The two accounts that you read above are based in two distant cultures. What is the commonality of theme found in both of them?
‘Memories of childhood’ present to autobiographical episodes. Both are from the lives of women. The thread of commonality that runs through both accounts is the feeling of sadness and outrage experienced by both two women of marginalised community. The first account is by an American Indian woman. Second account is narrated by a contemporary Tamil Dalit writer. The women belong to two different cultures. Distress and sadness is experience by both the women’s in their early life.
Native Indians don't get respect dignity and importance in America. They are forced to follow their trades tradition and whims. The poor Indian girl was dragged out and tied in a chair and her long and heavy hair is shingled. Bama, on the other hand awakened early to the humanization of having been born in community of untouchables and hence directed all her energy into fighting the injustice of such a system.
Both the women fight and struggle against exploitation and oppression.
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?
The world is full of inequality. Inequalities give birth to oppression and suppression. Operation and exploitation never go unchallenged. The seeds of rebellion are generally Sown early in life. Innocent looking children have their own understanding of the world and its people.
Zitkala-Sa realise as soon as she entered the school run by the whites that they meant to change her into a different person then she had before Been raised to be. She wants to have long and heavy hair, it is the tradition of a community. Only coward have shingled hair among them. She fights tell she is overpowered.
Bama on the other hand has a first-hand experience of untouchability in India. The people of high’ castes don't consider the low’ castes even As human beings. She had seen an elder humiliated by a landlord on a street and this impacted her deeply. She is inspired by her brother and Now works hard and stands first in her class.
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?
Bama and Zitkala-S highlight exploitation and humiliation of the suppressed people. They write about women from marginalised community.
Zitkala-Sa belongs to the community of native Americans and she is uprooted from her community and alienated from its custom. She feels Robbed from her identity and her dignity. The poor girl fights and struggles till she is overpowered.
Bama's experience is based on cause of untouchability in India. The people of low caste has to work for the higher caste. She is inspired by the words of her elder brother, now works hard and stand first in the class.
Both Zitkala-Sa and Bama fought with courage against the humiliation they were subjected to.