Question 1
How does education change Bholi?
A patient teacher treats her with respect and encourages her to speak. School gives Bholi learning, confidence and a sense of her own worth.
Chapter guide: central idea and structure
Sulekha, called Bholi by her family, is neglected because of her appearance and speech difficulty. School and a supportive teacher help her gain confidence. When Bishamber demands dowry during the wedding, Bholi refuses the marriage and chooses self-respect.
Key ideas
- Education can strengthen confidence and independence.
- A person should not be treated as a burden or object of exchange.
- Bholi’s final decision shows agency and moral courage.
Reading checklist
- Identify who is speaking and what changes.
- Support each interpretation with a detail from the text.
- Explain how the title, structure or ending develops the central idea.
Plot or image sequence
- Sulekha is shy after illness and ridicule.
- Her teacher welcomes her and encourages her speech.
- The family arranges a marriage with Bishamber.
- Bishamber demands dowry; Bholi rejects the match and decides to serve her parents and teach.
Important vocabulary
- stammer — speak with involuntary pauses or repeated sounds
- dowry — property or money demanded in connection with marriage
- pious — devout or deeply religious
Answer-writing tip: Begin with a direct response, support it with a relevant event or image, and finish by linking the detail to the question. Avoid retelling the entire text.
Activity for close reading
Write a short classroom pledge for respectful communication. Identify two actions by Bholi’s teacher that help build confidence and explain how a school can include learners with speech differences.
This is an original study activity based on the text; use the prescribed book for the full work and exact exercise wording.
Solved questions in CBSE/PYQ style
Newly written practice modeled on common extract, inference, theme and character question patterns; these are not copied past-paper questions.
Question 2
Why does Bholi refuse to marry Bishamber?
Bishamber demands money after seeing her face. Bholi recognises that accepting such a humiliating condition would violate her dignity, so she refuses the marriage.
Question 3
What does the ending reveal about Bholi?
She is no longer the frightened child others dismiss. She makes a clear decision, offers to support her parents and chooses a meaningful future.
Self-check
- Can I state the central idea in one or two sentences?
- Can I explain one important turning point, image or technique?
- Can I support my interpretation with evidence without copying long passages?
- Can I answer in the required word limit and keep the response focused?
Prepared as supplementary revision for CBSE Class X English Language and Literature 2026–27. Consult the current CBSE syllabus and your prescribed NCERT edition for assessment details.