Class 10 English Chapter 9 | Bholi

Bholi | Question and Answer |
 NCERT | Class 10 | English | Footprints without Feet

 

Read and Find out

Question 1 Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?

Answer Bholi was not like other children. She was just 10 months old when she suffered a brain injury due to which she always remained backward child and came to known as Bholi. At the age of two she suffered from smallpox and her entire body was disfigured. She learnt to speak very late and used to stammer. Bholi’s father was worried about her as she had neither good looks nor intelligence. He did not know how to find a suitable groom for her.

Question 2 For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?

Answer As Bholi’s father was a government official of the village. He was asked to set an example by sending her daughter to school. As Ramlal’s wife felt that sending girls to school affected their marriage prospects adversely, she did not want to send any of her daughters to school. However, Bholi, with her pock-marked face and dull brain would not be possible to get married anyway, so Bholi’s parents decided to send her to school.

 

Question 3 Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?

Answer Yes, Bholi enjoys her first day at school as she was happy to find so many girls of almost her own age present there. The gentle, kind and loving manner of her teacher made her comfortable. She hoped that one of these girls might become her friend. Although initially she did not enjoy it, but by the end of the day she liked her school.

Question 4 Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?

Answer Yes ,she found her teacher different from the people at home.Her teacher was gentle, polite , kind and loving in nature. Bholi was always neglected at home and she was criticised and everyone made fun of her. Her teacher did not make fun of her ugliness or her stammering. She encouraged her so well that her affection deeply touched Bholi’s heart.

Question 5 Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?

Answer Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal because he was well set grocer. They thought that if they don’t accept the proposal, she would not get married for rest of her life. This was their only chance as Bishamber was from another village and did not know about her lack of sense and pock-marks.

Question 6 Why does the marriage not take place?

Answer Bishamber was shocked to see Bholi’s face. Although he did not want to marry her but put a condition that he will marry only if Bholi’s father pay him five thousand rupees. Ramlal had no choice but to pay. But, Bholi refused to marry the greedy man. That is why the marriage did not took place.

Think About it

Question 1 Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?

Answer Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school.The day she was going to school forced her parents to dress her nicely. She was bathed and her hair was properly done. Until then she was not being taken care of.She compared herself to their old cow, who has been turned out of the house and sold.The special treatment she received made her feel that she was going to a better place.

Question 2 How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?

Answer Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life. Her teacher was polite and friendly which touched her heart while everyone at the school laughed and made fun of her. She encouraged her every time and was affectionate towards her. She transformed Bholi into a confident person who can write, read and speak clearly. She made her an independent girl who was aware of her rights. Thus, she changed her life.

Question 3 Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?

Answer Bholi at first agree to an unequal match to fulfill their parent’s wish. Bholi’s father agreed to this marriage proposal because he thought that Bholi was very lucky to get a well settled groom who owned a big house , big shop , some bank balance and was totally unaware of Bholi’s pock marks and her lack of sense.Later on, she rejected the marriage when the bridegroom asked for dowry. Bholi’s father was pleading and humiliated and could give only two thousand rupees.On seeing this she decided not marry a greedy person.This tells that she had self-respect and knows what is right and what is wrong and was wise enough to take the right decision.

Question 4 Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning. But only in the last but one paragraph of the story is Bholi called Sulekha again. Why do you think she is called Sulekha at that point in the story?

Answer The word Bholi means a simple person who is innocent by heart.Throughout the story she had been a simpleton who hardly expressed her opinion on any matter. The word Sulekha means ‘a person with a beautiful sense of letters’. In this story this word has a larger meaning of being a literate, intelligent and mature individual. After her education, Bholi has really changed to Sulekha and her assertion at the time of her marriage is her announcement to the world that she is no more a Bholi, but is a Sulekha.

Talk About it

Question 1 Bholi’s teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her. How do you think you can contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in this story?

Answer Bholi’s teacher encouraged her and made her confident to face the world.She made her independent to take the right decision at the right time.She provided all help to her and inspired her.This story played a very important role in giving a message to those people who keep their daughters uneducated.The people should understand that the education is the only means which can help to do away with curse like dowry.Education tells that we should not discriminate between a boy and a girl. Both should be given equal rights and opportunities to grow.  

Question 2 Should girls be aware of their rights, and assert them? Should girls and boys have the same rights, duties and privileges? What are some of the ways in which society treats them differently? When we speak of ‘human rights’, do we differentiate between girls’ rights and boys’ rights?

Answer Yes, girls should be aware of their rights and asserts.There should not be any  differentiation between girl’s and boy’s rights. But society treats them differently.Parents spend more on a boy’s education than that of a girl. A girl is just trained to be a wife and mother. Boys have special privileges in matters of food, career or freedom.There should be equality between rights and duties of girls and boys.Girls must utilise their education to preserve their self – reliance and dignity.If we are educating a girl child we are educating the whole family.

Question 3 Do you think the characters in the story were speaking to each other in English? If not, in which language were they speaking? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and the non English words used in the story.)

Answer No, we do not think so that the characters in the story were speaking to each other in English.The dialect must be in their rural language or hindi. Several words like ‘numberdar, tehsildar sahib, izzat and pitaji’, the names such as Lakshmi for cow and Ramlal for the head of the family gives us a clue about the language used. It is very new experience for Bholi to go to school and learn small English words.