Sunday, 11 February 2018

General Questions from Flamingo & Vistas


General Questions from Flamingo & Vistas
1. /12 The Last Lesson
Franz reached school late. He had not learnt the rules about the use of participles. So he did not want to go to school that day. He was also afraid of Mr. Hamel’s terrible iron ruler. One reaching there, Franz could not understand as to why there was a dead silence in school. He could not guess why Mr. Hamel was so polite to him and was in his special dress. He also failed to understand the reason way the old people of the villager were present in his class. Then Mr. Hamel told the audience that it would be his last lesson in French language. He said that French would be taught no more in schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
 A new teacher to teach Germany was coming the following day. He did not blame Franz for not learning his mother tongue properly. He blamed his parents and himself for that. He also praised French and called it a beautiful language. He advised than to keep it alive. After that Mr. Hamel delivered his last lesson. Even Franz listened to his teacher very patiently. His outlook on books changed. Then the church bells struck twelve. The sounds of trumpets played by the Prussian soldiers were also heard. Mr. Hamel felt choked. He could only write “Vive La France!” (Long Live France)!”

2.Lost Spring
Q.1/12 How does Anees Jung describe the life of Seemapuri ragpickers ?
Ans.     Seemapuri ragpickers live a life of hell. They cannot dream of living a normal life. They came from Bangladesh in 1971. Since then, they are living in Seemapuri. Their houses are of mud, with roofs of tin or tarpaulin. They have no basic facility of sewage, drainage and running water. They are about 10,000. They are all rag pickers. Garbage is gold mine for them. Their children help them in rag-pickers. They are unable to go to school because of poverty. Food is more important to them than anything else. Garbage is the only source of their livelihood. As identity cards, they have only ration cards. They can buy grains with the help of them.
Q.2/12 Describe the life of families engaged in making bangles in Ferozabad.
Ans.  Many families in Ferozabad are engaged in making bangles. These families have been doing this job for many years. They work near furnaces. They weld glass and make bangles. Women of different parts of India wear them. About 20,000 children work near these hot furnace. They endanger their eyes while doing their work. The bangle-makers of Ferozabad are very poor. They live in inhuman conditions. The streets are very narrow. There are full of garbage. The walls and doors of their houses are in crumbling (about to fall) condition. Mukesh’s family also lives in the same area. They are the victims of middleman, police and politicians.
3. Deep Water by William Douglas
General Ans.
1/12The writer Douglas, had fear of water since childhood. But he had a strong desire for swimming. The swimming pool of Y.M.C.A was safe for swimming. So the writer bought a pair of water wings. He tried to swim into the pool for three or four times. One day a misadventure happened. A boy of 18 threw him into deep water just for fun. He was nearly drowned. That incident created almost permanent fear in his mind. The terror for water became stranger in is mind. Whenever he put his feet into water, the fear of water made him week. But he wanted to conquer fear in order to enjoy swimming, bathing, fishing and boating. He got training of swimming. After that, he practised swimming for months alone. He swam alone in the Y.M.C.A. pool and in Wentworth lake. He swam in the lake for two miles. Finally, he conquered fear in warm lake. Now he got full confidence in swimming. Thus, his strong will-power and his instructor’s training made him a perfect swimmer. (Notes made by Shish Pal Chauhan)
4. The Rattrap
Q.1/12 What are the instances in the story that show the characters of the ironmaster and that of his daughter different in many ways ?
OR Compare and contrast the characters of the iron master an that of his daughter.
Ans.     The characters of the ironmaster and his daughter are quite different. But there is one similarity.  Both of them are kind and generous. The iron master mistakes the peddler for his old acquaintance. He is full of pity on his miserable condition. So he wants to take him to his house. But the peddler does not go with him. Then he sends his daughter to persuade him. He does so because he really wants to help the person. But, when the truth about the peddler becomes known, he orders him to go at once. Here, he is a practical man. He does not want to keep a stranger in his house any more. On the other hand, his daughter does not blame the peddler for that situation. Moreover, she is full of human kindness. She wants to serve a hungry man on Christmas Eve. She does not care for her father’s warnings to her. She behaves politely to the peddler. Finally, it is her politeness which ultimately changes the poor person.
