The two accounts that you read about are based on two distinct cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?
Both the episodes in this unit highlight the despise, racial discrimination, and unhealthy treatment towards the humanity in general and women in particular. The first account relates to an American Indian woman who becomes the victim of racial discrimination. She is admitted to a school where native Indians do not get dignity, respect, honour and due weightage in America. She is forced by the whites to follow their traditions and traits. Simmons, the girl, is dragged out and tied to a chair to shingle out her long hair. She cries, struggles, kicks, resists shows reluctance and she ultimately feels like one of the many animals driven by a herder.
In the second episode, Bama, a girl from Tamil Dalit-community is very upset to experience the curse of untouchability. The elders of her community have to bow low before the upper caste. They have to work hard for them. Such people do not get respect and honour. Both the women are from marginalised communities having two different cultures. They struggle hard and they work against exploitation, oppression, untouchability and racial discrimination. Ultimately their efforts get recognition. They have used pen-names in their writings.
