Bholi Flashcards
Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Bholi was different from other children. She neither had good looks nor intelligence. Bholi’s father was worried about finding a good bridegroom for Bholi.
For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Tehsildar had ordered Bholi’s father Ramlal to send his daughters to school to set an example. Ramlal’s wife felt that sending daughters to school would impact their marriage prospects. However, she said that Bholi could be sent to school because there are anyway less chances of her getting married with such an ugly face and no intelligence. Thus, Bholi was sent to school.
Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Yes, Bholi enjoyed her first day at school. Initially, she was frightened. But, she was delighted to find so many girls of her own age present there. She felt that one of the girls might become her friend. Also, there were a lot of pictures on the classroom wall that enticed her.
Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Yes, she finds her teacher quite different from the people at home. At home, she is never spoken to in a polite manner but her teacher spoke to her in a very soothing way.
At home, she was disregarded for stammering but her teacher encouraged her to speak with confidence instead of making fun of her. This touched her heart.
Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s marriage proposal because they thought that Bholi might never get another marriage proposal and might stay unmarried for her entire life. Bishamber was a well-to-do grocer and had not asked for dowry too.
Why does the marriage not take place?
When Bishamber saw the pock-marks on Bholi’s face, he demanded five thousand rupees from Ramlal. Due to the demand of dowry, Bholi refused to get married to him.
Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. She had seen Lakshmi, their old cow, getting sold out.
When Bholi was given clean clothes to wear, was bathed and her hair was oiled, she felt that she was going to a better place than her home.
Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?
Bholi agreed to an unequal match at first because she had overheard her parents talking about the marriage proposal. They were concerned about her marriage and thought that this was the best proposal Bholi could get as the man had not even asked for dowry.
On the day of marriage, when the bridegroom saw Bholi’s pock-marks, he demanded a dowry of five thousand rupees. He humiliated her father for the dowry. That is why she rejected the marriage.
This tells us that Bholi has self-respect and confidence. She did not want her father to give dowry for her marriage. She was able to take a brave and wise decision on her own.
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?
Bholi means simpleton. She never takes her stand. She follows what is told. She even agrees to an unequal match for the sake of her parents. But, towards the end of the story, when she sees her father pleading in front of the bridegroom and getting humiliated, she refuses to get married. She is called Sulekha at that point in the story because she is now a mature and intelligent girl who is able to take her own decisions. She is aware of her rights and does not let anyone humiliate her family.
Why is Sulekha called ‘Bholi’?
Sulekha is called ‘Bholi’ because she is a simpleton due to her suffering some brain damage after falling off a cot when she was ten months old. As a result, she is not as smart as children of her age.
Why did Sulekha start stammering?
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.
What happened to Bholi when she was two years old?
Bholi fell a victim to small pox at the age of two years. Her face and body became full of pock marks. She was still fortunate as her eyes had remained untouched and were fine.
How did Bholi react when the teacher asked her name?
Bholi stammered when she spoke and could not tell her name completely when the teacher asked her to do so. So, she broke into tears.
Bholi was fascinated by the walls of the classroom. Why?
The walls of the classroom had bright and colourful pictures of a horse, a goat, a parrot and a cow. They all looked familiar to Bholi and were like the ones in the village. That is why she was fascinated to see those pictures.
Bholi found her teacher to be different from others. How?
Others had always neglected Bholi. They made fun of her all the time. But, she found her teacher to be different. Her voice was calm, her manner comforting and touch was full of affection.
What filled Bholi’, a dumb cow, with a new hope in her?
Bholi’s first day of school brought a hope of a new life. She had found a loving and kind teacher. The teacher had inspired her and given her a book and had made Bholi feel confident about herself.
In what way did the village change over time?
The village changed into a small town over a period of time. The primary school had become a high school. The village had a cinema and a cotton ginning mill. The mail train also stopped at the village railway station.
What objections does Ramlal have to Bishamber’s proposal?
Ramlal was not very happy with the proposal. He did not like the fact that Bishamber was of his age. He had a limp and children were quite grown up. It was not a very satisfactory proposition.
Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s marriage proposal because they were happy that he was well off and had not asked for dowry.
Why did Bishamber’s marriage with Bholi not take place?
Bishamber’s marriage with Bholi did not take place because he had demanded a dowry of five thousand rupees from her father for the marriage. So, Bholi refused to marry him.
Why was Ramlal thunderstruck?
Ramlal had always taken his daughter to be dumb. He was thunderstruck when she loudly asked him to take back the money and declared that she was not going to marry Bishamber because of his greed.
The last line of the text talks about an artist and the masterpiece. Elaborate.
The ‘artist’ is the teacher and the ‘masterpiece’ is Bholi. It was her teacher who had turned Bholi into a strong and independent girl who was aware of her place in society.
What kind of mother was Ramal’s wife?
Ramlal’s wife was a traditional housewife who believed that daughters should not be educated, as it would be difficult to find husbands for them. She neglected looking after her Bholi because she was a slow learner.
Why was Ramlal worried about Bholi and not about his other children?
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.
