Memories of Childhood [AHSEC Class 12 English Notes for 2025 Exam]

About the Authors

Zitkal-Sa (1876 - 1938), Native American writer

Zitkal-Sa is the pen name of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, an extraordinarily talented and educated Native American woman. She struggled and triumphed when severe prejudice prevailed against Native American culture and women. In 1900 she began publishing articles criticising the Carlisle Indian school.  Her works criticised dogma, and her life as a Native American woman was dedicated against the evils of oppression.

Bama(born in 1958), Indian writer

Bama is the pen name of a Tamil Dalit woman from a Roman Catholic family. She has published three main works: an autobiography ‘Karruku’, a novel ‘Sangati’ and a collection of short stories ‘Kisumbukkaaran’. The excerpt in the lesson has been taken from ‘Karruku’.

Brief Summary: The Cutting of My Long Hair

Here the writer describes the traumatic experience of having her long hair shingled. She was a Native American, and at the age of eight was sent to a missionary school for education. Native Americans kept their hair long, and it was a matter of shame to have it cut. Though she struggles and puts up a fight, her hair is shingled.

Paragraph wise Summary: The Cutting of My Long Hair

A New Environment

The first day in the new school was a bitterly cold one, snow covered the ground, and the trees were still bare, without leaves. The sound of a large bell broke the silence and jarred the sensitivity of the ears. There was the clatter of shoes, clash of harsh noises and voices murmuring an unknown tongue. All these contributed to the confusion within the writer. Her spirit was struggling for its lost freedom but in vain.

Other Students

The girls started marching to the dining room in a queue. There were Indian girls wearing closely clinging clothes and stiff shoes. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and had shingled hair. As the writer walked noiselessly in her soft moccasins, she felt embarrassed as her blanket had been taken from her. Without the blanket covering her shoulders, she felt immodestly dressed. She saw that the Indian girls were more immodestly dressed than her. The boys entered the dining room from the opposite door. She looked out for the three boys who had been brought there with her and noticed that they were as uncomfortable as she was.

Bells and Procedure

A small bell was tapped; each student drew out a chair from under the table. The writer too pulled out her chair and sat on it. Seeing that she was the only one seated, she started to rise. A second bell was sounded, and everyone sat down. A man's voice could be heard from one end of the hall. She saw that a strange pale-faced woman was keenly watching her. The man's mutterings stopped, and a third bell was tapped. All picked up their fork and knife and began eating. The writer started crying as she was scared to do anything more.

Threat to Hair

Her friend Judewin had overheard the pale-faced woman talk about cutting their long heavy hair. The writer had been taught that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Mourners wore short hair and cowards had shingled hair. The writer said that she would fight and not quietly yield to losing her hair. She went up the stairs, passed a hall and entered a room with three white beds in it. She crawled under a bed and huddled in a dark corner. She could hear her name being called out. People were searching for her, but she did not respond. The sounds drew nearer. Women and girls entered the room. They looked behind trunks and opened closet doors. Somebody parted the curtains and light filled the room. Soon the writer was spotted under the bed and dragged out. She kicked and scratched wildly. Yet, she was carried downstairs and tied up in a chair.

Submission

She cried aloud as her thick braids were cut off. At that time, she lost her spirit. From the time she had been parted from her mother, she had suffered extreme indignity and shame. She was a spectacle for people and had been tossed about in the air like a wooden puppet. Finally, her hair was shingled like a coward's. In her anguish, she moaned for her mother, but no one came forward to comfort her. Not one person explained to her as her mother used to. She was now one of the many little animals driven by a herder.

Brief Summary: We Too Are Human Beings

The story is an excerpt from 'Karruku', Bama's autobiography. It follows the innocence of her childhood days and the period of awakening when she realises that some people consider themselves upper caste and practise untouchability where lower classes like Dalits are concerned. Her brother advises her to study hard in order to overcome these barriers.

Paragraph wise Summary: We Too Are Human Beings

The Joy of Childhood Days

Bama remembers the childhood days when she was studying in the third standard. Though she hadn’t heard people speak openly of untouchability, she had experienced its repercussions. One day, she was on her way home after school. The distance was a ten-minute walk but she would take half an hour to reach home. She would slowly take in the sights in front of her like a monkey that performed tricks, the captive snake with the snake charmer, a fast peddling cyclist, the Maariyaata temple and it’s huge bell, dry fish stall, sweets stall, stall selling fried snacks, the changing street light, the narikkuravan hunter gypsy selling stuff. All these sights and scenes fascinated her, thus halting her and making slow progress on the homeward journey.

