Previous Year Questions: Memories of Childhood

CBSE Previous Year Questions 2025

Short Answer Type Questions 

Q.1. 'I will struggle first.' I answered. What emotion and trait of Zitkala-Sa is revealed in her response?  (2 Marks)

​Answer: Zitkala-Sa's response reveals her indomitable spirit and a strong sense of self-respect. Unlike her friend Judewin, who suggests submission to the authorities because they are strong, Zitkala-Sa chooses to rebel against the forced shingling of her hair. This highlights her defiance against cultural impositions and her refusal to accept an identity associated with "cowards" or "mourners" in her culture.

Q.2. Success is the best revenge. How does Zitkala-Sa stand as a testimony to the above statement in 'Memories of Childhood'? (2 Marks)

​Answer: Despite the trauma of being treated like a "wooden puppet" and having her hair forcibly cut, Zitkala-Sa triumphed over her oppressors. She became an extraordinarily talented and educated Native American woman. By adopting a pen name and publishing articles that criticized the Carlisle Indian school and systemic dogma, she used her success to challenge the very institutions that once sought to strip her of her dignity.

Q.3. How was Annan instrumental in Bama achieving success in life? (2 Marks) 

​Answer: Annan was instrumental because he channeled Bama's anger into a productive path of education. He explained the harsh reality of the caste system and told her that since they were born into a community denied dignity, they must "study with care" and "work hard" to earn respect. His advice made a "very deep impression" on her, leading her to stand first in her class and win many friends.

Q.4. What was Zitkala-Sa's reaction when she realized her hair was going to be cut? (2 Marks) 

Answer: Zitkala-Sa's reaction was one of rebellion and active resistance. She told Judewin she would not submit and instead hid herself under a bed in a dark corner of a large room to escape. When she was eventually discovered and dragged out, she resisted by kicking and scratching wildly until she was tied to a chair.

Extract Based Questions 

Q.5. Read the following extracts and answer the questions: (4 Marks)
Extract: "When I heard this, I didn't want to laugh any more, and I felt terribly sad. How could they believe that it was disgusting if one of us held that package in his hands, even though the Vadai had been wrapped first in a banana leaf, and then parcelled in paper ? I felt so provoked and angry that I wanted to touch those wretched Vadais myself straight away. Why should we have to fetch and carry for these people. I wondered. Such an important elder of ours goes meekly to the shops to fetch snacks and hands over reverently, bowing and shrinking, to this fellow who just sits there and stuffs them into his mouth. The thought of it infuriated me."

(i) 'I felt terribly sad'. The reason for the speaker's sadness is because it was an act of ___________ .

​Answer: Untouchability and social discrimination.

(ii) Choose the correct option: 'The thought of it infuriated me' with reference to the above line, what do you think is the impact of the incident on the speaker?
(A) The speaker was sympathetic and helpless. 
(B) The speaker was angry and condemning. 
(C) The speaker was excited to see the incident. 
(D) The speaker was very impressed and motivated.

Answer: (B)
​Solution: The speaker, Bama, describes being "provoked and angry" at the sight of an elder bowing "meekly" to a landlord who merely "stuffs" food in his mouth. She condemns the landlord's lack of "human feelings" and the unfairness of the caste-based errands.

(iii) Complete the sentence suitably: 'I wanted to touch those wretched Vadais myself' The above expression indicates the speaker's _________.

​Answer: Defiance or sense of rebellion.

(iv) Select the correct option from those given in brackets, to fill in the blank: The incident made the speaker realize that the discrimination was _______. (dehumanizing/elevating)

Answer: Dehumanizing.

Long Answer Type Questions 

Q.6. How did Zitkala-Sa react to the cultural impositions at school? (120-150 words) (5 Marks) 

​Answer: Zitkala-Sa's reaction to cultural impositions was a journey from bewilderment to fierce resistance. Upon arrival, she was overwhelmed by the "bedlam" of loud bells and the "unknown tongue" of the authorities, which she felt "tied" her spirit. She struggled with the dining room "formula," where eating was regulated by bells, causing her such fear and embarrassment that she began to cry.

The most significant conflict arose when she learned her long hair-a symbol of her heritage-was to be "shingled". In her culture, short hair was a mark of cowards and mourners. She refused to submit, hiding under a bed and fighting back with kicking and scratching when caught. Although she was eventually overpowered and felt like "one of many little animals driven by a herder," her spirit did not remain broken. She later used her education to become a writer and critic of the school's oppressive dogmas, turning her trauma into a life dedicated to fighting cultural oppression.