Q.2/12. How does the metaphor of the rattrap serve to highlight the human predicament?  How does the peddler succeeds in coming out of the big rattrap of the world? Or ‘theme ’(Notes made by Shish Pal Chauhan)
Ans.     The rattrap seller uses the metaphor of ‘rattrap’ to highlight the human predicament. The peddler calls this world a rattrap. To catch rats, people put cheese and park as bait in the rattraps. In the same way, this world is a big rattrap. All attractions of the world are baits for human beings. Those attractions are - all lands (countries), villages, cities, seas, joys, riches, food, shelter, heat and clothing. The peddler always thinks ill of others. He believes that he world has been very unkind to him. His business  of selling rattraps is not profitable for him. So he does begging and petty stealing to keep himself alive. It is his past time to enjoy gloomy thoughts about the people whom he knows. He knows who have already been caught or are about to be caught in this big trap. He steals the crofter’s money. It puts him into a trouble. At last, Edla’s good nature and his own raised status of a Captain enables him to escape from the big rattrap.
5. Indigo
Q1/12. Why did Gandhij consider the Champaran episode to be a turning point in his life? (Sample Paper and 2011)
Ans. : In Champaran,  Gandhi ji had a new experience. He came to know the real problems of the peasants there. He became the spokesperson of thousands of the sharecroppers at Champaran. He raised the issue of injustice done to the poor farmers to the British high officials. He was given the orders to leave the place Tirhut. But, he defied them. Again he received the orders to leave Champaran immediately. But he wrote on the notice that he would disobey the orders. In the court, in front of the judge, he gave sound reasons as to why he disobeyed the orders. He said that he had to disobey in protest of the injustice being done to the poor farmers of Champaran. Thousands of the people assembled there in support of Gandhiji. The situation became out of control for the British officials and they had to take Gandhiji’s help in controlling them. The Govt. had to drop the case against Gandhiji as they understood Gandhiji’s power. Thus, the whole episode of Champaran proved to be a turning point because the dread of the Britishers started declining in the minds of the Indians after it. Thus, for the first time civil disobedience had won in modern India. (Notes made by Shish Pal Chauhan)
Q2/12. What did Gandhiji do in respect of the cultural and social backwardness in the Champaran village?
Ans. Gandhiji saw cultural and political backwardness in the villages of Champaran district. He wanted to do something immediately. Several teachers like Mahadev Desai and Narhari Parikh and two youngmen had joined Gandhiji as his disciples and their wives volunteered (came forward themselves) for work. Several more came from the other parts of the country. Gandhiji’s youngest son, Devadas, arrived from the Ashram and so did Mrs. Gandhi. Primary schools were opened in six villages. Kasturba Gandhi taught about the ashram rules about personal cleanliness and community sanitation to the village folk.
In the villages of the district Champaran, the health conditions were miserable. Gandhi ji engaged a doctor to volunteer his services for six months. Three medicines like castor oil, quinine and sulphur ointment were made available and distributed to the people suffering from malaria and skin diseases.
The women of the villages were not aware about their personal hygiene. Gandhi ji told Kasturbai  to talk to them about washing clothes also. (Notes made by Shish Pal Chauhan)

6. Going Places

Q1/12. Sophie and Jansie were classmates and friends. What were the differences between them that show up in the story? Or Describe the contrast between these two friends Sophie and Jansie?
Ans. Both the characters are poles apart although both of them go to school and come back from there together. We know that Sophie is a dreamer. She has dreamed of becoming an actress, a fashion designer, a manager or the owner of a boutique. Her dreams are impractical as she belongs to a lower middle class family. Jansie, on the other hand, is a realist. She knows that she and her friend are destined to work in a biscuit factory. She is sensible and wise. Therefore she discourages her.
Jansie is really the voice of reason in the story. It is she who warns Sophie not to dream of big things in her life. She asks her to be practical. She reminds her of the poor condition of her house. It is all because of her wisdom that she knows her limits as a member of lower middle class family and never tries to cross them. Sophie is disappointed at the end only because she does not listen to Jansie. Sophie father also reads her minds clearly. That’s why he rebukes her from time to time not to cook such stories as they may lead her to troubles.
