NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English (Vistas) Chapter 6: Memories of Childhood (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Vistas Chapter 6 – “Memories of Childhood” by Zitkala-Sa and Bama: original summary, theme and message, word meanings, and every textbook exercise (Reading with Insight) answered fully. We keep the questions exactly as in the NCERT book and write all answers in clear, exam-ready style for the 2026–27 session.

Class: 12 Subject: English Book: Vistas Type: Prose (Chapter 6) Author: Zitkala-Sa & Bama Session: 2026–27
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About the authors

Zitkala-Sa (1876–1938) was the pen name of Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, a gifted Native American (Sioux) writer, musician and activist. Born at a time of severe prejudice against Native American culture, she fought through her writing against oppression and the forced assimilation of indigenous people. From 1900 she published articles criticising the Carlisle Indian School, where Native children were stripped of their language, dress and customs.

Bama is the pen name of a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer from a Roman Catholic family. Her major works include the autobiography Karukku (1992), the novel Sangati (1994) and the short-story collection Kisumbukkaaran (1996). The second account in this chapter is an excerpt from Karukku; the word ‘karukku’ means palmyra leaves, whose serrated, double-edged form mirrors the cutting reality of caste oppression and the writer’s resistance to it.

Summary

“Memories of Childhood” brings together two autobiographical episodes from women of marginalised communities who look back on the moment they first understood discrimination. Though set in distant cultures, both accounts expose the wounds of social oppression and the early stirrings of protest.

In the first account, “The Cutting of My Long Hair”, Zitkala-Sa describes her bitter first day at the Carlisle Indian School. Bells, marching lines, stiff shoes and an unknown tongue make the place feel like a bedlam. Her warm blanket is stripped away and she is made to follow rigid rules at breakfast. Her friend Judewin warns her that the authorities mean to cut their long hair – a humiliation, since among her people shingled hair was worn only by cowards and mourners. Refusing to submit, the young girl hides under a bed, but she is dragged out, tied to a chair, and her thick braids are cut off. Stripped of her identity and dignity, she feels reduced to “one of many little animals driven by a herder”.

In the second account, “We Too are Human Beings”, Bama recalls walking home from school as a third-class student, delighting in the lively sights of the bazaar. One day she watches an elder of her street carry a food packet to the landlord by its string, without touching it. She finds it comic until her brother Annan explains that this is because of untouchability – the upper castes consider themselves polluted by their touch. Filled with anger and sorrow, Bama understands the injustice of caste. Annan advises her that education is the way to throw off such indignities and earn respect. Inspired, she studies hard, stands first in her class, and wins many friends – turning her hurt into determination.

Theme & message

The chapter explores the shared experience of social discrimination – racial in Zitkala-Sa’s case, caste-based in Bama’s – and how it strips marginalised people of dignity and identity. Its deeper message is one of resistance and hope: both writers show that the seeds of rebellion are sown early in childhood, when even a young mind senses injustice. Zitkala-Sa resists through active, physical struggle, while Bama channels her anger into education and self-improvement. Together they affirm the dignity of the oppressed and the power of awareness, courage and learning to overcome prejudice.

Word meanings

Word / PhraseMeaning
belfrythe part of a tower where a bell hangs
bedlama scene of noisy confusion and uproar
paleface(here) a white person
moccasinssoft leather shoes worn by Native Americans
shingled (hair)cut short and close to the head
immodestlynot decently; improperly dressed
bravesyoung Native American warriors
indignitiesinsulting, humiliating treatment
anguishsevere mental or physical pain
moanedmade a low sound expressing pain or grief
herderone who looks after a herd of animals
untouchabilitythe practice of treating certain castes as ‘impure’
dawdleto move slowly, wasting time
harangueto give a long, forceful speech
narikkuravana hunter-gypsy community of Tamil Nadu
threshing floora place where grain is separated from straw
muzzled(of animals) with the mouth covered to prevent eating
vadaia savoury fried South Indian snack
polluted(here) made ‘impure’ by touch, as per caste belief
provokedmade angry or annoyed
infuriatedmade extremely angry
indignitytreatment that causes shame or loss of dignity

Reading with Insight

Questions reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Vistas textbook; answers written originally by ClearStudy.

