NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 8 - Bholi

Page No. 47

Read and Find Out

Q1: Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Ans: Bholi was unlike other children. She didn’t have good looks or much intelligence. Bholi’s father was concerned about finding a suitable husband for her.

Q2: For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Ans: The Tehsildar had instructed Bholi’s father, Ramlal, to send his daughters to school to set a good example. Ramlal’s wife was worried that sending their daughters to school might affect their chances of getting married. However, she agreed to send Bholi to school, thinking that with her lack of beauty and intelligence, Bholi’s chances of marriage were already less. As a result, Bholi was sent to school.

Page No. 48

Read and Find Out

Q1: Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
 Ans: Yes, Bholi enjoyed her first day at school. At first, she was scared, but she was happy to see so many girls her own age there. She hoped one of them might become her friend. The pictures on the classroom wall also caught her attention and made her feel excited.

Q2: Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
 Ans: Yes, Bholi found her teacher to be very different from the people at home. At home, no one ever spoke to her kindly, but her teacher talked to her in a gentle and soothing way.
At home, she was often ridiculed for stammering, but her teacher encouraged her to speak confidently instead of mocking her. This kindness deeply touched Bholi’s heart.

Page No: 51

Read and Find Out

Q1: Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Ans: Bholi’s parents agreed to Bishamber’s marriage proposal because they feared that Bholi might never receive another proposal and could remain unmarried for the rest of her life. Bishamber was a prosperous grocer and hadn't demanded any dowry, which made the proposal even more appealing to them.

Q2: Why does the marriage not take place?
Ans: When Bishamber noticed the pock-marks on Bholi’s face, he demanded five thousand rupees from Ramlal as dowry. Due to the demand for dowry, Bholi refused to marry him.

Page No: 55

Think about It

Q1: Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Ans: Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. She remembered how their old cow, Lakshmi, had been turned out of the house and sold. When she got a clean dress, bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry hair, only then she felt that she was going to a better place than her home.

Q2: How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
Ans: Bholi's teacher played an important role in changing the course of her life. She was polite and friendly which touched her heart. She encouraged her every time and was affectionate towards her and said Bholi to put her fears of not being able to speak aside. The teacher transformed her into a confident person who could read, write, and speak clearly.

Q3: 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: Bholi at first agreed to an unequal match because she was lucky to get a well-to-do bridegroom who owned a big shop, had a house of his own, and had several thousand in the bank. Moreover, he was not asking for any dowry. Bholi also heard her mother saying that he did not know about her pock-marks and her lack of sense. If the proposal was not accepted she might remain unmarried all her life. She later rejected the marriage because the bridegroom demanded five thousand rupees as dowry. On seeing the father pleading and humiliated she decided not to marry him.
This tells us that she has self-respect and she knows what is right or wrong and is able to make a wise decision.

Q4: 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?
Ans: The word Bholi means a simpleton. Throughout the story, she had been a simpleton hardly expressing her opinion. 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 during the marriage is her announcement to the world that she is no more a Bholi but Sulekha.