Question 1 - Chapter 6 - Memories of Childhood - Vistas - Chapters (Literature) - English Class 12

Read the extract and answer the following questions.

Extract:

A paleface woman, with white hair, came up after us. We were placed in a line of girls who were marching into the dining room. These were Indian girls, in stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair. As I walked noiselessly in my soft moccasins, I felt like sinking to the floor, for my blanket had been stripped from my shoulders. I looked hard at the Indian girls, who seemed not to care that they were even more immodestly dressed than I, in their tightly fitting clothes. While we marched in, the boys entered at an opposite door. I watched for the three young braves who came in our party. I spied them in the rear ranks, looking as uncomfortable as I felt.

(Memories of childhood)

Question (i)

What is the main emotion that the narrator expresses in the extract?

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The main emotion that the narrator expresses in the extract is shame.

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to identify and explain the emotion that the narrator expresses in the extract, based on her words and actions.
• Some evidence that shows that the narrator expresses shame in the extract are:
•    She says that she felt like sinking to the floor , which shows that she wanted to hide or disappear from the scene.
•    She says that her blanket had been stripped from her shoulders, which shows that she felt exposed and violated by the removal of her cultural clothing.
•    She says that she looked hard at the Indian girls, who seemed not to care that they were more immodestly dressed than her, which shows that she felt embarrassed and judged by their appearance and attitude.

Question (ii)

Why did the narrator walk noiselessly in her soft moccasins in the extract?

1. Because she was afraid of making noise
2. Because she was used to walking quietly
3. Because she was trying to escape unnoticed
4. Because she was following a rule or order

Answer:

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Answer as written by the student:

(b) Because she was used to walking quietly

Step-by-step explanation:

• To answer this question, we need to look for evidence in the extract that supports one of the given options.
• The option that is supported by the extract is B. Because she was used to walking quietly.
• Some evidence that shows that the narrator walked noiselessly in her soft moccasins because she was used to walking quietly are:
•    She says that she walked noiselessly in her soft moccasins, which shows that she wore traditional footwear that made little sound.
•    She contrasts her quiet walk with the marching of the other girls, who wore stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses, which shows that she was not accustomed to their style and manner of walking.
•    She does not mention any reason or motive for walking noiselessly , such as fear, escape, or obedience, which implies that it was a natural and habitual way of walking for her.

Question (iii)

Complete the sentence appropriately.

The extract belongs to the genre of _______________.

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

The extract belongs to the genre of memoir.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The genre of a text is the category or type of literature that it belongs to, based on its form, style, content, and theme.
• To identify the genre of the extract, we need to look for clues that indicate its characteristics and features.
• Some clues that suggest that the extract belongs to the genre of memoir are:
•    The use of firstperson narration, which is a common feature of memoir texts.
•    The focus on personal experiences and memories, such as being taken to a boarding school and losing her cultural identity, which are typical of memoir texts.
•    The portrayal of historical events and contexts , such as the assimilation of Native American children in white schools, which create a sense of authenticity and relevance.

Question (iv)

 Give one reason why the extract can be called a vivid introduction to the theme.

Answer:

Answer as written by the student:

 One reason why the extract can be called a vivid introduction to the theme is that it uses sensory details and imagery to convey the narrator's feelings and situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

• Vivid means producing clear and powerful impressions in the mind.
• The theme of a text is the main idea or message that the author wants to convey through their work.
• To explain why the extract can be called a vivid introduction to the theme, we need to give an example of how it uses sensory details and imagery to convey the narrator's feelings and situation.
• One example of how the extract does this is:
•    It uses sensory details and imagery such as "sinking to the floor", "stripped from my shoulders", "noiselessly", "soft moccasins", "stiff shoes", "closely clinging dresses", etc., which appeal to the senses of sight, touch, and sound and create a contrast between the narrator's culture and the white culture.
•    It conveys the narrator's feelings and situation such as shame, embarrassment, exposure, violation, discomfort, etc., which introduce the theme of cultural loss and identity crisis.👀

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