Rohit Yadav
Primary question
Question 1.
The two accounts that you read above are based on two distant cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?
Answer:
Both the autobiographical extracts, based upon two distant cultures, depict the lives of two women from marginalised communities who look back at their childhood and reflect on their relationship with mainstream culture. The first account is by an American Indian woman bom in the late 19th century. The account expressed the indignations suffered by the Native Americans at the hands of Christians.
She was ardently against the oppression of Native Americans in Western culture. Though she resented this mistreatment, she still aimed at bridging the wide gap between the dominant white and Native American cultures. She did not let herself get seduced into believing that her Native American traditions were folly or sin.
As a person of mixed blood, her life could be looked upon as an example of the beauty and accomplishments that are possible if the two cultures live in cooperation.The second account is by a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer. She voiced the discrimination she faced as a Dalit. She explored the impact of the discrimination, compounded by the poverty suffered by Dalit women.
The caste system had been so deeply ingrained in the Indian psyche that institutions that ought to promote egalitarianism became the means of perpetuating caste discrimination. Both these accounts are bound by the common theme of discrimination and indignity suffered by women in marginalised communities at the hands of the supposedly superior caste or culture.
Question 2.
It may take a long time for oppression to be removed, 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?
Answer:
Children are heavily influenced and conditioned by their upbringing. The social influences that they experience from childhood are often ingrained in their subconscious, and are manifested later. Children are also perceptive and keenly aware of positive and negative influences. Rebellious children manifest the ‘seed’ of rebellion planted at some point in their lives.
A sensitive perspective provides a means for understanding how the oppression of children occurs within multiple social contexts that interrelate to produce harmful outcomes for children. Children lack power and resources and are easy targets for adult oppression. Children are exposed to different levels and types of oppression that vary depending on their age, socio-economic class, race, and the beliefs of their parents.
According to the theory of differential oppression, oppression leads to adaptive reactions by children: passive acceptance, exercise of illegitimate coercive power, manipulation of one’s peers, and retaliation. Reducing the oppressive acts of adults and alleviating the damaging circumstances that characterise the social environment of children is critical to reducing the prevalence of juvenile delinquency and other kinds of problem behaviour. The reaction of Zitkala-Sa and Bama to the injustice they perceived as children ranged from defiance, anguish, resentment, and dejection to a fierce determination to excel.
Question 3.
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?
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa was ill-treated and discriminated against from the beginning of her journey. Native Americans, at that time, did not associate with white people and faced discrimination because of their appearance. She felt scared and extremely uncomfortable when unable to comprehend the ways of a foreign culture. Even though she hated the way she was treated, she still had to abide by rules and orders to avoid punishment. However much she suffered at the hands of cultural and racial discrimination, she managed to work her way through and never gave in to discrimination.
Similarly, Bama remained undeterred. She was convinced that she had a role to play. And it was this conviction that made her stand up for her beliefs. She championed the economic and social hardships faced by Dalits due to the discrimination by upper-caste people. Both the writers challenged accepted social practices and did not succumb to pressure. They made their voices heard, and brought to light the indignities faced by their races; they stood by what they believed to be true.
Extra Questions and Answers
Short Answer Questions
Question 1.
Who was Gertrude Simmons?
Answer:
Gertrude Simmons was an extraordinarily talented and educated Native American woman who struggled and triumphed at a time when severe prejudice prevailed against Native American culture and women. As a writer, she adopted the pen name, Zitkala-Sa. Her works criticized traditional dogma, and her life as a Native American woman was dedicated against the evils of oppression.
Question 2.
What were the first things that upset Zitkala-Sa at school?
Answer:
The severe cold weather and the alien surroundings upset Zitkala-Sa. She was neither familiar with the language nor the strict regime of the hostel. She was perturbed by the sound of the large bell with the annoying the clatter of shoes. Her spirit pined for its lost freedom.
Question 3.
How was the attire of the girls in school different from Zitkala-Sa?
Answer:
The girls at school wore stiff shoes and closely fitted dresses. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair. Zitkala-Sa wore soft moccasins, and had wrapped a blanket on her shoulders. She found the tight-fitting clothes rather immodest.
Question 4.
Narrate Zitkala-Sa’s embarrassment at the breakfast table.
Answer:
At the breakfast table, a small bell was tapped, and each of the pupils drew a chair from under the table. Supposing this act meant that they were to be seated, Zitkala-Sa pulled out her chair and seated herself only to realize that the rest were standing. Just as she got up, a second bell was sounded. All were seated at that, and Zitkala-Sa had to crawl back into her chair again. She then heard a man’s voice and saw all had hung their heads over their plates. She saw a pale-faced woman stare at her and dropped her eyes. With the third bell, everyone picked up their knives and forks and began eating. Zitkala-Sa wept as she was confounded by the unfamiliarity of her surroundings and practices.