1. The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?

ANSWERAlthough the two accounts are set in widely different cultures – one in a Native American boarding school in nineteenth-century America and the other in a Dalit neighbourhood in Tamil Nadu – they share the common theme of social discrimination and the humiliation of marginalised communities.Zitkala-Sa suffers racial discrimination: she is forced into an alien culture and made to cut off her long hair, which strips her of her tribal identity and dignity. Bama faces caste-based discrimination: she realises that her community is treated as ‘untouchable’ and made to serve the upper castes meekly.In both cases, an innocent child becomes aware of cruelty and prejudice, feels deeply hurt, and reacts with the early spirit of protest and resistance. Thus, both narratives expose oppression and celebrate the awakening of self-respect and the urge to fight injustice.

2. It may take a long time for oppression to be resisted, but the seeds of rebellion are sowed early in life. Do you agree that injustice in any form cannot escape being noticed even by children?

ANSWERYes, I fully agree that injustice cannot escape the notice of children, for both accounts prove that the seeds of rebellion are sown very early in life.Young Zitkala-Sa instantly senses that cutting her hair is a deep humiliation. Even though she is small and helpless, she refuses to submit, declares “I will struggle first!”, hides under a bed, and resists by kicking and scratching. Her childish defiance is the first seed of lifelong rebellion against oppression.Similarly, Bama, only in the third class, watches an elder carry a packet by its string and at first finds it funny. But once she learns the reason, she feels intense anger and sorrow at such an unjust practice. This childhood awareness later grows into her determination to study hard and overcome caste indignities through education.Children have a strong, instinctive sense of fairness. Even when they cannot fight back immediately, they register injustice clearly, and that early consciousness often blossoms into open resistance in later life.

3. Bama’s experience is that of a victim of the caste system. What kind of discrimination does Zitkala-Sa’s experience depict? What are their responses to their respective situations?

ANSWERZitkala-Sa’s experience depicts racial and cultural discrimination. As a Native American child at the Carlisle School, she is forced to abandon her own culture and adopt the ways of the ‘palefaces’. Her blanket is taken, her moccasins are exchanged for stiff shoes, and her long hair – a symbol of her tribal identity and pride – is forcibly shingled like a coward’s. She is treated not as a human being but as “one of many little animals driven by a herder”.Bama’s experience depicts caste-based discrimination (untouchability). The members of her community are looked down upon, denied honour and dignity, and made to run errands meekly for the upper castes, who fear ‘pollution’ from their touch.Their responses: Zitkala-Sa responds with active, physical resistance – she rebels, hides, and fights back fiercely when dragged out, refusing to surrender her spirit easily. Bama responds with quiet but firm determination – instead of retaliating physically, she follows her brother Annan’s advice, channels her anger into education, studies hard, and stands first in her class, thereby earning the respect that society denied her.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. Why was the cutting of hair so painful for Zitkala-Sa?

ANSWERAmong her people, shingled hair was worn only by cowards and mourners, and unskilled warriors had their hair cut by the enemy. Losing her long braids therefore meant losing her dignity, identity and tribal pride.

2. What did Judewin warn Zitkala-Sa about, and how did she react?

ANSWERJudewin warned her that the paleface woman planned to cut their long hair. While Judewin said they had to submit because the authorities were strong, Zitkala-Sa rebelled and resolved to struggle first rather than give in.

3. Why did Bama take half an hour to an hour to cover a ten-minute walk home?

ANSWERShe dawdled along, fascinated by the lively sights of the bazaar – performing monkeys, snake-charmers, stalls, street plays and seasonal fruits. Each novelty pulled her to a standstill and stopped her from going straight home.

4. How did the elder of Bama’s street carry the packet to the landlord, and why?

ANSWERHe held the packet by its string, without touching it, and handed it over while bowing low. He did so because the upper-caste landlord believed he would be ‘polluted’ if a so-called untouchable person touched the food.

5. What advice did Annan give Bama, and what was its effect?

ANSWERAnnan advised her that education was the way to throw off caste indignities and earn respect, urging her to study hard and stay ahead. His words made a deep impression; she studied with all her energy and stood first in her class.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Compare the responses of Zitkala-Sa and Bama to the discrimination they faced.

ANSWERBoth girls feel the sting of injustice, but they respond differently. Zitkala-Sa, facing racial and cultural oppression, reacts with immediate, open defiance. She refuses to submit, hides under a bed, and resists physically by kicking and scratching when she is dragged out to have her hair cut. Hers is a spontaneous, spirited rebellion against the loss of her identity. Bama, facing caste discrimination, also feels deep anger and sorrow, yet her response is more reflective and constructive. Guided by her brother Annan, she does not lash out but instead turns her hurt into determination, choosing education as her weapon. By studying hard and standing first in class, she earns the dignity and respect denied to her community.

