Summary- Memories of Childhood Class 12 English Vistas

Key Points of the Story 

• The Memories of Childhood summary deals with two extracts which belong to two different autobiographical episodes. 
• Furthermore, these two episodes deal with the lives of two women whose names are Zitkala Sa and Bama. 
• Both of them had to face hardship and are victims of social discrimination. 
• Zitkala Sa had to deal with racial discrimination while Bama had to suffer caste discrimination. 
• In both the extracts, the writers explore their childhood and there is a reflection on their relationship with the prevalent culture. 
• The culture was harsh towards these women and treated them in a harsh manner in their childhood. 
• Both these accounts how these women went through their oppression. 
• Also, there was resistance by both the narrators in their own ways. 
• Zitkala-Sa and Bama were young but not so young that they were naïve about the mainstream culture’s evil scheme. 
• They became rebellious due to their bitter childhood experience.

Detailed Summary 

The writer's initial day at school was marked by bitter cold and a large bell signaling breakfast. Shoes clattered on the bare floors as many voices murmured in the background. A pale-faced woman with white hair directed them into a line of girls marching to the dining room. The writer, clad in soft moccasins, felt the loss of her blanket from her shoulders, making her want to sink to the floor. Interestingly, the Indian girls seemed unfazed, despite their more immodest attire in tight-fitting clothes. Meanwhile, the boys entered through an opposite door.
As a small bell rang, each pupil retrieved a chair from under the table. The writer pulled out her chair, quickly slipping into it from one side. However, she soon realized that she was the only one seated while the rest at her table remained standing. She began to rise but then a second bell sounded, and everyone was finally seated. At the end of the hall, a man's voice was heard, but the writer was the only one who looked up. Others kept their heads down over their plates. The pale-faced woman, however, was observing her closely. When a third bell rang, everyone picked up their knife and fork and began eating, and this unfamiliar ritual brought the writer to tears. This rigid, formulaic approach to eating was indeed a challenging experience.
Later that morning, her friend Judewin revealed that she had overheard the pale-faced woman discussing the cutting of their long, heavy hair. Among their people, short hair signified mourning, and shingled hair symbolized cowardice. Judewin believed they had to comply because the school authorities were powerful. However, the writer rebelled, choosing to fight rather than submit.
When no one was looking, she quietly disappeared and sneaked upstairs. She concealed herself under a bed in a large room with three white beds. She heard loud voices in the hallway calling her name, even Judewin was searching for her. However, she didn't utter a word. The sound of approaching footsteps grew nearer as women and girls entered the room, searching for her everywhere. Someone raised the curtains, flooding the room with sudden light, and they stopped and looked under the bed. She was dragged out, resisting vehemently by kicking and scratching. She was carried downstairs and securely tied to a chair.
She cried out and shook her head, and then she felt the cold touch of scissors against her neck. One of her thick braids was removed, and her long hair was shingled like a coward's. Since her arrival at the school, she had endured numerous insults and felt like a mere object controlled by a herder.
II. We Too are Human Beings (Bama)
Bama, while studying in the third grade, hadn't yet heard open discussions about untouchability, but she had already witnessed, felt, and experienced its humiliating effects.
On her way home from school, a journey that could be completed in ten minutes but often took thirty due to her frequent distractions, she observed the various activities and oddities in the streets, shops, and bazaars. There were political speeches, street plays, puppet shows, and entertainment events happening from time to time. She also noticed the daily life in her neighborhood, like waiters pouring coffee to cool it or people chopping onions with their eyes turned away.
One day, in her own street, she saw a threshing floor set up, where their community members were driving cattle in pairs to crush grain from straw, with the animals muzzled. The landlord, seated on a stone slab, oversaw the process. She watched for a while.
Then, she witnessed an elder from her street approach the landlord. He presented a packet by its string without touching it and bowed to the landlord while extending the packet. The landlord opened the parcel and started eating vadais. She shared this story, full of comic details, with her elder brother, Annan. He explained that the elder was carrying the package for his upper-caste landlord, as they believed that lower-caste individuals should not touch them to avoid pollution. This knowledge saddened her and fueled her anger towards the upper-caste people.
Bama believed that these individuals, who had accumulated wealth through some means, had lost their humanity. On the other hand, the lower castes were also human beings and shouldn't perform menial tasks for the upper castes. Annan, her elder brother, who was studying at a university, encouraged her to study and make progress. He assured her that people would respect and approach her on their own as she excelled in her studies. She followed his advice, worked hard, and eventually gained the respect and friendship of many.

