Bama was in school when she first came to know of the social discrimination faced by the people of her community. On her way back home from school, she saw an elderly man carrying a small packet containing some eatables; he was holding it by its strings and not at all touching it. She found…
It was Zitkala-Sa’s first day in the land of apples. She was an American-Indian who had been brought there. She had two unpleasant experiences. She had to face an embarrassing position in the dining room as she didn’t know the eating pattern that was followed there. When a large bell rang, she marched into the…
Bama’s home was hardly a ten minute walk from her school. She took almost half an hour to reach her home because she watched all the fun and games in the streets. There, was a performing monkey. Then, there was the snake charmer. There was the cyclist who had not got off his bike for…
Zitkala–Sa had to suffer many indignities on account of belonging to marginalised community. She had been stared at, she had been thrown here and there like a puppet, her blanket and moccasins had been taken from her, she had to wear tight fitting clothes and finally her hair was shingled. She felt she had lost…
Zitkala–Sa and Bama both came from marginalized communities. They both were the victims of discrimination and protested against social injustice which they both faced during their childhood. They both became writers and used their education to fight against discrimination and social injustice.
When Bama appraised her brother about an incident, her brother told her that they were born in a community of ‘low caste’ people and so were not given any honour, dignity or respect. They could throw away these indignities if they study, make progress and become learned. These words had a deep and lasting impression…
Bama told her brother about the incident of an elderly man who was walking holding the packet with a string which seemed to be very funny. Her brother was not amused for he knew the harsh reality of caste discrimination faced by the people of his community.
Street plays or a puppet show or a stunt performance, arrival of people from various political parties and their speeches through mikes, coffee clubs in bazaar, the chopping of onions or almonds being blown away by the winds, all these activities fascinated Bama on her way back from school.
When Zitkala-Sa was admitted in the Carlisle Indian School, she faced a number of rules that the students had to follow. One of them was the manner of eating. There were three bells which were rung before the students were allowed to start eating. Being a natural being, Zitkala-Sa could not digest the meaning of…