Class 12 English Chapter 23 Memories of Childhood Question Answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters Assam Board Class 12 English Chapter 23 Memories of Childhood and select needs one.
Class 12 English Chapter 23 Memories of Childhood
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Memories of Childhood
Lesson – 23
VISTAS (SUPPLEMENTARY)
| READING WITH INSIGHT |
1. 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: ‘Memories of Childhood presents two autobiographical episodes. Both are from the lives of women. The first account is by an American Indian woman. The second episode is narrated by a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer. The woman belongs to two different cultures.
Both women belong to marginalized communities and face discrimination. The first episode highlights the humiliation suffered by Native Americans in the United States, where white people impose their culture and values on other communities. A young Native American girl is forcibly dragged out, tied to a chair, and has her long, heavy hair cut short. In her culture, only cowards have shingled hair, making the act deeply humiliating.
Similarly, Bama’s experience reflects the harsh realities of untouchability in India. People from lower castes are forced to bow low and serve their so-called masters. Even carrying a food packet requires holding it by its thread to avoid “polluting” it with their touch.
Both women resist oppression and fight for their dignity. The girl in The Cutting of My Long Hair refuses to submit-she cries, kicks, and struggles until she is overpowered. In We Too Are Human Beings, Bama works hard, excels in her studies, and earns respect. Eventually, people recognize her worth and approach her willingly.
2. 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: Children are naturally more sensitive and observant than adults. They keenly see, hear, feel, and experience everything happening around them. Any deviation from the usual or any act of injustice does not escape their notice. Bama at first, thinks the behaviour of the elders of her community is quite funny. He is holding the packet by string and running with it awkwardly. But when she learns the reason for his behaviour in that particular manner her ire is aroused against the cruel, rich people of upper castes who shamelessly exploit them and heap humiliations on them. Her instinct is to rebel; she wants to snatch the packet of vadai from the landlord and eat it herself as an act of defiance. However, her elder brother channels her anger in a productive direction, advising her to study diligently and rise above the oppression. This moment marks the awakening of resistance in her.
Zitkala-Sa too shows that she has the seeds of rebellion in her even at an early age. Her friend Judewin tells her that the authorities are going to cut their long, heavy hair. She says that they have to submit, because they (authorities) are strong. But Zitkala-Sa rebels. She declares that she will not submit. She will struggle first. And, she does carry out her resolution. She boldly declares that she will resist and does exactly that hiding to escape their control. Even when she is discovered and dragged out, she fights back fiercely, kicking and scratching in defiance. Though she is eventually subdued and tied to a chair, the oppression does not extinguish the fire of resistance within her.
3. Bama’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does Zitkalas-Sa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?
Ans: Bama and Zitkala-Sa shed light on the exploitation and humiliation faced by oppressed communities. Both women belong to marginalized groups and highlight the struggles of their people.The first episode describes the humiliations suffered by the Native Indians living in America. The white people impose their own culture and values on other communities. The poor Indian girl is dragged out and tied in a chair. Her long and heavy hair is shingled. In her community, only the cowards wear shingled hair. Bama’s experience is based on the age-long curse of ‘untouchability’ in India. The people of low castes have to bow low and work for their masters. They have to carry even a food packet by its thread without touching it. Had she done so, the food could have been polluted.
Despite the oppression, both women resist and fight back. The girl in The Cutting of My Hair refuses to surrender-she struggles, cries, kicks, and fights until she is overpowered. In We Too Are Human Beings, Bama channels her anger into hard work, excels in her studies, and earns respect. The girl in ‘We Too Are Human Beings’ works hard and stands first in the class. People now come to her of their own accord.
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