Question 5.
Why was cutting of her hair the greatest blow to Zitkala-Sa?
Answer:
Zitkala-Sa had been taught by her mother that, in Native American culture, unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards according to their practices. She tried to resist being shorn of her cultural values.
Question 6.
What were the sights that fascinated little Bama as she walked home from school?
Answer:
Bama enjoyed the entertaining novelties and oddities on the streets, on her way home from school. The performing monkey, the antics of the snake-charmer, the cyclist at his cycle for three days, the Maariyaata temple and the huge bell, the pongal offerings being cooked, the dried fish stall, the sweet stall, the stall selling fried snacks, the street light changing colour, and other such sights fascinated her.
Question 7.
What was that one episode that left an indelible imprint on Bama’s mind?
Answer:
Bama noticed a man holding on to a food packet by its string. Without touching it, he handed it over to the landlord. The landlord opened the parcel and began to eat the vadais. At home, her elder brother explained to how lower cast people, such as the author herself, were prohibited to touch anything of use to the upper caste people. They were believed to sully the item they touched and therefore the package was carefully carried, by its string, for the landlord who belonged to higher caste.
Question 8.
What was the bitter truth of their life that Annan told Bama?
Answer:
Annan told Bama about the caste system that subjugated Dalits in the society. He added that being bom into a lower caste community, one could never get honour or dignity or respect. It was education alone that could help them earn respect.
Long Answer Questions
Question 1.
During her first meal in the missionary school, Simmons became painfully aware of the tension between tradition and acculturation and of the great lack of understanding people had about Native American culture. Explain.
Answer:
Before the meal, the girls were lined up. The Indian girls wore stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses, which seemed immodest to the author’s traditional taste. The small girls wore short hair. Simmons walked noiselessly in her soft leather shoes. She was embarrassed as her blanket had been taken off from her shoulders. Just as they entered, the boys came in from the opposite door. She was at a loss when the rest of them prayed, and ate with fork and knife, by the summons of bells.
She noticed the pale-faced woman staring at her and felt unnerved. The writer wept, she was at a loss over the strange practices, she lacked understanding of the western way of dressing, praying and eating. For a child, a sudden change of one’s faith, cultural and aesthetic conditioning is bewildering and often traumatic. The distance between the two cultures is pronounced by the example of the episode. What the west considered barbaric in Native American was the essence and beauty of their culture which was painfully and ignorantly stripped from their personality in an attempt to acclimatize them.
Question 2.
Narrate the trauma Simmons faced as a child during the hair-cutting episode.
Answer:
Judewin, who knew a few words of English, told Gertrude Simmons that they would cut their long, heavy hair. It was a blow to her as in their culture it signified humiliation or mourning. Judewin warned her about the futility of her mission to escape the hair-cutting ritual, but the writer was prepared to struggle. To hide from the situation, she crept up the stairs into a dim, large room, and crawled under the farthest bed in the dark comer. Every time footsteps were heard, she felt terrorized.
She knew that they were searching frantically for her and soon she was dragged out and tied to a chair. She wept loudly but her hair was clipped short. With her hair lost, she lost her spirit. She had suffered a great deal of disgrace earlier and now her hair was cut like that of a coward. She moaned for her mother, but no one came to comfort her. The brutality made her feel like a beast.
Question 3.
Bama like any other child enjoyed innocent pleasures. Justify.
Answer:
The writer walked home from school each day. It was a ten-minute walk but it took her thirty minutes to complete the distance. She would loiter along, watching all the fun and games and all the entertaining new and strange things that she saw on the way. She enjoyed everything, be it the performing monkey, or the snake charmer, or the man who cycled non-stop for days or the spinning wheels. She was fascinated by the Maariyaata temple, its huge bell and the pongal offerings.
She also stopped to hear the political activists, rallying, or to watch a street play, a puppet show, or a stunt performance.Even mundane activities such as waiters cooling coffee, or people chopping onions, or the almond tree with its fruit occasionally blown down held her attention for long. The people selling edibles were equally appealing to her.
Question 4.
Only an untouchable would know the pain of being one. Discuss with reference to Bama’s episode.
OR
How does “Memories of Childhood” bring out the plight of marginalized communities in India?
Answer:
Bama felt and experienced untouchability, early in life. As a child, she noticed an elderly person walking with a small packet, holding on to the packet by its string, without touching it. He brought it to the landlord, bowed low, and extended the packet towards him. The landlord opened the parcel and began to eat the vadais. Her elder brother explained that people believed that they were upper caste and therefore prohibited people from the lower caste to touch them, believing that the act would pollute them.
