What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the bus, even if just once. What started as a small idea eventually turned into an overwhelming desire for her.
The words and phrases from the story that express this are: a "tiny wish crept into her head and grew there", and it became an "overwhelming desire". Furthermore, the text mentions that Valli would "stare wistfully" at the bus passengers, and their faces would "kindle in her longings, dreams, and hopes". Her own words, "I simply have to go to town", also highlight her strong urge to fulfill this desire.
Explanation
The question requires students to identify Valli's deepest desire and support it with textual evidence. The chapter 'Madam Rides the Bus' explicitly states her desire to ride the bus. The author uses evocative language like 'overwhelming desire', 'stare wistfully', and 'kindle in her longings' to show the intensity of an eight-year-old's wish, which students must extract and quote accurately for full marks.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify Valli's deepest desire from the text (to ride the bus, even if just once).
Step 2: Locate and extract the exact words and phrases indicating the intensity of her desire (tiny wish crept into her head, overwhelming desire, stare wistfully, kindle in her longings, simply have to go).
Step 3: Combine into a coherent 3-mark answer with proper formatting and bold key terms.