7. The Interview
Q1/12 Why did Umberto start writing novels and when? What does Eco say about the success of his novel, The Name of The Rose’ in spite of its being difficult and very serious novel? Ans. It was by accident that Umberto Eco started writing novels. He was then of 50 years. He had a talent of narrative skill in him. That’s why he wrote all of his essays in narrative style. He also says that scholarly books also should be written in by way of telling a story. It makes the contents more easy and interesting to understand. The writer’s tendency of storytelling motivated him to start novel writing, although he started very late in hi fifties. His novel ‘The Name of the Rose’ was very popular although It was very difficult and serious novel. It is a detective novel at one level, but on the other, it is about metaphysics, theology and medieval  history. Eco says that most of the journalists and publishers believe that people like trash and do not like deep and difficult reading experiences. He says that there are about six billion people on this earth. ‘The Name of the Rose’ was sold between 10 to 15 million of copies. It shows that people do like difficult and deep reading experiences. It was about medieval history and it is not the only reason for its popularity. Several people also wrote about medieval history before him. The writer says that its popularity is still a mystery for him.
8. Poets & Pancakes
Q.1/12 Write a note on Subbu (i.e.  Kothamangalam Subbu) and his importance in Gemini Studios.
Ans.     Subbu was a cheerful tailor-made for films. He was very loyal to his Boss. He was very talented. He was a poet and wrote for people. He wrote several ‘story-poems’. He also wrote a novel ‘Thillana Mohanbal’. He loved all he met. People used to stay at his house. He always welcomed them. He was really very social and charitable. He was a great actor. He never thought about great role. He performed small roles with full love and devotion. In spite of his very good nature, he had some enemies. He was number two in the studios. So he was very close to his Boss. Many people were jealous of him. Some called him a psychophant. He was an amazing actor. Thus he was very important person in the studios.
Q.2/12 Describe the office boy’s work in the Gemini Studios - his aspirations and disappointment.
Ans.     The ‘office boy’ was a man of forty years. Actually he was called the ‘office-boy’ He had high hopes, he wanted to be a star actor, a director, a top screen writer or a lyric writer. But he could become only an office boy. His work was to do the make-up work for the crowd. It was a very small work for him. He would mix paint in a big vessel. Then he would slap it on the crowd players. He could not find place according to his wishes, so he was disappointed. Then, another boy joined the studios. His name was Kothamangalam Subbu. Now he was able to release his anger against Subbu. It was all jealousy for Subbu.
Summaries of the Poems
1 Mother at Sixty-six
The poetess, Kamala Das was going to the Cochin airport. Her old mother was sitting beside her. The poetess tells us that her mother’s face was pale like that of a dead body. She was dozing and her mouth was open. It seemed to her that the old lady might not live long. The painful thought was that her mother might not lie long. It is because her face was as pale as it was that of a dead body. Then she drove away the thought by watching outside.
The poetess sees young trees running fast behind. She also sees children coming out of their houses.
On reaching the airport, she was checked by the security guards; then she looked again at her mother from a distance. Her pale face made the poetess again sad. She felt pained at hear. She did not express her concern to the old mother. She could say only the words “See you soon, Amma.”

2. An Elementary School Class-rrom in a Slum
Summary:  ‘An Elementary School classroom in a slum’
This poem is a kind of satire on the countries who call themselves ‘civilized’ and developed or developing. The children of the elementary school of a slum area live a miserable life. Their faces are pale. Their bodies are weak and ill-fed. They are victims of the monsters of poverty, hunger, filth and diseases. The pictures hung on the walls of the classroom are meaningless to them. Their world is small, limited one which they see through the windows of their classroom. It is far from rivers, capes and stars of the world. The poet calls Shakespeare’s bust as wicked and the map a bad example. These may corrupt them and tempt them to steal. In the end, the poet makes an appeal to the responsible citizens of the countries to improve the lot of those poor children. They should be taken out of poverty and slum. Only then education will be meaningful to them.
Summary of the poem:
3. ‘Keep Quiet’
Pablo Neruda tells us about the importance of introspection in this poem. It needs only counting from 1 to twelve to reach the state of great bliss. We become one with all on this earth in this position. The introspection discards all greed, cruelty and selfishness from our minds. We become more humane after doing introspection.  if a fisherman does introspection, he would no more kill whales out of greed. The man gathering salt will stop gathering more salt. The people who prepare green wars will also become sympathetic to the innocent people who are killed in wars. The process of introspection needs a few moments of silence and inactivity. Here, the poet also clarifies that our silence and inactivity should not be attached to death. The earth suspends its activities in winter season. It seems to us that the surface of the earth is covered in the shroud of death. But the reality is different. In spring season, the same earth is full of life and lively activities. In the same way, after introspection, we are again full of energy and enthusiasm.
