Footprints Without Feet - Supplementary Reader in English for Class 10Th. Lesson No. 9 - Bholi - K.A. Abbas. Glossary, Summary, And Quest...
Footprints Without Feet - Supplementary Reader in English for Class 10Th.
Lesson No. 9 - Bholi - K.A. Abbas.
Glossary, Summary, And Questions, Answers.
Glossary -
1. Simpleton - a fullish or gullible person, tricked by others.
2. Stammered - to speak or say something with unusual pauses or repeated sounds.
3. Mimicked -to copy.
4. Fear-laden - a feeling of distress.
5. Squatted - sat on their heels.
6. Orchard - a fruit garden.
7. Scurried - ran or moved hurriedly.
8. Sobbing -to cry slowly.
9. Patted - to touch with a soft hand.
10. Astonished - surprised.
11. Limps - lame person.
12. Witless - fool.
13. Pomp and Splendor - a great show.
14. Envious - feeling jealous.
15. Veil - a piece of saree or attire that covers the face and head of a woman. ( Ghugat, parda in Hindi)
16. Downcast - looking downwards.
17. Contempt - bad temper.
18. Flung - to throw.
19. Startled - shocked.
20. Thunderstruck -
21. Contemptible - deserving contempt.
22. Rooted - developing from something.
Summary -
In this story, Bholi is a central character who is an ignored and neglected family member. She neither had good looks nor intellect because she had met an accident and had an attack of small pocks, and because of that she faced a lack of sense and had deep marks on her face. She was a kind of simpleton who was tricked and mimicked by everybody around. At the same time, she used to stammer. In her life, everything seemed to be against her, but her fortune changed when a new Tahsildar came into their village, and forced her father to send his daughters to school. For Ramlal ( Bholi's father ), Bholi was the only option, and he decided to send Bholi to school, so she started going to school.
In the school, she met her school teacher who was very kind and affectionate to her and she gave Bholi all the confidence to speak clearly and learn things. Through her teacher's warm support, she slowly transformed into a bold, confident, and intellectual lady. When her marriage was fixed to an aged, lame, and greedy man, Bishamber, she simply refused to marry him because he was asking for dowry to marry her. Finally, she decided to remain unmarried, to teach in the same school, and to serve her parents. So, at the end of the story, Bholi turned into Sulekha who could make her own decisions logically, and became a valuable asset to her family.
It happened only because of her teacher, and a moral can be drawn from the story of how a teacher plays a crucial role in a student's life, and how a good teacher can contribute to society's well-being by giving courage and confidence to individuals like Bholi.
READ AND FIND OUT (PAGE NO. 54)
1. Why was Bholi's father worried about her?
Ans - Bholi's father was worried about her because she was neither intelligent nor had good looks, her entire face had deep black pock-marks, as she had an attack of small-pox, at the same time she used to stammer, so his father thought that nobody would marry her. She was a kind of simpleton.
2. For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Ans - According to the Tahsildar, Bholi's father should send his daughters to the school, because being Numberdar he should set an example before the villagers. Bholi's elder sisters were either married or about to marry, and her brothers were studying in the city school. So, for Bholi's father, Bholi was the only option to obey the Tahsilgar, so he decided to send Bholi to school.
READ AND FIND OUT (PAGE NO. 55)
3. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Ans - Yes, Bholi enjoyed her first day at school, because she was happy to see many girls of her age at school, as she hoped that one of these girls might become her friend. Also, she received a new dress and even bathed.
4. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Ans - Yes, she finds her teacher very different, as her teacher was kind, sympathetic, and affectionate to her. She patted Bholi very affectionately and asked her name. On the contrary, nobody had time to talk to her, rather everybody ignored her.
READ AND FIND OUT (PAGE NO. 59)
5. Why do Bholi's parents accept Bishamber's proposal?
Ans - Bholi's parents accepted Bishamber's proposal because he was a rich man and had his own shop, and house, moreover he was not asking for any kind of dowry, and Bholi's parents always believed that because of Bholi's lack of sense, and black pock-marks on her face, nobody would marry her.
