My Childhood

Here’s a summary of the chapter “My Childhood” and answers to its associated questions, designed for ease of understanding with emojis! 📚✨

Summary of “My Childhood” 🧒🏽

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“My Childhood” is an autobiographical account of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s early life, embodying themes of harmony, prejudice, tradition, and change.

The story begins with Kalam recounting his birth into a middle-class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram. He describes his father, Jainulabdeen, as a man of great innate wisdom and true generosity of spirit, despite lacking formal education or wealth. His mother, Ashiamma, is portrayed as an ideal helpmate, known for feeding many outsiders daily. Kalam describes himself as a “short boy with rather undistinguished looks” born to tall and handsome parents, but emphasizes that his childhood was very secure, both materially and emotionally.

The narrative touches upon the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, when Kalam was eight years old. He describes how he earned his first wages by collecting and selling tamarind seeds. Later, he helped his cousin Samsuddin distribute newspapers, catching bundles thrown from moving trains after the suspension of the train halt at Rameswaram station. He felt a “surge of pride” in earning his own money.

Kalam reflects on the characteristics he inherited: honesty and self-discipline from his father, and faith in goodness and deep kindness from his mother. He highlights his close friendships with three boys from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families, noting that as children, they never felt any difference due to their religious backgrounds. His family, despite being Muslim, participated in the annual Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, arranging boats for Hindu idols, and his mother and grandmother told children stories from both the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet, showcasing the prevailing communal harmony.

However, the story also reveals an instance of prejudice. When a new teacher came to his fifth-standard class, Kalam, marked as a Muslim by his cap, was asked to sit on the back bench, away from his Brahmin friend Ramanadha Sastry. This discriminatory act made both boys very sad and left a lasting impression on Kalam.

Answers to Your Questions:

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Here are the answers to the questions from the “My Childhood” chapter, drawing directly from the sources:

• I. Answer these questions in a few words or a couple of sentences each.

  1. Where was Abdul Kalam’s house? Abdul Kalam’s house was located in the island town of Rameswaram, specifically on Mosque Street. It was an ancestral house, built in the middle of the nineteenth century. 🏡
  2. What do you think Dinamani is the name of? Give a reason for your answer. Dinamani is likely the name of a newspaper. This is inferred because Abdul Kalam’s brother-in-law would tell him stories about the war, which Kalam would then try to “trace in the headlines in Dinamani”. 📰
  3. Who were Abdul Kalam’s school friends? What did they later become? Abdul Kalam’s close school friends were Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan. Ramanadha Sastry later took over the priesthood of the Rameswaram temple from his father; Aravindan went into the business of arranging transport for visiting pilgrims; and Sivaprakasan became a catering contractor for the Southern Railways. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑
  4. How did Abdul Kalam earn his first wages? Abdul Kalam earned his first wages by helping his cousin, Samsuddin, who distributed newspapers. He would catch bundles of newspapers that were thrown out from the moving train on the Rameswaram Road. 💰
  5. Had he earned any money before that? In what way? Yes, he had earned money before that. He used to collect tamarind seeds and sell them to a provision shop on Mosque Street, earning “the princely sum of one anna” a day. 🌰

• II. Answer each of these questions in a short paragraph (about 30 words).

  1. How does the author describe: (i) his father, (ii) his mother, (iii) himself?
     • (i) His father (Jainulabdeen): Described as having great innate wisdom and a true generosity of spirit, despite lacking formal education or wealth. He was an austere man who avoided inessential comforts but provided all necessities. 🧔
     • (ii) His mother (Ashiamma): Described as an ideal helpmate to his father, known for her immense generosity. She fed far more outsiders than members of their own family every day. 👩‍🦰
     • (iii) Himself: He describes himself as a “short boy with rather undistinguished looks” born to tall and handsome parents. He felt his childhood was very secure, both materially and emotionally. 👦
  2. What characteristics does he say he inherited from his parents? From his father, Abdul Kalam inherited honesty and self-discipline. From his mother, he inherited faith in goodness and deep kindness. 🙏

• III. Discuss these questions in class with your teacher and then write down your answers in two or three paragraphs each.

  1. “On the whole, the small society of Rameswaram was very rigid in terms of the segregation of different social groups,” says the author.