4. A Thing o Beauty by John Keats
John Keats says that a thing of beauty is a joy forever. It always remains in our imagination. Our imagination adds to it when we view it again and again. Its loveliness increases every time. This world is full of sorrows and sadness. Life is full of sufferings and struggles. It is very difficult to bear the bitter realities of life. It is the beautiful thing that makes our life bearable. It gives us peace of mind and health of body. Our stay on this earth becomes bearable because of beautiful things. Otherwise life is full of sorrows and struggles. There is lack of noble human beings. There is a plenty of evil-minded people in this world. Only beautiful objects of nature keep us bound to the earth. John Keats loved beauty in life   both physical and spiritual. There are plenty of objects which are truly beautiful. The poet calls it an endless fountain of immortal drink i.e. nectar. It is always coming to us from heaven. The ‘grandeur’ is associated with the ‘mighty dead’ when, on the Day of Judgment, God would reward them. The ‘mighty dead’ are now lying buried in their graves. That reward will be their life time achievement.
5. Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers  by Adrienne Rich
Aunt Jennifer embroiders tigers on a screen. They look very beautiful creatures of the green forest. They are not even afraid of some men standing under some trees. They seem to be fearless, brave and confident in their eyes and dignified when they walk. Aunt Jennifer has become very old. It is very difficult for her to pull the ivory needle through the wool. Her fingers tremble as she moves them through the wool. The duties of a married life have a very adverse effect on her. Her whole life has become a tale of continuous slavery and hard work in her own house without any rest.
Even after her death, aunt Jennifer would not rest in peace. The bad effect of her painful and difficult experiences of lie would have adverse effect on her even after her death. Such experiences had always enslaved her. The tigers embroidered by her in the panel are still prancing across the screen. They are proud and fearless. But aunt Jennifer remained timid even in her grave after her death.
                                                               Vistas

Q1/12What unusual Thing did Charlie notice at the Third Level?
Ans. Charley found many things unusual on reaching the third level. The room was small and there were fewer booking windows. The lights were dim. They flickered because they were open-flame gas lights. There were brass spittoons on the floor. Everything was in the style of the old time that was 1890-something. Men seemed to be fashionable about keeping beards, side whiskers and even mustaches. The trains were driven by the locomotives having funnel shaped chimneys. A news-boy was carrying some copies of the newspaper ‘The World.’ Its edition was of June 11, 1894. Charley was unable to purchase tickets from the window because he had modern currency. It was invalid as old style bills were accepted at the booking window.

Q1./12‘The modern consumerist world is full of fear, insecurities, stress and wars.’ What are the ways in which we try to combat them? Answer with reference to The Third Level.
This is a fact that we live in a world that is full of fear, insecurities, stress and wars. Charley is the product of the same kind of world. Charley must have been a victim of stress and anxiety. That’s why, unknowingly he developed            a habit of slipping in to the world of the third level. He must have had a dormant (hidden) desire of such a platform from where one could go anywhere in the U.S.A. That was the reason he wished to purchase two tickets for Galesberg. So one day his waking dream wishful thinking got materialized.
There are many ways to combat (fight) these types of stress. People can do creative writing and lose themselves in imagination. They can enjoy the beauties of nature. They can make several hobbies like listening to music, dancing, painting and gardening. But they should not become habitual of non-desirable habits like drinking wine and taking drugs or intoxicants.
2.      The Tiger King
Q1./12How did the Maharaja come in the danger of losing his throne and how did he avert this danger?    2010
The king did not allow a British officer to kill a tiger because he did not want to open the way for other British officers to reach his forests and kill the tigers. He wanted to kill them himself to falsify the astrologer’s prediction. The Maharaja and the Dewan held a meeting. They thought seriously on the issue of the danger on the throne. It was because the king had refused a British officer to fulfil his desire. So they decided to please the officer. They arranged for fifty expensive samples of diamond rings of different designs from a famous British company of jewellery in Calcutta. As the samples of the rings arrived, the king sent them all to the British officer’s good lady. The king had expected that the good lady would select a few of the samples and return the rest of them. The officer’s wife kept all the fifty samples of the rings with her. She sent a letter of thanks to the tiger King who had to pay the bill for three lakh rupees. However the Maharaja was happy as his throne was secured.
Q2./12 How did the hundredth tiger take its revenge upon the Tiger King? What is ironical about his fate?       2009               Or How did the Tiger King meet his end? What is ironical about his fate?
