Memories of

Childhood

Sriharan V A
XII – B
Memories of
Childhood
By
Zitkala-Sa and Bama
 Introduction
The chapter contains two extracts from two different
autobiographical episodes from the lives of two women – Zitkala Sa
and Bama. Both are victims of social discriminations. Zitkala Sa is the
victim of racial discrimination whereas Bama is the victim of caste
discriminations. In both the extracts, the writers look back on their
childhood and reflect on their relationship with mainstream culture
which ill-treated them when they were child.
But both the accounts are not simple narratives of oppression. Rather
they reveal how oppression was resisted by both the narrators in their
own ways. Zitkala-Sa and Bama were very young but not so young
that they would not understand the evil scheme of the mainstream
culture. The injustice of their society did not escape their notice also.
Their bitter childhood experience sowed the seeds of rebellion in
them earlier on.
Both the accounts are based in two distant cultures. The first is that of
Native Americans and the second is that of the Tamil Dalits. But the
commonality that brings them closer is the fact that in both cases,
the mainstream culture marginalized the underprivileged section of
that society. This gave rise to the conflict between the mainstream
culture and the marginalized community, which is exquisitely
showcased in ‘Memories of Childhood’.
 1. The Cutting of My Long Hair
Part 1

About the Author

Zitkala-Sa is the pen name of Gertrude Simmons. She was an

American writer and reformer who struggled hard to retain her

cultural identity amid pressure to adapt to the dominant American

culture.
She was born on February 22, 1876 at Yankton Sioux Agency, South

Dakota, U.S. Gertrude Simmons was the daughter of a Yankton

Sioux mother and a Euro-American father. She adopted the name

Zitkala-Sa in her teens. When she was eight, she was sent to White’s

Manual Labor Institute, a Quaker missionary school in Wabash,

Indiana. At age 19, against her family’s wishes, she enrolled at

Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, also a Quaker school, and

graduated in 1897. For two years she taught at the Carlisle Indian

Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, but she was

uncomfortable with the school’s harsh discipline and its curriculum,

which was devised to teach Euro-American ways and history, thus

eradicating students’ Native American cultural identities. She

remained active as a spokesperson for Native American concerns

until her death. She died on January 26, 1938 in Washington, D.C.,

United States.
 Summary
This extract is a painful revelation of a particular period of the life
which the writer had to suffer during her hostel days. It was the first
day of her boarding school situated in the land of apples. The
children were given the task of apple picking in the bitter and biting
cold. They were taken to the breakfast hall and the girl was feeling
stressed. She did not know the table manners. She was being
watched very carefully by a strange pale-faced woman. The girl
felt very fearful and insulted.

Her friend who could understand some English, told her that the
pale strange woman intended to cut her long hair. Zitkala-Sa
learned from her mother that hair would be shingled only for the
unskilled warrior, cowards and mourners. She decided to fight back
and got herself hidden in a dim room under the bed. Everybody
looked for her and called her name but eventually caught. Her
long hair was cut, although she resisted a lot. She spent her rest of
the life there like a small animal being a part of a herd, which was
driven by a herder.
 Lesson and Explanation
Passage: The first day in the land of apples was a bitter-cold one;
for the snow still covered the ground, and the trees were bare. A
large bell rang for breakfast, its loud metallic voice crashing through
the belfry overhead and into our sensitive ears. The annoying clatter
of shoes on bare floors gave us no peace. The constant clash of
harsh noises, with an undercurrent of many voices murmuring an
unknown tongue, made a bedlam within which I was securely tied.
And though my spirit tore itself in struggling for its lost freedom, all
was useless.
Word Meaning :
Bare: uncovered
Belfry: part of a bell tower
Crashing: break through
Clatter: bang, sound of heavy objects
Bedlam: uproar, unrest
Explanation of the above passage: The writer describes that her first
day in the land of apples was extremely cold. The ground was fully
covered with snow whereas the trees were not covered with snow.
A bell rang indicating breakfast time. It was a loud sounds that
breakthrough the part of bell tower and reached into their sensitive
ears. The disturbing sound of the tip-toe of the shoes was making
the writer restless. There was a continuous noise everywhere as if the
sounds were clashing with each other. There were people who
were talking in an unknown language. She got so disturbed that she
felt as if her freedom was lost.

