Question Bank — Memories of Childhood

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

1. In Zitkala-Sa’s account, what did short or shingled hair signify among her people?
   a) Victory in battle
   b) Mourning or cowardice
   c) Coming of age
   d) Religious devotion

2. Why did the narrator in “The Cutting of My Long Hair” hide under the bed?
   a) She was tired after the journey
   b) She wanted to avoid having her hair cut
   c) She was playing a game
   d) She was searching for her moccasins

3. Assertion (A): Zitkala-Sa resisted having her hair cut.
   Reason (R): Among her people, shingled hair was worn only by cowards and unskilled warriors captured by the enemy.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

4. In Bama’s account, why did the elder carry the vadai packet by its string?
   a) The packet was too hot
   b) He feared polluting the upper-caste landlord by touching it
   c) He wanted to keep the packet clean
   d) It was a local custom of respect

5. Assertion (A): Bama felt angry after learning the reason behind the elder’s behaviour.
   Reason (R): She believed that everyone, including Dalits, are human beings and should not run petty errands for the upper castes.
   a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
   b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
   c) A is true but R is false.
   d) A is false but R is true.

6. What lesson did Bama’s brother give her?
   a) One should never laugh at elders
   b) Study hard to gain dignity and respect
   c) Avoid the landlord’s men
   d) Work only in the fields

7. The phrase “bedlam within which I was securely tied” refers to:
   a) Physical ropes used on the narrator
   b) The confusing and harsh noise of the boarding school
   c) The snow-covered landscape
   d) The long dining tables

8. Which sight in the bazaar particularly amused young Bama?
   a) The performing monkey
   b) The way the elder carried the vadai packet
   c) The street-light changing colours
   d) The snake-charmer’s box

9. Zitkala-Sa compared herself and other Indian children to:
   a) Young warriors
   b) Little animals driven by a herder
   c) Birds in a cage
   d) Wooden puppets only

10. The central theme common to both narratives is:
    a) The joy of childhood games
    b) Resistance to cultural oppression and loss of dignity
    c) The importance of learning English
    d) The beauty of village life

Section B — Reference to Context (3 extracts, 4 marks each)

Extract 1

“I watched my chance, and when no one noticed, I disappeared. I crept up the stairs as quietly as I could in my squeaking shoes… On my hands and knees I crawled under the bed, and huddled myself in the dark corner.”

i. Who is the speaker and what situation is she trying to escape?
ii. Why did the speaker hide instead of facing the situation directly?
iii. Identify the literary device used in “squeaking shoes”.
iv. What does the phrase “watched my chance” suggest about the speaker’s state of mind?

Extract 2

“Our people were hard at work, driving cattle in pairs, round and round… Just then, an elder of our street came along from the direction of the bazaar. The manner in which he was walking along made me want to double up.”

i. Who is the speaker and what scene is being described?
ii. Why did the elder carry the packet by its string?
iii. Identify the figure of speech in “made me want to double up”.
iv. What change occurs in the speaker’s feelings after her brother explains the incident?

Extract 3

“Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities… And now my long hair was shingled like a coward’s! In my anguish I moaned for my mother, but no one came to comfort me.”

i. Name the speaker and the context of this moment.
ii. What cultural belief made the cutting of hair especially painful for the speaker?
iii. Identify the literary device in “little animals driven by a herder”.
iv. What does the speaker’s reaction reveal about her sense of identity?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

1. Why did Zitkala-Sa feel she had “lost her spirit” after her hair was cut?
2. How did Judewin’s warning affect Zitkala-Sa? What was her immediate reaction?
3. Describe the incident of the vadai packet as seen by young Bama. Why did it later make her angry?
4. What advice did Bama’s brother give her? How did it influence her?
5. Mention any two indignities Zitkala-Sa faced on her first day at the boarding school.

Section D — Long Answer (2 questions, 6 marks each)

1. Draw a character sketch of Zitkala-Sa as revealed in “The Cutting of My Long Hair”. (100–120 words)
2. “We too are human beings.” How does Bama’s account bring out the humiliation caused by untouchability and her response to it? (100–120 words)

Section E — Language and Writing (2 questions, 4 marks each)

1. Vocabulary task: From the unit, give the meaning of the following words as used in the text and use each in a sentence of your own:
   a) bedlam
   b) shingled
   c) dawdle
   d) provoked

2. Writing task: Imagine you are Bama. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) describing the vadai-packet incident and the conversation you had with your brother that changed your view of the situation.