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?
The word bholi means a simple person who is innocent from the heart. Throughout the story she had been a simpleton who hardly expressed her opinion or feelings. The word sulekha means the beautiful sense of letters. In the story, this word has a well built meaning of being a educated and mature individual. After getting educated, bholi had really changed to sulekha and her afternoon during marriage was her declaration to the world that she is not anymore a bholi but sulekha.
Bholi’s story must have moved you. Do you think girl children are not treated at par with boys? You are aware that the government has introduced a scheme to save the girl child as the sex ratio is declining. The scheme is called Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Save the Girl Child. Read about the scheme and design a poster in groups of four and display on the school notice board.
Bholi had many apprehensions about going to school. What made her feel that she was going to a better place than her home?
Why does the marriage not take place?
How did Bholi’s teacher play an important role in changing the course of her life?
For what unusual reasons is Bholi sent to school?
Why do Bholi’s parents accept Bishamber’s marriage proposal?
Why did Bholi at first agree to an unequal match? Why did she later reject the marriage? What does this tell us about her?
Does Bholi enjoy her first day at school?
Why is Bholi’s father worried about her?
Does she find her teacher different from the people at home?
Why is Mrs Pumphrey worried about Tricki?
How is Ausable different from other secret agents?
What does Horace Danby like to collect?
How did the invisible man first become visible?
How did a book become a turning point in Richard Ebright’s life?
What kind of a person is Mme Loisel — why is she always unhappy?
Why is the lawyer sent to New Mullion? What does he first think about the place?
Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book’?
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
What does she do to help him? Is she wise in this?
“Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or movies featuring spies, detectives and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story. (You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any movies featuring James Bond?)
If you were caught in a situation like this, how would you have dealt with it?
What experiments and projects does he then undertake?
How did his mother help him?
What was the cause of Matilda’s ruin? How could she have avoided it?
“Griffin was rather a lawless person.” Comment.
What lesson does Ebright learn when he does not win anything at a science fair?
What kind of a person is her husband?
The course of the Loisels’ life changed due to the necklace. Comment.
How has Max got in?