Class X English

Footprints Without Feet

Bholi
Notes

INTRODUCTION

The story revolves around a simple, shy and reticent village girl, Sulekha who due to an
accidental fall and an attack of small pox in her childhood faces the problem of being dull and
ugly. She is always targeted by everyone for not being good looking and intelligent. Her life
turns when she joins a nearby school where her kind and considerate teacher encourages her and
helps her to become a learned and confident person. Later in the story, circumstances arise where
Bholi has to give acceptance to the marriage with an unequal match but rejects it when she sees
her father pleading to the greedy and contemptible bridegroom who starts demanding dowry on
the day of marriage. The story shows the rise of a girl against social injustice.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

(Do the following questions in your English Notebook.)

Q1.Why was Bholi’s father worried about her?

Ans. Bholi’s father was worried about her because Bholi was not like other children. She neither
had good looks nor intelligence. She had fallen off a cot as a child due to which a part of her
brain was slightly damaged. She learnt to speak very late and used to stammer. Her face and
whole body was covered with pockmarks. Thus, her father was worried about her marriage
prospects and doubted if he would be able to find a groom for her.

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

Ans. As Ramlal was a government official and the Tehsildar had asked Ramlal to send his
daughters to the new school in his village, Bholi was sent to school just to satisfy the Tehsildar.
Ramlal’s wife felt that sending girls to school would prove a hindrance their marriage prospects
adversely so she did not want to send any of her daughters to school. However, it would not be
possible for the parents to marry Bholi, with her pock-marked face and dull brain, anyway, so
they decided to send her to school to please the Tehsildar.

Q3. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?

Ans. Yes, Bholi enjoyed the first day at school although she was quite nervous. She was glad to
find so many girls of her age in school and hoped to make a friend. She was also attracted by the
colorful pictures on the walls. However, she got afraid when the teacher asked her name and
even wept due to her stammering problem. She just sat in a corner and kept sobbing. The gentle,
kind and loving manner of her teacher made her comfortable. She was looking forward to her
new life by the time the first day ended.

Q4. Does Bholi find her teacher to be different from the people at home?

Ans. Yes, Bholi finds her teacher different as she was polite and touched her heart. Bholi had
been a neglected child at home. She was neither bathed nor had her clothes washed. She was
always criticized and everyone made fun of her. But she found her teacher to be entirely
different. Her teacher did not make fun of her ugliness or her stammering. She encouraged her in
a tender and affectionate manner.

Q5. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?

Ans. Bholi’s parents accepted Bishamber’s marriage proposal as he was a well-to-do grocer and
had not asked for any dowry. Although he was previously married and had children of Bholi’s
age, they felt that she would never get another opportunity of marrying for the rest of her life.

Q6. Why does the marriage not take place?

Ans. At the time of marriage, Bishamber asked for a dowry of five thousand rupees because he
saw Bholi’s pock-marked face. Ramlal had no choice but to pay. Bholi refused to marry the
greedy man. She asserted her rights and dignity. Thus the marriage party was turned away and
the marriage was called off.

Q7. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was
going to a better place than her home?

Ans. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. She remembered how her cow
Lakshmi had been turned out of the house and sold. The day Bholi was sent to school for the first
time, her parents had dressed her nicely. She was bathed and oil was rubbed into her dry hair.
Until then she had not been taken care of. The special treatment which she received for going to
school made her feel 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 stammered and was a bundle of nerves when she attended school in the beginning.
The kind and affectionate manner in which her teacher treated her and talked to her touched
Bholi’s heart. The teacher told her to put her fears of not being able to speak aside. She always
encouraged her to have confidence and be bold. She taught her to speak clearly as well as to read
and write and made her an independent girl who became aware of her rights. Thus, with her able
guidance, Bholi’s teacher transformed her life completely.
Q9. Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage?
What does this tell about her?

Ans. Bholi agreed to the match at first in order to fulfill her parents’ wishes. Her parents felt that
Bholi was lucky enough to get a well-to-do bridegroom who owned a big shop, had a house of
his own and several thousands in a bank, even though he was of her father’s age. Moreover, he
was not asking for any dowry. Later on, Bholi rejected the marriage when the bridegroom
greedily started demanding dowry on the day of marriage. She could not see her father pleading
and getting humiliated. This tells us that Bholi was not a timid and dumb girl. She was aware of
her rights. She also knew how to fight for her own dignity and feared no one.