Passage: 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. I looked hard
at the Indian girls, who seemed not to care that they were even
more immodestly dressed than I, in their tightly fitting clothes. While
we marched in, the boys entered at an opposite door. I watched
for the three young braves who came in our party. I spied them in
the rear ranks, looking as uncomfortable as I felt. A small bell was
tapped, and each of the pupils drew a chair from under the table.
Supposing this act meant they were to be seated, I pulled out mine
and at once slipped into it from one side. But when I turned my
head, I saw that I was the only one seated, and all the rest at our
table remained standing. Just as I began to rise, looking shyly
around to see how chairs were to be used, a second bell was
sounded. All were seated at last, and I had to crawl back into my
chair again. I heard a man’s voice at one end of the hall, and I
looked around to see him. But all the others hung their heads over
their plates. 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. Everyone picked up his knife and
fork and began eating. I began crying instead, for by this time I was
afraid to venture anything more.
Word Meaning :
Paleface: yellow face
Clinging: tight (dress)
Shingled: cutting of hair
Moccasins: slipper or shoe
Immodest: indecent
Spied: notice, spot
Rear ranks: last
Mutterings: privately explained complaints
Venture: here, a risky task
Explanation of the above passage: A woman with yellow face and
white hair went up to see the girls. Zitkala was placed in the line of
the girls who were heading towards the dining hall. She describes
that they were the Indian girls who were wearing hard shoes and
tight dresses. The small girls were wearing sleeved aprons and their
hairs were cut short. Zitkala was walking without making any noise
of her shoes. She felt so ashamed when her blanket (scarf, shawl)
was removed from her shoulders. All the other Indian girls seemed
to be very indecent to her as all of them were wearing tight clothes
which were not a good thing as per the writer. As they were going
to the dining room, the boys came from the opposite door. The
writer notices the three boys who according to her were brave; she
says so because they were also the new entrants into the school
and were not wearing the dress like others. She looked at them
while they were standing behind her. They were also not
comfortable like her. A small bell rang and all the students dragged
their chairs. The writer also pulled her chair and she at once gets
seated. But she found herself being noticed by all others as none of
them had seated. The next bell ranged and all the others seated
themselves. The writer also did it once again just to mend her
mistake. Suddenly she heard a manly voice from one corner of the
room. She tries to see the man but found everyone looking down
towards their plates. While she was looking at them she saw that the
yellow faced woman was constantly looking at her. She dropped
her eyes but was feeling uncomfortable about being watched like
this. The man stopped speaking and with the ringing of the bell for
the third time all of them picked up their forks and knives. The writer
got so afraid by the time that she started crying as she didn’t want
to get into such risky task anymore.

Passage : 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. Jude win 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!
Word Meaning :
Unskilled: untrained
Capture: catch, arrest
Mourners: a person at a funeral
Coward: weakling
Explanation of the above passage: The writer says that the way of
eating was not the only thing which she thought to be the hardest
one. But there was one more terrible thing that her friend Judewin
told her. As she could understand a few words of English so she had
heard the pale faced woman saying that their hair should be cut
down. The writer didn’t want to do it because she had heard her
mother saying that only untrained warriors that are arrested by the
enemy cut their hair. In their community only those who either were
at funeral or were cowards cut short their hair. As Zitkala was neither
a weakling nor a mourner so she didn’t want to cut her hair.

Passage : 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.
I watched my chance, and when no one noticed, I disappeared. I
crept up the stairs as quietly as I could in my squeaking shoes, — my
moccasins had been exchanged for shoes. Along the hall I passed,
without knowing whither I was going. Turning aside to an open
door, I found a large room with three white beds in it. The windows
were covered with dark green curtains, which made the room very
dim. Thankful that no one was there, I directed my steps toward the
corner farthest from the door. On my hands and knees I crawled
under the bed, and huddled myself in the dark corner.
Word Meaning :
Fate: destiny, god’s will
Rebel: Revolt
Crept: Crawl, move on hands and knees
Squeaking: making high pitched sound
Whither: where
Dim: dark
Huddled: holding arms and legs closely
Explanation of the above passage: Both Judewin and Zitkala
discussed about their destiny as they knew that their hair will be cut
short. Judewin was of a view that they should agree to what the
authorities wanted to as they were strong then these two girls but
the author was not ready for it and so she decided to go against
the school authorities.
She went up stairs very quietly without being noticed in order to
safeguard her hair. She was trying to walk very quietly because her
moccasins were changed with shoes that make sound while
walking. She crossed the hall and went into a room without knowing
where she was going. She entered into a room which had three
beds and green curtains making it a bit dark. She then crawled
under a bed and hides herself from those who want to cut her hair.

Passage : From my hiding place I peered out, shuddering with fear

whenever I heard footsteps nearby. Though in the hall loud voices
were calling my name, and I knew that even Judewin was
searching for me, I did not open my mouth to answer. Then the
steps were quickened and the voices became excited. The sounds
came nearer and nearer. Women and girls entered the room. I held
my breath and watched them open closet doors and peep behind
large trunks. Someone threw up the curtains, and the room was
filled with sudden light. What caused them to stoop and look under
the bed I do not know. I remember being dragged out, though I
resisted by kicking and scratching wildly. In Spite of myself, I was
carried downstairs and tied fast in a chair.
Word Meaning :
Peered: try to see
Shuddering: shiver, shake
Drag: pull
Resist: hold out against
Scratch: scrape
Explanation of the above passage: The writer shivered with the
voice of footsteps whenever she tried to look out of her hiding
place. She could hear many voices calling out for her name
including her friend Judewin. She didn’t reply to them. Soon she
heard the sound of steps and voices growing stronger and stronger.
Women and girls entered into the room where she was hiding. They
were searching for her everywhere; even the curtains were also
removed. Soon she was found under the bed and was pulled out of
it. She tried hard to safeguard herself, even scraped the other
person but she was taken away and tied up to a chair.
Passage : 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.
Word Meaning :
Gnaw: here, cut
Braid: Hairs bind into a plait
Indignities: shame, humiliation
Stare: gaze
Tossed: thrown
Puppet: a wooden resemblance of humans or animals controlled
with the help of strings
Anguish: pain, agony
Moan: cry, wail
Comfort: console, sympathy
Reasoned: here, discussed
Herder: a person who looks after the live stock (herd of sheep)
Explanation of the above passage: The author cried a lot as she
doesn’t want anyone to cut her hair. Suddenly she felt a pair of
scissors behind her neck and soon her hair was cut down. She lost
all her confidence and felt that she had always been humiliated
since she was taken away from her mother. She recalled all her bad
moments that embarrassed her as people had gazed on her, she
was thrown into the air like a puppet. But this time her hair was cut
down and she felt like a coward. She was crying. She wailed for her
mother as she used to console her in her sad moments but today
no one came to console her. No one tried to know her point of
view. She felt like an animal that is part of a herd and is being
herded by someone. This means now she was being controlled by
someone.
 Question and Answers
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. What does Zitkala-Sa remember about her ‘first day in the land

of apples’?

