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Destiny had been cruel to… (Class 10 English 2023, Q11a)

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EnglishCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2023, set 2/6/1 · 6 marks · Long answer

CBSE Class 10 English 2023: question 11(a)

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2023, paper 2/6/1, section C, question 11(a), for 6 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q11(a) · 6 marks · Long answerBholi

Destiny had been cruel to Bholi yet she made a place for herself in a conservative society. Discuss. (Answer in 100-120 words)

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2023 board paper, set 2/6/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

List the misfortunes Bholi faced as a child.

Hint 2

Recall what her teacher did for her.

Hint 3

Link her education to her refusal of the marriage.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. Cruel destiny: Bholi fell from her cot as a baby and became a slow learner. She stammered and had pock marks from smallpox. Her parents neglected her and finally married her to an old man.

    1½ marks

  2. Her place in society: She went to school, where her teacher encouraged her, and education cured her stammer and gave her confidence.

    1½ marks

  3. She refused to marry the greedy, old grocer Bishamber, taking a stand against dowry, and she chose to care for her parents. She decided to become a teacher in the same school.

    1 mark

  4. Clear expression, organisation and accuracy within the word limit.

    2 marks

Answer: Despite a cruel fate, education gave Bholi confidence to reject dowry and become a teacher, winning respect.

Where the marks are

  • Three points on cruel destiny (1.5 marks)
  • Three points on how she made her place (1.5 marks)
  • Expression and accuracy (3 marks)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Bholi (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Bholi, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2023 board paper, set 2/6/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.