The king wished to give a very special gift to his son on his third birth day. So he went to the shopping centre and searched almost every shop to buy such gift. Finally he came to a toy shop where he saw a wooden tiger. The king purchased it for three hundred rupees and presented it to his son. On that day the king and his son played with the wooden tiger for a long time. The toy was not smoothly carved. Its surface was rough and some tiny slivers stood up like quills all over it. So, while playing with It, one of the slivers pierced Maharaja’s hand. He pulled it out with the help of his left hand. But slowly infection spread all over his arm. At last there was no way out but operation. It was performed by three famous surgeons. But the Maharaja died after the operation. The irony was that the Maharaj was called the Tiger King and he was not afraid of the living tigers. They could not harm his life at all. But a wooden tiger became the cause of his death. Nature also takes its revenge. Thus the hundredth tiger took the revenge on the king of Pratibandapuram.
Although the prediction of the astrologer came to be true, yet we do not agree with that. It was by chance that the king’s hand got infected. In those days life saving medicines and modern operation techniques were not available. So the king died in the absence of medical facilities. 
The astrologer’s prediction about the death of the Tiger King came to be true. Do you agree with this statement? Explain why or why not?    2008
(See the above answer)
Q3./12: Describe the efforts made by the Tiger King to achieve his target of killing a hundred tigers?  2009
The Tiger King made every effort to achieve the target of killing hundred tigers. In the beginning, he stared killing comfortably because his state forests had many tigers. But slowly the number fell down and he was able to achieve the target of only seventy tigers. Then he married the daughter of a king whose forest had several tigers. Thus he got the freedom to hunt tigers in his father-in-law’s state. In every visit he killed five to six tigers. He could make the number of ninety-nine only. He made every effort to find out the hundredth tiger. He was worried and anxious to kill the last one. Many officers lost their jobs as they failed to trace the 100th tiger. Finally he threatened the Dewan of losing his job if he could not find out the last tiger. Anyway the Dewan arranged an old tiger from the People’s Park in Madras. In reality that tiger was not killed by the king.
3.Journey to the end of the World by Tishani Joshi
Q.1./12 How can we say that Antarctica is the best place to study and understand about Earth’s present, past and future? Answer with reference to ‘Journey to the end of the Earth’                      Or
‘The world’s geographical history is trapped in Antarctica.’ How is the study of the region useful to us?
Ans. Antarctica and its understanding is very much important for us. The future of our planet earth is in great danger. If global warming continues, all the islands and coastal areas will be under water one day. The slow change in climate of the earth will pose danger to the life of living beings. It will affect all on the earth. Life on the earth may become a matter of the past. If we go to Antarctica, we can see the dangerous impact of the global warming there from our own eyes. Glaciers are melting down. The solid ice is becoming water there. That water is increasing the sea level. One day it may cause floods on the earth. It helps us to know that in past some dangerous changes took place and the continent of Antarctica was separated. It can be studied how other continents took place. The melting of the polar caps tells our future on the earth. 
4.The Enemy
Q1./12 There are moments in life when we have to make hard choices between our roles as private and as citizens with a sense of national loyalty. Discuss with reference to the story ‘The Enemy.’
Ans. Yes, there come such situations in our life when we are caught between two extreme points of our private life and our life as a responsible citizen of our country. We have to maintain a balance and sometimes we have to sacrifice the interests of our private life. This happens in emergent situations like that of a war or any other crisis when there is a dire need to serve the country first.
Dr. Sadao and his wife were caught in that situation. On one side, they had the option to leave the American soldier to his fate and another option was to respect the laws of his country. It was a crime to shelter any enemy soldier and Dr. Sadao knew very well the consequences he could have faced in case of having been caught. But he followed the voice of his conscience and what his duty told him to do. So saved the American soldier and performed his duty towards human beings irrespective of his nationality.
5. Should the Wizard Hit Mommy
Q1./12 What was Roger Skunk’s problem? How did he got it solved? What was his mother’s reaction to it?
Ans. Roger Skunk’s problem was that he smelt badly. Whenever he wanted to play with the small animals of the jungle, they would run away to leave him alone. He felt it badly. Someone told him to go to a wise owl to get his problem solved. He went to him and was told to meet a wizard. So Roger Skunk reached the wizard place. He told the wizard that he wanted to smell like Roses. The wizard chanted some magical words. After sometime, Roger Skunk began to smell like roses. Then the wizard asked for seven pennies for his work.  Skunk had to manage for seven pennies with the magician’s help. On the way while returning, he also played with other animals. In the evening, he reached home. His mother reacted angrily at the new smell. Roger had to go to the wizard with his mother. She hit the wizard by an umbrella and got Roger’s old smell back.