Ans. It was a bitter-cold day. The snow still covered the ground. The

trees were bare. A large bell rang for breakfast. Its loud metallic

sound crashed through the belfry overhead and penetrated into

their sensitive ears.

Q2. How did Zitkala-Sa react to the various sounds that came when

the large bell rang for breakfast?

Ans. The annoying clatter of shoes on bare floors disturbed the

peace. There was a constant clash of harsh noises and an

undercurrent of many voices murmuring an unknown tongue. All

these sounds made a bedlam within which she was securely tied.

Her spirit tore itself in struggling for its lost freedom.

Q3. Where were the girls taken and how ?

Ans. The girls were marching into the dining room in a line. The

Indian girls were in stiff shoes and tightly sticking dresses. The small

girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair. They did not seem to

care that they were indecently dressed.

Q4. “I felt like sinking to the floor”, says Zitkala-Sa. When did she feel

so and why ?

Ans. It was her first day at school. She was marching into the dining

room with other girls in a line. She walked noiselessly in her soft

moccasins. But she felt that she was immodestly dressed, as her

blanket had been removed from her shoulders. So, she felt like

sinking to the floor.

Q5. “But this eating by formula was not the hardest trial in that first

day”, says Zitkala-Sa. What does she mean by ‘eating by formula’ ?

Ans. The ringing of a large bell summoned the students to the dining

room. Then a small bell tapped. Each pupil drew a chair from under

the table. Then a second bell was sounded. All were seated. A
man’s voice was heard at one end of the hall. They hung their

heads over the plates. The man ended his mutterings. Then a third

bell tapped. Everyone picked up his/her knife and fork and began

eating.

Q6. How did Zitkala-Sa find the ‘eating by formula’ a hard trial?

Ans. She did not know what to do when the various bells were

tapped and behaved unlike others. When the first bell rang, she

pulled 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 woman looking at her. After the third bell, others started

eating, but she began to cry.

Q7. What did Judewin tell Zitkala-Sa? How did she react to it?

Ans. Judewin knew a few words of English. She had overheard the

paleface woman. She was talking about cutting their long, heavy
hair. Judewin said, “We have to submit, because they are strong.”

Zitkala-Sa rebelled. She declared that she would not submit. She

would struggle first.

Q8. ‘Why, do you think, was Zitkala-Sa so opposed to cutting of her

hair?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa had heard from her mother that only unskilled

warriors, who were captured, had their hair shingled by the enemy.

Among their people, short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled

hair by cowards. Since she was neither, she was dead against

cutting of her long hair.

Q9. How did Zitkala-Sa try to avoid the inevitable loss of her long

hair ?

Ans. She crept up the stairs and passed along the hall. She did not

know where she was going. She turned aside to an open door. She

found a large room with three white beds in it. The windows were

covered with dark green curtains. She went to the comer farthest

from the door and crawled under the bed in the darkest corner.
Q10. How was the search made for Zitkala-Sa?

Ans. First, they called out her name in the hall in loud voices. Then

the steps were quickened. The voices became excited. The sounds

came nearer. Women and girls entered the room. They opened

closet doors. They peeped behind large trunks. Someone threw up

the curtains. The room was filled with sudden light. Someone

stooped, looked under the bed and found her there.

Q11. How was Zitkala-Sa treated on being traced from her hiding

place ?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa was dragged out. She tried to resist by kicking and

scratching wildly. But she was overpowered. She was carried

downstairs and tied fast in a chair. She cried aloud and kept

shaking her head.

Q12. What did Zitkala-Sa feel when her long hair was cut? ‘

Ans. When she heard them remove one of her thick braids, she lost

her spirit. She had suffered utmost indignities there. People had

stared at her. She had been tossed about in the air like a wooden
puppet and now her long hair was shingled like a coward’s. In her

anguish, she moaned for her mother. She felt herself as one of the

many little animals driven by a herder.

Q13. Which words of her brother made a deep impression on

Bama? [Delhi 2014]

Ans. While returning home, Bama’s elder brother told her that

although people do not get to decide the family they are bom into,

they can outwit the indignities inflicted upon them. It left a deep

impression on her.

Q14. Name some of the novelties and oddities in the streets that

attracted Bama?

Ans. These included the performing monkey, the snakecharmer’s

snake, the cyclist who had kept on biking for three days, the

spinning wheels, the Maariyaata temple and the huge bell hanging

there. She also noticed the pongal offerings being cooked in front

of the temple.
Q15. What were the articles in flit stalls and shops that fascinated

Bama?

Ans. She saw the dried fish stall by the statue of Gandhiji; the sweet

stall, and the stall selling fried snacks. There were many other shops

next to each other. Then there was the narikkuravan huntergypsy.

He had his wild lemur in cages. He sold needles, clay beads and

instruments for cleaning out the ears.

