Class 10 English Chapter 8 Question Answers - Bholi

Short Answer Type Questions
Q1: Why was Sulekha nicknamed Bholi?
Ans: Sulekha was nicknamed Bholi because she was a simpleton. She was mentally slow and anybody could befool her.

Q2:  Why did Sulekha start stammering?
Ans: Sulekha was a baby when she fell down from a cot. Her brain was damaged. She could not speak till the age of five years. She was mentally slow and lacked confidence. That is why she started stammering.

Q3: Why was Ramlal worried about Bholi and not about his other children?
Ans: All other children of Ramlal were healthy and good looking. Bholi was the only girl who was neither intelligent nor good looking. She was a simpleton, she stammered also. Ramlal was extremely worried about her future.

Q4: Why did the Tehsildar come to Ramlal’s village? What did he ask Ramlal to do?
Ans: The Tehsildar came to Ramlal’s village to inaugurate the primary school. He asked Ramlal to set an example for others by sending his daughters to school.

Q5:  What was Ramlal’s wife reaction?
Ans: His wife was an orthodox village woman. She was against the idea of sending her daughters to school. She thought that education would affect their marriage prospects adversely.

Q6: Why did she agree to send Bholi to school?
Ans: She thought that education would ruin the marriage prospects of their daughters but Bholi was a simpleton. There was no possibility of her marriage. So she agreed to send Bholi to school.

Q7: Why was Bholi reluctant to go to school with her father?
Ans: Bholi did not know what a school was like. She had never heard about it. When her father held her hand and told her that they were going to school, she got frightened fearing to be dragged out of the house. So she was reluctant to go to school with her father.

Q8: What made her feel that she is going to a better place than her home?
Ans: Bholi never got attention before that day. She was bathed and given a clean dress. Oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair. This made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home.

Q9: Did Bholi enjoy her first day in school? What made her happy on this very day?
Ans: It was a mixed day for Bholi. She was happy to see the girls of her age. She was fascinated with the colourful pictures on the wall of the classrooms. But when the teacher asked her name she could not answer properly and other girls laughed at her. She cried. But her teacher’s soft words made her happy on this very day.

Q10: Which incident touched her heart?
Ans: All the girls were laughing at her. The teacher called her by name in her soft and soothing voice. This touched her heart because she had never been called in that loving way.

Long Answer Type Questions
Q11: “Put the fear out of your heart and you will be able to speak like anyone else.” These words of encouragement from the teacher highlight that change of social attitude and encouragement can help a child like Bholi to become confident and face the world bravely. With reference . to the story ‘Bholi’ write how the social attitude towards Bholi made her an introvert. What should be done to help such children to face the world bravely?
Ans: Bholi was neglected by her parents on account of her looks and lack of intelligence. She used to stammer so the other children made fun of her and mimicked her. As a result she talked very little. It was a daunting task for the teacher to encourage Bholi. The teacher talked to her affectionately and friendly. She assured her if she put the fear out of her heart and she would be able to speak like anyone else.
Through the efforts of years Bholi became a transferred personality. She refused to marry a greedy man who was trying to exploit her father due to her looks. Such children should be constantly encouraged by the parents, teachers and even by the other relations. They must be taught to fight back their handicaps rather to accept it as facts.

Q12: What social attitudes are presented in the story, ‘Bholi’? How does Bholi’s teacher help her overcome these barriers?
OR
God created this world but teachers create human beings. How does Bholi’s teacher succeed in changing the course of her life?
Ans: Bholi was neglected by her parents on account of her looks and lack of intelligence. She was sent to school as her mother thought her to be a burden and let the teachers at school worry about her. Ironically, the teachers transformed her life completely. God created this world but teachers create human beings.
Bholi did not know what exactly a school was and what happened there, in the class when her teacher asked her name, she stammered and began to cry. She kept her head down throughout the class. The teacher was very encouraging and friendly to her and this made her gain confidence to speak.
She started seeing a ray of hope for a new life. After years of gaining education and with the help of her teacher, Bholi turned into a confident girl. She no longer stammered and could speak properly. She even had the courage to refuse marrying the lame old man because he was greedy and asked money from her father to marry her.

Q13: “Don’t you worry, Pitajil In your old age I will serve you and mother”. Through this statement the narrator wants to highlight the moral values Bholi imbibed with. Based on the reading of the lesson, what made Bholi aware of her rights and how did she use them?
Ans: Bholi became an introvert child who lacked confidence. She was neglected and even made fun of due to her appearance and lack of intelligence. Years of education made her bold and confident. She got an aim in her life. When she refused to marry greedy Bishamber, her father became worried. She assured her father not to worry and promised that she would take care of him and her mother in their old age.
She told that she would teach in the school where she learnt so much. During her education Bholi’s teacher made her aware of her rights as well as duties. She faced the challenge of rejecting greedy Bishamber with determination and confidence. Thus she protected her self-respect and integrity.

Q14: Education is always a great asset in the life of a woman. How did Bholi, an educated girl free the challenge posed by Bishamber’s greed?
OR
School education turned Bholi from a dumb cow into a bold girl. How did she save her father from a huge expense and become his support in his old age?
Ans: Ironically, Bholi was sent to school as her mother believed she was a burden and let the teachers at the school worry for her. The teacher showed affection and encouraged her to shed her fear. She was assured by her teacher that she would speak like others one day.
Years of hard work transformed Bholi into a bold and confident young woman. Bishamber refused to marry Bholi due to her appearance and demanded five thousand rupees. Bholi saw how her father was humiliated for no reason. She refused to marry a greedy, mean and contemptible coward. She assured her father that she would serve him and her mother in their old age. She had a mission in her life; she would spread the light of education in her village.