6. On the face of It
Q.1./12 How   did Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry become a turning point in Derry’s life?              Or  How did Mr. Lamb encourage and remove Derry’s doubts and fill his mind with courage and confidence.
Ans. Mr. Lamb’s meeting with Derry really brings about a sea change in his thinking. So we may say that it brings a turning point in his life. Before meeting Mr. Lamb, Derry did not like meeting people. He was a victim of inferiority complex. He always thought that people did not like to talk to him. They avoided being near him. He said that people showed sympathy only to console him. He had no faith in his mother also. He had no charm in life. But Mr. Lamb made him think and feel that life is a glorious gift. If God has snatched one thing, he gives many other things to us. Mr. Lamb tells him that he has one leg, but he has two legs. His burnt face should not be a hurdle in his life. People may stare at him for once, twice and thrice. But they would get fed up very soon. They have other things to do. He advises him to wait, listen and think. There is music in nature. The four walls of the house make us captive. At last, Derry’s thinking is changed.
Q2./12 The lesson ‘On the Face of It’ is an apt depiction of the loneliness and sense of alienation experienced by people on account of a disability.
Ans. The lesson ‘On the Face of It’ raises very important issue of loneliness and alienation faced by physically handicapped people. They want to make friendship and talk to them, but the able-bodied people dislike talking to them. This makes them all them sadder and cut off from society. Mr. Lamb and Derry face the same type of problem in their life. Mr. Lamb had lost his leg in war. He has a tin leg now. He lives in a house built in a garden. He wants to talk to people. People do come to meet him, but only for once. While departing, they promise to return to visit him, but never come back. To remove his loneliness, he keeps windows and doors of his house opened. He likes to hear the sound of the wind blowing outside. Bees do not buzz but hum for him. Plants, leaves, flowers and trees, all are living beings for him.
Derry’s face has a one burnt side. It looks very ugly and shocking to the people of his neighbourhood. That is why he lives alone in his house with his mother. One day, Derry meets Mr. Lamb in his garden. He encourages Derry so much that there comes a turning point in his life. He decides to face life boldly.
7. Evans Tries O’Level
Q1./12 What were the precautions taken for the smooth conduct of the examination for Evan?
Ans. Evans was appearing for his O-level exam in German language. So, all the arrangements were done for the smooth running of the exam. The Board sent an invigilator with all necessary things that were needed while conducting the board Exam. Even Stephens was made to sit outside the gate of the cell on Evans’ objection.
But the Governor already knew that Evans was adept in breaking the tight security of jails and could escape. He had already escaped three times. But the governor did not want that Evans could bring disgrace to Oxford Prison by escaping for the fourth time. So he was personally monitoring all security arrangements. He had deployed police personnel near the Recreational Block. The cell was also scrutinized for every possibility of providing advantage to Evans. His nail‐scissorsnail‐file and razor were taken away from him. Even McLeery, along with his suitcase, was checked. Stephens was peeping through the peep-hole every now and then. The Governor also kept listening through his phone the conversation that took place inside the cell. In this way, all precautions were taken in view to conduct Evans’ exam smoothly.
8. Memories of Childhood
Q1./12 What oppression and discrimination did Zitkala-sa and Bama experience during their childhood? How did they respond to their respective situations?
Or  What kind of discrimination did Bama and Zitkala experience? How did they respond to their respective situations?                           Or
What are the similarities in the lives of Bama and Zitkala though they belong to different cultures?
Ans. Bama and Zitkala-sa were the victims of social discrimination, though at different places. Zitkala-Sa was a native of America. The European settlers treated the natives of America very badly. They had made set rules which the natives had to follow. Zitkala-Sa was forced to get her hair cut. The blanket from her shoulders was also removed. She was not allowed to wear loose dress. In Zitkala-Sa’s tribe, it was a part of their culture to have long and heavy hair, to wear loose dress and to cover shoulders with some cloth. She was helpless when her long and heavy hair were cut. She resisted hard, but of no use.
Bama was a victim of untouchabitlity in Tamil Nadu. The people of her community were not allowed to touch the food of the upper caste people. They were not allowed to take water from their well, to enter the temple also. One day, she saw an elder of her community carrying food packet holding it by its strings. She was amused to see that, but her brother told her that the people of the upper caste believed that the food packet would be polluted if it was touched by them. He also told her that they belonged to lower caste. That was the incident when she came to know about untouchability.























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