Bholi

Summary

Bholi is the story of a village girl who was discriminated as she had pock-marks on her face, stammered and was considered to be a simpleton. Bholi suffered an attack of smallpox when she was just two years old. She damaged a part of her brain when she fell off from the cot. Education transformed ‘a dumb cow’ into a fearless and courageous girl. First, she agreed to marry an unequal match, Bishamber, just to maintain the honour of the family. Her father, Ramlal, even put his turban at the feet of the greedy bridegroom. He accepted to marry a girl with pock-marks on the condition that he would get 5000 rupees as dowry. Bholi showed the courage of throwing away the ceremonial garland into the fire. She refused to have a mean, greedy and contemptible coward like Bishamber Nath as her husband.

Comprehension Questions. Answer the following questions in 30-40 words: 

1. What happened to Bholi when she was two years old? 

When Bholi was two, she had an attack of smallpox. Only the eyes were saved, but the entire body was permanently disfigured by deep black pockmarks. 

2. Why was Bholi fascinated by the walls of the classroom? 

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 by the walls of the classroom. 

3. What filled Bholi, a dumb cow, with new hope in her? 

Bholi’s first day of school brought 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. 

4. What kind of mother was Ramlal’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 to look after her Bholi because she was ugly and a slow learner.

Answer the following questions in 100-120 words: 

1. Bholi is a child different from others. This difference makes her an object of neglect and laughter. Elaborate.

Society does not tolerate difference very easily. Bholi was not like others. She was slow for her age. She stammers when she speaks. Smallpox left her all covered with pock-marks. As a result, she had to suffer a lot. Her parents did not even bathe her. She was ignored and neglected. They took her only as a burden. People laughed at her. Children imitated her when she spoke. So, she remained silent most of the time. She had no confidence or self-esteem. Society must realise that it must accept those who are different. They must be treated with the same love and respect as others.

Questions from the textbook. Thinking about the Text 

1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home? 

New clothes had never been made for Bholi. The old dresses of her sisters were passed on to her. No one cared to mend or wash her clothes. But today she was lucky to receive a clean dress which had shrunk after many washings and no longer fitted Champa. She was even bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry and matted hair. Only then did she begin to believe that she was being taken to a better place than her home. 

2. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life? 

Bholi stammered and was just a bundle of nerves when she attended school in the beginning. Bholi’s teacher spoke to her gently, did not laugh at her when she stammered and encouraged her to attend school every day. She inspired her to become well learned so that everyone in the village would listen to her with respect when she spoke. 

3. 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 the match at first to fulfil her parents wish. Later on, she rejected the marriage when the bridegroom demanded dowry. This tells us that Bholi was not a timid or a dumb girl. She was aware of her rights. She also had the courage and the confidence to speak and fight for her rights. 

4. 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? 

The word bholi means simpleton. Throughout the story, Bholi had been a simpleton who hardly expressed her opinion on any matter. The word Sulekha means a person with a beautiful sense of letters. In this story, this word has a deeper meaning of being literate, sensible and a mature individual. After completing her education, Bholi had really transformed to Sulekha and her assertion at the time of her marriage is her announcement to the world that she is no more Bholi but Sulekha.

Practice Questions 

Q1 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each. 

(a) Why was Sulekha called Bholi? 

When Sulekha was ten years old, she had fallen off the cot on her head and perhaps it had damaged some part of her brain. That was why she remained a backward child and come to be known as Bholi, the simpleton. 

(b) Why did Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal? 

Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s marriage proposal because he had a big shop, a house of his own, several thousand in the bank and did not demand dowry. 

(c) Why did Bholi call off the marriage in the end? 

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. 

(d) Why was Ramlal thunderstruck? Ramlal had always taken his daughter to be dumb. He was thunderstruck when she asked him to take back the money loudly and declared that she was not going to marry Bishamber because of his greed.

Q2 Answer the following questions in 100 -120 words. 

(a) 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 evils. Illiteracy and ignorance bring nothing but poverty, suffering and misery. Bholi lacks confidence initially because of her inabilities. She is silent, timid and weak in mind. Her ugliness and her stammering 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. 

(b) The chapter ‘Bholi’ highlights the discrimination against the girl child. Analyse.
Nature does not discriminate, but society does. From time immemorial the world has discriminated against the girl child. The chapter, ‘Bholi’ throws light on one of many such instances. Ramlal’s sons had been sent to the city too study in schools and later in colleges. All his daughters had never been to school. Except for Bholi, all his daughters were married off. Ramlal was afraid that Bholi would not get a groom as she neither had good looks, not intelligence. Later when Bholi gets a marriage proposal, her mother does not think it necessary to take Bholi’s consent for her marriage. The groom was old, lame and demanded dowry. Yet no one stood up for her rights. It was only when she asserted her opinion; she was saved from getting married to the greedy man.