What traumatic event does Zitkala-Sa describe at the school?

The forcible cutting of her long hair

Why was the cutting of her hair so humiliating to Zitkala-Sa?

Among her people, shingled hair was worn by cowards and mourners

What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps, and where has he come from?

He scrounges for 'gold' — coins, useful or valuable things — in the dumps of Delhi; his family migrated from Dhaka in Bangladesh after storms swept away their fields.

What does garbage mean to the children and to the elders of Seemapuri?

For the children it is wrapped in wonder and surprise, while for the elders it is a means of daily survival — their food, shelter and livelihood.

Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.

No; though he earns 800 rupees and meals, he has lost his carefree look and freedom, for the canister belongs to his employer and he is no longer his own master.

What makes the city of Firozabad famous?

It is the centre of India's glass-blowing industry; nearly every family there is engaged in making bangles for the women of the land.

Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangle industry.

Workers labour in dark, airless cells near furnaces of high temperature, often losing the brightness of their eyes and going blind before adulthood.

How is Mukesh's attitude different from that of his family?

Unlike his family who accept bangle-making as their destiny, Mukesh dares to dream of a different life as a motor mechanic and is willing to walk far to learn.

What forces keep the bangle-makers of Firozabad in poverty?

A vicious circle of sahukars, middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians, combined with the stigma of caste and years of mind-numbing toil that kill all initiative.

Why does the author call the bangle-makers' situation a paradox?

The beauty of the colourful glass bangles contrasts sharply with the misery, darkness and blindness of the people who produce them.

What does the title 'Lost Spring' signify?

Spring symbolises childhood; the title points to the stolen childhoods of poor children forced into labour instead of schooling and play.

What promise does the author make to Saheb, and why is it hollow?

She half-jokingly promises to start a school; she realises such promises made to poor children are rarely kept and abound meaninglessly in their bleak world.

Lost Spring

Class 12 English · Flamingo · Chapter 2

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CBSE Class 12 · English Core

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CBSE Class 12 · English Core

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The story in short

An excerpt from Anees Jung's book 'Lost Spring: Stories of Stolen Childhood', this prose piece analyses the grinding poverty and tradition that condemn children to a life of exploitation. It is told in two parts. The first follows Saheb-e-Alam, a barefoot ragpicker in Seemapuri on the edge of Delhi, whose family migrated from Bangladesh. For these squatters, garbage is gold — a means of survival — while for children it is wrapped in wonder. Saheb later takes a job at a tea-stall earning 800 rupees and meals, but loses his carefree freedom, for he is no longer his own master. The second part is set in Firozabad, the centre of India's glass-blowing and bangle-making industry, where families spend generations welding glass in dark, airless furnaces, often losing their eyesight. Mukesh, a bangle-maker's son, dares to dream of becoming a motor mechanic instead of following the family trade. The author shows how the bangle-makers are trapped in a vicious circle of poverty, the stigma of caste, and exploitation by middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians. The story contrasts the dreams of poor children with the harsh reality that crushes them, and questions a society that allows such child labour and lost childhoods.

Poverty and exploitationChild labour and lost childhoodDreams versus realityCaste and traditionThe plight of migrant families

Characters & key ideas

Saheb-e-AlamA ragpicker boy whose name ironically means 'lord of the universe'.

SeemapuriA settlement of Bangladeshi squatters where ragpicking means survival.

MukeshA bangle-maker's son who dreams of being a motor mechanic.

FirozabadThe town famous for its glass bangles where families work in furnaces.

Vicious circleThe web of poverty, caste, and middlemen that traps the workers.

Child labourThe illegal employment of children that the text exposes.

Extra questions & answers (board-style)

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Who wrote "Lost Spring"?

Flashcards & interactive practice