Q15: Write a character sketch of Sulekha.
OR
On the basis of your understanding of the story, sketch the character of Bholi.
OR
Write a character sketch of Bholi.
“Bholi’s whole personality underwent a complete transformation towards the end of the story”. Explain.
Ans: Bholi’s real name was Sulekha but she was called Bholi, the simpleton as she was a backward child. She started speaking only when she turned five but she stammered when she spoke and as a result she was always mimicked or made fun of by the other children. Therefore, Bholi talked very little.
Bholi did not know what exactly a school was and what happened there, in the class when her teacher asked her name, she stammered and began to cry. She kept her head down throughout the class. The teacher was very encouraging and friendly to her and this made her gain confidence to speak. She started seeing a ray of hope for a new life.
After years of gaining education and with the help of her teacher, Bholi turned into a confident girl. She no longer stammered and could speak properly. She even had the courage to refuse marrying the lame old man because he was greedy and asked money from her father to marry her. On seeing her father worried about her marriage, she said that he need not worry as she would teach in the same school where she learnt so much and would take care of him and her mother in their old age.

Q16: “Dowry is a negation of the girl’s dignity”. Explain this statement in the light of the story of ‘Bholi’.
Ans: Initially Bishamber did not demand dowry to get married to Bholi. He was a widower, having children and of the age of Ramlal. But during the marriage ceremony he happened to see the face of Bholi. He bargains if he was given five thousand rupees he will marry the girl. Bholi’s father Ramlal placed his turban at his feet but he refused.
A girl is considered a liability in her own natal home due to prevalence of the custom of dowry practice. Some parents are unwilling to give higher education to their daughter as they have to search for ‘ highly educated boy for marriages and a better educated boy will demand more dowry which creates unnecessary problefn, for parents.
Besides, the boy who receives huge amount of dowry may think of himself as more dignified as having a higher status, greater prestige and more respectful than the girl. Subsequently the girl develops inferiority complex. Fortunately, Bholi refuses to marry greedy Bishamber and decides to serve her parents instead in their old age. ‘

Q17: How did the teacher encourage Bholi on her first day in school?
OR
On the basis of your understanding of the story, describe the role played by the teacher in the life of Bholi.
OR
What values did the teacher display in transforming Bholi into a confident girl?
Ans: Bholi was neglected by her parents on account of her looks and lack of intelligence. She was sent to school as her mother thought her to be a burden and let the teacher at school worry about her. The teacher in the school asked her to tell her name. She stammered -and began to cry.
The teacher showed her affection and encouraged her in a friendly manner to put aside her fear. Bholi somehow told her name. The teacher assured her that she would be able £o speak like everyone else one day. Bholi was surprised. The teacher asked her to come to school regularly. Love and encouragement shown by the teacher brought out drastic changes in Bholi’s personality. Within a few years she became so confident that she refused to marry a greedy man.

Q18: ‘Love and encouragement make the impossible possible. Explain this statement on the basis of the story ‘Bholi’.
Ans: Bholi was sent to school as her mother thought her to be a burden. She was neglected by her parents as she was not beautiful and lacked intelligence. The teacher in the school asked her to tell her name. She stammered and began to cry. The teacher showed her affection and encouraged her in a friendly manner to put aside her fear.
Bholi somehow told her name. Bholi was surprised. The teacher asked her to come to school regularly. Love and encouragement shown by the teacher brought out drastic changes in Bholi’s personality. Within a few years she became so confident that she refused to marry a greedy man.

Q19: No one is always foolish. Time and circumstances give us intelligence and change out. personality. Explain with reference to ‘Bholi’.
Ans: Yes, it is quite right that no one is always foolish. Time decides everything. Our maturity and knowledge depend on our experience. Experience is always based on circumstances. Time and experiences teach us different things and make life perfect.
With out experience or practical knowledge all bookish knowledge is in vain. It is never used. There are many such examples in our real life that prove this statement correct. Here I would like to share my own experience about a very simple doctor.
He started his practice very slow in a poor area. Many famous doctors made fun of him. Time passed and gradually he became famous in the neighbouring areas. His treatment was not so costly. Once a very serious accident occurred near his hospital and the people brought the injured person to a costly hospital.
But his condition was very serious and the doctor refused to admit him. Then that doctor took the case and tried his best to save him. At last he succeeded. All were surprised to see and listen to it.

Q20: Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?
Ans: This is a normal practice in India that girls seldom oppose their parent’s choice for a groom. The upbringing of daughters does a kind of mental conditioning which doesn’t give them enough courage to rebel against their parent’s wish. Bholi more or less followed the tradition of being an ideal Indian girl ,and agreed to an unequal match because her mother felt she was lucky to get a well-to-do groom who owned a big shop, had a house of his own and had several thousands in the bank. Moreover, he was not asking for any dowry.
Bholi also heard her mother saying that he did not know about her pox-marks and her lack of sense. If the proposal was not accepted, she might remain unmarried all her life. Later on when the groom bared his greed to everyone, it repulsed Bholi and she opposed the marriage. Unlike her sisters, Bholi is educated and has a mind of her own. She is as independent as any other modern girl of a big city.
On seeing her father pleading and getting humiliated, she decided not to marry him. This tells us that she loves and respects her parents, has self respect and knows what is right or wrong and is able to take a wise decision.