We are sharing the summary of Bholi class 10th chapter from the book Footprints without feet. We have also shared the ncert solutions of the chapter Bholi to give you the gist of the lesson. The story is written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (K.A. Abbas). He was an Indian film director, novelist, and journalist. He produced his best works in Hindi, Urdu, and English languages.
Bholi: Summary
The below story revolves around a girl, who had fallen off the cot during her infancy period and due to this some part of the brain got damaged. After the injury, she remained a backward child. She also suffers from speaking disorder and stammer while speaking, due to which she lacks confidence.
She also had pockmarks on her face and everyone made fun of her. But her life changed when she started her schooling. A kind-hearted and devoted teacher motivated her and encouraged her to study and also helped her to overcome the problem of stammering.
The turning point of her life came when she was asked to get married in exchange for the dowry, which she bluntly refused. She said that she would not marry a greedy man, on top of it she would like to serve her parents in their old age. She also said that she would like to teach in the same school where she learned so many things.
NCERT Solutions for Bholi Class 10th
Q1. Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Bholi’s father is worried about her as she has neither good looks nor intelligence. He
did not know how he would find a suitable groom for her.
Q2. For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Ans: Bholi is sent to school because there is little chance of her getting married because of her ugly face and lack of sense. Also, her father has to send her as the village headman has commanded him to do so.
Q3. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Ans: Yes, Bholi enjoys her first day at school as she was glad to find so many girls almost of her own age present there. She hoped that one of these girls might become her friend.
Q4. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Ans: Yes, she finds her teacher different from the people at home as the teacher was affectionate and polite and this touched her heart.
Q5. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Ans: Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal because if they don’t accept it, she would not be married for the rest of her life.
Q6. 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 remembered how their old cow, Lakshmi, had been turned out of the house and sold. When she got a clean dress, was bathed and her hair was properly done with oil, only then did she feel that she was going to a better place than her home.
Q7. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
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. The teacher transformed her into a confident person who could read, write and speak clearly. This gave her the required confidence. Moreover, the teacher’s appreciation and encouragement helped her overcome her low morale.
Q8. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?
This is a normal practice in India that girls seldom oppose their parent’s choice of a groom. The upbringing of daughters does a kind of mental conditioning that doesn’t give them enough courage to rebel against their parent’s wishes.
Bholi more or less followed the tradition of being an ideal Indian girl and agreed to an unequal match because she felt lucky to get a well-to-do groom 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.
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 in 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 make wise decisions.
Q9. 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?
In the world, Bholi means a simpleton. Throughout the story, she had been a simpleton hardly expressing her opinion on any matter. The word Sulekha means the person with a beautiful sense of letters. In this story, this word has a larger meaning. It depicts 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.
Conclusion
We have penned down a short and precise summary of the Class 10th Chapter Bholi along with the ncert solutions to give the students an idea as to how to solve the questions in the board examinations. The chapter Bholi teaches us to motivate s child who is lacking some things so that he/ she can survive and be independent. Moreover, education is also important to make the children realize the right and wrong for them.
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