On hearing that, Bama felt sad and insulted. Her mind rebelled against fetching and carrying for people who considered people such as her untouchable. It made her very angry. She wondered why the upper-caste people behaved in such a manner just because they were richer. She strongly felt that her people must never run errands for those of the upper caste people.
MCQs
Question 1.
Bama’s brother told her that if she wanted to make progress, she had to
(a) learn to cook
(b) study
(c) learn to stitch and knit
(d) learn to drive
Answer
Answer: (b) study
Question 2.
Bama was very rebellious and the thought of oppression at the hands of upper castes
(a) infuriated her
(b) provoked her to slap someone
(c) made her abusive
(d) made her want to murder someone
Answer
Answer: (a) infuriated her
Question 3.
Bama’s elder brother was studying at
(a) school
(b) college
(c) university
(d) medical college
Answer
Answer: (c) university
Question 4.
She had thought that the man carrying the bag was only
(a) making a game out of carrying the parcel
(b) trying to make her laugh
(c) obeying orders
(d) not touching it because it was hot
Answer
Answer: (a) making a game out of carrying the parcel
Question 5.
The man was carrying
(a) pakoras
(b) samosas
(c) jalebis
(d) vadai or green banana bhaji
Answer
Answer: (d) vadai or green banana bhaji
Question 6.
One day the author was attracted by the sight of
(a) two riders on a horse
(b) a monkey performing tricks
(c) cattle treading out the grain from straw
(d) dogs fighting with cats
Answer
Answer: (c) cattle treading out the grain from straw
Question 7.
There would always be some kind of entertainment
(a) in the school
(b) in the church
(c) in the bazaar
(d) in the house
Answer
Answer: (c) in the bazaar
Question 8.
Bama used to dawdle along from school because she was
(a) too slow
(b) crippled
(c) distracted by lots of things on the way
(d) unable to wait for the school bus
Answer
Answer: (c) distracted by lots of things on the way
Question 9.
The author Bama felt she already had experienced the humiliation due to
(a) dark skin
(b) short height
(c) poverty
(d) untouchability
Answer
Answer: (d) untouchability
Question 10.
The author was being stared at by people and she felt she
(a) looked pretty
(b) looked terrible
(c) had suffered extreme indignities
(d) looked like a model
Answer
Answer: (c) had suffered extreme indignities
Question 11.
We have to submit because they are strong’. These words were said by
(a) Zitkala-Sa
(b) Judewin
(c) Marry-Ann
(d) Christine
Answer
Answer: (b) Judewin
Question 12.
Short hair, in the author’s tribe, was worn only by
(a) mourners
(b) old people
(c) young kids
(d) elderly women
Answer
Answer: (a) mourners
Question 13.
While others ate, the author
(a) laughed
(b) watched them
(c) cried
(d) frowned
Answer
Answer: (c) cried
Question 14.
Everyone kept standing except
(a) the teacher
(b) the matron
(c) the caretaker
(d) the author
Answer
Answer: (d) the author
Question 15.
As the bell rang, the whole group of pupils
(a) sat on the floor
(b) drew a chair from under the table
(c) sat on the stools
(d) knelt down on the ground
Answer
Answer: (b) drew a chair from under the table
Question 16.
The Indian girls wore
(a) clinging dresses
(b) nightgowns
(c) trousers
(d) skirts
Answer
Answer: (a) clinging dresses
Question 17.
Zitkala was being constantly observed by a woman who had
(a) a pale face
(b) fair complexion
(c) dark complexion
(d) angry look
Answer
Answer: (a) a pale face
Question 18.
Rama was a
(a) Bengali writer
(b) a Tamil Dalit
(c) an NRI
(d) a politician
Answer
Answer: (b) a Tamil Dalit
Question 19.
Zitkala-Sa was a victim of
(a) racial prejudice
(b) serious crime
(c) rape
(d) a car accident
Answer
Answer: (a) racial prejudice
Question 20.
The lesson ‘Memories of Childhood’ is
(a) an autobiographical episode
(b) a fable
(c) a legend
(d) a play
Answer
Answer: (a) an autobiographical episode
Question 21.
Which family did Bama belog to?
(a) A jewish family
(b) a rich family
(c) a poor catholic family
(d) all
Answer
Answer: (c) a poor catholic family
Question 22.
What was the name of the school where Zitkala studied?
(a) Carlisle Indian school
(b) Carlisle Western school
(c) Carlisle Indonesian school
(d) Carlisle American school
Answer
Answer: (a) Carlisle Indian school
Question 23.
What was the author’s original name?
(a) Zitkala
(b) Zitkala sa
(c) Zitkala Bama
(d) Gertrude Simmons Bonnin
Answer
Answer: (d) Gertrude Simmons Bonnin
Question 24.
