Chapter – 9

Bholi

In this post, we have given the Important Questions of chapter 9 “Bholi”. It is the 9th chapter of the Class 10th English.

Board	CBSE Board, UP Board, JAC Board, HBSE Board, UBSE Board, PSEB Board, RBSE Board
Textbook	NCERT
Class	Class 10
Subject	English Footprints without Feet
Chapter no.	Chapter 9
Chapter Name	Bholi
Category	Class 10 English Important Questions
Medium	English

Chapter 9 Bholi

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

Answer: Bholi was not like other children. She fell off a cot as a child due to which her brain was slightly damaged. She learnt to speak very late and used to stammer. Her face and whole body was covered with pockmarks. Thus, her father was worried about her marriage prospects.

Question 2. For what unusual reason is Bholi sent to school?

Answer: As Ramlal was a government official and the Tehsildar had asked Ramlal to send his daughters to the new school in his village, Bholi was sent to school just to satisfy the Tehsildar. As Randal’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 to satisfy the Tehsildar.

Question 3. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?

Answer: Bholi was afraid at first. She even wept when the teacher asked her name. She just sat in a corner. But, the beautiful pictures on the clttssroom wall attracted her. The gentle, kind and loving manner of her teacher made her comfortable. She was looking forward to her new life by the time the first day ended. Thus, although initially she did not enjoy it, but by the time she went home she had liked school.

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

Answer: Bholi had been a neglected child at home. She was never bathed nor her clothes washed. She was criticised and everyone made fun of her. But, she found her teacher to be entirely different. Her teacher did not make fun of her ugliness or her stammering. She encouraged her tenderly. Her affection deeply touched Bholi’s heart.

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

Answer: Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s marriage proposal as he was a well-to-do grocer and had not asked for any dowry.

Question 6. Why does the marriage not take place ?

Answer: At the time of marriage, Bishamber asked for a dowry of five thousand rupees because he saw Bholi’s pock-marked face. Ramlal had no choice but to pay. But, Bholi refused to marry the greedy man. She asserted her rights and dignity. Thus the marriage party was turned away.

Answer the following Questions

Question 1. In what respect was Bholi different from her sisters?’

Answer. Bholi was the weakest and youngest child of Ramlal. Bholi had ugly looks and absence of brain. Her sisters Radha Mangla and Champa were healthy, strong and good looking. They had been happily married.

Question 2. Bholi’s heart was overflowing with a ‘new hope and a new life’. What does the phrase ‘the new hope and the new life’ means?

Answer. The phrase means Bholi’s heart was overflowing with a new hope and a new life when she took a vow to serve her parents in their old age and to teach the students in the same school where she had learnt a lot.

Question 3. How did Bholi react when her father caught her by the hand to take her to school?

Answer. Bholi’s father caught her by her hand to take her to school. She was scared as she did not know what the school was like. She remembered how her old cow had been turned out of the house and sold. Therefore she was frightened and reluctant to go to school.

Question 4. For what unusual reasons was Bholi sent to school?

Answer. The Tehsildar Sahib put the responsibility of sending the girls of the village on Ramlal, the revenue official as he was the representative of the village. Ramlal had not the courage to disobey him. He also felt that there was a little chance of Bholi’s getting married due to her ugly face and lack of sense.

Question 5. Why was Sulekha nicknamed Bholi?

Answer. When Sulekha was 10 months old, she fell from the cot. Due to that accident, her head and some part of brain got damaged. She also stammered. She remained a backward child. Being simple, she was nicknamed Bholi.

Question 6. Give examples from the text, that Bholi was a neglected child.

Answer. Bholi was quite a neglected child at home, and this is evident from the text. No new clothes were made for her and she was always passed on dresses of her elder sisters. No one cared to bathe her or oil her hair or even wash her clothes. The neglect was probably due to the fact that she was the youngest in a household of seven children. It might be that she failed to draw attention and affection of her parents because of her disadvantageous looks or her physical setbacks.

Question 7. Why did the other children make fun of Bholi?

Answer. Some part of Bholi’s brain had got damaged when she fell from a cot at the age of ten months. This made her a little backward and simpleton. She learnt to speak a little late and stammered a lot. Thus, the children made fun of her and mimicked her.

Question 8. Why was Bholi’s father worried about her?

Answer. Bholi’s father was worried about the fact how he would marry her. Not only did Bholi looked ugly due to the pock marks but also she was like a dumb cow. To top it all, she used to stammer also which caused her father to be very much concerned about her marriage.

Question 9. Why was Ramlal worried about Bholi and not about his other children?

Answer. Ramlal was more worried about Bholi because she was the weakest child in their family while her brothers and sisters were healthy. He was worried about her ugly looks because of the pock-marks all over her body and also because of her stammering. He was worried that no one would come forward to marry Bholi because of her being weak and ugly.

Question 10. How did Bholi’s fear disappear after she had gone to school?

