Vistas Chapter 8 Memories Of Childhood

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.

It is a very common feature among the children that they notice even the slightest actions of their elders, surroundings and other people. They do not reconcile with their fate but become rebel as and when they get chance. They swell out to raise their voice and bring changes in the prevalent traditions. In reality they are more sensitive, receptive and understand every injustice done to them and their elders. This is the age when the seeds of rebellion are sowed. With the help of their courage, will-power, hard work, strong- determination and far-sightedness, these seeds flower. In this unit one can notice such qualities of two women. One is the Native American Indian by the name of Simmons. She is oppressed, exploited and man-handed by the whites in Carlisle Indian School. She wants to maintain her dignity, honour and identity by not allowing the whites to shingle out her hair. Instead of submitting she resists and she is overpowered in the end. When she is mature enough she mocks the school, the whites and the prejudices of the whites through her writing. In the same way Bama is much inspired by the words of her brother. He labours hard and stands first in the class. Ultimately people come to her of their own accord Thus the seeds of rebellion have been sowed by the circumstances in these two ladies and they attain a commendable success

Bama's experience is based on the evil ridden caste-system in India where the poor are exploited and the low caste people are forced to face the racial discriminations by the hands of the upper class people. The girl is deeply shocked, troubled, tensed and provoked on seeing untouchability by the people of high caste. The people of low caste bow and work for their masters. They have to carry a food packet by the thread without touching it. Her brother Annan inspires and advises her to work hard to attain quality. She acts upon his advice and people start coming to her of their own accord.

The other woman Zitkala–Sa faces humiliation and discrimination through the whites since they force her to follow their own culture, tradition and rituals, etc. She is overpowered to shingle out her hair. She severely resists and wants to maintain the dignity of her community But she is made a little animal driven by a herder. This is a very shamless act of racial discrimination. Thus both the women Bama and Zitkala–Sa highlight the exploitation of racial discrimination, untouchability and oppression of marginalised communities. They fight and raise their voice against this social evil and get triumph.

Zitkala–Sa is the pen name of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, who was an American-Indian woman. She was an extraordinarily, talented and educated Native-American Indian woman. She suffered discrimination on the basis of her sex and nationality. She struggled against all this. She wrote articles criticising the dogma and evils of oppression. She belonged to a marginalised community.

Zitkala Sa reached the hall for the first time. She did not know much about the table manners used there. All the pupils pulled out their chairs On the bell and kept standing. But Zitkala pulled her chair and sat on it. When she saw other students standing she also started to stand. In the meanwhile a second bell rang and all the pupils sat down. A pale faced woman was watching her. At the third bell, all started eating. All these activities confused her. She felt embarrassed and uncomfortable. She started crying.

“Eating by Formula”, Zitkala Sa means a set pattern of eating. Accordingly there goes a long bell and the children move in lines to the dinning room. Then there goes another small bell and all the pupils will draw a chair from under the table. After that there goes the third bell. It signals all to sit on their respective seats. Then a man addresses them. After the talk, another bell goes and the eating will start.

The Indian girls were in stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair. On her first day Zitkala Sa was not yet in school dress. She was wearing soft flat shoes and the loose clothes of her tribe. Without her blanket on the shoulders, she was feeling shy. For other school girls, Zitkala Sa thought it immodest to dress like that.

When the girls were entering in the dining room, they were placed in a separate line. The boys and the girls were coming from the different doors. Zitkala Sa was watching carefully all this. She saw three boys of her tribe coming at the same way. They were feeling as uncomfortable and troubled like Zitkala Sa.

Zitkala Sa tells about her first day in school. She had long hair. According to the culture of the whites they wanted to cut her long hair. But she refused to obey their decision. She was dragged out and tied fast with a chair for cutting her hair. She resisted but all in vain.

Judewin was a friend of Zitkala Sa. She knew a few words of English and had overheard the white women talking about cutting her long and heavy hair. Zitkala Sa had been told by her mother that the hair of a coward or mourner are cut. But Judewin told that she had to surrender before the powerful. Zitkala Sa decided to struggle for this cruelty met on her.

Zitkala-Sa’s friend Judewin told her that her long and heavy hair would be cut short. Zitkala-Sa had been told by her mother that the hair of a coward or mourner are cut. Therefore, she got terrified.

The people of Zitkala Sa's tribe had an age-long tradition to maintain their long, shining and beautiful hair. Their mothers taught them that only the warriors or the other people who had died, their ladies must get their hair shingled out. Short hair was worn by the mourners and the shingled hair by the cowards. So Zitkala Sa did not want her hair to be cut short.

When Zitkala Sa knew that the authorities were cutting her hair, she decided to struggle. She escaped quietly upstairs and entered into a dim large room duly covered with curtains. She hid herself under a bed. In the hall her name was being called time and again but she did not come out. All started making her deep search. After all they found her hidden under a bed. They dragged her out and tied her to the chair. She opposed, cried, argued and went on shaking her head but they cut off her thick braids.

