The stories of Zitkala-Sa and Bama share common themes of identity and discrimination. Both authors describe their painful experiences of cultural oppression—Zitkala-Sa through the forced assimilation and loss of her Native American culture at a boarding school, and Bama through ...

In her story, Bama conveys a powerful message about caste-based discrimination and the importance of dignity and self-respect. Through her experience of witnessing the discriminatory behavior of upper-caste people towards Dalits, she highlights the need for social equality. Her brother’s ...

Bama observed that the upper-caste people treated the Dalits with disrespect and disdain. She witnessed them showing contempt by ignoring or disregarding Dalit people, especially in public spaces. For example, she noticed how a man carrying food carefully avoided touching ...

Zitkala-Sa was shocked and horrified when her friend told her about the impending haircut. She was not prepared for the cultural assault on her identity, as cutting her long hair was a significant violation of her Native American traditions. She ...