NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 8 Bholi
Bholi shows how education, kindness and self-respect can transform a neglected girl into a confident person.
These NCERT Solutions help students answer Chapter 8 questions on Bholi, her teacher, marriage, dignity and girl education.
Chapter 8 Bholi in Footprints Without Feet begins with Sulekha, a child ignored at home because of her stammer, pockmarked face and slow learning. Her family calls her Bholi, meaning a simpleton, and sends her to school only because they see little marriage hope for her. The story changes when one teacher treats her with patience and respect. NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 8 Bholi help students explain how education gives Bholi speech, courage and the strength to reject Bishamber’s greed.
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Bholi
Medium
Key Takeaways
- Bholi’s childhood: She faces neglect after a fall, smallpox marks and a stammer.
- School: Her teacher’s kindness gives her confidence and hope.
- Marriage scene: Bholi rejects Bishamber when he demands Rs 5,000.
- Real name: She becomes Sulekha again when she speaks with dignity.
NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Chapter 8 Bholi Structure 2026-27
| Section | Textbook Focus | What Students Practise |
| Read and Find Out | Bholi’s school life and marriage proposal | Short comprehension answers |
| Think About It | Character change, teacher’s role and self-respect | Long answer questions |
| Talk About It | Social attitudes, rights and language | Discussion-based answers |
Read and Find Out
The “Read and Find Out” questions in Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 8 Bholi trace Bholi’s journey from fear to self-respect. These answers follow the textbook sequence.
Q1. Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Answer: Bholi’s father is worried because he thinks she may never get married.
Bholi has pockmarks on her face after smallpox. She also stammers and is considered slow by her family.
Ramlal believes these things make her different from his other daughters.
His worry comes more from social pressure than from real concern for Bholi’s happiness.
Q2. For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Answer: Bholi is sent to school because the Tehsildar asks Ramlal to set an example.
Ramlal is a revenue official, so he cannot disobey the Tehsildar openly.
Bholi’s mother agrees only because she thinks Bholi has little chance of marriage.
So, Bholi is sent to school due to social pressure and family neglect, not because her parents value her education.
Q3. Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Answer: Bholi is frightened at first, but she begins to enjoy school later.
She is scared because she does not know what school is. She even thinks she may be sent away like Lakshmi, the old cow.
At school, the colourful pictures fascinate her.
The teacher’s gentle voice and encouragement make Bholi feel safe.
By the end of the day, she feels a new hope in her heart.
Q4. Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Answer: Yes, Bholi finds her teacher very different from the people at home.
At home, people neglect her, call her foolish and laugh at her stammer.
Her teacher speaks softly, encourages her and calls her by name with affection.
For the first time, Bholi feels respected.
The teacher tells her that she can learn, speak clearly and become respected in the village.
Q5. Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Answer: Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s proposal because they think it is their best chance to marry her.
Bishamber is a well-to-do grocer with a house, shop and money in the bank.
He is old, lame and has children from his first wife, but he does not ask for dowry at first.
Bholi’s parents also believe he does not know about her pockmarks and stammer.
They accept the proposal because they undervalue Bholi.
Q6. Why does the marriage not take place?
Answer: The marriage does not take place because Bholi refuses to marry Bishamber.
When Bishamber sees her pockmarked face, he demands Rs 5,000 from Ramlal.
Bholi realises that he is greedy, mean and cowardly.
She throws the garland into the fire and asks her father to take back the money.
Her clear voice shows that education has given her courage and self-respect.
Think About It
Bholi Class 10 questions and answers are mainly about transformation. The story asks students to see how one teacher’s care changes a child whom everyone else has dismissed.
Q1. Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Answer: Bholi begins to feel that school may be better than home because she is treated with unusual care that morning.
At home, Bholi usually wears old clothes passed down from her sisters. No one cares to wash or mend them.
On the day she goes to school, she receives a clean dress. She is bathed, and oil is rubbed into her dry, matted hair.
This special attention makes her think school may be an important place.
At school, the colourful pictures and girls of her age also interest her.
Her teacher’s soft voice confirms that school is kinder than home.
Q2. How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
Answer: Bholi’s teacher changes her life by giving her confidence, affection and purpose.
When Bholi stammers, the teacher does not laugh. She encourages her gently until Bholi says her full name.
The teacher tells Bholi to put fear out of her heart. She also promises that Bholi will learn to read bigger books.
This gives Bholi hope that people will one day listen to her with respect.
The teacher’s faith slowly turns Bholi from a frightened child into a confident young woman.
At the wedding, Bholi speaks clearly and rejects Bishamber’s dowry demand.
The teacher’s role proves that education can restore dignity.
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?
Answer: Bholi first agrees to the unequal match for her father’s honour.
Bishamber is much older, lame and already has grown-up children. Still, Bholi remains silent because she does not want to disgrace her family.
She later rejects the marriage when Bishamber demands Rs 5,000 after seeing her face.
His greed makes the marriage insulting and unjust.
Bholi refuses to marry a man who treats her like a burden.
This tells us that Bholi is no longer weak or helpless.
She values self-respect more than social approval.
Q4. Bholi’s real name is Sulekha. Why is she called Sulekha near the end of the story?
Answer: Bholi is called Sulekha near the end because she has found her real self.
At the beginning, people call her Bholi because they think she is simple, foolish and helpless.
The name Bholi becomes a label given by others.
At the end, she speaks calmly and clearly. She rejects Bishamber, protects her father’s money and decides to teach in the school.
Calling her Sulekha shows her dignity and identity.
She is no longer the “dumb cow” others imagined.
She becomes an educated, self-respecting woman.
Q5. Bholi’s story must have moved you. Do you think girl children are not treated at par with boys?