Q10. Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. We are told this right at the beginning. But only in the last
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. The word ‘Bholi’ means a simpleton. Throughout the story she 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 larger meaning of being a literate,
intelligent and mature individual. After her education, Bholi had really become ‘Sulekha’ and
her assertion at the time of her marriage was her announcement to the world that she was no
more a simpleton, but a literate.

Q11. Bholi’s teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her.
How do you think you can contribute towards changing the social attitude illustrated in this
story?

Ans. We can contribute towards changing the social attitude by saying no to taking or giving
dowry. We must not discriminate between a boy and a girl. Both should be given equal rights
and opportunities to grow. We must also learn to respect those who are differently- abled and
treat them at par.

Q12. Should girls be aware of their rights and assert them? Should girls and boys have the same
rights, duties and privileges? What are some of the ways in which society treats them differently?
When we speak of ‘Human rights’, do we differentiate between girl’s rights and boy’s rights?

Ans. Yes, there is a differentiation between girl’s and boy’s rights. Although equal in the eyes of
law, society treats them differently. Even today in orthodox families, parents spend more on a
boy’s education than that of a girl. A girl is just trained to be a wife and mother. Boys have
special privileges in matters of food, career and freedom. Girls must be aware of their rights and
have liberty to exercise them. They must utilize their education to preserve their self –reliance
and dignity. They must be ready to demand their rights and even fight for them.
Q13.‘Dowry is negation of the girl’s dignity’. Discuss with reference to the story ‘Bholi’.

Ans. A girl is an individual in her own right. Equal opportunities in life can help her become
independent and strong. She 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 dramatic manner. Bholi is thought to be ugly and dumb by her
parents so they are willing to pay dowry to an old man with a limp so that he marries her. Bholi,
on the other hand, refuses to marry the greedy man. She is educated, assertive and capable of
taking care of herself. She dedicates her life to service of her parents and teaching at school.

Q14. Bholi chose a dignified life of service rather than surrendering herself to a greedy old man
for the rest of her life. Education provides the required stimulus to overcome one’s personal
barriers. Explain the role of education in shaping the life of a child with respect to the lesson
‘Bholi’.

Ans. Education is the answer to all social ills. Illiteracy and ignorance bring nothing but poverty,
suffering and misery. Bholi lacks confidence initially because of her disabilities. She is silent,
timid and weak in mind. Her ugliness and stammer do not let her progress. She is afraid to speak
as others make fun of her. The 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
develop faith in herself. She studies and grows into a confident young woman. She knows her
rights and asserts them as well. She refuses to marry a man who demands dowry and wants to
serve her parents as well as society by educating others. Thus, being educated changes the life of
Bholi.

Q15. The chapter ‘Bholi’ highlights the discrimination against the girl child. Analyse.

Ans. Nature does not discriminate, but society does. From time immemorial the world has
discriminated against the girl child. The chapter, ‘Bholi’ throws up many such instances.
Ramlal’s sons go to school and college. His daughters are not educated but he wants to get
relieved of his burden by marrying them off. Bholi’s mother does not think it necessary to take
Bholi’s consent for her marriage. The groom is old and lame. Still he demands dowry. After
making several requests, Bholi’s father is ready to pay him the desired sum also. It is the girl
herself who raises her voice against the marriage. She is criticized and humiliated for standing up
for her dignity but she is firm and decides the course of her life.

Q16. Bholi is a child different from others. This difference makes her an object of neglect and
laughter. Elaborate.

Ans. Society does not tolerate difference very easily. Bholi is not like others. She is slow for her
age. Bholi has weak mind due to an accident fall from her cot during her infancy. She stammers
when she speaks. Contracting small pox in childhood leaves her all covered with pock-marks,
thereby making her ugly. As a result, she has to suffer a lot. Not only the society but even her
family does not support her. She is not even bathed or given tidy clothes to wear. She is ignored,
neglected and treated as a burden. People laugh at her. Children imitate her when she speaks. She
remains silent most of the time due to her low self esteem. Society must realize that it must
accept those who are different. They must be treated with the same love and respect as others. To
help such children face the world bravely, we must treat them with love and affection and
encourage them to join mainstream society. We must not mock their disabilities; instead we
should give them hope that they can be as good as the other children by motivating and uplifting
them.