Q16. What sort of shows or entertainments attracted the passers-by?

Ans. Sometimes various political parties put up a stage. They

addressed people through their mikes. There might be a street play,

a puppet show, or a “no magic, no miracle” stunt performance.

There was some entertainment or the other happening there from

time to time.

Q17. Which actions of the people would Bama watch keenly in the

bazaar?

Ans. She watched how each waiter in the various coffee clubs

would cool the coffee. He would lift a tumbler high up. Then he
would pour its contents into another tumbler held in the other hand.

She observed how the people, chopping up onion, would turn their

eyes elsewhere to avoid irritation in their eyes.

Q18. Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of

apples? [All India 2014]

Ans. On the first day in the land of apples, Zitkala-sa was in tears.

The main reason of tears was that her hair was mercilessly cut. She

had heard from her mother that only unskilled warriors, who were

captured, had their hair shingled by the enemy. That is why she

shook her head in resistance.

Q19. Which fruit or sweet delicacies did she observe in the bazaar?

Ans. There would be mango, cucumber, sugar-cane, sweet potato,

palm-shoots, gram, palm- syrup, palm-fruit, guavas and jack-fruit,

according to the season. She would see people selling sweet and

savoury fried snacks, payasam, halva, boiled tamarind seeds and

iced lollies each day.

Q20. How were the threshing proceedings going on in the corner of

the street?

Ans. There was a threshing floor set up in the comer of the street.

People were hard at work. They were driving cattle in pairs, round

and round, to tread out the grain from the straw. The animals were

muzzled so that they couldn’t eat the straw. Bama stood there

watching for fun. The landlord was watching the proceedings. He

was seated on a piece of sacking spread over a stone ledge.

Q21. What, do you think, made Bama want to double up and shriek

with laughter?

Ans. Bama saw an elder of their street coming along from the

direction of the bazaar. He was a big man. He was carrying a small

packet, holding it out by its string. The manner in which he was

walking along made Bama want to double up. She wanted to

shriek with laughter at the funny sight.

Q22. How did the elder approach the landlord and offer him the

packet?

Ans. The elder went straight up to the landlord. Then 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 parcel

and began to eat the vadais.

Q23. What explanation did Bama’s elder brother Annan give her

about the elder’s “funny” behaviour?

Ans. Annan told Bama that the man was not being funny when he

carried the package by the string for his landlord. The upper caste

people believed that others must not touch them. If they did, they

would be polluted. That was the reason why he (the elder man)

had to carry the package by its string.

Q24. How did Bama react on learning about untouchability?

Ans. Bama became sad on listening how the upper caste people

behaved towards low caste persons like them. She felt provoked
and angry. She wanted to touch those vadais herself. She

wondered why their elders should run errants for the miserly rich

upper caste landlords and hand them over things reverently,

bowing and shrinking all the while.

Q25. How did the landlord’s man behave with Annan?

Ans. The man thought that Annan looked unfamiliar, and asked his

name respectfully. However, his manner changed as soon as

Annan told his name. The man immediately asked the name of the

street he lived in. The purpose was to identify his caste from the

name of the street.

Q26. How, according to Annan, was the caste system

discriminatory? How can one overcome the indignities?

Ans. Annan said that the lower caste people were never given any

honour or dignity or respect. They were deprived of all that. Thus,

the caste system was discriminatory. But, if they studied and made

progress, they could throw away those indignities.

Q27. What advice did Annan offer Bama? What was the result?

Ans. Annan advised Bama to study with care and learn all that she

could. If she was always ahead in her lessons, people would come

to her of their own accord and attach themselves to her. Bama

followed her brother’s advice and studied hard. She stood first in

her class, and because of that, many people became her friends.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q1. Describe Zitkala-Sa’s experience of ‘eating by formula’ on the

first day of her school.

Ans. There were tables and chairs arranged in the dining room. Boys

and girls entered the hall from opposite doors. A small bell was

tapped. Each of the pupils drew a chair from under the table.

Zitkala-Sa, too, pulled her chair and slipped into it. But when she

turned her head, all others were still standing. She shyly began to

rise but then there was a second bell and all were seated. A man’s
voice was heard at one end of the hall. Zitkala-Sa looked around to

see him. But all others hung their heads over their plates. When the

man stopped his mutterings, a third bell was tapped. Everyone

picked up their knife and fork and began eating. Zitkala-Sa began

crying instead. This ‘eating by formula’ was too hard a trial for her.

Q2. What did Zitkala-Sa do when she came to know that they were

going to cut her hair?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa crept up the stairs quietly when no one was noticing.

There she found a large room with three white beds in it. The

windows were covered with dark green curtains. It made the room

very dim. Zitkala-Sa went down on her hands and knees. She

crawled under the bed that was farthest from the door. There, she

lay huddled in the dark corner. Soon, she heard voices calling her

name. Women and girls entered the room. Someone threw up the

curtains. The room was filled with light. Zitkala-Sa was found under
the bed and dragged out. She was carried downstairs and tied fast

in a chair. She cried aloud, shaking her head all the while. She felt

the blades of scissors against her neck. She heard them cut off one

of her thick braids. Now she lost her spirit and stopped struggling.

When her long hair was shingled, she moaned for her mother. But

no one came to comfort her.