Roadside Scenes

People from various political parties would set up a stage and give speeches. There would be street plays, puppet shows and stunt performances, taking place from time to time. Bama used to be drawn to the sight of the waiters in the coffee clubs, cooling the coffee by pouring the liquid from tumbler to tumbler. There were people chopping onions outside shops. An almond tree grew there with an occasional wind, blowing its fruits down. According to the season, mango, cucumber, sugarcane, sweet potato, palm shoots, gram, palm syrup, palm fruit, guava and jackfruit would be available. Fried snacks, payasam, halva, boiled tamarind seeds and iced lollies would also be sold.

Untouchability

After gazing at all these things, she reached her street. On the opposite side, there was a threshing floor and the landlord was watching the going on. She could see her people working hard. She stood there for a while and watched. She saw an elderly man from her street coming from the direction of the bazaar. He was carrying a small packet of fried snacks. He held the packet by its string without touching it. Bama wanted to laugh at the sight of a big man carrying a small packet in such a way. The elderly man handed over the packet to the landlord who took out the vadai and started eating it. She went home and with great amusement narrated the incident to her elder brother. Her brother said that others believed that they were upper caste and should not touch them. Hence the man had to carry the package by its string.

Realisation

After hearing this, Bama felt sad and wondered how people could believe in such things. She also felt angry that an important elderly person of their community had to meekly serve a fellow who just says there and stuffed food into his mouth. She wondered what made them feel so self-important. Having wealth had deprived them of humanity. Her elder brother was a student at a university and was home for the holidays. He would often borrow books from the library in the neighbouring village. One day one of the landlord's men finding him familiar asked him his name and the street on which he lived. If he knew the street, he would also know the caste.

Solution

Annan said that they didn't get honour or dignity because of being born into the community that they belonged to. However, if they studied, they could make progress and be free of indignity. He advised her to study and learn all that she could. If she were good in studies, people would come to her. His words made a lasting impression on Bama. She studied hard and stood first in her class. As a result, she acquired many friends.

Also Read: English AHSEC Class 12 Chapterwise Notes

Short Answer Questions (2 Marks Each)

1. What was the land of apples like?

Ans. The land of apples was bitterly cold. The trees were bare, and snow still covered the ground. There were irritating sounds and harsh noises which disturbed Zitkala-Sa. All around her, people murmured in a strange tongue. She desperately yearned for the freedom which she knew she had lost.

2. What were the different noises that seemed to upset little Zitkala-Sa?

Ans. The different noises that seemed to upset little Zitkala-Sa on her first day in school were the sound of a large bell that was jarring to her ears, the clatter of shoes on bare uncarpeted floors, the clash of harsh noises and many voices murmuring in an unknown tongue.

3. Who were marched into the dining room?

Ans. The girl students were marched into the dining room. They were Indian girls in close-fitting clothes and stiff shoes. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and had shingled hair. The girls did not seem to care that they were immodestly dressed in tight-fitting clothes.

4. What was Zitkala’s idea regarding short, shingled hair?

Ans. Zitkala was a Native American, and both men and women from her tribe grew their hair and kept long hair. According to her, short hair was worn by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. Unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy.

5. What was Zitkala-Sa’s immediate reaction to the cutting of her hair?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa cried aloud when her hair was cut off. She lost her spirit at that moment. After being separated from her mother, she had endured (सहन) a lot of indignities and had become a spectacle  (तमाशा)for people. In her anguish on losing her hair, she moaned for her mother, but nobody came forward to comfort her.

6. Why was Annan not amused by Bama’s story?

Ans. Annan was not amused by Bama’s story because he knew what she had witnessed was not a humorous incident but a case of untouchability. Bama and Annan were Dalits and Dalits are considered lower caste. People from other castes discriminated against them and treated them badly.

7.. When did the narrator experience untouchability?         2012, 2013, 2015, 2017

Or

When did Bama first come to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of her community?

Ans. When the narrator was in the third class, she hadn't yet heard people speak only of untouchability. But the curse of untouchability did exist in society. She had already seen, felt and experienced it. There were occasions when she felt humiliated by it. She saw an important elder of her community serve vadais to a landlord without touching them. The incident was funny to her until Annan told her the horrific truth.

