Question

Glance through the story again and describe Bholi’s character before and after her meeting with the teacher. Complete the table and then write two paragraphs describing the change seen in her character. One is done for you.

Before	After
1. She was called simpleton, children made fun of her and mimicked her.	1. She became confident and was able to utter her name.
2.	2.
3.	3.
4.	4.

Answer 1

Before	After
1. She was called simpleton, children made fun of her and mimicked her.	1. She became confident and was able to utter her name.
2. She was shy, timid, and had no hope in life.	2. She looked forward to a better life and was full of hope.
3. She hardly ever spoke to anyone.	3. She developed the courage to stand up for herself and speak her mind before the entire village.
4. She had no goal in life as she never knew anything about the outside world	4. She wanted to be independent by teaching at the school where she studied

Bholi was never respected by anyone in the village because everyone thought of her as a simpleton, who didn’t understand anything. She was mimicked by the children because she would stammer while talking. She had absolutely no confidence and even her parents didn’t care enough for her to provide her with basic needs like clothes and books. She was mistreated by her parents and was never loved by them. As a result of being ignored by her parents and society, Bholi became very shy, spoke very little, and had absolutely no confidence. She didn’t even know what a school was until Ramlal dragged her there one day. She was afraid that she was going to be sold, just like their cow Lakshmi.

Bholi’s thoughts and feelings changed after meeting the teacher. The teacher was kind to her and encouraged her to do better. She was caring and supportive towards Bholi. She gave Bholi a new hope for a better life – a life where she would be respected by everyone in the village, a life where she would be more learned than anyone in the village, and a life where she would be finally heard. Bholi grew up to be a smart and confident woman. She agreed to marry the man chosen by her parents even though she knew that he wasn’t the ideal match for her. She took a stand for herself when she saw that her bridegroom was a mean and greedy man. She didn’t hesitate to speak her mind before the entire village. She even surprised everyone by speaking easily and without stammering. Bholi also showed her forgiving nature by choosing to look after her parents in their old age and take care of them despite being mistreated by them her whole life. She chose to be independent by deciding to teach at the same school where she received an education.