 II. We too are Human Beings
Part 2

About the Author

Bama is a Tamil Dalit Feminist and novelist. She is also known as Bama

Faustina Soosairaj. 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. Her father was employed with the Indian Army. Bama had her

early education in her village. On graduation, she served as a nun for

seven years. After serving as a nun for seven years, Bama left the convent

and began writing. With the encouragement of a friend, she wrote on her
childhood experiences. These experiences formed the basis for her first

novel, Karukku published in 1992.

She rose to fame with her autobiographical novel Karukku, which

chronicles the joys and sorrows experienced by Dalit Christian women in

Tamil Nadu. She subsequently wrote two more novels, Sangatiand

Vanmam along with two collections of short stories – Kusumbukkaran

and Oru Tattvum Erumaiyum. 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 the subaltern woman.
 Introduction

Bama is a girl from Tamil Dalit community. She is very upset to

experience the curse of untouchability. The elders of her community

have to bow low before the upper caste. They have to work hard

for them. Such people do not get respect and honour. Her brother

Annan inspires and advises her to work hard to attain quality. She

acts upon his advice and people start coming to her of their own

accord.

Summary

Bama was a student of third class. She never heard of the word

untouchability during her childhood. Certain small events of her life

made her feel that she was born in the marginalized caste. She was

a happy peppy girl and once when she was in the third class, while

going home she saw her people working hard for their land- lords. In

spite of their hard work the landlords treated the workers very

humiliatingly. She saw from the direction of the market an elder

from their community was coming with a parcel in his hands. The

manner he carried the poly bag, the manner he was carrying it with

its strings, without touching the Vadas inside the parcel, really made

him to be funny. He handed over the parcel to the landlord very

sacredly too. She narrated the incident to her brother, taking the

incident as humorous and funny. He told that it was not humorous

but humiliating as the elderly person was not supposed to touch the

item inside the parcel. On hearing that Bama felt infuriated.

She saw her people bowing, to the upper caste people. She was

enraged why her elders work so hard for those people who

despised them so much. She wanted her people to stop paying

undue respect and reverences to these upper caste people. Her

brother told her that if they study hard and make progress in their

lives, it would help them in throwing away the

indignities. Education is their weapon with which they fight back

the society. Bama did the same and got many friends in her life.
Education made her as double- sided sward to fight very sharply

against the unjustified caste system.

Lesson and Explanation

Passage : When I was studying in the third class, I hadn’t yet heard

people speak openly of untouchability. But I had already seen, felt,

experienced and been humiliated by what it is.

Word Meaning : Humiliated: insulted

Explanation of the above passage: The writer says that when she

was a student in the third class she had never heard anyone

speaking openly about untouchability. But she by then had already

seen and felt it. For her it was very embarrassing to experience the

concept of untouchability.

Passage : I was walking home from school one day, an old bag

hanging from my shoulder. It was actually possible to walk the

distance in ten minutes. But usually it would take me thirty minutes

at the very least to reach home. It would take me from half an hour
to an hour to dawdle along, watching all the fun and games that

were going on, all the entertaining novelties and oddities is the

streets, the shops and the bazaar.

Word Meaning :

Dawdle: waste time, idle

Novelties: newness, freshness

Oddities: strange things

Explanation of the above passage: The writer says that one day she

was coming back home from her school. She was carrying an old

bag with her. The distance between her school and home was only

ten minutes. But she would take thirty minutes to reach her home. It

was so because she used to waste her time in the street watching

all the fun and games happening there. She used to see new or

sometimes strange things happening there, and then there were

the shops and the bazaar that she loved to see.

Passage : The performing monkey; the snake which the snake

charmer kept in its box and displayed from time to time; the cyclist
who had not got off his bike for three days, and who kept pedalling

as hard as he could from break of day; the rupee notes that were

pinned on to his shirt to spur him on; the spinning wheels; the

Maariyaata temple, the huge bell hanging there; the pongal

offerings being cooked in front of the temple; the dried fish stall by

the statue of Gandhi; the sweet stall, the stall selling fried snacks,

and all the other shops next to each other; the street light always

demonstrating how it could change from blue to violet; the

narikkuravan hunter gypsy with his wild lemur in cages, selling

needles, clay beads and instruments for cleaning out the ears —

Oh, I could go on and on. Each thing would pull me to a stand-still

and not allow me to go any further.

Word Meaning :

Snake Charmer: an entertainer who appears to make snakes move

by playing music.

Spur: encouragement

Offerings: donation, gift

Demonstrate: to show

Lemur: an animal

Instrument: tool

Explanation of the above passage: The writer describes of those

things she watched in the street or the bazaar. There was a

performing monkey, a snake charmer who could make snakes

move by playing music. He would kept the snake in a box and

display it from time to time. There was a cyclist also who had been

riding his bike from past three days. He pedaled hard to continue

his riding as he was into some kind of contest. Somebody had

pinned the rupee notes on his shirt so as to encourage him and

keep him going on his cycle. Then there was spinning wheel and

the Maariyaata temple, there was a huge bell hanging inside the

temple. The pongal offering that is a particular dish cooked during

pongal was cooked outside this temple. There were dried fish also

that were sold by the statue of Gandhi. Next she describes that
there were stalls of sweet and fried snacks and other shops next to

each other. There were street lights that turn violet from blue and

then the narikkuravan, a tribe in south India. He had a lemur an

animal that looks like a monkey in a cage. He was a seller of

needles, clay beads and some instrument used for cleaning ear.

