G. D.

GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, SILIGURI

CLASS: X SUBJECT: ENGLISH (LITERATURE)

NOTES AND ASSIGNMENT FOR ON-LINE LEARNING PORTAL

BHOLI
--- Khawja Ahmed Abbas

Pre-reading task (Offline): * Read the lesson once or twice

https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php?jefp1=9-10
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, also known as K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, screenwriter,
novelist, and a journalist in the Urdu, Hindi and English languages.Wikipedia
Born: 7 June 1914, Panipat
Died: 1 June 1987, Mumbai
Books: The world is my village, The Thirteenth Victim, Distant Dream 2Nd/ Ed.
Awards: National Film Award for Best Feature Film, MORE
Children: Anwar Azeem

A. KEY POINTS

 A Girl Sulekha called Bholi youngest daughter of number dar Ramlal.

 An Accident made her a backward child (10month old) and had pox marks on body (when 2
years old).
 She spoke for the first time (when 5 year old) and stammered.
 Parents did not care for her.
 Primary school started in the village(She was 7 years old).
 But she was sent to the school.
 Meeting with a kind hearted lady teacher.
 The teacher encouraged her to speak.
 She hoped for a new life.
 Years passed village became a small town.
 Bishamber nath a rich grocer was ready to marry Bholi.
 Marriage ceremony with, pomp and grandeur.
 He saw the pox marks on Bholi’s face.
  Demanded for thousands to marry her in the name of dowry.
 Ramlal requested him to marry his daughter and gave him the money with great difficulty.
 But now Bholi refused to marry him.
 First time she did not stammer and said “I can marry with a man of the age same to my father,
who is even a lame but can’t marry with a greedy man and conceptive coward just for the
sake of your izzat.
 People whispered.
 Bholi answered them smartly.
 Ramlal was tensed.
 Bholi asked him not to worry about her & said “ I will teach in the school and serve both of
you (parents) in your old age.

B. SUMMARY
This story is all about a simple village girl named Bholi. Her real name was Sulekha. But fate
deceived her and when she was ten months old, she fell off the cot damaging some part of her brain.
As a result, she could speak only after she was five years old, but she stammered. Later on, when she
was two – years old, she had an attack of small pox that left her with blank spots all over the body.
The other children often made fun of her and mimicked her. Therefore, she talked very little.
Ramlal had seven children in all – three sons and four daughters. Bholi was the youngest. All other
were healthy and strong except Bholi. Bholi was seven years old when a primary school opened in
their village. The tehsildar came to perform the opening ceremony of the school. He told Ramlal that
as a revenue official and as a representative of the government in t he village, he should send his
daughter to the school and set an example before the villagers. When he consulted his wife about the
issue, his wife did not agree with him. Yet she decided to send Bholi to the school.
The next day, Bholi was given a bath, and a new dress to wear. Her mother mated his hair and then
she was sent to the school. When her father left her in the school, she set in a corner in the class.
When her teacher asked her name, she stammered and the children started laughing. At this Bholi
started weeping. But the teacher’s voice was soft and soothing. It encouraged her a lot and finally
she could tell her full name. Then the teacher told her that if she would come daily to school, she
would speak without a stammer and one day she would become the most educated girl in the village.
Then no one will dare to laugh at her. Then they will listen her carefully.
Years passed and the village now turned into a small town. One night Ramlal consulted his wife
about the proposal made by Bishamber, a grocer in the neighbouring village. His wife readily
agreed to it. Bholi was also listening this conversational. The day of her marriage came. When the
bridegroom was about to garland her, some lady pulled her veil down showing her face to him. The
bridegroom had a quick glance at her face and noticed pox marks on her face. At this, He asked
Ramlal to give him five thousand rupees as dowry in order to marry that ugly girl. After some
arguments, Ramlal handed over the money to Bishambar. But Bholi asked his father to take money
back from him as she did not want to marry that old lame and greedy person. Everybody was
surprised because Bholi was not stammering at all. The bridegroom went back with his baraat.
Ramlal could not lift his head due to shame and grief. He asked Bholi as who will marry her now.
But Bholi said to him that she would serve his parents in their old age and teach in the same school
where she had learnt so much.
.

C. SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS,

Q1. Why was Ramlal worried about Bholi and not about his other children?
Ans: Ramlal was worried about Bholi because she had neither good looks nor intelligence. She
stammered also she had pox marks on her face. Ramlal worried about her that nobody would
marry her.
Q2. Why did the Tehsildar come to Ramlal’s village? What did he ask Ramlal to do?
Ans: The Tehsildar came to Ramlal’s village. He was to perform an opening ceremony of the
new school there. He asked Ramlal to send his daughters to school. If was to set an example to
villagers. They would send their sons and daughters to school.

Q3. Who is the artist in the story? What is masterpiece? How did she become a masterpiece?
Ans: The Artist in the story is the Teacher. The masterpiece is Bholi. She becomes the teacher’s
masterpiece. It is because she is now not a simpleton. She becomes the ideal human being. She
knows now what is good and what is bad.

