Memories of Childhood Questions and Answers for AHSEC H.S. Class 12 Students. This chapter is included in the latest syllabus of English rapid reader (supplementary reader) for AHSEC H.S. 2nd year final examination. We are giving you the 10 most important questions with answers from the chapter Memories of Childhood.
These questions will be helpful for your AHSEC H.S. class 12 final examination. There are eight short answer-type questions containing 2 marks each and two long answer-type questions containing 7 marks each. These extra questions from the chapter Memories of Childhood are strictly based on the latest syllabus of AHSEC.
Important Questions From ‘Memories of Childhood’ For AHSEC H.S. 2nd Year Final Exam
There are two sections of the questions. Sections I contain short answer type questions and section II contains long answer type questions from the chapter Memories of Childhood.
- Q (a) – Q (h): Short answer type (2 marks each)
- Q1 – Q2: Long answer type (7 marks each)
Short Answer Type Questions From the Chapter Memories of Childhood:
SECTION I
Answer the following questions: (2 marks each)
(a). What was Zitka-Sa’s idea regarding short shingled hair?
Ans: Actually the thought of short shingled hair terrified Zitkala-Sa when her friend Judewin told her that her hair would be cut short. She knew only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. On the other hand among their people, short hair was worn by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. However, she didn’t want to be any one of these.
(b). When did Bama experience untouchability?
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.
(c). How did Zitkala-Sa try to hide from the others in the school? Did she succeed?
Ans: To save her long hair Zitkala-Sa disappeared unnoticed. She climbed up the stairs as quietly as she could in her squeaking shoes and found there a large room with three white beds in it. She crawled under the bed and cuddled herself in the dark corner. From her hiding place, she peered out. She trembled with fear. She couldn’t succeed in hiding herself for long. They stormed into the room, looked under the bed, and dragged her out. She was carried downstairs and her long hair was shingled like a coward.
(d). Why did Zitkala-Sa feel uncomfortable in the dining room?
Ans: Zitkala-Sa felt uncomfortable in the dining room because it was her first day and she was not aware of all the rules and regulations. When she was in the dining room a small bell was tapped. She pulled her chair out and sat on it. She was very puzzled when she found that only she was seated there. A second bell was sounded and all were seated at last. She noticed a paleface woman watching her keenly. Her gaze made her very uncomfortable. Finally, the third bell sounded and everyone started eating. All these activities confused her and she felt quite uncomfortable and uneasy.
(e). Why did Bama feel terribly sad and provoked?
Ans: When Bama came to know from her elder brother Annan why the elder of their street carried the packet with a string and realized untouchability then she felt terribly sad. She felt so provoked and angry that she wanted to go straightaway to touch those vadais herself. She was furious that such an important elder went submissively to fetch snacks and gave them bowing and shrinking to the landlord.
(f). What was the land of apples like?
Ans: The land of apples was a bitter-cold one. The ground was covered with snow. The trees were bare. The first day of the author was very painful. The sound of the bell and clatter of shoes were annoying to the sensitive ears. People murmured in unknown tongues. The narrator’s soul had lost her peace and freedom.
(g). What did Annan say about his community to the narrator?
Ans: Annan told the author that they were born into a community of low caste and low caste people who were never given any honor or dignity. Actually, they were deprived of all that. The members of their community could achieve respect and dignity if they studied and progressed. If they become educated people would come to them of their own. They would also be friendly with them.
(h). Why was Annan not amused by Bama’s story?
Ans: Annan was not amused by Bama’s story because he was aware of the fact. Annan knew the sufferings of their community. He told Bama about all the indignities their people faced because they belonged to a low caste. He told her that the elder was not being funny. He belonged to the same community as Annan and Bama. Therefore he couldn’t touch the food packet and hold it out by its string. If he had touched it, the landlord would never accept that packet.
Memories of Childhood Long Answer Type Questions and Answer – AHSEC H.S. Rapid Reader
SECTION II
1. Describe the experience Bama had on her way back home which made her feel sad. (7 marks)
Ans: Bama was studying in the third class; she hadn’t yet heard people speak openly of untouchability. However, she had already seen, felt, experienced it, and been humiliated by it. One day she saw it in practice at the landlord’s place. A threshing floor had been set up at the opposite comer of the road by a landlord. The landlord watched the proceedings sitting on a piece of sacking spread over a stone ledge. The lower caste people of the author’s community worked hard driving cattle in pairs in the round and round to tread out from the straw.
In the meantime, the author saw an important elder of her own street coming from the bazaar with something like vadai or green banana bhajji for the landlord. The way the elder was carrying the packet holding it with a string made it fun for the author. She stood and saw him giving the packet to the landlord bowing and with all the meekness. After reaching home she told everything she saw to her elder brother Annan who was studying at a university.
So, When Bama came to know from her elder brother Annan why the elder of their street carried the packet with a string and realized untouchability then she felt terribly sad. She felt so provoked and angry that she wanted to go straightaway to touch those vadais herself. She was furious that such an important elder went submissively to fetch snacks and gave them bowing and shrinking to the landlord. She felt too humiliated by this incident.
2. Compare and contrast the stories narrated by Zitkala-Sa and Bama. (7 Marks)
Ans: ‘Memories of Childhood’ are two different reminiscences of evils of oppression caused by irrational prejudices or inclinations of human nature. These prejudices are due to castes or social positions one inherits due to one’s birth. The accounts emphasize the fact that injustice is noticed by children and adults alike. As a young girl, Zitkala-Sa fought physically with her oppressors but was crushed by their combined strength. There were others with her who had submitted, accepting it as their destiny. But for Zitkala-Sa, the fight continued. She could not accept indignation and humility based on culture.
On the other hand, Bama an Indian Tamil girl had learned about caste discrimination when she was a child and understood its implications. She looks back at her childhood to recount an incident when she learned about her being untouchable because she was born into a particular low-caste community.
However, she was well motivated by her elder brother Annan who was studying at a university. She decided never to give up her fight for equality and thus advocated the cause of victims of caste-based inequality. In the two stories, both fight and struggle against exploitation and racial prejudices and also for the empowerment of the underprivileged. Zitkala-Sa’s works criticized dogma, and her life as a Native American woman was dedicated to against the evils of suppression and cruelty. Baraa’s works reveal the condition of victims of caste and racial prejudice.