These sights of various things were so entertaining for her that it

prevents her from going further.

Passage : At times, people from various political parties would

arrive, put up a stage and harangue us through their mikes. Then

there might be a street play, or a puppet show, or a “no magic, no

miracle” stunt performance. All these would happen from time to

time. But almost certainly there would be some entertainment or

other going on.

Word Meaning :

Harangue: to give lecture

Miracle: wonder
Explanation of the above passage: The writer says that sometimes,

the people from various political parties would come in their street

and put up a stage to deliver lectures for all of us. Sometimes street

plays, puppet show and no magic no wonder acts were also

staged in the street. So basically there was a regular display of such

entertaining acts in the street.

Passage : Even otherwise, there were the coffee clubs in the

bazaar: the way each waiter cooled the coffee, lifting a tumbler

high up and pouring its contents into a tumbler held in his other

hand. Or the way some people sat in front of the shops chopping

up onions, their eyes turned elsewhere so that they would not smart.

Or the almond tree growing there and its fruit which was

occasionally blown down by the wind. All these sights taken

together would tether my legs and stop me from going home.

Word Meaning :

Tumbler: Jug

Tether: tie up

Explanation of the above passage: She further says that even if no

such act was staged in the street then also there were the coffee

clubs in the bazaar. She liked the way waiters cooled the coffee by

pouring it from one jug to another. There were some other people

who used to sit in front of their shops and chop onions. They always

turned their eyes on the other side so as to save them from getting

teary. Other interesting thing for the writer was an almond tree that

was still growing and whose fruit was blown away by the wind. All

these sights were so very interesting for the writer that she couldn’t

help her from stopping there and watching them. She feels like her

legs been tied up so that she could not reach her home.

Passage : And then, according to the season, there would be

mango, cucumber, sugar-cane, sweet-potato, palm-shoots, gram,

palm-syrup and palm-fruit, guavas and jack-fruit. Every day I would

see people selling sweet and savoury fried snacks, payasam, halva,

boiled tamarind seeds and iced lollies.

Word Meaning :

Savoury: a salty or spicy dish

Payasam: sweet dish made with rice and milk

Iced lollies: piece of flavored ice on stick

Explanation of the above passage: There were sellers of various

things in the bazaar. They used to sell items as per the season so

there were mango, cucumber, sugarcane, sweet potato, palm-

shoots, gram, palm- syrup, guavas and jack-fruit for sale. Even the

writer saw many other sellers selling sweet and spicy snacks,

payasam, halva, boiled tamarind seeds and iced lollies. So the

writer was quite a good observer and she used to notice every bit

of thing happening in the market street.

Passage : Gazing at all this, one day, I came to my street, my bag

slung over my shoulder. At the opposite corner, though, a threshing

floor had been set up, and the landlord watched the proceedings,

seated on a piece of sacking spread over a stone ledge. Our

people were hard at work, driving cattle in pairs, round and round,

to tread out the grain from the straw. The animals were muzzled so

that they wouldn’t help themselves to the straw. I stood for a while

there, watching the fun.

Word Meaning :

Gaze: look

Threshing floor: A specially flattened outdoor surface to separate

the grain from straw.

Proceedings: events, activities

Sack: bag

Ledge: shelf

Tread: walk

Muzzled: a covering used to cover the mouth of an animal

Explanation of the above passage: The writer says that looking at all

those skits and beautiful things all day she then entered her own
street. On the opposite side of the street there was a newly made

threshing floor, a flattened outdoor surface made to separate grain

from straw. The landlord was sitting on a stone shelf and was

watching people work in his field. She then describes the laborers

who are working in the field. They belonged to the writer’s

community. She says that they are very hardworking and they were

driving the cattle in pairs in the field. They were doing so to

separate the grain from the straw. Further, she says that the mouth

of the animals was covered so as to stop them from eating grains.

All this was such a fun to watch for her.

Passage : Just then, an elder of our street came along from the

direction of the bazaar. The manner in which he was walking along

made me want to double up. I wanted to shriek with laughter at

the sight of such a big man carrying a small packet in that fashion. I

guessed there was something like vadai or green banana bhajji in

the packet, because the wrapping paper was stained with oil. He
came along, holding out the packet by its string, without touching

it. I stood there thinking to myself, if he holds it like that, won’t the

package come undone, and the vadais fall out?

Word Meaning :

Double up: laugh out loud

Shriek: burst out

Wrap: cover

Stain: Spot

Strings: thread

Explanation of the above passage: Then she saw an elder person,

who was her neighbor coming from bazaar. He was carrying a

packet of some snack with him. The manner in which the old man

was walking made her burst in laugh. He was handling it at some

distance from his body. She says that she came to know that the

packet contained vadai or green banana bhaji. She guessed it

because of the oily spots on the packet. The man was carrying it by
the threads. This made the writer think that this way of handling a

packet could lead to fall of its contents.

Passage : The elder 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 parcel and

began to eat the vadais.

Word Meaning :

Extend: hold out

Cupping: holding hands together to catch something

Explanation of the above passage: The old man went up to the

landlord. He bends down to show respect to the landlord and

holding his hand out he offered the carry bag to the landlord. The

landlord took the parcel and started eating vadais out of it.

Passage : 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.