8. Why did Bama feel terribly sad and provoked?

Ans. Bama was provoked to anger at the discrimination practised by the landlord against an elderly man from their street. On knowing the fact why the older carried the packet with a string, she didn't want to laugh anymore. She felt terribly sad. She felt so provoked and angry that she wanted to touch those wretched vadais herself. She felt bad that people had to bow low and work so hard for their masters.

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

Or

What was the advice that Annan gave to Bama? Did she follow it?

Ans. Annan said that they didn't get honour or dignity because of belonging to the community that they were born into. However, if they studied, they could progress and discard the indignity. He advised her to work hard and study and learn all that she could. If she were good in her studies, people would come to her of their own accord. (also refer Q.NO 9)

10. How was the narrator inspired by the words of her elder brother, Annan?

Ans. The advice of her elder brother, Annan left a lasting impression on Bama. She was passionate about her studies and studied hard. Her efforts paid off, and she stood first in her class. As a result of this, she acquired many friends.

11. What did she notice about the Indian girls in the school?

Ans. She noticed that the Indian girls had worn close-fitting clothes and stiff shoes. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and had shingled hair. The girls did not seem to care that they were immodestly dressed in tight-fitting clothes.

12. Why did Zitkala-sa feel uncomfortable in the dining room?         (2014, 2015)

                                       Or

What made Zitkala-sa cry in the dining hall?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa felt uncomfortable in the dining room as she was in a new place and exposed to a new culture. She was not familiar with the dining etiquette there. Thinking that they had to be seated, Zitkala pulled out a chair and sat on it. But to her surprise, everybody kept standing. A 'paleface woman' watched her keenly. She was getting up when the second bell rang, and all were seated. Then a third bell was tapped. Everyone picked up his knife and fork and began eating and she began to cry.

13. Why was Zitkala-sa terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short?

                                                                            Or

Why did Zitkala-Sa resist the shingling of her hair?

                                                                                Or

Why was Zitkala-Sa so averse to having her hair cut?

Ans. Zitkala was a Native American, and both men and women from her tribe grew their hair and kept long hair. According to her, short hair was worn by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. Unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. It is for this reason that Zitkala-Sa was terrified when Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short.

14. How did she hide? Did she succeed?         (2013)

                                  Or

How did she try to prevent the shingling of her hair?

                                                                Or

Why did Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples?           2019

Ans. In order to prevent the shingling of her hair, Zitkala-Sa hides in a room upstairs, with three white beds. She crawled under a bed far from the door and huddled in the dark. However, her presence was discovered after some searching. She was dragged from under the bed. She tried to resist by kicking and scratching wildly but did not succeed.

15. What was the terrible warning that Judewin gave Zitkala-Sa?

                                                         Or

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

Ans. Judewin knew a few words of English, and she had heard the pale-faced woman saying that their thick, heavy hair would be cut off. Judewin said that they would have to submit to the ordeal, but Zitkala-Sa said that she would not surrender so easily and would struggle to protect her hair.

16. Which activities of the people would Bama watch keenly in the bazaar?

                                                   Or

What sort of shows or entertainment attracted Bama?

Ans. The bazaar, on the way home, was always buzzing with activity. The snake charmer, street plays, puppet shows, and stunt performance were a few interesting things going on there. Bama used to love all these things. On her way back home from school Bama would take thirty minutes to cover a ten-minute distance. This was because she would witness various activities on her way back home.

17. What comic incident did Bama narrate to her brother? Why he was not amused?

                                                             Or

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

Ans. One day, on her way back from school, Bama saw an elderly person from her street carrying a small package holding it by its string. There were vadais in the packet, and he gave it to the landlord without touching the packet.  She was rather amused by the sight and told her brother, Annan about the incident on reaching home. Her brother was not amused and made her understand what she had seen was a case of untouchability.

18. Why did it take Bama to reach home in 30 minutes instead of 10 minutes?         2020

Ans: The bazaar, on the way home, was always buzzing with activity. The snake charmer, street plays, puppet shows, and stunt performance were a few interesting things going on there. Bama used to love all these things. Due to this reason, it took Bama thirty minutes to cover a ten minute distance.

20. How did Annan explain the elder man's action to Bama?         2020

Ans. Annan explained to Bama that the elderly man wasn’t being funny when he carried the packet by the string. He did it as people believed that they were upper castes and the touch of Dalits would pollute them. Hence he had to carry the package without touching it.

