Subodh Public School

Session 2021-22

Flyers 2

English Language and Literature

BHOLI

Summary

This story is about a girl, Bholi, whose real name was Sulekha. She suffered from
some brain-damage and thus used to stammer. Moreover, she suffered from the
disease of small-pox which left pock-marks on her face. This made her look ugly.
Thus, due to her dullness and ugly face, people made fun of her. Also, people
called her Bholi as she remained a backward child. Ramlal had seven children-
three sons and four daughters. Bholi was the youngest of all daughters. All others
were healthy and strong except Bholi. They would also worry about her marriage.
One day, Tehsildar Sahib came to perform the opening ceremony of a primary
school opened in the village. He asked Ramlal to send her daughter to school.
However, Bholi’s mother was not in support of sending her school. Yet, she
agreed.
At first, Bholi was frightened to hear about school. However, when she was
properly cared for, given good clothes and other things, she began to believe that
she was being taken to a better place than her home. She was happy to see girls
of her age. She wanted to make one of them her friends. However, when the
teacher asked her name, she stammered and all the girls laughed. This
discouraged her badly. She started crying. But the teacher was a kind-hearted
woman. She encouraged her to speak. Moreover, she told her that she could
overcome her stammering completely if she came to school daily. This aroused a
sign of hope and new life in Bholi.
Years passed, the village became a small town. Moreover, the little primary school
turned into a high school. Other improvements have also taken place. A marriage
proposal came for Bholi. It was from a lame old man whose children were also
grown up. However, Ramlal and his wife agreed as he was well-settled. Bholi’s
sisters were envious to see the pomp and splendour at their sister’s wedding.
However, when the groom was about to garland the bride, a woman slipped the
veil from the bride’s face. Bisambar refused to marry such an ugly girl without a
dowry. Ramlal managed the amount.
However, Bholi refused to marry such a greedy person. People were startled to
see her speaking without stammering. The groom returned back. Bholi told her
father that she would serve him and mother in their old age. Furthermore, she
will teach in the same school from where she learnt so many good things.
Conclusion of Bholi
We learnt from the story that proper support and emotional security can lead to a
child’s development.

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follows.

Little Sulekha could not speak till she was five, and when at last she learnt to
speak, she stammered. The other children often made fun of her and mimicked
her.

(a) What did Sulekha later on come to be known as?

(b) Why did children make fun of her?
(c) What does the word, mimicked mean?
(d) When did Sulekha learn to speak?
Answer:

(a) Sulekha later on came to be known as Bholi.

(b) As being a late speaker, she could not speak clearly. So children made fun of
her.
(c) to imitate and make fun of.
(d) Sulekha learnt to speak after the age of five.

She remembered how a few days ago their old cow, Lakshmi, had been turned
out of the house and sold. N-n-n-n No, no-no-no, she shouted in terror and pulled
her hand away from her fathers grip.

(a) Why did Bholi shout in terror?

(b) Why did she remember Lakshmi?
(c) What is the antonym of forgotten in the extract?
(d) The present tense of sold is
Answer:

(a) Bholi shouted in terror as she thought that her father was turning her out of
her house.
(b) She remembered her cow Lakshmi because Lakshmi had also been turned out
of the house a few days ago.
(c) remembered is the antonym of forgotten in the extract.
(d) Its present tense is sell.

Answer the following questions in 20-30 words each:

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

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.

Why did Bholi refuse to marry Bishamber at last ? )

In the end, Bholi refused to marry Bishamber because he was greedy and mean.
She refused to allow him to garland her and told him that he was a contemptible
person.

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each:

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

Bholi was quite a neglected child at home, and this is evident from many citings in
the passage. 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.
Why did Bholi react when her father caught her by the hand to take her to school
? How did her fear disappear after she had gone to school ?

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.

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions

‘Dowry is negation of the girl’s dignity’. Discuss with reference to the

story ‘Bholi’.
Answer:
A girl is an individual in her own right. Equal opportunities in life can help her
become independent and strong. She is not a burdensome object to be given
away with money as compensation. Thus dowry negates the girl’s dignity and self
respect.
The story ‘Bholi’ shows this in a dramatic manner. Bholi is thought to be ugly and
dumb by her parents. So, they are willing to pay dowry to an old man with a limp.
So that he marries her. Bholi, on the other hand, refuses to marry that man. She is
educated; assertive and capable of taking care of herself. She dedicates her life to
service of her parents and teaching at school.

Bholi chose a dignified life of service rather than surrendering herself to a greedy
old man for the rest of her life. Education provides the required stimulus to
overcome one’s personal barriers. Explain the role of education in shaping the life
of a child with respect to the lesson ‘Bholi’.

Education is the answer to all social ills. Illiteracy and ignorance bring nothing but
poverty, suffering and misery. Bholi lacks confidence initially because of her
disabilities. She is silent, timid and weak in mind. Her ugliness and her stammer
do not let her progress. She is afraid to speak as others make fun of her.
School changes her life completely. It opens a new world of hope for her. Her
teacher treats her with love and kindness. Her affection and support help Bholi to
have faith in herself. She studies and grows into a confident young woman. She
knows her rights and she asserts them as well. She refuses to marry a man who
demands dowry. Thus, being educated changes the life of Bholi.