Answer:
1. Most of them are spiteful and jealous and do not want him to display his knowledge to the teachers so as not to be seen as unique by them.
2. They have a defeated approach to life and their ability to succeed, so they want Sherman to join in their misery and lack of zeal to excel.
Explanation:
The other Indian boys in the school realized that Sherman was a smart boy and they felt intimidated by him. This is the reason why they wanted him to remain quiet when the non-Indian teachers asked questions that Sherman could because of his exposition to reading.
The other Indian boys accepted the world's view of them as people who were not meant to excel whereas they had the potentials to succeed. Sherman refused to accept such a limited view of the Indian boys for he believed that he had the ability to excel.
