Question

Why did Zitkala hide herself?

• A. To save herself
• B. To save herself from a woman
• C. To save herself from other children
• D. To stop people from cutting her hair

Hint:

In "The Cutting of My Long Hair," Zitkala-Sa's desperate attempt to hide represents resistance against cultural erasure. For Native Americans, long hair was sacred—cutting it was not just a physical act but a violent assault on identity.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

This question refers to the autobiographical account "The Cutting of My Long Hair" by Zitkala-Sa, which is part of the lesson "Memories of Childhood" in the Vistas textbook for Class 12 English.

About Zitkala-Sa:
Zitkala-Sa (1876–1938) was a Native American writer, editor, musician, teacher, and political activist. Her name means "Red Bird" in the Sioux language. This account describes her traumatic experiences at a missionary boarding school where Native American children were forced to assimilate into white culture.

The Incident of Hiding:

Background:
Zitkala-Sa was sent to a missionary boarding school for Native American children. Upon arrival, the children were subjected to cultural erasure — forced to cut their long hair, abandon their native clothing, and adopt white customs.

Significance of Hair:
In Native American culture, long hair held deep spiritual and cultural significance. It was a symbol of identity, strength, and connection to their heritage. Cutting hair was associated with mourning.

The Hiding:
When Zitkala-Sa learned that her long, cherished hair would be cut, she was terrified and devastated.
She desperately tried to hide herself to prevent the cutting of her hair.
She crawled under a bed in a dark corner of the room, hoping to escape the inevitable.

The Outcome:
Despite her efforts, she was found by two women.
She was dragged out from under the bed, tied to a chair, and her hair was forcibly cut.
This traumatic experience symbolized the violent stripping away of her cultural identity.

Why Option (D) is Correct:
The primary and immediate reason for Zitkala-Sa’s hiding was specifically to stop people from cutting her hair. This act represented the destruction of her cultural identity, and her resistance was a desperate attempt to preserve a part of herself.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

(A) To save herself:
Too vague. Save herself from what? The specific threat was hair cutting.

(B) To save herself from a woman:
While women were trying to cut her hair, the motivation was not fear of women generally but fear of the specific act of hair cutting.

(C) To save herself from other children:
The other children were not threatening her; they were also victims of the same assimilation process.

Final Answer: To stop people from cutting her hair