Memories of Childhood

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 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. 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. When the first bell rang, she pulled out her chair and sat in it. As she saw others standing. When the second bell was sounded, she had to crawl back into her chair. Sh. She dropped her eyes when she heard a man’s voce but 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 sounds came nearer. Women and girls entered the room. They opened closet doors. 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. 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?

Ans. Bama's brother told her that because they were born into a lower community, they were never given any honour, dignity or respect. But if they studied hard, they could get rid of these indignities. His words made a deep impression on Bama.

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

Ans. 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.

Q17. 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.

Q18. 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 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.

Q19. 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.

Q20. 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 had to carry the package by its string.

Q21. 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.

Q22. 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.

Q23. What advice did Annan offer Bama? What was the result?

Ans. Annan advised Bama to study with care. If she was always ahead in her lessons, people would come to her of their own accord. Bama followed her brother’s advice and studied hard. She stood first in her class, and because of that, many people became her friends.

Previous Years Question Solved

2014

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

Ans: Zitkala Sa reached the hall for the first time. She did not know much about the table manners used there. All the pupils pulled out their chairs on the first bell and kept standing. But Zitkala pulled and sat on it. In the meanwhile, a second bell rang and all the pupils sat down. A pale faced woman was watching her. At the third bell, all started eating. All these activities confused her. She felt embarrassed and uncomfortable. She started crying.

2. Why did Bama feel terribly sad and provoked?

Ans: Annan told Bama about the man that the elder was not being funny. The elder belonged to a low caste. 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.

2015

1. When did Bama experience untouchability?

Ans: Bama first encountered untouchability when she saw an elder of her caste walking along the street from the direction of the bazaar. Initially the vision made her laugh but then she saw the elder walk up straight to the landlord, bowing low and extending the packet towards him.

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

Ans: See Question No 1 and Page No 3 (2014)

2016

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

Ans: See question no 8 and page no 1

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

Ans: Annan told the narrator or Bama that they were born into the lower cast community. They were never given any honour or dignity or respect and they were stripped of all that.

2017

1. When did Bama experience untouchability?

Ans: See question no 1 and page no 3 (2015)

2. What was Zitkala's idea regarding short, shingled hair?

Ans: See question no 8 and page no 1

2018

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

Ans: See question no 12 and page no 2

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

Ans: See question no 2 and page no 3 (2016)

2019

1. Why was Zitkala Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples?

Ans: Zitkala-Sa was in tears because her hair was cut mercilessly. Relentlessly moaning for her mother, she kicked wildly and cried out loud, continuously shaking her head in resistance. At last, she gave up helplessly.

2020

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

Ans: Bama took thirty minutes to an hour to reach home as she would watch all the fun and games that were taking place on the road. She would also stop and look at the shops and the bazaars and even see the performance of the snake charmers and the monkeys.

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

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 the elder man had to carry the package by its string.

2022

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

Ans: Already answered.

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

Ans: Zitkala-Sa's friend Judewin told her that her long and heavy hair would be cut short. Zitkala-Sa had been told by her mother that the hair of a coward or mourner are cut. Therefore, she got terrified.

2023

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

Ans: See question no 1 and page no 4 (2020)

2024

1. Which words of her brother made a deep impression on Bama?

Ans: Already answered. (Q. No-13 and page 2)

Broad Notes

1. Bama's experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does ZitkalaSa's experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations? 2017

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

Compare and confrast the stories of Zitkala-Sa and Bama. 2020

Ans: Bama's experience is based on the evil ridden caste-system in India where the low caste people are forced to face the racial discriminations by the hands of the upper-class people. The girl is deeply shocked, troubled, tensed and provoked on seeing untouchability by the people of high caste. The people of low caste bow and work for their masters. They have to carry a food packet by the thread without touching it. 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.

The other woman Zitkala–Sa faces humiliation and discrimination through the whites since they force her to follow their own culture, tradition and rituals, etc. She is overpowered to shingle out her hair. She severely resists and wants to maintain the dignity of her community But, she is made a little animal driven by a herder. This is a very shamless act of racial discrimination.

Thus, both the women Bama and Zitkala–Sa highlight the exploitation of racial discrimination, untouchability and oppression of marginalised communities. They fight and raise their voice against this social evil and get triumph.

2. What are the similarities in the lives of Bama and Zitkala-Sa though they belong to their respective situations? 2022

Though they belong to different cultures both Bama and Zitkala-Sa highlight racist exploitation, untouchability, and oppression of marginalized communities

Ans: Both episodes highlight the disrespect, racism, and unhealthy treatment of humanity in general and women in particular. The first report concerns a Native American woman who is a victim of racism. She is accepted into a school where Native American Indians are not given dignity, respect, honor, and the weight they deserve in America. She cries, struggles with kicks, resists, shows disgust, and ends up feeling like one of the many animals that flock to the shepherd.

In the second episode, a Tamil girl, Bama from the Dalit community gets very upset when she experiences a curse that makes her untouchable. Their community elders bow deeply to the upper castes. They have to work hard for them. Such people receive neither respect nor honor.

Both women are from marginalized communities with two different cultures. They fight hard and oppose exploitation, oppression, untouchability, and racism. Ultimately, their efforts are recognized.

3. How did Zitkala feel on the first day in the land of apple? What did she do to escape the plight? 2024

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.

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.

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.

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.

When she heard them remove one of her thick braids, she lost her spirit. She had suffered utmost indignities there. 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.

2025

Wy did Zitkala-Sa feel uncomfortable in the dining room?

Ans: See Question No 1 and Page No 3 (2014)

What advice did Annan offer Bama?

Ans: See question no 23 and page no 3

CHECKOUT TO BUY FULL COURSE 🔥 50% Off

Related chapters:

The Last Lesson

Lost Spring

Indigo

Memoirs of Chota Sahib

Going Places