Zitkala Sa was forcibly dragged out under the bed. She was brought downstairs and was tied in a chair. She cried a lot and went on shaking her head. She felt the blades of scissors against her head. She heard them cut off one of her thick braids. She lost her spirit and stopped struggling. She moaned for her mother. Nobody came to console her. She felt herself as one of many little animals driven by a herder. She felt much indignation in life.

The first account refers to a bitter prejudice against the native Americans by the White skinned European settlers. They treated them as herds of animals. Zitkala Sa fought against this evel of discrimination. In the second account, Bama, a Tamil Indians belonging to the Dalit Community felt perturbed to see the upper caste people treating the Dalit's in a humiliating manner. Though the culture are different yet there is a commonality of racial prejudice. Side by side both use a pen name in their writings.

The children by nature are sensitive and go on noticing as well as experiencing what they think is wrong or unjust. They may be weak physically but emotionally they are quite awake and alert. They feel perturbed on seeing in justice. When they grow up, they stand up in open rebellion against the oppressor. Zitkala Sa and Bama are the current examples of this type.

Zitkala Sa was an American native Indian. It was the custom of her caste to wear long and heavy hair among the ladies and girls. She wanted to maintain her dignity and cultural identity. But the cruel whites shingled out her hair and she became a victim of racial discrimination. Her long and beautiful hair was shingled out against her wish. She felt that she was one of the little animals driven by a herder.

Bama is a Tamil Dalit woman. Bama is the pen name. She suffered the discrimination of the society due to her lower caste. She fought against it. She wrote many articles and books. She has written an autobiography, a collection of short stories and a novel.

Bama took thirty minutes to reach her home from school though she could be there in ten minutes. In the way she used to see dancing monkeys, snake-charmers, vegetable sellers, shops, political processions, pedalling the cyclists and so on. She kept a strict watch on all the items that came in her way.

One day while returning home from school, Bama saw an elder carrying a small packed held by its string. He was holding it out so as not to touch it. There seemr to be vadais in the packet because it was stained with oil. It was a funny scene because that way the packet could get undone and the vadais could fall out. She felt bad that people had to bow and work so hard for their masters. This thought of social discrimination deeply infuriated her.

Bama was restless to see harsh treatment for the Dalits at the hands of upper class. It was disgusting to consider some human beings as untouchables. She realised that these people do all the chores for the upper caste people. After all they were human beings and all look similar. It was cruel to look some as inferiors and others as superiors. She hated this discrimination.

Annan advised Bama to study hard and learn all she could since education was the only thing to do away with all inequalities. Through education she would be able to throw away the indignities. He inspired her to study hard and stand first in her class. She did the same and attained repute. Many people became her friends.

One day Bama was walking home from school. She saw an elder carrying a small packet held by its string. He was holding it out so as not to touch it. There seems to be vadais in the packet because it was stained with oil. It was a funny scene because that way the packet could get undone and the vadais could fall out. She felt bad that people had to bow low and work so hard for their masters. The rich sat and stuffed things into their mouth. This thought deeply infuriated her.

While on his way home from the library, one day one of the landlord’s men saw Annan. Thinking him to be unfamiliar, he asked his name and the street where he lived on. By this he would be able to know his caste. In those days the Dalits were confined to the particular vicinity of the area.

An elder man (an untouchable) was carrying a package of Vadais. He held it by the strings without touching it. He bowed to the landlord and extended the package towards him. He also cupped his hands holding the string with his other hand. The landlord took the package.

‘Bama’ was a Tamil Dalit woman. She suffered a lot of humiliations because she belonged to a lower caste. People of high class thought and treated her as “Untouchable”. As per advice given by her brother, she worked hard in her studies and stood first to gain friends. People came round her. Throughout her life she fought against the evil of caste system and untouchability.

Annan was a university student. Bama had told him about the scene that she saw about one of the elders of her caste. Annan advised her that education was the only thing. It can bring them respect and recognition in the society. He said “If they studied and made progress. They would be able to throw away the indignities from the society.” Bama studied hard and stood first. Many people became her friends.

Zitkala Sa was a Native American Indian. She was forcibly taken away from home and brought to the Land of Apples. There the things were quite different from what she used to see because she had lived in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. She wore moccasins and wrapped shawl round her shoulders. Here every body had to wear squeaking hard shoes that scraped on the floor. Her shawl was taken away from her. But she was shocked to see the other Native American girls immodestly dressed in tight fitting clothes.

Here she was annoyed by the shattering noises of the breakfast bell and scraping of hard shoes. She was not aware of the eating rituals there. A small bell rang and all pulled out their chairs and Zitkala–Sa did the same but sat down on it. There all were standing. This embarrassed Zitkala–Sa. She tried to rise but there chimed another bell. All sat down. There she heard the voice of a man. She turned herself to see him. She saw everyone bowing their heads on their plates. When the man stopped his mutterings, a third bell rang. All picked up their forks and knives. They started eating. Instead of eating Zitkala Sa felt nervous and cried. This eating by formula was a hard trail for her.