Q4. Why didn’t Bholi’s mother want to send Bholi to school?

Ans: Bholi’s mother neglected Bholi. She didn’t like Bholi being sent to school, no one would
marry her. She had an ugly face.

Q5. Why did Bholi look about her in school with ‘fear laden eyes’?
Ans: Bholi watched school. She was amazed to see so many rooms. They all had so many girls
in them, the girls sat on the mats. They read book or wrote on slates. So he had fear in her eyes.
She had come to school for the first time.

Q6. Why was Sulekha nick named Bholi? Why did Sulekha start stammering?
Ans: Sulekha was nick named Bholi because she was a simpleton. Anyone could befool her. She
had fallen from a cot. She had damaged her head. Some part of her brain might have been
damaged. She started speaking at the age of five. She stammered also.

Q7. What misfortunes did Bholi face since her childhood?

Ans: Bholi could be called unfortunate. She fell off the cot headlong. Some part of her brain got
damaged. Then she had a small pox, when she was two years old. It left her body disfigured
with permanent black spots. She stammered and could not speak properly.

Q8. How did Bholi’s mother favour Bishamber as a suitable husband for Bholi?
Ans: Bholi’s mother favored Bishamber because he had a big shop. He had a house of his own.
He had several thousands in the bank. He did not know Bholi had pox marks on her body. He
was also not demanding any dowry.

Q9. Why were all the relatives amazed to hear Bholi speak?
Ans: Bholi always stammered. But now she spoke perfectly well in a clear voice. She said, she
would not marry an old greedy man. Her saying startled all. They had thought she was like a
dumb driven cow.

D. TEXT BOOK QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1. Why is bholis father worried about her?
Ans: Bholi’s father is worried about bholi. It is because she has neither good looks nor
intelligence like his other children.

Q2. For what unusual reason is Bholi sent to school?

Ans: Bholi is sent to school not for education .But she is sent to worry her teacher about her,
this is the unusual reason .

Q3. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Ans: She finds her teacher different from the people at home. She finds the teacher’s voice soft
and soothing. In all her life she had never been called like that as the teacher called her by her
name.
Q4. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Ans: Bholi does not enjoy her first day at school. It is because she is fearful of everybody there.

Q5. Why does Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber's Marriage proposal?

Ans: The Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber .it had reason bishamber Has a big shop and his
own house. He also does not ask for dowry.

Q6. Why does the marriage not take place?

Ans: The marriage does not take place. It is because her bridegroom demands a dowry of five
thousand rupees. Bholi refuses to money such a person who demands downy.

Q7. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school what made her feed that she was going to a
batter place then her home?
Ans: Bholi had many apprehension about going to school when her father was going to take her
to school on the first day she was afraid that she might be sold like a cow her father understood
that she was nervous. So he ordered his wife to dress up the girl in decent cloths, oil was
rubbed into Bholi’s dry and matted hair. Now she felt that she was going to a better place than
her home.

Q8. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
Ans: Bholi’s teacher changed the direction of Bholi’s life through her love and affection; she
filled her mind with hope and faith. She told Bholi to cast out all fear from her mind. It was
because of her guidance that Bholi developed her personality now she could face all the
problems of life with great courage and confidence.

Q9. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What
does this tell us about her?
Ans: Bholi knew about her bridegroom who was old and lame person still she agreed to this
unequal match for the sake of her father’s honour. But later she refused to marry Bishamber
because he demanded dowry. Therefore, she put down her foot and said “no” to this marriage.

Q10. 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?
Ans: Bholi is called Sulekha near the end of the story. This is very significant because Bholi is
now tno more Bholi (a simple tone). She had grown wiser and more self confidence due to her
education and her teacher’s training. She proves that education is like a philosopher’s stone
which can turn a base metal into gold
E. HOME ASSIGNMENT
Qr. 1 You noticed your younger brother mimicking his friend (who limps) and making fun of him. Is
it justifiable on his part to do such act.If not ,why?
Post-reading task (Offline): In your leisure time enjoy the Classic Hindi Movie
SAAT HINDUSTATNI , Screenplay by K.A.Abbas
from the following link
https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1AOHY_enIN708IN709&ei=QlWVX-eqIMuN4-
EP2ImCmA4&q=saat+hindustani++you+tube&oq=saat+hindustani++you+tube&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAz
IHCAAQyQMQDTIICAAQCBANEB46BwgAEEcQsAM6BwgAEMkDEEM6AggAOgYIABAWEB46Aggu
OgUIABDJAzoFCCEQoAE6CAghEBYQHRAeUMj0AVinsAJgvbUCaAFwAHgAgAGvAogBnyaSAQYyL
TE4LjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6yAEIwAEB&sclient=psy-
ab&ved=0ahUKEwjn09mhxs_sAhXLxjgGHdiEAOMQ4dUDCA0&uact=5

LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION OF : 10.01.2022(MANDATORY)

Note :
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