Chapter 6 — Memories of Childhood

'Memories of Childhood' presents two autobiographical episodes. Part I, 'The Cutting of My Long Hair', is by Zitkala-Sa, a Native American woman who recalls being forcibly shorn at a boarding school on her very first day there. Part II, 'We Too are Human Beings', is by Bama, a Tamil Dalit writer, who recalls witnessing an act of untouchability as a child — an upper-caste landlord refusing to touch a food packet handled by a lower-caste elder — and her brother's instruction to fight discrimination through education.

Zitkala-Sa is the pen name of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, born in 1876, a Native American woman who began publishing articles in 1900 criticising the Carlisle Indian school. In the excerpt, on her first day at a boarding school, her blanket and moccasins are taken, and she is warned by her friend Judewin that the school plans to cut her long hair. She hides under a bed to resist, but is dragged out, tied to a chair, and has her braids cut off. She is devastated because in her culture short, shingled hair signified cowardice, while her mother had taught her that only captured, unskilled warriors had their hair cut by the enemy.

According to the text, her mothers had taught her that among their people, short hair was worn by mourners and shingled hair by cowards. Only warriors captured by the enemy had their hair shingled. Having her thick braids cut off therefore strips her of cultural honour and identity on top of all the other indignities — losing her blanket, her moccasins, and her freedom — she has already suffered since being taken from her mother.

Bama is the pen name of a Tamil Dalit woman from a Roman Catholic family. Her excerpt is taken from her autobiography 'Karukku' (1992). As a child in the third class, she witnesses an elder from her street carrying a small food packet by its string — without touching it — and handing it reverently to an upper-caste landlord. She initially finds this comical until her brother Annan explains it is an act driven by caste untouchability: the upper caste believe touching anything handled by their community would pollute them.

Both accounts share the theme of marginalisation and oppression experienced in childhood. Zitkala-Sa faces racial and cultural oppression at the hands of a dominant white institution, while Bama faces caste-based discrimination in her own village. In both cases a child perceives the injustice instinctively — Zitkala-Sa through physical rebellion and Bama through shock and anger — and both accounts suggest that the seeds of resistance are sown early. The textbook introduces them as autobiographical episodes from women of marginalised communities who reflect on their relationship with mainstream culture.

When Bama tells the story of the elder and the packet to her brother Annan, she initially laughs at what seemed comic. Annan explains the caste logic: upper-caste people believe they will be polluted if they touch anything handled by their community. Bama says she felt 'terribly sad' and 'provoked and angry', adding that she wanted to touch those 'wretched vadais' herself. She is furious that an elder of her own people had to bow and hand over food reverently to a landlord who merely 'sits there and stuffs them into his mouth'.

Annan tells Bama: 'Because we are born into this community, we are never given any honour or dignity or respect; we are stripped of all that. But if we study and make progress, we can throw away these indignities. So study with care, learn all you can.' He adds that if she is always ahead in her lessons, people will come to her of their own accord. Bama takes his words deeply to heart, studies hard 'with all my breath and being, in a frenzy almost', stands first in her class, and gains many friends as a result.

Judewin is Zitkala-Sa's friend at the boarding school who knows a few words of English. She overhears the paleface woman speaking about plans to cut their long hair and warns Zitkala-Sa. When Judewin says 'We have to submit, because they are strong,' Zitkala-Sa refuses, declaring 'No, I will not submit! I will struggle first!' Judewin thus triggers Zitkala-Sa's act of resistance, even though Zitkala-Sa is ultimately caught and shorn.

The phrase comes directly from Bama's own anger after Annan explains caste untouchability to her. She reflects: 'How was it that these fellows thought so much of themselves? Because they had scraped four coins together, did that mean they must lose all human feelings? But we too are human beings.' The title captures the central protest of the account — that caste discrimination denies the basic humanity of Dalit people, and that this denial must be resisted.

According to the textbook's introduction, 'Karukku' (1992) is Bama's autobiography. The Tamil word 'Karukku' means palmyra leaves, whose serrated edges on both sides resemble double-edged swords. It also contains the word 'karu' (embryo or seed), giving it the additional meaning of freshness or newness. Bama's other published works include the novel 'Sangati' (1994) and a collection of short stories, 'Kisumbukkaaran' (1996).

Yes. The NCERT PDF of 'Memories of Childhood' (Chapter 6 of Class 12 English Vistas) is available for free on CBSE PrepMaster. No sign-up or payment is required — you can read or download it directly from the chapter page.