalized – compels the reader to think how humane is the human world.

 

Question. What was the incident that really made Bama realize the cast discrimination that amount to oppression? What did she learn more about it by her elder brother Annan?
Answer: There was set up a threshing floor at the opposite corner to her street, her own caste people were hard at work; an elder of her caste was coming from the bazaar with a packet hanging from a string without touching the bag, went straight to landlord, bowed him and extended packet towards him from distance.

Bama found it funny, told her brother Annan about it, but he explained that upper class people think they will be polluted if they touched the lower caste; He advised her to study hard so that all would respect her.

Question. What kind of discrimination did Bama and Zitkala-sa experience? How did they respond to their respective situations?
Answer: Both belonged to marginalized communities - faced hard times due to humiliation: Bama, a victim of social customs, hated caste distinction, religiously followed the advice of her elder brother as she stood first in the examination and won respect of the people. Zitkala-Sa faced the prejudiced behavior against the native American culture, was not able to associate with white people; also faced discrimination. She was ill-treated and suffered disgrace when her hair was cut. But she resisted as much as she could, even as a child.

Question. Why did Zitkala-Sa feel oppressed in new establishment?
Answer: Since the day, the author was taken away from her mother, she had suffered extreme indignities. People stared at her. She had been tossed about in the air like wooden puppet. Her blanket had been removed from her shoulders. She felt that she was immodestly dressed. She was so shocked and oppressed that she felt like sinking to the floor. Later, her soft moccasins were taken away. These were traditional footwear of local Indian American. They were replaced by squeaking shoes. She saw other Indian girls in stiff shoes and tightly sticking dresses. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair. The worst dignity she suffered was the cutting of her long hair. The coward's shingled hair made her moan with anguish. She felt she was not a human being but one of the little animals driven by a herder. The systematic erosion of their culture and disrespect to women was quite oppressive.

Question. How did the shingling of hair of the author proved to be a very horrifying experience for her? How did she try to prevent the shingling of her hair?
Answer: The author had an emotional and spiritual kind of attachment to her long and heavy hair.
Moreover, her mother told that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among their people short hair were kept by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. While code of conduct at Carlisle School demanded shingling of hair, she revolted, crept upstairs into a large room, crawled under the bed, did not respond on calling her name. Finally, she was caught and dragged out, she resisted by kicking and shouting; was tied to the chair, at last her hair was cut short.

Answer: Zitkala-Sa- a victim of class distinction and oppression - was ill-treated and discriminated right from the beginning- could not accept their culture easily- at school was treated like a plaything- tossed up and down by the authorities- felt scared and extremely uncomfortable - though she hated everything- had to abide by the rules for fear of being punished- still worked in her own way and never gave in to the discrimination. Bama remained undeterred- convinced that she had a role to play to do away with the discriminations - stood for her beliefs- championed against the evil of caste system- took the advice of her Annan seriously- and established that education can empower people of any economic level- both did not succumb to pressure but stood by what they believed to be true.

 

 

1.What does Zitkala-Sa remember about her ‘first day in the land of apples’?

 

2. What are the views of the author about the dress code in the school?

 

3. Why did the author begin to cry in the dining hall?

 

4. How would you interpret the author’s statement, ‘now I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder’?

 

5. What happened after Zitkala-Sa was tied to a chair?

 

6. What made the little girl want to double up with laughter at the sight of the strange man?

 

7. Who was Annan? How did he justify the strange behaviour of the elder?

 

8. What advice did Annan give to Bama? How did his words affect her life?

 

9. How did Bama win friends?

 

10. What was the incident that made Bama laugh as well as feel so provoked and angry?