Ch. 8 Memories of Childhood, 12th-Eng

 Updated on 24/11/2024

*8. Memories of Childhood (Zitkala-Sa and Bama)*

Main Points of the chapter:

Ø In this chapter two women writers record their childhood memories.

Ø These women belonged to the lower section of society.

Ø They describe the partial treatment given to them by the so-called upper sections of society.

Ø The first is titled ‘The Cutting of My Long Hair’ by Zitkala Sa, an American writer.

Ø She describes an event in her school where her hair were cut down.

Ø She came from a society where hair were cut of captured warriors.

Ø She learnt that in the school her hair would be cut but she did not want.

Ø So she dragged out and was subjected to hair cutting.

Ø The second one is title ‘We Too Are Human Beings’ by Bama, a Tamil Dalit woman.

Ø She found that the people of her community were considered untouchables.

Ø Her brother advised her to rise in life so that she would not be insulted.

Ø She kept his advice in her mind.

Ø She worked hard, got higher education and became a famous writer.

Very Short Type Q-Ans.

1.    Who is the writer of the lesson, ‘Memories of Childhood’?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa and Bama

2.    What incident Zitkala-Sa describe?

Ans. Cutting of her long hair

3.    What were the feelings of Zitkala-Sa on her first day at school?

Ans. Fear and expectation

4.    What for were the children taken to a hall?

Ans. For breakfast

5.    Who was staring at the writer during the breakfast?

Ans. A pale faced woman

6.    Why was the author fastened to a chair?

Ans. Her hair were cut

7.    In the author’s society whose hair were cut?

Ans. Of the captured soldiers

8.    How long did it take the writer to reach at home from school?

Ans. About ten minutes

9.    Which tree was on the way to the author’s school?

Ans. An almond tree

10.What was there in the packet?

Ans. Vadai

11.Where did the author’s elder brother study?

Ans. At a university

12.Who was Judewin?

Ans. A friend of Zitkala-Sa

Q.1. How did Zitkala-Sa behave in the breakfast hall? 

Ans. The children gathered round a table. A bell rang and they took out chairs. Zitkala-Sa also took out the chair and sat on it. But everyone was still standing. So she got up. Then the bell rang and all of them sat on the chairs. Now she also sat down. Then the third bell rang. Now every one picked up his knife and fork and began eating. She found a pale face woman who was staring at her. She started weeping.

Q.2. Why did Zitkala-Sa not like her hair to be cut? 

Ans. In the society from where the author has come, it was taboo to cut hair. Only the hair of the captured soldiers were cut. The cutting of hair was considered a sign of cowardice. So she did not like her hair to be cut. 

Q.3. How were Zitkala-Sa's hair cut? 

Ans. Zitkala-Sa hid under a bed. She heard voices calling her name. But she did not come out. Then she heard the sound of footsteps. They dragged her out and fastened to a chair. She started crynd her hair were cut down.

Q.4. How did Zitkala-Sa try to escape from having her hair cut?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa did not like that her hair should be cut. She decided to protest against it. She tried to save

her hair. So she went into a room. There she hid under a bed. But she was found out and her hair were cut.

Q.5. What scenes did Bama see one day while coming home from school?

Ans. One day, she saw a performing monkey. She also saw a snakecharmer with a snake. There was a cyclist who had been performing the cycling feat for three days. She saw the Maariyaata temple. There was sweets stall by statue of Gandhi. There was a hawker selling clay beads and instruments for cleaning out the ears.

Q.6. What did Bama have to say about untouchability?

Ans. Bama saw a big man holding a paper bag by the strings. There was vadai and bhajji in it. The man seemed funny. Then he came to the landlord, bowed low and gave the packet to him. He folded the hands while still holding the strings. The landlord opened the packet and started eating the vadais. 

Q.7. What did Bama's brother tell her about her caste? 

Ans. Her brother told her that the elder man was untouchable. The upper caste men did not allow the dalits to touch the packet. So he held it by the strings. When the author heard it she felt very sad. An important elder of her community had to bring snacks for the landlord and bow before him.

Q.8. What advice did Bama's brother give her for getting respect from the society.

Ans. Annan told the author that they were born into a low caste, they were never given any honour or

respect. But if they could make progress, they can throw away all those insults. He advised the author to study

with hard and learn the things. If she forges ahead in life, people would respect her. The author never forgot those words of her brother.

Long-Answer

1. How did Bama learn about untouchability? How did she feel about it? 

Ans. One day, when she was coming from the school. She saw that a landlord sat in one corner and watching the proceeding. The people were doing hard work. They were driving cattle in pairs round and round, and the grain was being threshed. Suddenly, the writer saw a big man holding a paper bag by the string and carrying it high. There was vadai or bhajji in it. Then he came to the landlord, bowed low and extended the packet to him. He folded the hands while still holding the strings. The landlord opened the packet and started eating the vadais. Seeing all this Bama was amused. When she came home, she told her elder brother, this funny incident. But her brother said that it was not funny. The big man was untouchable. The upper caste men did not allow the dalits to touch the packet. So he held it by the strings. When the author heard it she felt very sad and angry. An important elder of her community had to bring snacks for the landlord and bow before him.