7. How do the two accounts in “Memories of Childhood” highlight that the spirit of resistance begins in childhood?

ANSWERBoth narratives show that children, though young and powerless, instinctively recognise injustice and begin to resist it. Zitkala-Sa, just a little girl, immediately understands the humiliation of having her hair cut and rebels with all her strength, refusing to surrender her dignity quietly. Bama, only in the third class, is at first amused by the elder carrying a packet by its string, but once she grasps the cruelty of untouchability, she is filled with anger and a longing to challenge it. Neither child can overturn the system at once, yet both register the wrong clearly and act – one through defiance, the other through study. Their early awareness becomes the seed of lifelong resistance, proving that the urge for justice takes root in childhood.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. “Memories of Childhood” presents autobiographical accounts of:

(a) two men   (b) two women from marginalised communities   (c) two teachers   (d) two political leaders

2. Zitkala-Sa was a:

(a) Tamil Dalit writer   (b) British poet   (c) Native American writer and activist   (d) French novelist

3. The “land of apples” in the first account refers to:

(a) Zitkala-Sa’s home   (b) the Carlisle Indian School   (c) an orchard   (d) a hospital

4. Among Zitkala-Sa’s people, shingled hair was worn by:

(a) kings   (b) warriors   (c) cowards and mourners   (d) priests

5. Who warned Zitkala-Sa about the cutting of their hair?

(a) her mother   (b) Judewin   (c) the paleface woman   (d) Annan

6. Bama’s account is taken from her autobiography titled:

(a) Sangati   (b) Kisumbukkaaran   (c) Karukku   (d) Vistas

7. The word ‘Karukku’ refers to:

(a) palmyra leaves   (b) a river   (c) a festival   (d) a village

8. The elder carried the packet to the landlord:

(a) on his head   (b) by its string, without touching it   (c) in a basket   (d) in his pocket

9. Annan told Bama that the way to throw off indignities was to:

(a) fight the landlord   (b) leave the village   (c) study hard and make progress   (d) stay silent

10. The common theme of both accounts is:

(a) friendship   (b) social discrimination and resistance   (c) love of nature   (d) adventure

Answer key: 1-(b)   2-(c)   3-(b)   4-(c)   5-(b)   6-(c)   7-(a)   8-(b)   9-(c)   10-(b)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): Zitkala-Sa felt deeply humiliated when her hair was cut.

Reason (R): Among her people, shingled hair was worn by cowards and mourners.

2. Assertion (A): Zitkala-Sa hid under a bed on her first day at school.

Reason (R): She wanted to play hide-and-seek with the other girls.

3. Assertion (A): At first Bama found the elder’s way of carrying the packet funny.

Reason (R): She had not yet understood the practice of untouchability.

4. Assertion (A): Bama studied hard and stood first in her class.

Reason (R): Annan had advised her that education was the way to gain dignity and respect.

5. Assertion (A): The two accounts are set in the same country and culture.

Reason (R): Both narrators belong to marginalised communities and face discrimination.

Answer key: 1-(a)   2-(c)   3-(a)   4-(a)   5-(d)
(2: A true, R false – she hid to avoid having her hair cut, not to play. 5: A false – the accounts are set in two distant cultures, America and India – but R is true.)

Exam tips

Score full marks on this chapter

Remember the two parts clearly: “The Cutting of My Long Hair” (Zitkala-Sa – racial/cultural discrimination) and “We Too are Human Beings” (Bama – caste discrimination). In long answers, always compare the two: Zitkala-Sa resists physically and immediately, while Bama resists through education and determination. Use the key symbols – long hair as identity, and the packet carried by string as the mark of untouchability. Keep names accurate (Judewin, Annan, Carlisle School, Karukku) and weave in the theme of childhood awareness of injustice to lift your answer.

FAQs

Who are the two authors of “Memories of Childhood”?

The chapter contains two accounts – the first by Zitkala-Sa (a Native American writer and activist) and the second by Bama (a Tamil Dalit writer).

What is the common theme of the two accounts?

Both accounts deal with social discrimination – racial in Zitkala-Sa’s case and caste-based in Bama’s – and the early spirit of resistance against such injustice.

Why was cutting Zitkala-Sa’s hair so significant?

Her long hair symbolised her identity and pride. Among her people, shingled hair was worn only by cowards and mourners, so cutting it forcibly was a deep humiliation that robbed her of dignity.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Vistas textbook; summaries and answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

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