Word Meaning :

Amused: finding something funny

Polluted: impure, harmful

Explanation of the above passage: After watching all this she went

back to her home. She narrated the whole incident of the old man

to her elder brother. She was laughing out by recalling the way that

big man was handling the packet. But her brother Annan didn’t

found it funny. He told her that the man wasn’t being funny, He did

it because we belong to a lower caste. People from upper caste

do not touch us as this would make them impure. Even the food
should be handled by the strings if it is for the upper caste, that is

why the old man was carrying it like this.

Passage : 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 parceled in paper? I

felt so provoked and angry that I wanted to touch those wretched

vadais myself straightaway. Why should we have to fetch and carry

for these people, I wondered. Such an important elder of ours goes

meekly to the shops to fetch snacks and hands them over

reverently, bowing and shrinking, to this fellow who just sits there

and stuffs them into his mouth. The thought of it infuriated me.

Word Meaning :

Terrible: horrible

Disgusting: unpleasant

Provoked: evoke, arouse

Wretched: miserable, sad

Fetch: bring, carry

Meekly: quietly, submissively

Reverently: with deep respect

Infuriate: anger

Explanation of the above passage: When she heard all this from her

brother, the writer became very sad. She wanted to know how the

people of upper caste could have such a belief about their

community. She knew that vadais are first packed in banana

leaves and then in a parcel so how could they get polluted with

their touch. She felt so angry at this that she decided to go and

touch those vadais herself. She then questioned herself again as to

why we have to go and bring things for these upper caste people.

She also felt bad for that elder person who was one of the

important people of her tribe. She said he even had to go to bring

things for them. He had to hand all that with great respect to such
a person who just sits there and pops the things into his mouth. This

very thought filled her with anger.

Passage : How was it that these fellows thought so much of

themselves? Because they had scraped four coins together, did

that mean they must lose all human feelings? But we too are

human beings. Our people should never run these petty errands for

these fellows. We should work in their fields, take home our wages,

and leave it at that.

Word Meaning :

Scraped: here, saved

Errands: task, job

Explanation of the above passage: The poet says that what if the

upper caste people have some money with them. Does that mean

that they will not treat others nicely? She says that we are also

human beings and should be treated like a human. She also thinks

that people from her community should not do such small tasks of
bringing food for them. We should work in their fields, take our

wages and then leave out. We should never do any extra work for

them.

Passage : My elder brother, who was studying at a university, had

come home for the holidays. He would often go to the library in our

neighboring village in order to borrow books. He was on his way

home one day, walking along the banks of the irrigation tank. One

of the landlord’s men came up behind him. He thought my Annan

looked unfamiliar, and so he asked, “Who are you, appa, what’s

your name?” Annan told him his name. Immediately the other man

asked, “Thambi, on which street do you live?” The point of this was

that if he knew on which street we lived, he would know our caste

too.

Word Meaning :

Irrigation Tank: water pond made for watering fields

Thambi: brother
Explanation of the above passage: Writer’s elder brother had come

home for the holidays. He was a student in a University. He was on

the way to his home from a neighboring village, where he had

gone to borrow books from the library. He was walking along an

irrigation pond when he was stopped by one of the men of the

landlord. He was asked his name. Annan told his name. He then

queried about his street so that he could know his caste.

Passage : 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.

Word Meaning :

Community: group

Dignity: nobility

Indignities: humiliate, disrespect

Frenzy: madness, mania

Explanation of the above passage: Annan told the whole incident

to the writer. He also told her that as they were born into a low

caste they will never get any respect from the upper caste. They

are deprived of all this. But if they study hard and make progress in

their life they can throw away this disrespect. He suggested his sister

to study hard and stay ahead over others as this would earn her

respect and company from others. The words of the elder brother

touched her so deeply that she started working hard almost like a

mad person. As Annan had asked she stood first in her class and

because of this she made so many friends.

 Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why was the narrator taking an hour or half to reach home

instead of ten minute?

Ans. The narrator was taking an hour or half to reach home as she

used to watch the roadside fun and games. The entertaining

novelties like the performing monkey, snake charmer’s display of

snake, marathon cycling, dried fish stall by the statue of Gandhi,

street play or puppet show used to pull her stand still on her way

back home.

Q2. What was going on at the opposite corner when Bama came to

her street one day?

Ans. A threshing floor had been set up there. Some people of

Bama’s community were hard work. They were driving cattle round

and round in pairs. They were treading out the grain from the straw.

Q3. Why did Bama want to laugh on seeing an elder of her street?
Ans. The elder was carrying a small packet by its string. He was

holding it out so as not to touch it. There seemed to be Vadais in

the packet because it was stained with oil. Bama wanted to laugh

because that way the packet could get undone and the Vadais

could fall out.

Q4. How did Bama come to know about untouchability?

Ans. Bama saw an elder of her community carrying a packet of

vadais by its string. The packet was for the landlord. For Bama, it

was a funny sight. But her brother told her that they were not

supposed to touch the upper caste people. Their touch could

pollute them. It was only then that Bama knew of the social

discrimination faced by their community.

Q5. How did Annan explain to Bama that there was nothing funny

about the elder carrying the packet by its string?

Ans. Annan told Bama that the landlord and his people were

believed to be of upper caste. The Dalits were not supposed to

touch them. By their touch, the upper caste people thought they

were polluted. That was why the elder had to carry the packet by

its string.

Q6. What advice did Annan offer Bama?

Ans. Annan advised Bama to study hard with care and learn all she

could. He said that only by studying and by making progress, could

they throw away their indignities.

