Q1. What does Zitkala-Sa remember about her first day in the land of
apples?
Ans : Zitkala-Sa remembers that
it was cold. There was snow outside. There was a rigid discipline imposed on
the children. The teachers were emotionless and rigid. The entire school worked
in a monotonous mechanical way. She was forced to get her hair shingled. She
resisted a lot but finally had to give up. So it was the most unpleasant day
for her.
2.Which words of her brother made a deep impression on Bama?
Ans : Her brother Annan told Bama
that it was only with the help of education, that people of their community
could earn respect for themselves. He said “if we study and make progress, we
can throw away those indignities. So study with care, learn all you can.” He
suggested to Bama to be keen in her studies and said, “If you are always ahead
in your lessons, people will come to you of their own accord. So work hard and
learn”. These words left a deep impression on her.
Q3. What is common between
Zitkala-Sa and Bama?
Ans: Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama
belonged to the oppressed community. As a result, they were treated in an
inhumane and undignified manner. They both experienced humiliation in their
childhood which left a deep impression on their minds.
Q4. Why was Zitkala-Sa in tears on the first day in the land of apples?
Ans: Zitkala-Sa faced a lot of
humiliation on her first day at the Carlisle India School in the land of
apples. Her long hair was forcibly cut. This was undignified for her because as
per her culture and traditions only cowards or mourners had their hair shingled.
Despite her resistance, the author was tied to chair and her hair was cut. This
brought tears to her eyes and broke her spirit.
Q5. Who was Annan? How did he justify the behaviour of the elder?
Ans: Annan was Bama’s elder
brother. He explained to Bama that it was obvious that the elderly man would
carry the things in that manner because the people of their community were
considered untouchables. They were not supposed to touch the things meant for
the upper castes.
Q6. What were Zitkala-Sa’s objections to the cutting of hair?
Ans: Zitkala-Sa objected to the
cutting of the hair because in her community cutting of hair was considered
inauspicious and undignified. Only unskilled warriors, mourners or cowards had
their hair shingled. So it was the greatest humiliation for anyone.
Q7. What details of the inhuman behaviour of the upper castes were
given to Bama by her brother?
Ans: Annan, Bama’s elder brother,
told her that they belonged to a lower class and were considered as
untouchables. They were denied dignity, respect or honour in the society. They
were exploited and degraded and were forced to do manual work.
Q8. ‘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: In the Carlisle Indian
School, the children moved like robots. They were herded together and tuned up
to move when a bell sounded. The narrator was not aware of it and she felt
amazed to see this. The children used to sit and start eating as per the
ringing of the bell. Even the prayers were done with the ringing of the bell.
The three bells were sounded, one after another and only then they could move
and eat. Zitkala-Sa found it a crazy idea to do so.
Q9. Untouchability is not only a crime, it is inhuman too. Why and how
did Bama decide to fight against it?
Ans: ‘We Too are Human Beings’
raises the issue of social discrimination. Bama learns the stigma of social
untouchability that the lower caste people were a victim of at a very early
stage in her life. She witnessed an elderly man walking in a street holding out
a packet by its string, without touching it. At that time, she found the
incident very funny, but later learnt that the upper caste people did not touch
anything given by the untouchable community to which she and her brother
belonged. She was furious at the treatment meted out by the upper caste people
and felt hurt. Bama’s elder brother Annan advised her that if she studied and
made progress, she would be able to throw away these indignities. To overcome
all these issues, she needed to stay ahead in her studies. She studied hard and
stood first in her class and later through her writings she was able to fight
the injustice.
Q10. “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 the prevailing discrimination in the society in the name of high
caste and low caste. In her childhood, Bama realised that she belonged to the
lower caste and was considered ‘untouchable’. She found that the people of her
community were exploited and humiliated. She felt sad, let down and angry and
hated the exploitation. She believed it to be a curse against society. She
wanted to protest against this system. Her brother advised her that it was only
through education, they could gain respect. He advised her to work hard and
learn. Bama obeyed her brother, studied hard with great determination and
topped the class. As a result, many people tried to befriend her.
Q11. “It is better to have tried and failed, then never to have tried
at all”. Bring out the truth of the statement with reference to the story.
Ans : In ‘Memories of Childhood’,
both Zitkala-Sa and Bama exemplify this statement clearly. They both tried to
resist the oppression and discrimination. Both wanted to overcome the
humiliation and indignities that they had to face in their childhood.
Zitkala-Sa resisted the cutting of her long hair. Though she failed in that
resistance at that moment, this incident gave her so much determination and
strength that later on she was recognized as a champion fighter against the
prejudices and humiliation against women of that time. Similarly, Bama also
grew up with great confidence to eradicate the evil of untouchability through
her writings. She wrote about the exploitation and humiliation that people face
due to class and caste discrimination. Thus, both the women tried hard to work
against oppression despite their failed attempts in the childhood.
Q12. The stories of Bama and Zitkala-Sa prove that to succeed in life one
must be determined and hardworking. It involves grit, perseverance and enormous
willpower. Write an article.
Ans: Success Demands Work, Work
and Work
Hard work is the key to success.
There is no doubt success demands strong willpower and determination to excel.
To succeed in life one must be clear about one’s goals and be full of grit and
determination to achieve that goal. Both Bama and Zitkala-Sa exemplify these
qualities. They both faced humiliation, torture and discrimination in their
childhood, but didn’t give up. They were determined to work for the oppressed
and continued their efforts as they grew up. Zitkala-Sa led many social
movements and became a social activist. Bama kept on raising the issue of
untouchability through her writings.
Hard work with the strong
willpower can achieve difficult targets. There is nothing impossible for those
who believe in themselves and never give up.
Q13. What inspiration did you get from the stories of Bama and
Zitkala-Sa? Write your feelings in your diary.
Ans:
Monday
7 March 20XX 8:30 p.m.
It was such a different kind of
feeling that I was filled with when I read about the childhood experiences of
Zitkala-Sa and Bama. Though they both belonged to different times and cultures,
yet their experiences of oppression and humiliation are similar. They both
represent the strength of a woman. They both were tortured in the name of race
and caste but they didn’t give in. They made their humiliation and indignities
as their strengths and with their grit and determination and strong willpower,
they both emerged as the champions of the oppressed women.
Zitkala-Sa became a social
activist and worked for the upliftment of native American women and Bama,
through her writings evoked the spirit of equality and the need to eradicate
untouchability and caste discrimination.
I am full of admiration for the
two and wish that one day I would also be strong like them to raise my voice
against injustice.
Mukesh
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