Footprintwithout foot bholi question with answers

Q1- Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home? A1- In the beginning, Bholi was scared of the idea of going to school. She was reminded of their cow Lakshmi who had been turned out of the house and sold off. It was when for the first time in her life that she was bathed, her hair washed and oiled and was dressed in clean clothes, that she felt that she was going to some better place than her home. She had never received such attention and care before. Q2- How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life? A2- Bholi was always laughed at by everyone. People used to call her dumb and laughed at her when she would fumble while speaking. This made her sad and a low confident child who would remain quiet and sit with her head bent down into her knees. It was on the first day of her school that her teacher discovered her problem of being low confident due to her inability to speak clearly. She encouraged Bholi and treated her in a polite manner. Bholi was never treated like this by anyone. Her teacher told her that with practice she could become a learned person who could speak properly without stammering. This filled her with hope and led to a change in the course of her life. Q3- Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her? A3- Bholi agreed to marry an unequal match because she had heard her parents discussing the marriage proposal. They said that she was lucky to get a bridegroom who was rich and was ready to marry her without taking dowry. He was unaware of Bholi’s pockmarks and dumbness. She had heard her mother say that if they did not accept the proposal, Bholi might remain unmarried all her life. Later, Bholi refused from the marriage because the bridegroom demanded five thousand rupees as dowry from her father. Moreover, it was unbearable for her to see her father pleading in front of him for the sake of his daughter and family’s honour. Her self respect made her refuse from marrying a greedy coward. Q4- 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? A4- The word “Bholi” means simpleton. On the other hand, the word Sulekha means a person with good handwriting. Throughout the story Bholi was sketched as a person who was a simpleton and never raised her voice for her betterment. At the end of the story she raised her voice for her self-respect and for her father’s dignity and refused to marry a greedy old man. The word Sulekha is used in the end to show her confidence, knowledge and ability to speak up against injustice.