     • (i) Which social groups does he mention? Were these groups easily identifiable (for example, by the way they dressed)? The social groups mentioned are Muslims (Abdul Kalam’s family) and orthodox Hindu Brahmin families (his friends). These groups were identifiable; for instance, Kalam wore a cap that marked him as a Muslim, while his friend Ramanadha Sastry wore the sacred thread of a Brahmin. 🧕🕉️
     • (ii) Were they aware only of their differences or did they also naturally share friendships and experiences? Despite the rigid social structure, Kalam’s childhood strongly indicates that people naturally shared friendships and experiences. Kalam explicitly states that he and his three close friends, all from orthodox Hindu Brahmin families, never felt any difference among themselves because of their religious backgrounds and upbringing. Furthermore, his family, though Muslim, arranged boats for the Hindu Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony, and his mother and grandmother told stories from both the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet, showcasing shared cultural understanding. 🤝
     • (iii) The author speaks both of people who were very aware of the differences among them and those who tried to bridge these differences. Can you identify such people in the text? The new teacher who made Kalam sit on the back bench due to his religious identity was an example of someone who was very aware of and acted upon these differences, creating segregation. In contrast, Abdul Kalam’s parents exemplified those who tried to bridge differences through their generosity and kindness, feeding many outsiders. His friends like Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan, and Sivaprakasan naturally bridged differences through their unwavering friendship with Kalam, irrespective of religious backgrounds. 🌉
     • (iv) Narrate two incidents that show how differences can be created, and also how they can be resolved. How can people change their attitudes?
       • Creation of differences: A clear incident is when the new teacher in Kalam’s fifth standard class forced him to sit on the back bench, away from his Brahmin friend, due to their religious identities. This act instilled sadness and highlighted social inequality. 😔
       • Resolution/Bridging differences: While the immediate resolution of the teacher’s act isn’t in the provided text, the broader narrative offers examples of bridging differences. For instance, Kalam’s Muslim family arranged boats for the Hindu Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam ceremony. Also, his mother and grandmother told stories from both the Ramayana and the life of the Prophet. These daily interactions and cultural participations exemplify how mutual respect and shared experiences can resolve or prevent differences from escalating. People can change their attitudes through exposure, understanding, and actively fostering inclusive environments, as demonstrated by the natural friendships and family practices in Kalam’s childhood. 🌟

  2. (i) Why did Abdul Kalam want to leave Rameswaram? The provided sources pose this as a question for discussion, but do not explicitly state the reason why Abdul Kalam wanted to leave Rameswaram. ✈️

     • (ii) What did his father say to this? Similarly, the provided sources ask what his father said but do not include his father’s direct words in response to Kalam’s desire to leave Rameswaram. 🗣️
     • (iii) What do you think his words mean? Why do you think he spoke those words? As the father’s specific words are not present in the given text, it is not possible to infer their exact meaning or the reasons behind them based solely on the provided sources. 💬

• Thinking about Language

  • I. Find the sentences in the text where these words occur: erupt surge trace undistinguished casualty.

    1. What are the things that can erupt? Use examples to explain the various meanings of erupt. Now do the same for the word surge. What things can surge?
       • The word “erupt” appears when “a sudden demand for tamarind seeds erupted in the market”. In this context, it means to appear or break out suddenly. Examples of things that can erupt (from general knowledge, not sources) include: a volcano (🌋), a skin rash, or a conflict.
       • The word “surge” appears when Kalam says, “I can still feel the surge of pride in earning my own money for the first time”. Here, it refers to a sudden, powerful rush or increase. Examples of things that can surge (from general knowledge, not sources) include: waves (🌊), a crowd, or emotions like anger.
    2. What are the meanings of the word trace and which of the meanings is closest to the word in the text? The word “trace” is used when Kalam says he would “attempt to trace in the headlines in Dinamani” stories about the war. The meaning closest to this use is to find or discover something by searching or investigation, or to follow the course or development of something (e.g., trying to find news or information about the war). 🔎
    3. Can you find the word undistinguished in your dictionary? (If not, look up the word distinguished and say what undistinguished must mean.) The word “undistinguished” is used to describe Kalam’s looks: “a short boy with rather undistinguished looks”. While the provided sources do not give its dictionary definition, if “distinguished” means notable, prominent, or impressive, then “undistinguished” would mean ordinary, not special, or lacking distinctive qualities [implied by context, not explicitly defined in sources]. 🧍‍♂️

  • II. 1. Match the phrases in Column A with their meanings in Column B.

    • (i) broke out – (c) began suddenly in a violent way
    • (ii) in accordance with – (f) according to a particular rule, principle, or system
    • (iii) a helping hand – (d) assistance
    • (iv) could not stomach – (b) was not able to tolerate
    • (v) generosity of spirit – (a) an attitude of kindness, a readiness to give freely
    • (vi) figures of authority – (e) persons with power to make decisions