Long Answer Questions (7 Marks Each)

1. Describe how Zitkala-Sa tried in vain to save her hair from being cut. Why did she want to save her hair?

Ans. Zitkala-Sa was a Native American for whom long thick hair was a matter of pride. When she was taken to the missionary school at the age of eight, a pale-faced woman in the school wanted to cut her hair. When she heard from her friend Judewin, that her hair was in danger of being chopped off, she rebelled against the idea and decided to resist. She went up the stairs, passed a hall and entered a room with three white beds in it. She crawled under a bed and huddled in a dark corner. She could hear her name being called out. People were searching for her, but she did not respond. The sounds drew nearer. Women and girls entered the room. They looked behind trunks and opened closet doors. Somebody parted the curtains and light filled the room. Soon the writer was spotted under the bed and dragged out. She kicked and scratched wildly. Yet, she was carried downstairs and tied up in a chair.

She wanted to save her hair because only unskilled warriors, from their tribe, who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Mourners wore short hair and cowards had shingled hair.

3. How did the funny incident that Bama saw on the way home suddenly transform into an incident of deep sadness?

                                                                                                                Or

Describe the experience Bama had on her way back home, which made her feel sad. 2013

Ans. One day, on her way back from school, Bama saw an elderly person from her street carrying a small package holding it by its string. There were vadais in the packet, and he gave it to the landlord without touching the packet. She was rather amused at the sight of a big man carrying a small package in such a fashion. On reaching home, she narrated the entire incident to her brother. She could not stop laughing as she told him what she had seen. Annan, her brother, was not amused by Bama's story because he knew what she had witnessed was not a humorous incident but a case of untouchability. Bama and Annan were Dalits and Dalits are considered lower caste. People from other castes discriminated against them and treated them badly. It made her sad that man differentiated against a man based on the caste they were born into. She wondered how they could believe that it was disgusting if someone from her community held the package in hand. The upper caste people believed that they would be polluted if they touched a person from a lower caste.

4. Compare and contrast the stories narrated by Zitkala-Sa and Bama?

Ans. Two women Zitkala-Sa and Bama, both from marginalised communities look back on their childhood days and reflect on their relationship with mainstream culture. Zitkala is a Native American born in the late 19th century whereas Bama is a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer.  Zitkala-Sa is a victim of racial discrimination. and Bama has witnessed caste discrimination

Zitkala-Sa was a young Native American in a boarding school. People from her community grew their hair and kept long, thick hair. It was a matter of pride for them to keep long hair. Only mourners wore short hair and cowards had shingled hair. Unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Regardless of her feelings or opinion in the matter, she was hunted down like an animal, when she had concealed herself to protect her hair. She was dragged out from her hiding place, under the bed and forcibly carried downstairs and tied up in a chair, after which her hair was cut off. She loses her spirit when one of her thick braids is cut off

Bama saw the landlord practise untouchability against an important elderly person from her community. The man had been asked to bring vadais, and he was carrying it in such a way that his hands did not touch the package. He was holding the package by its string. Bama was too young to understand that what she saw was an act of discrimination. She found it funny and told her brother about what she had seen. Her brother was not amused and enlightened her about the discrimination against them because they were Dalits and the others thought that they would be polluted if they touched them. On hearing this, Bama is deeply sad and also angered at this distinction. She follows her brother's advice to study hard and learn all that she could to progress in life to overcome the disadvantages of being born in a particular community.

 Both the stories are narrated in the first person, and we feel the anguish experienced by the writers as they faced discrimination.

5. Discuss the forms of discriminations projected in the narrations of Zitkala-Sa and Bama?

                                                                        Or

Bama’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination did Zitkala-Sa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?

Ans. In the personal narratives of Zitkala-Sa and Bama, we find both were subject to different forms of discrimination. They belonged to marginalised communities and failed to get understanding from people belonging to the mainstream culture. Instead, they were discriminated against.

Zitkala-Sa was a young Native American in a missionary school. She is amidst new people speaking an unknown language and exposed to a new culture. People from her community grew their hair and kept long, thick hair. It was a matter of pride for them to keep long hair. Only mourners wore short hair and cowards had shingled hair. Unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Regardless of her feelings or opinion in the matter, she was hunted down like an animal, when she had concealed herself to protect her hair. She was dragged out from her hiding place, under the bed and forcibly carried downstairs and tied up in a chair, after which her hair was cut off. She loses her spirit when one of her thick braids is cut off. Though she could not save her hair, she did not go down without a fight. She resisted and tried her best to stand by what she believed in.