Conclusion 

Memories of Childhood summary explores the racial and caste discrimination which two children had to experience.

Difficult Words

Word = Meaning

• Bitter-cold = very cold, freezing 
• Metallic = like metal, sharp 
• Belfry = bell tower, steeple 
• Sensitive = easily hurt, delicate 
• Clatter = loud noise, rattle
• Bedlam = chaos, uproar
• Paleface = white person, European
• Stiff = rigid, unbending
• Moccasins = soft shoes, footwear
• Immodestly = improperly, rudely 
• Braves = warriors, heroes 
• Tapped = lightly hit, struck 
• Pupils = students, learners 
• Mutterings = murmurs, whispers 
• Keenly = sharply, intensely 
• Dining room = meal space, eatery
• Aprons = coverings, protectors
• Seated = sat, settled 
• Ceased = stopped, ended
• Slipped = slid, glided 
• Formula = set way, routine
• Terrible = awful, scary
• Overheard = secretly heard, eavesdropped 
• Shingled = cut short, trimmed
• Mourners = sad people, grievers
• Rebelled = defied, resisted 
• Squeaking = noisy, creaky
• Exchanged = swapped, traded
• Whither = where to, towards
• Dim = dark, faint
• Huddled = bunched, crouched
• Peered = stared, looked 
• Shuddering = shaking, trembling
• Footsteps = steps, strides
• Quickened = sped up, hastened
• Excited = eager, thrilled
• Closet = cupboard, wardrobe 
• Peep = glance, look
• Dragged = pulled, yanked
• Resisted = fought, opposed
• Tied = bound, fastened
• Scissors = shears, cutters 
• Braids = plaits, twists
• Anguish = pain, agony
• Indignities = insults, slights 
• Puppet = doll, toy 
• Herder = keeper, guide
• Untouchability = bias, ostracism
• Humiliated = shamed, disgraced 
• Dawdle = linger, delay
• Novelties = new things, curiosities
• Oddities = quirks, peculiarities
• Snakecharmer = tamer, handler 
• Cyclist = rider, biker
• Spur = encourage, urge
• Offerings = gifts, tributes
• Stall = booth, stand 
• Lemur = primate, mammal 
• Cages = pens, enclosures
• Harangue = speech, lecture
• Tumbler = cup, glass
• Smart = sting, hurt 
• Tether = tie, bind 
• Savoury = tasty, salty
• Ledge = edge, shelf 
• Cattle = livestock, cows
• Muzzled = restrained, gagged
• Elder = senior, older person
• Double Up = bend over, stoop
• Shriek = scream, yell
• Stained = marked, discolored
• Oil = grease, lubricant 
• String = cord, thread
• Undone = unfastened, untied
• Bowed = bent, stooped
• Extended = stretched, reached out 
• Cupping = holding, supporting 
• Parcel = package, bundle
• Comic = funny, humorous
• Detail = specifics, particulars
• Amused = entertained, delighted
• Polluted = contaminated, defiled
• Disgusting = revolting, repulsive
• Package = bundle, parcel
• Provoked = irritated, angered 
• Reverently = respectfully, humbly
• Infuriated = enraged, very angry
• Wages = earnings, pay
• Irrigation = watering, cultivation
• Tank = reservoir, basin
• Unfamiliar = unknown, not recognized 
• Caste = social class, group
• Community = social group, people
• Dignity = respect, honor
• Lessons = teachings, studies
• Attach = join, connect
• Impression = impact, influence
• Frenzy = wild excitement, fury 
• Being = existence, self
• Urged = encouraged, prompted
• Stood First = topped, excelled 
• Many = numerous, several