Bholi

Ans. Bholi is a different girl as she is a slow learner and is not able to talk normally as others. Bholi stammers when she speaks and has pockmarks on her face left by smallpox. Society does not tolerate difference very easily. As a result, she has to suffer a lot. She is ignored and neglected. New clothes are never bought for Bholi. She is given the clothes that were worn by her sisters and are now old and not in a good condition. Her parents consider her only as a burden. People laugh at her. Children imitate her when she speaks. So, she remains silent most of the time.

She has no confidence. Bholi must have been treated with the same love and respect as others. Society must realise that they must accept those who are different. Thus, the fact that Bholi is different from others makes her an object of laughter and neglect.

Ans. Bholi was different from other children. She was a slow learner as she met with an accident when she was ten months old. She was not able to talk until the age of five years and once she started speaking she started to stammer. Then Bholi got pockmarks on her face due to the smallpox attack she faced when she was two years old. All these made her family and other children treat her badly, resulting her becoming an introvert. Everybody laughed at her and use to copy her.

This made her to talk less. She was afraid that if she will talk, she will stammer and thus, everyone will make fun of her. So, social attitude of people towards Bholi made her an introvert.

Ans. A girl has equal rights as everyone else in the society. Equal treatment and equal opportunities in life can help a girl to become independent and strong. A girl 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 very dramatic way. Bholi the main character of the story is thought to be ugly and dumb by her parents and the society. So, they think that Bholi will never get an appropriate marriage proposal for her. When they get the proposal of an old man who limps they accept it.

When on the day of Bholi’s marriage the man becomes aware of the pockmarks of Bholi he asked for a dowry of five thousand from Ramlal. Ramlal is ready to pay the dowry but Bholi on the other hand refuses to marry that man. She could take a right stand because she is educated, assertive and capable of taking care of herself. A girl is not a burdensome object to be given away with money as compensation. Thus, dowry is negation of the girl’s dignity.

Ans. Education is the answer to all questions. Illiteracy bring poverty, suffering and misery. Bholi lacks confidence initially because of her disabilities. She is not able to realise her abilities and strengths before she went to school. She used to be silent, afraid and nervous before she went to school. Her pockmarks and her stammer was not letting her progress. She is afraid to speak as others make fun of her. But education 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.

Ans. Bholi used to be a nervous and simple girl. Her brain got damaged when she was just ten months old. So, she was a slow learner. Due to smallpox she had pockmarks on her body. She could not speak till she was five. Later on, she started stammering while speaking. She was sent to school to respect the suggestion of Tehsildar. Her parents were not serious about her studies. But after going to school her life changed. Her teacher changed her life. She encouraged her to speak properly and to learn more and more in school.

She could not stand the demand of dowry that Bishamber kept on the day of her wedding. She refused to fulfil Bishamber’s demand of five thousand rupees and denied to marry him. Now she could differentiate between right and wrong. Thus, education and the right guidance of the teacher totally changed the life and personality of Bholi.

Ans. Bishamber Nath was a well-to-do grocer of the same age as Bholi’s father. He had a house of his own, a shop and thousands of rupees in the bank. He was a widower. His children from the first wife were now grown up. Ramlal was very worried for Bholi’s marriage. Bishamber’s proposal for Bholi was a stress reliever for Ramlal. Initially Ramlal was hesitating to accept the proposal of marriage. But when his wife convinced him and also because Bishamber did not demand dowry he accept the proposal.

Bholi had pockmarks on her face, lack of sense and she stammered, her parents thought it was a right decision to marry Bholi with Bishamber. So when Bishamber proposed to marry his daughter, he readily accepted fearing that if he rejected the proposal Bholi would remain unmarried all her life. She would then be a burden on her parents. Thus, Ramlal felt lucky to have a groom like Bishamber Nath for daughter and accepted his proposal.