 Bama saw the landlord practise untouchability against an important elderly person from her community. The man had been asked to bring vadais, and he was carrying it in such a way that his hands did not touch the package. He was holding the package by its string. Bama was too young to understand that what she saw was an act of discrimination. She found it funny and told her brother about what she had seen. Her brother was not amused and enlightened her about the discrimination against them because they were Dalits and the others thought that they would be polluted if they touched them. On hearing this, Bama is deeply sad and also angered at this distinction. She follows her brother’s advice to study hard and learn all that she could to progress in life to overcome the disadvantage of being born in a particular community.

Both Zitkala and Bama were victims of discrimination, Zitkala, a victim of race and ethnicity and Bama, a victim of caste. They do not stay victims but find ways of fighting the situation.

6. The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of the theme found in both of them?

Ans. In the above accounts, two women from marginalised communities look back on their childhood days and reflect on their relationship with the mainstream culture. One is a Native American born in the late 19^th century and the other is a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer. Though the personal narratives are based in two distant cultures, there is a common strand between them. They are oppressed and exploited by people in the mainstream.

Zitkala-Sa was a young Native American in a missionary school. She was amidst new people speaking an unknown language and exposed to a new culture. People from her community kept long, thick hair. Only mourners wore short hair and cowards had shingled hair.  Regardless of her feelings, she was hunted down like an animal, when she had concealed herself to protect her hair. She was dragged out from her hiding place, and tied up in a chair, after which her hair was cut off.

Bama saw the landlord practising untouchability against an elderly man from her community. The man was asked to bring vadais, and he carried it with its string so that his hands did not touch the package. Bama was amused and told her brother about it. Her brother makes her aware of the discrimination against them because they were Dalits.

Zitkala-Sa was miserable at having her heritage stripped away and being made to conform.  Bama was a victim of discrimination caste. Being born as a Dalit rendered her as an untouchable to upper caste people.

7. ‘We Too Are Human Beings’ highlights high caste-low caste discrimination in society. How do low caste people suffer on account of this? What advice is given to Bama to overcome this problem?

Ans.  'We too are Human Beings' highlights high caste- low caste discrimination in society. We find discrimination on the basis of caste rampant in Indian society. People from low caste are considered inferior. They are deprived of humanitarian rights and poorly treated in society. Upper caste people exploit the lower caste people and enslave them. They are not treated at par with other people. Untouchability is practised, and they are stripped of all dignity and basic human rights.

The lower caste people are at the mercy of the upper caste people who dominate and abuse them, for their ulterior motives and fulfilment of their selfish purposes. Though discrimination, on the basis of birth, is a crime, it continues to exist.

Bama's elder brother, Annan said that they didn't get honour or dignity because of belonging to the community that they were born into. However, if they studied, they could progress and discard the indignity. He advised her to work hard and study and learn all that she could. If she were good in her studies, people would come to her of their own accord. Education would empower her. His advice had a deep impact on Bama and left a lasting impression on her. She resolved to study hard and was passionate about her studies and studied well. Her efforts paid off, and she stood first in her class. As a result of this, she acquired many friends.

Exam Questions From 2012-2024

2 marks questions

1. What was Zitkala-Sa’s idea regarding short, shingled hair?          2012     2016     2017

2. When did Bama experience untouchability?     2012      2013     2015     2017

3. How did Zitkala-sa try to hide from the ‘others' in the school? Did she succeed?     2013

                                                                       Or

Why did Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples?          2019

4. Why did Zitkala-Sa feel uncomfortable in the dining room?         2014     2015

5. Why did Bama feel terribly sad and provoked?         2014

6. What did Annan say about his community to the narrator?         2016     2018

7.  What was Zitkala-Sa’ immediate reaction to the cutting of her hair?         2018

8. Why did it take Bama to reach home in 30 minutes instead of 10 minutes?         2020

9. How did Annan explain the elder man’s action to Bama?          2020

Long questions – 7 Marks

1.Describe the experience Bama had on her way back home which made her feel sad.          2013

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?          2017

3. Discuss the forms of discrimination projected in the narrations of Zitkala-Sa and Bama.          2018

4. Compare and contrast the stories of Zitkala-Sa and Bama.          2020