Bholi — Class 10 English
Footprints Without Feet · Chapter 8
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Chapter summary
The story in steps
- Bholi grows up neglected because smallpox marks her face and a fall makes her stammer badly.
- When a village school opens, Ramlal sends Bholi there, thinking education may help her future.
- Bholi feels afraid at first, but her gentle teacher speaks kindly and gives her hope.
- Over the years, education changes Bholi into a confident and thoughtful young woman.
- At her wedding, Bishamber demands dowry after seeing her marked face, and the family feels helpless.
- Bholi refuses the greedy groom, breaks the marriage, and decides to teach and serve her parents.
Key ideas & terms
- Bholi
- A neglected girl transformed by education and confidence.
- Ramlal
- Bholi’s father, who at first neglects her.
- The teacher
- The kind teacher who gives Bholi confidence and knowledge.
- Bishamber
- The greedy older widower who demands dowry.
- Education
- The force that empowers Bholi to assert herself.
- Dowry
- The unjust demand Bholi courageously rejects.
शब्दार्थ · Word meanings
- Numberdar
- village revenue officer or headman
- backward
- slow in learning or development
- pock-marks
- small scars left by smallpox
- stammer
- speak with broken, repeated sounds
- tehsildar
- local government revenue officer
- mumbled
- spoke unclearly in a low voice
- confident
- sure of oneself
- proposal
- offer of marriage
- widower
- man whose wife has died
- dowry
- money or gifts given in marriage
Extra questions & answers
Why was Bholi neglected at home?
Smallpox marks on her face and a stammer from a childhood fall made her seem backward and unattractive, so she was ignored and mocked.
How did school change Bholi?
A kind, encouraging teacher gave her knowledge and self-respect, gradually transforming the timid girl into a confident young woman.
Why did Bholi refuse to marry Bishamber?
At the wedding he greedily demanded a large dowry from her father, and the now-confident, educated Bholi refused to marry such a heartless, greedy man.
What is the message of the story “Bholi”?
Education can empower even a neglected, voiceless girl to gain confidence, dignity and the courage to fight injustice.
What was Bholi’s real name, and why was she called Bholi?
Her real name was Sulekha, but the family nicknamed her Bholi, meaning a simpleton, because she seemed slow and backward.
Why was Bholi neglected and thought backward?
Pock-marks left by smallpox and a stammer caused by a childhood fall made her appear dull and unattractive to her family.
Why did Bholi’s father finally send her to school?
Chiefly because she seemed unlikely to marry; sending her to the new village school cost nothing and might keep her occupied.
How did the teacher transform Bholi?
With patience and encouragement, the kind teacher gave her knowledge, confidence and self-respect, changing the timid girl into an assured young woman.
What happened at Bholi’s wedding to Bishamber?
The greedy old bridegroom demanded a large dowry and, even after being given more, insisted on cash, humiliating her father.
How did Bholi assert herself at the wedding?
The educated, confident Bholi refused to marry such a greedy man, and chose instead to serve her parents and teach in the village school.