Page 1 - LN4-QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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BHOLI

                                             Question and 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 child with low self esteem, 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 her
                    for the sake of his daughter and family’s honour. Her self-respect made her
                    refuse from marrying a greedy coward.









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