Q.7. The author vividly describes the trauma of Zitkala-Sa and Bama in 'Memories of Childhood'. Support with examples from the texts, to illustrate the prejudices that were present in society. (120-150 words) (5 Marks) 

​Answer: The text illustrates how prejudices regarding race, culture, and caste inflict trauma on children. Zitkala-Sa faced cultural prejudice at the Carlisle Indian School, where Native American traditions were treated with contempt. A primary example is the "shingling" of her hair; the school viewed it as a standard of "civilization," while to Zitkala-Sa, it was an "extreme indignity" that branded her a coward according to her own people's beliefs. She felt stripped of her blanket and her identity, treated like a "wooden puppet".

Similarly, Bama experienced caste-based prejudice through the practice of untouchability. She watched an elder carrying a snack packet by a string to avoid "polluting" the upper-caste landlord. This practice was so ingrained that even her brother, Annan, was questioned about his street to determine his caste. Bama realized that her community was stripped of "honour or dignity or respect" simply due to their birth. Both examples show a society that uses physical and social markers-like hair or caste-to marginalize and dehumanize individuals.

Q.8. Compare the characters of Zitkala-Sa and Bama in terms of their struggle, pain, determination, and success.  (5 Marks) 

​Answer: Zitkala-Sa and Bama share common ground as women from marginalized communities who turned childhood trauma into adult triumph.

• Struggle and Pain: Zitkala-Sa's pain was rooted in the forced erasure of her Native American identity, particularly the "bitter-cold" experience of losing her long hair. Bama's struggle was the realization of being "untouchable," feeling "infuriated" and "terribly sad" at the dehumanizing treatment of her elders.
• Determination: Both displayed early seeds of rebellion. Zitkala-Sa resisted physically, declaring, "I will struggle first!". Bama, guided by Annan, channeled her anger into academic determination, studying in a "frenzy" to overcome social barriers.
• Success: Both achieved success by reclaiming their voices. Zitkala-Sa became a celebrated writer and activist who criticized the very system that oppressed her. Bama achieved success by topping her class, gaining friends, and eventually becoming a renowned Tamil Dalit writer.

Their lives demonstrate that while oppression is painful, education and the will to resist serve as powerful tools for achieving dignity and success.

CBSE Previous Year Questions 2024

Short Answer Question

Q.1. Zitkala-Sa describes the hardest trial in that first day? (2 Marks)

​Answer: While the "eating by formula" (the rigid bell-ringing ritual at breakfast) was confusing and humiliating, the hardest trial was the forced cutting of her long hair. To Zitkala-Sa, her hair was a symbol of her cultural identity and pride. Her mother had taught her that short hair was for "mourners" and shingled hair for "cowards". Losing it meant losing her spirit and being treated like a "little animal driven by a herder".

Q.2. What inference about the life of Zitkala-Sa can be drawn from the statement "now my long hair was shingled like a coward's..." ? (2 Marks)

​Answer: This reflects the loss of dignity and the trauma of forced cultural assimilation. It indicates that she felt "tossed about" and dehumanized by a mainstream culture that had no respect for her Native American heritage. The term "coward" highlights her internal struggle and the "extreme indignities" she suffered, suggesting a life where her personal and cultural autonomy was violently stripped away.

Q.3. How was Annan able to inspire Bama? (2 Marks)

​Answer: Annan inspired Bama by providing a constructive way to fight social oppression. He explained the harsh reality that because of their birth, they were "stripped" of honour and respect. However, he emphasized that education was the key to progress: "If you are always ahead in your lessons, people will come to you of their own accord". His words made a "deep impression," leading Bama to study with a "frenzy" and stand first in her class.

Long Answer Questions

Q.4. Justify the statement, "It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted but the seeds of rebellion are sowed early in life." (5 Marks)

​Answer: Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama prove that even as children, individuals possess an innate sense of justice that recognizes oppression. Zitkala-Sa, upon hearing her hair would be cut, declared, "No, I will not submit! I will struggle first!" and hid under a bed to resist. Though she was eventually caught, the "seeds of rebellion" were evident in her refusal to go quietly.

Similarly, Bama's rebellion began when she witnessed the humiliation of an elder carrying a snack packet by a string to avoid "polluting" the landlord. This "infuriated" her and made her question why her people should "fetch and carry" for others. These early experiences of "indignities" led both women to use their education and writing to criticize mainstream culture and fight against the "evils of oppression" in their adult lives.