MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD -Zitkala-Sa and Bama - Class 12- MODEL for 2020

    MEMORIES  OF  CHILDHOOD -Zitkala-Sa and  Bama 

Short  Type  Questions :  

1.  What  was  Zitkala-Sa's  idea regarding  short, shingled  hair  ?  

Ans  :  Zitkala-Sa's  idea  regarding  short  ,  shingled  hair  was  that  short  hair  was  worn  by  mourners  and  shingled  hair  by  cowards . 

2.  When  did  Bama  experience  untouchability  ?

Ans  :  Bama  experienced  untouchability  when  one  day  she  saw  an  elder  of  their  street  carrying  a  packet  of  vadai  by  its  string  without  touching  it  and  handed  it  over  to  the  landlord  bowing  respectfully  . She  found  it  very  amusing  till  her  brother  explained  that  was  because  they  belonged  low  caste  and  not  supposed  touch  food  to  be  taken  by  upper  caste  people . 

3. How  did  Zitkala-Sa  try  to  hide  herself  from  the  'others' in  the  school  ?  Did  she  succeed  ?  

Ans  :  Zitkala  Sa  tried  to  hide  herself  in  a  large  room  in  the  upstairs  .  It  had  three  beds  in  it  and  she  crawled  under  the  one  that  was  farthest  from the  door . Soon  she  heard  sounds  of  people  coming  and  even  Judewin  calling  her  name  .  She  held  her  breath  and  watched them  searching  her . 

            But  she  did  not  succeed . 

4. Why  did  Zitkala -Sa  feel  uncomfortable  in  the  dining  room  ?

Ans  :  Zitkala-Sa felt  uncomfortable  in the  dining  room  first  because  she  felt  immoderately  dressed  as  her  blanket  had  been  stripped  from  her  shoulders  and  secondly  because  she  was  unfamiliar  with  the  rules  to  be  followed  and also  because  nervous  as  a  pale faced  strange woman  was  watching  her .   

5. Why  did  Bama  feel terribly  sad  and  provoked  ?  

Ans  :  When  Bama  learnt  from  her  brother  why  the  elder  from  their  street  carried  the  packet  of  vadai  by  its  string  she  felt  terribly  sad . She  found  the  entire  idea  of  untouchability  quite  disgusting  .  She  felt  so  provoked  and  angry  that  she  wanted  to  touch those  wretched  vadais  straight  way . 

6. What  did  Annan  say  about  his  community  to  the  narrator  ? 

Ans  :  When  Bama  told  her  brother  Annan  the  funny  incident  about  an  elder  from  their  street carrying  a  packet  vadais  by  its  string  to  the  landlord  the  latter  explained  that  there  was  nothing  funny  in  carrying  the  packet  in  that  manner  for  they  belonged  to  lower  caste  and  therefore  must  not  touch  them . If  They  did  ,  they  would  be  polluted  .  That  was  why  the  man  carried  the  packet  by  its  string  . 

7. What  was  Zitkala-Sa immediate  reaction  to  the  cutting  of  her  hair  ? 

Ans :  Zitkala  -Sa's  immediate  reaction  to  the  cutting  of  hair  was  one  of  deep  anguish  and  she  felt  like  an  animal  driven  by  a  herder . 

Essay  Type  Questions  :  

1.  Describe  the  experience  Bama  had  on  her  way  back  home  which  made  her  feel  sad  . 

Ans  :  Bama on her way home from school one day saw at the opposite corner of their street a threshing floor where muzzled cattle were driven round and round to tread out grain from the straw. The landlord was watching the proceedings sitting on piece of shacking. Then she saw an elder of their street coming along from the direction of the market. He was carrying a small packet holding by its string. The manner in which he was walking seemed very funny. The man 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 packet and began to eat the vadais which were in the packet.
At.home she narrated the funny story to Annan,her brother. But Annan was not amused. He told her that the man was not being funny when he carried the packet like that. He added that the man belonged to the lower caste. So he was not to touch the landlord who was from an upper:caste or the food he would eat. If he did it would be polluted. That was why he had to carry the packet by holding the string. When she heard this she became sad.It was her first encounter with the humiliating practice of untouchability.

2. 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  ?  

Ans  :  While Bama records her first encounter with a victim of the caste system Zitkala-Sa focuses on the complete disregard of the White Americans to the native American culture. Among the Native Americans long hair was symbolic of honour.  Only unskilled warriors who were captured' had their hair shingled by the enemy.  So among Zitkala-Sa's people short hair was worn only by mourners,and shingled hair by cowards.  So forcible cutting of hair was an act of complete disregard for the native culture.  Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa rebelled in their own way.  Bama learnt early that the only way to fight the indignities was to establish themselves through education. So Bama studied hard so that she could throw away the indignities. Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama in their later lives carried on their fight against social injustice through their writings.

3.  Discuss  the  forms  of  discrimination  projected  in  the  narrations  of  zitkala -Sa  and  Bama ?  

Ans  :      Zitkala-Sa in her story“The Cutting of My Long Hair"has tried to project racial discrimination that the American Indians have) suffered in the last century in hand of white people.In her community short hair is worn only. by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. So, naturally she considers it a humiliation to cut her long hair without her consent. But she has no choice.In vain she has tried to struggle and fight to save her hair. But Bama's  story records her sense of revolt against the horrible caste system and abominable untouchability  prevalent in India till the last century. She narrates how even the elders belong to a lower caste have been subjected of abject humiliation. People of lower castes have not been allowed touch the people of upper-caste or the food they eat. She has seen an elder of her caste carrying vadais for the upper caste landlord by holding it by the string of the packet without touching it.She has learnt from her brother that the only way to fight this social evil is through education.This advice has inspired her to study hard and to continue her fight against this horrible caste system.