Q7. Why did Bama study so hard?

Ans. Bama’s brother who was studying at a University told her

because they were born in a low caste they are deprived of honour

and dignities. He advised her to study and make progress to throw

away the indignities. The words of her brother left a deep impression

in her mind and she studied hard.

 Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. What was the scene that first amused Bama but then filled her

with anger and revolt?

Ans. A threshing floor had been set up at a corner of the street. It

was a street where the Dalits lived. Some men of the street were

working hard to separate the grain from the straw. The landlord was

sitting on a piece of sacking spread over a stone ledge. Bama saw

an elder man of the street coming from the side of the bazaar. He

was holding out a packet by its string. The packet was stained with

oil. It had probably vadais in it. Bama thought it was funny to carry

the packet in that manner, because the packet could get undone

and the vadais could fall out. But Bama’s elder brother explained to

her that there was nothing comic about it. The landlord and his

people were believed to be of upper caste. The Dalits were not

supposed to touch them. It could pollute the upper caste people.

On hearing this, Bama was filled with anger and revolt. She said,
“We too are human beings. Our people should never do these

humiliating things for them. We should work in their fields, take home

our wages, and leave it at that.”

Q2. What oppression and discrimination did Zitkala-Sa and Bama

experience during their childhood? How did the respond to their

respective situations?

Ans. Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama had a terrible experience of social

oppression and discrimination during their childhood. Bama was

filled with revolt when she saw how the elder of their community

was humiliated by the village landlord. She said, “We too are

human beings. We should never bow low before these fellows.”

Zitkala-Sa was also a victim of social discrimination. She belonged

to a tribe of native Americans. The white-skinned settlers from

Europe looked down upon the local tribes. They treated them like

animals. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa refuse to bow to the injustice

they are subjected to. Both of them protest in their own way.
Zitkala-Sa does not want her hair to be shingled. Among her tribe,

shingled hair is considered to be a sign of cowardice. She struggles

with all her might when she is tied in a chair. But at last the little one

has to give herself up. Bama, on her part, decides to work hard at

her studies so that others realise her worth and come to her as

friends.

Q3. What are the similarities in the lives Bama and Zitkala-Sa though

they belong to different cultures?

Ans. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa were the victims of social

discrimination. Both of them protest in their own way. Bama

belonged to an oppressed community. One day, she saw an elder

of her community holding a packet of vadais by its string. This

packet was for the landlord. Bama thought it was a funny sight. But

Bama’s brother explained to her that the landlord and his people

belonged to the upper caste. The touch of one from an oppressed

class could pollute them. It filled Bama with anger and revolt. The
experience of Zitkala-Sa was also of a similar one. She belonged to

a tribe of native Americans. The white-skinned settlers from Europe

looked down upon the local tribes. They treated them like animals.

Zitkala-Sa did not want her hair to be shingled. Among her tribe,

shingled hair was considered to be a sign of cowardice. She

struggled with all her might when she was tied in a chair. But at last,

the little one had to give herself up. Thus both Bama and Zitkala-Sa

protested in their own way.

Q4. The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant

cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?

Ans. The first account is that of Zitkala-Sa. She is a native American.

She belongs to a tribe of people who were the original inhabitants

of America. The white-skinned European settlers had a bitter

prejudice against the native Americans. They treated them like

herds of animals. The second account is that of Bama who was a

Tamil Indian. She belonged to the Dalit community. She was pained
to see how the upper caste people treated the Dalits in a

humiliating manner. They thought that even the touch of Dalit

would pollute them. Thus we see that though Zitkala-Sa and Bama

belonged to different cultures, there was much commonality in

their sufferings. Both the communities suffered from the racial

prejudice of those who considered themselves to be superior to

them.

Q5. 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?

Ans. Elders become used to the kind of life they have been living.

They stop grumbling or protesting because they take it as their

destiny. But children are far more sensitive than elders. They acutely

feel whatever they think is wrong or unjust. They may be physically

weak but are emotionally quite awake. They feel quite disturbed
when they see injustice being done to someone. Thus the seeds of

rebellion are sown early in life. And when they grow up, they stand

in open rebellion against the oppressor.

Q6. 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. Zitkala-Sa was a victim of social discrimination. She belonged

to a tribe of native Americans. The white-skinned settlers from

Europe looked down upon the local tribes. They treated them like

animals. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa refuse to bow to the injustice

they are subjected to. Both of them protest in their own way.

Zitkala-Sa does not want her hair to be shingled. Among her tribe,

shingled hair is considered to be a sign of cowardice. She struggles

with all her might when she is tied in a chair. But at last the little one

has to give herself up. Bama, on her part, decides to work hard in

her studies so that others realise her worth and come to her as

friends.
 Conclusion
"Memories of Childhood" by Zitkala Sa and Bama provides readers

with a profound insight into the complexities of growing up in

diverse cultural landscapes. Through the lens of their childhood

experiences, these authors illuminate universal themes of identity,

resistance, and the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity.

As we navigate the pages of "Impressions of an Indian Childhood"

and "Karukku," we are confronted with the raw and authentic

narratives of Zitkala Sa and Bama. Their stories transcend cultural

boundaries, resonating with readers who may find echoes of their

own struggles for identity and dignity. "Memories of Childhood"

serves as a poignant reminder of the power of storytelling to bridge

gaps, foster understanding, and advocate for a more inclusive and

compassionate world.