Answer: Yes, the story shows that girls are often treated differently from boys.
In Bholi’s family, the sons are sent to the city for education. The daughters are mainly judged by marriage prospects.
Bholi is neglected because she is seen as less attractive and less intelligent.
Her schooling is treated as a burden, not as a right.
The story supports the idea behind Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.
Girls need equal education, respect, safety and decision-making power.
Bholi proves that a girl can shape her own future when she receives support and education.
Talk About It
Footprints Without Feet Chapter 8 question answers also include social discussion. These questions ask students to connect Bholi’s story with equality, rights and language.
Q1. Bholi’s teacher helped her overcome social barriers by encouraging and motivating her. How can you contribute towards changing the social attitudes illustrated in this story?
Answer: We can help change such attitudes by treating every child with respect.
No one should be mocked for appearance, speech, disability, gender or learning speed.
Students can stop teasing and support classmates who feel nervous or excluded.
Families should educate daughters with the same seriousness as sons.
Schools should encourage confidence, not fear.
A teacher, friend or sibling can make a real difference by listening kindly.
Bholi’s teacher shows that patient encouragement can change a child’s life.
Q2. Should girls be aware of their rights and assert them? Should girls and boys have the same rights, duties and privileges?
Answer: Yes, girls should know their rights and assert them with confidence.
Girls and boys should have the same rights, duties and privileges.
Both should receive education, safety, respect and freedom to choose their future.
Society often treats them differently through marriage pressure, household expectations and limited freedom.
Human rights do not change by gender.
Bholi’s decision proves that girls have the right to reject injustice.
Her refusal is not rebellion without reason. It is a defence of dignity.
Q3. Do you think the characters in the story were speaking to each other in English? If not, in which language were they speaking?
Answer: The characters were probably not speaking English.
They were likely speaking Hindi or a regional language used in their village.
The names Ramlal, Bishamber, Mangla, Champa and Sulekha suggest an Indian rural setting.
Words like Pitaji, izzat, Tehsildar and Numberdar also show a North Indian background.
The story is written in English for readers, but the characters’ world is Indian.
NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Bholi: Character and Theme Notes
NCERT Solutions Class 10 English Bholi should help students understand the story’s emotional change. Bholi is not only a lesson about education; it is also about dignity after years of neglect.
Bholi’s Childhood
Bholi’s real name is Sulekha.
A fall from a cot affects her learning, and smallpox leaves deep marks on her body.
Why Everyone Calls Her Bholi
People call her Bholi because they think she is simple and foolish.
The name reflects how society labels children who are different.
The Teacher’s Kindness
The teacher does not treat Bholi as a problem.
She gives her time, respect and hope.
Education as Confidence
Education helps Bholi speak without fear.
It also helps her judge right and wrong at the wedding.
Bishamber’s Dowry Demand
Bishamber demands Rs 5,000 after seeing Bholi’s face.
This exposes his greed and lack of character.
Bholi’s Final Decision
Bholi rejects Bishamber and chooses self-respect.
She decides to serve her parents and teach in the same school.
Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 8 Bholi: Lines That Matter
Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet Chapter 8 Bholi has key moments that often support long answers. These points help students write stronger exam responses.
| Story Moment | Meaning | Answer Use |
| Bholi receives a clean dress | School seems better than home | Use in first-day answer |
| Teacher says “Well done” | Encouragement replaces shame | Use in teacher’s role answer |
| Bholi learns to say her name | First sign of confidence | Use in transformation answer |
| Teacher promises respect | Education gives hope | Use in theme answers |
| Bishamber demands Rs 5,000 | Dowry and greed are exposed | Use in marriage answer |
| Bholi throws garland into fire | She rejects injustice | Use in self-respect answer |
| She is called Sulekha | Her true identity returns | Use in name-based answer |
| Teacher smiles at the end | Her work is fulfilled | Use in teacher’s success answer |
Bholi Character Sketch Class 10
Bholi begins as a neglected, timid and silent girl.
She is mocked for her stammer and pockmarks. At school, her teacher gives her affection and confidence.
Over the years, Bholi becomes educated and self-respecting.
At her wedding, she refuses to marry Bishamber because he demands dowry.
Her character shows courage, dignity, gratitude and moral strength.
Role of Bholi’s Teacher
Bholi’s teacher is patient, kind and visionary.
She sees potential where others see weakness.
Her encouragement helps Bholi speak, learn and stand up for herself.
Theme of Girl Education
The story shows that education gives girls confidence and independence.
Bholi’s education helps her reject humiliation and choose a meaningful life.
Theme of Dowry
Bishamber’s demand shows the cruelty of dowry.
The story rejects the idea that a girl’s dignity can be bought or sold.
Theme of Self-Respect
Bholi’s strongest quality is self-respect.
She accepts family duty but refuses a greedy and contemptible husband.
Useful Links for Class 10 English
| Section | Useful Links |
| NCERT Solutions | NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English |
| Syllabus | CBSE Class 10 English Syllabus |
| Sample Papers | CBSE Sample Papers for Class 10 English |
| First Flight Solutions | NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight |
| Footprints Without Feet Solutions | NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet |
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
The main message is that education can give confidence, dignity and courage. Bholi changes from a neglected child into a self-respecting woman who rejects injustice.
Bholi refused to marry Bishamber because he demanded Rs 5,000 after seeing her pockmarked face. She saw him as greedy, mean and cowardly.
Bholi’s teacher changed her life by giving her affection, encouragement and confidence. She helped Bholi overcome fear and believe in her own worth.
Bholi is called Sulekha at the end because she regains her true identity. She is no longer treated as a helpless simpleton.
Bholi teaches that girl education builds confidence and self-respect. An educated girl can question injustice and make her own decisions.