Answer. Bholi, the weakest child of the family, was suffering from physical disability and mental infirmity, because of which she didn’t want to go to school. But then, her teacher proved a gem to her who always provided all possible help and assistance to her and turned her into a bold and confident girl. The teacher always encouraged her and asked her to come to school daily.

Question 11. Why did Bishamber’s marriage with Bholi not take place?

OR

Why does the marriage not take place?

Answer. Ramlal had placed five thousand rupees at Bishamber’s feet. It made Bholi furious with cold contempt. She considered Bishamber, the lame old man as mean, greedy, contemptible, coward and a heartless creature. She refused to get married. So the marriage did not take place.

Question 12. How did Bholi find her school teacher different from her family members?

OR

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

Answer. Bholi found her school teacher to be different from her family members because the teacher was a kind and considerate lady. She had a soft and soothing tone. She gave Bholi a lot of encouragement and inspiration which she was not getting from her family.

Question 13. How does Bholi become her teacher’s masterpiece?

Answer. Bholi was definitely her teacher’s masterpiece because under her guidance, she overcame her handicap of stammering. The shy and reticent child bloomed into a bold and confident girl. She was a true masterpiece because she had the courage to revolt against a social evil of dowry and refused to marry the greedy Bishamber Nath.

Question 14. Give the character sketch of Bholi’s teacher.

Answer. Bholi’s teacher was a gem. Such teachers are very rare. She gave congenial atmosphere to Bholi who was handicapped. She had full sympathies with Bholi who was suffering from physical disability as well as mental infirmity. She provided all possible help and assistance to her. She made her feel at home. She encouraged and inspired her to get over her stammer. She treated her like her daughter. She was her true guide. She inculcated the qualities of confidence and daring in her. She never scoffed at Bholi whom all the other girls mimicked. She urged her to make persistent efforts to get over her handicap. She enabled Bholi to challenge the dowry seeker.

Question 15. Describe Bholi’s first day experience at school. Did she enjoy it? Give a reasoned answer.

Answer. Bholi did not wish to go to school. But her father forced her and took her to school. When they reached the school, the children were already in their classrooms. Bholi looked at the headmistress with fear-laden eyes. The headmistress asked Bholi to sit down in a corner in one of the classrooms. The teacher who was in the class was saying something to the girls but Bholi could understand nothing. she looked on the pictures on the wall. The
teacher talked to her very politely and gave her a book. Bholi was assured that she would be able to read the book within a month. Her heart throbbed with a new hope and a new life.

Question 16. Why did Bholi at first agree to the unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell about her?

Answer. No doubt, Bholi agreed to an unequal match at first. A proposal of marriage came from a wellto-do grocer-called Bishamber. He was an aged man. He was almost the same age as her father was. There was another defect in him. He limped. Moreover, he had children from his first wife. They were quite grown up. No girl could like such a match. However, Bholi didn’t oppose the proposal. She didn’t agree because he was rich and had several thousands in the bank. But she agreed just to keep the honour of her family and her parents. In the end she rejected the marriage on the grounds of principles. The greedy bridegroom was demanding a dowry of 5000 rupees. He was ready to marry a girl with pock-marks only after receiving that sum. Even when Ramlal put his turban at
Bishamber’s feet, his heart didn’t melt. Then, Bholi decided that enough was enough. She threw away the garland into the fire. She refused to have such a mean, greedy and coward as her husband. This shows that she was no more a hesitant, weak and stammering girl. Now she was a determined girl who could sacrifice anything for her principles and for the honour of her family.

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: 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. 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 stammered and was just a bundle of nerves when she attended school in the beginning. Her teacher treated her kindly and encouraged her to have confidence and be bold. She taught her to read and write and 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 about her?

Answer: Bholi agreed to the match at first to fulfil her parents’ wishes. Later on, she rejected the marriage when the bridegroom asked for dowry. This tells us that Bholi was not a timid – and dumb girl. She was aware of her rights. She also knew how to fight for her own dignity and feared no one.

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 simpleton. 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: We can contribute by saying no to taking or giving dowry. We must not discriminate between a boy and a girl. Both should be given equal rights and opportunities to grow. We must also learn to respect those who are differently abled and treat them at par.

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 girl’s rights and boy’s rights?

Answer: Yes, there is a differentiation between girl’s and boy’s rights. Although equal in the eyes of law, 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. Girl’s must be aware of their rights to exercise them. They must utilise their education to preserve their self – reliance and dignity. They must be ready to demand their due and even fight for it.

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. They spoke in Hindi. Several words like ‘numbsrdar, tehsildar sahib, izzat and pitaji’ are ample proof of that. Even the names of characters like ‘Randal’ and ‘Bholi’ support that.

We hope that Class 10 English (Bholi) Chapter 9 Bholi Important Questions helped you. If you have any queries about Class 10 English (Bholi) Chapter 9 Bholi Important Questions or about any other notes of Class 10 English, so you can comment below. We will reach you as soon as possible…