Zitkala Sa was an American Indian girl. She was troubled, perturbed and embarrassed in her school since she was quite unknown to the white people's ways. When the dining started, she ran upstairs as her friend Judewin had informed her about the intentions of school authorities to cut the long hair of the students. She decided to struggle hard herself under a bed in a dim room. There the windows were covered with dark green curtains.

She lay huddled in the dark corner. Soon she heard voices calling her names. Women and girls entered the room. The room was filled with light. But she was dragged downstairs and tied fast in a chair. She cried loud and shook her head, forcefully they took the scissors and Zitkala–Sa felt the blades of scissors against her neck. She heard them cut off one of her thick braids. Zitkala Sa lost her spirit and stopped struggling. But none came to console her.

The house of Bama was not at a far off place from her school and it was hardly a ten minutes walk. But Bama took a long time to reach home from school. Many things attracted her on the way to school and she stopped to watch them. She could stop to see the monkeys performing, snake charmer and a cyclist. She would watch the huge bell hanging at the temple and Pongal offerings at the temple attracted her much. Different things gave her much attractions. She liked some entertainment going on in the way -like a street play, a puppet and a magic show.

She was much fascinated to see a man carrying a package of vadais. He held it by the strings. She thought it strange when the man still acted in a funnier manner. He bowed to the landlord and extended the package towards him.

Instead he cupped his hand holding the strings with his other hand, the landlord took the package and began to eat it. Bama felt like laughing at the silly actions of the man. She went home and narrated the incident to her elder brother Annan.

After returning home, Bama narrated the funniest scene of an elder man holding the package by the strings. She told that the man bowed down and brought snacks to the fellow who just sat there and ate greedily. This made Bama much angry. She thought that they were also human beings like other human beings. She was of the view that they should work, get wages and leave it after that.

Bama's elder brother, Annan was a university student. He had come home for the holidays. He told Bama that they were born into the community of untouchables. They were never given honour, respect, recognition and dignity. He advised her if they worked hard and studied with care, they can go a long way They can shun out all discrimination and other caste inequalities since all are human beings. He encouraged Bama to study hard to gain dignity and friends. His words had a magical effect on her. She stood first in her class and many people became her friends.

Both Bama and Zitkala belong to the marginalised communities. But the reader can very well note the despise, racial discrimination and unhealthy treatment towards the humanity in general and the women in particular. There are two episodes in which 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. Accordingly she is forced by the whites to follow their traditions and traits. Simons, the girl, is dragged out to shingle out her long hair. She cries, struggles and resists but ultimately she feels like one of the marry animals driven by a herder.

In the same way, Bama a Tamil Dalit girl, is very much upset to experience the curse of untouchability. The elders of her community have to bow before the upper caste. They have to work hard for them. They have no respect. Thus both the girls have two different cultures. They struggle hard and work against the exploitation, depression, untouchability and racial discrimination. In the end their utilised efforts bring good results and recognition their voice against the social evil gets triumph.

The lesson details a good account of two different girls living at distant places. Zitkala Sa is a native American. She is taken away from her mother forcibly because the white people want the native Indians to adopt their culture. Zitkala revolts the way the Indian girls were forced to wear dresses in an immodest way.

She was much perturbed that the brave shingled the long hair of the girls. According to her culture only the mourners or cowardice wear shingled hair. But she could do nothing when they took her bravely, tied in a chair and cut off her hair. But her spirit could not be suppressed.

On the other hand, Bama was a low-caste girl. She saw the upper caste people showing discrimination against the low caste people. They could not touch food and other items of the upper caste people. They had to work for them and bow their heads. Her spirit too revolted against this injustice. She could not understand this human treatment since all are human beings. She wanted honour for all. Her brother Annan told her that she could do away with these indignities if she worked hard. Bama studied hard and stood first in her class. Many people became her friends.

Zitkala-Sa was in tears on the first day in the land of apples because the school authorities attempted to cut her hair mercilessly. Inspite of her stark resistance, they succeeded in clipping her hair.

The articles in the stalls and shops that fascinated Bama on her way back from school include sweets, fried snacks, payasam, halva, boiled tamarind seeds and iced lollies, needles, clay beads, etc.

Zitkala-Sa felt rather anguished and indignant when her long hair was cut. She lost her spirit and felt as helpless as a puppet. She got the feeling of being an animal driven by a herder and desperately looked for some comfort. With her hair being shingled like a coward's, she moaned in anguish. She also felt she had lost her distinct cultural recognition and identity.

Bama first encountered untouchability when she saw an elder of her caste walking along the street from the direction of the bazaar. Initially the vision made her  laugh but then she saw the elder walk up straight to the landlord, bowing low and extending the packet towards him.  Bamas brother Annan explained her about the whole incident in detail. He explained that since they were born into a lower community, they were never given any honor, dignity or respect. They had all been stripped of the basic human rights. But if they studied and made progress they could shake off all these indignities. So he advised his sister to study hard and learn everything she could. If she was always ahead in her lessons then people would come to her on their own and attach themselves to her. These words that Annan had spoken to Bama made a very deep impression on her and motivated her to study hard. She stood first in her class and many of the children from upper caste became her friend. In this way, she rebelled against the injustice of untouchability.