6. Why does the marriage not take place?
Ans - The marriage did not take place, because Bishamber was a greedy man, and when he saw pock-marks on Bholi's face, he started demanding dowry, and insulted Bholi's father. Bholi could not bear this, so she refused to marry Bishamber.
THINK ABOUT IT :
1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel she was going to a better place than her home?
Ans - Bholi did not know anything about the school, because she had never been to school. When her father tried to take her to school, she remembered how her old cow was taken out of the house and sold. But when she was bathed, received the new dress, oil was put on her hair, and only then she realized that she was going to a better place.
2. How did Bholi's teacher play an important role in changing her life?
Ans - Bholi's teacher played a very crucial role in her life. She was kind, polite, and friendly to Bholi. Though Bholi stammered, she encouraged her to speak. At home. Bholi was a neglected and ignored girl, nobody talked to her, and she was mimicked by others. But her teacher gave her confidence by virtue of it, Bholi completely transformed.
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?
Ans-Bholi first agreed to the proposal because he was a rich man and a well-to-do businessman, especially for the honor of her parents, and she accepted the proposal. But during the ceremony she found out that he was a greedy man and asked for the dowry when he came to know that she had pock-marks, moreover, he insulted her father. So, she rejected the proposal. It shows that she was confident, and determined, and could make her decision logically.
4. Bholi's real name is Sulekha, but at the end of the story, Bholi is called Sulekha? Why did it happen?
Ans - Though her name was Sulekha, she was always known as Bholi because of her lack of sense, black pop-marks on her face, inability to speak clearly, and ignored and neglected family members, but when she started going to school, her teacher gave her confidence, and transformed her personality, and at the end of the story, she tackled her marriage very courageously and fought to greedy groom Bishamber, so because of her transformation from neglected to confident lady, she again became Sulekha from Bholi.
5. Bholi's story must have moved you. Do you think girl children are not treated on par with boys? Discuss.
Ans - Yes, It is a really inspiring story of the simpleton girl Bholi, and how she transformed herself into Sulekha. Unfortunately, indeed, girls are not treated on par with boys. In many situations, we come across such situations where girls are being dominated, and not given the priorities and privileges as given to the boys. But due to increasing awareness, education, and performances of the girl children in almost every field, they are getting the proper rights and opportunities they really deserve. But still, in rural and backward areas, this scenario needs to be improved.
TALK ABOUT IT :
1. Bholi's teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her. How do you think you can contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in this story?
Ans - Yes, we can contribute to the social barriers in many ways, such as motivating and inspiring those individuals who feel low and underconfident like Bholi, like giving them timely advice, tools to conquer their problems and obstacles, offering them wise words and different carrier opportunities, proper treatment to overcome their physical disabilities, personality improvement techniques, good communication skills, good manners, suggesting them some physical activities or sports, guiding them some concrete ways of earnings or doing some small scale businesses and so on. In society, we come across many individuals who need our valuable guidance, we just need to be alert and kind enough to help them. Many times, we are so busy with our lifestyle that we don't get time for such activities, but it is our social responsibility to boost such underdogs and try to bring them equal to our level to uniformly balance society.
2. 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 how society treats them differently? When we speak of, 'human rights' do we differentiate between girls' rights and boy's rights?
Ans - Absolutely, girls should be aware of their rights and should assert them just as much as boys should. Both girls and boys should have the same rights, duties, and privileges in society. Unfortunately, society often treats them differently based on gender stereotypes and norms.
For example, girls may be encouraged to pursue traditionally feminine roles like caregiving or domestic duties, while boys may be pushed towards more masculine activities or careers. Additionally, girls may face discrimination in areas like education, employment, and access to healthcare.
When we speak of human rights, ideally, there should be no differentiation between girls' and boys' rights. Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all individuals regardless of gender. However, in practice, there are often disparities in how these rights are upheld and protected based on gender biases and societal norms.
3. Do you think the characters in the story were speaking to each other in English? If not, in which language were they speaking?
Ans - No, I think the characters in the story are not speaking in English, but in Hindi. I can say this because there are many words used in the lesson like Numberdar, Tahsildar, Izzat, and Pitaji. So the plot of the story is set in a rural background of any small village of India and characters are speaking in Hindi.
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