Why did Zitkala hide herself?
(a) to save herself
(b) to save herself from a woman
(c) to save herself from other children
(d) to stop people from cutting her hair
Answer
Answer: (d) to stop people from cutting her hair
Question 25.
What was common between Bama and Zitkala?
(a) belonged to minority
(b) victims of cultural differences
(c) were struggling because of class
(d) all these
Answer
Answer: (d) all these
Question 26.
What sort of shows attracted Bama?
(a) shows by jugglers
(b) shows by monkeys
(c) shows by shopkeepers
(d) shows by political people
Answer
Answer: (d) shows by political people
Question 27.
What did Judewin tell Zitkala?
(a) A new dress is comming
(b) she will meet her mother
(c) she will go to a new place
(d) her hair would be cut
Answer
Answer: (d) her hair would be cut
Question 28.
Why did the Landlord’s man ask Bama’s brother on which street did they live?
(a) to know his class
(b) to know his background
(c) to know his work
(d) to know his caste
Answer
Answer: (d) to know his caste
Question 29.
Why did Zitkala feel oppressed in her new establishment?
(a) because of indignities shown to her
(b) because she didn’t like the place
(c) she wanted to be with her mother
(d) none
Answer
Answer: (a) because of indignities shown to her
Question 30.
Why did Zitkala find Eating by formula a hard trial?
(a) because of her inability to follow the bell taps
(b) because of too many rules
(c) because of restrictions
(d) none
Answer
Answer: (a) because of her inability to follow the bell taps
Question 31.
Which community does Bama belong to?
(a) rich
(b) Brahmins
(c) Untouchable low caste
(d) None
Answer
Answer: (c) Untouchable low caste
Question 32.
Who told Bama that untouchability is a crime?
(a) her mother
(b) Zitkala and Sa
(c) her sister
(d) Her brother Annan
Answer
Answer: (d) Her brother Annan
Question 33.
What did Zitkala mean by Eating By Formula?
(a) Set pattern of sitting
(b) set pattern of standing in lines
(c) set pattern of rules
(d) set pattern of eating decorum
Answer
Answer: (d) set pattern of eating decorum
Question 34.
What was Bama victim of?
(a) gender prejudice
(b) violence
(c) child abuse
(d) caste system
Answer
Answer: (d) caste system
Question 35.
Why did Bama reach home in one hour in place of 10 minutes?
(a) she was watching shows on the road
(b) she was stopping at every shop
(c) she was enjoying all fun on the roads
(d) all these
Answer
Answer: (d) all these
Question 36.
How much time did Bama take to reach home?
(a) 2 hours
(b) 3hours
(c) 4hours
(d) 1 hour
Answer
Answer: (d) 1 hour
Question 37.
What did the cutting of long hair of Zitkala Sa symbolise in the lesson?
(a) subjection to the rulers
(b) her wish to dominate
(c) her wish to get justice
(d) her wish to look modern
Answer
Answer: (a) subjection to the rulers
Question 38.
Who was Zitkala Sa?
(a) A tamilian
(b) A protester
(c) A native American
(d) None
Answer
Answer: (c) A native American
Question 39.
What are the names of the two women?
(a) Zitkala Sa a Native American and Bama Tamilian Dalit
(b) Zitkala and Sa
(c) Ba and Ma
(d) Annan and Bama
Answer
Answer: (a) Zitkala Sa a Native American and Bama Tamilian Dalit
Question 40.
Who is the author of the lesson Memories of childhood?
(a) Zitkala-Sa and Bama
(b) Emily Brontë
(c) Charles Dickens
(d) None
Answer
Answer: (a) Zitkala-Sa and Bama
Question 41.
What had hurt Bama in the society?
(a) Political plays
(b) class students
(c) Road shows
(d) Practice of untouchability
Answer
Answer: (d) Practice of untouchability
Question 42.
What is Belfry?
(a) part of a bell tower
(b) part of a tower
(c) part of a music tower
(d) part of a silver tower
Answer
Answer: (a) part of a bell tower
Question 43.
What did the story showcase?
(a) Discrimination on the basis of casteism specially with Indians in western culture
(b) difference of Indian and Western culture
(c) views of minorities
(d) none
Answer
Answer: (a) Discrimination on the basis of casteism specially with Indians in western culture
Question 44.
How did the scene in the market change Bama’s life?
(a) because of that she decided to study hard and stand against discrimination
(b) she became fearful
(c) she became stubborn
(d) she was irritated
Answer
Answer: (a) because of that she decided to study hard and stand against discrimination
Question 45.
Why did Zitkala start crying at the dining table ?
(a) she didn’t like the food
(b) she was a stranger
(c) because of eating by formula
(d) all these
Answer
Answer: (c) because of eating by formula
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