Ans. Bholi was sent to school because Ramlal had to obey the order of Tehsildar and with her ugly face and lack of intelligence, Bholi had little chance of getting a match. But Bholi’s admission in the school proved to be a life changer for her. Bholi’s teacher was a blessing for her. Her teacher worked on her as an artist. She took her name in a soft and soothing voice and this never happened in Bholi’s life before. She always spoke to Bholi lovingly and sweetly. She consoled and encouraged her to speak without stammer. She told her to remove fear from her mind and make efforts to talk.

She raised in her the hope of a new and respectable life. Bholi’s teacher’s efforts and her education produced wonderful results. The teacher played a key role in Bholi’s life. She made her a confident and self-respecting person. The teacher realized that the girl only needed some tenderness care and encouragement. Education gave her strength, knowledge and understand. She became aware of her rights and was able to understand the difference between right and wrong. Bholi was able to understand and said no to marry with Bishamber. She took a right decision to serve her parents and teach in the school from where she learnt a lot. Thus, Bholi’s teacher played a vital role in Bholi’s life.

Ans.   Bholi’s real name was Sulekha. But everyone started calling her Bholi as she was a slow learner and different from other kids. When Bholi was ten months old she fell off a cot and some part of her brain got damaged and thus this affected her intelligence and her speech. She couldn’t speak till she was five and even after she started to talk she stammered. She was laughed at and mimicked by other children. So she talked very little. When Bholi was she was fair and pretty but an attack of smallpox when she was two years old left pockmarks all over her face and body. She was always neglected by her family and society.

She never got new clothes to wear. Changes in her life started from the age of seven when she was sent to school. She met the blessing of her life in the school and that was her school teacher. Her teacher was a caring, affectionate and a kind lady who brought change in her life. She built up Bholi’s confidence and power of speech. Bholi had become confident and courageous enough to refuse to marry a mean, greedy and lame old man. A loving mentor and good education changed Bholi’s life forever. Thus, although Bholi was a slow learner but she was not witless. She needed the right guidance, love and affection to develop her personality and that is what she gets from her teacher.

Ans. Ramlal was a numberdar. Ramlal’s household was a prosperous household, they had enough to eat and drink. He had seven children i.e., three boys and four girls. He sent all his boys to school and college to get a proper education. All his children, except Bholi, were healthy and good looking. Ramlal and his wife were more interested in marrying off their daughters than in giving them a good education. Bholi was sent to school because Ramlal couldn’t disobey the Tehsildar. He was happy to marry off Bholi to an old and limping man because he didn’t want to keep his daughter unmarried.

Being the numberdar of the village, Ramlal had a high sense of himself and his family’s honour. He even put his turban at Bishamber’s feet to save the honour or ijjat of his family. He was even ready to give five thousand rupees as demanded by Bishamber. He was always worried about Bholi’s marriage and never worried about giving her love and guidance that she required. Thus, Ramlal was a man who gave more value to his honour, societies opinions and never tried to treat Bholi the way he should have done.

Ans. Yes, it is right that no one is always foolish. Time decides everything. Experience is always based on circumstances. Maturity and knowledge of every person depends on their experiences. Time and experiences teach different lessons of life. Without experience or practical knowledge all bookish knowledge is in vain. In the lesson “Bholi” the young girl was not like other girls as she faced an accident when she was ten months old. She fell off from a cot and some part of her brain was damaged. She was not able to speak till the age of five and stammered when she started talking. Bholi also had pockmarks on her face left due to smallpox.

When Bholi was seven years old she was sent to school and there she met a very nice teacher. She understood that Bholi required love and affection. She made efforts to mould Bholi into a strong and smart girl. She didn’t make fun of her like other did. Bholi was able to take a right stand when Bishamber asked for dowry and humiliated her father. Bholi was able to change to a confident and strong girl because time and circumstances changed her. With time she was able to get right guidance from her teacher and also circumstances taught her the difference between right and wrong. Thus, time and circumstances can teach a very big lesson to anybody in life and help a person to grow.