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English | Class 11th | Hornbill | NCERT
The Portrait of a Lady | Lesson 1 | Summary | Questions and Answers |
Short Summary
“The
Portrait of a Lady” by Khushwant Singh is a poignant short
story that reflects on the narrator's relationship with his grandmother. The
story captures the changes in their bond as the narrator grows up. Initially,
they share a close, affectionate connection, living together in the village
where the grandmother plays a significant role in his early education. However,
their relationship changes when they move to the city. As the narrator becomes
more independent and immersed in modern education, the grandmother's traditional
lifestyle and influence diminish. Despite these changes, the grandmother
remains a symbol of steadfast love, simplicity, and spirituality until her
death.
The story beautifully explores themes of
generational differences, the impact of modernization, and the enduring nature
of love in family relationships.
Understanding the Text
Mention
1. The three phases of the author’s
relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad.
Answer:
The author’s relationship with his grandmother undergoes three distinct phases:
1. Village Life:
In the village, they share a close bond, spending all their time together. The
grandmother helps with his education and daily routines.
2. City Life:
After moving to the city, their relationship becomes more distant. The author
starts attending an English school, and the grandmother’s role diminishes.
3. High School Years:
As the author grows older and more independent, their interaction further
reduces, with the grandmother retreating into her religious activities while
the author focuses on his studies.
2. Three reasons why the author’s
grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.
Answer:
The author's grandmother was disturbed when he started attending the city
school for three main reasons:
1. No Religious Education:
The school did not teach about God or religious scriptures, which deeply
troubled her, as she valued spirituality.
2. Focus on Western Education:
The emphasis on subjects like science and English, rather than traditional
learning, alienated her.
3. Music Lessons:
She disapproved of music lessons, associating them with frivolity and a lack of
moral discipline, which conflicted with her traditional values.
3. Three ways in which the author’s
grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
Answer:
1. Spinning the Wheel: She spent much of her time spinning the charkha
(spinning wheel), engaging in this daily activity.
2. Praying:
She devoted herself to reciting prayers and reading the scriptures, immersed in
her spiritual practices.
3. Feeding Sparrows:
In her spare time, she would feed the sparrows, developing a peaceful, silent
connection with them.
4. The odd way in which the author’s
grandmother behaved just before she died.
Answer:
Before her death, the grandmother suddenly stopped praying, which was unusual
for her. Instead, she gathered the family, sang old songs, and drummed on her
rosary beads in a strangely joyful yet intense way, as if preparing for her
final departure.
5. The way in which the sparrows
expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.
Answer:
When the grandmother died, the sparrows gathered around her body in silence.
They did not chirp or eat the breadcrumbs offered to them, showing their silent
grief. The next morning, they flew away quietly, leaving behind the uneaten
food.
Talking about the text
Talk to your partner about the
following.
1. The author’s grandmother was a
religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this?
Answer:
The author's grandmother's deep religiosity is evident in several ways. She
constantly recited prayers while performing her daily tasks, especially while
spinning the charkha. She was deeply disturbed when the author’s city school
didn’t include religious teachings and focused on Western education. Even in
her final days, she remained immersed in spirituality, refusing to engage in
any worldly affairs. Her piety and devotion were integral to her identity, and
she found solace in her faith, reflected by her regular prayer and feeding of
the sparrows as an act of kindness.
2. Describe the changing relationship
between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other
change?
Answer:
The relationship between the author and his grandmother evolved as the author
grew up. In the village, they were inseparable, spending most of their time
together. However, when they moved to the city, the bond began to fade as the
author started attending school and became more independent. Despite their
reduced interaction, their affection for each other remained intact. The
grandmother gracefully accepted the changes without bitterness, focusing more
on her spirituality, while the author remained aware of her love, even though
their shared time lessened. The essence of their feelings—love and
respect—didn’t change, only the way they expressed it did.
3. Would you agree that the author’s
grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that show
this.
Answer:
Yes, the author’s grandmother was strong in character. Despite the changes in
her life, she remained dignified and resilient. When the author went to school
and their time together reduced, she did not complain or demand attention.
Instead, she found peace in her prayers and daily routines. Her acceptance of
the author's growing independence and the transition to a modern, unfamiliar
world showed her strength. Even in her last moments, she displayed inner
strength, choosing to celebrate life by singing, rather than mourning her
impending death. Her composed, spiritual approach to life demonstrated her
unwavering character.
4. Have you known someone like the
author’s grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone
whom you have loved and lost?
Answer:
Yes, many of us have encountered someone like the author's grandmother—a figure
who embodies wisdom, love, and resilience. Personally, I have known a
grandparent who, much like the grandmother in the story, had a quiet, enduring
strength and deep spiritual grounding. When they passed, it left a profound
sense of loss, similar to what the author felt. It’s a unique emptiness that
comes with losing someone who provided unconditional support and love, as well
as the feeling that an irreplaceable bond has been severed.
Thinking about language
1. Which language do you think the
author and his grandmother used while talking to each other?
Answer:
Given the context of the story and Khushwant Singh’s background, it is likely
that the author and his grandmother communicated in Punjabi or Hindi,
as they lived in a rural village in India, where these languages are commonly
spoken.
2. Which language do you use to talk to
elderly relatives in your family?
Answer:
I often talk in my regional language to my elderly relatives in my family and
my regional language is Kashmiri. I know Hindi, English, and Urdu languages
also.
3. How would you say ‘a dilapidated
drum’ in your language?
Answer:
In Kashmiri, ‘a dilapidated drum’ would be translated as "اکھ
خراب
ڈرم" (akh kharab drum). The word " خراب" (kharab) refers to something that is worn
out or in a dilapidated condition, and "ڈرم" (drum) means drum.
4. Can you think of a song or a poem in
your language that talks of homecoming?
Answer:
One famous Hindi poem that touches upon the theme of homecoming is "वापसी" (Wapsi)
by Shivmangal Singh ‘Suman’, which talks about the emotional
return to one’s roots. Additionally, the song "लौट के बुद्धू घर को आए" (Laut
ke buddhu ghar ko aaye) from an old Bollywood film also reflects the idea of
coming back home after a long journey.
Working with words
I. Notice the following uses of the word
‘tell’ in the text.
1. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of
her rosary.
2. I would tell her English words and little
things of Western science and learning.
3. At her age one could never tell.
4. She told us that her end was near.
Given below are four different senses of
the word ‘tell’. Match the meanings to the uses listed above.
1. make something known to someone in spoken or
written words
2. count while reciting
3. be sure
4. give information to somebody
Answer:
1. I would tell her English words and little things
of Western science and learning – make something known to someone in spoken or
written words
2. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of
her rosary – count while reciting
3. At her age one could never tell – be sure
4. She told us that her end was near - give
information to somebody
II. Notice the different senses of the
word ‘take’.
1. to take to something: to begin to do
something as a habit
2. to take ill: to suddenly become ill
Locate these phrases in the text and notice the way
they are used.
Answer:
In “The Portrait of a Lady” by Khushwant Singh, the word "take"
is used in different contexts:
1. To take to
something: This phrase is used when the grandmother "took to feeding
sparrows in the courtyard." It means that she began doing this regularly,
almost as a habit, after the author grew up and their relationship changed.
This shows her adapting to a new routine after her involvement in the author's
life diminished.
2. To take ill:
This phrase is used when the author mentions that the grandmother "took
ill" before her death. It refers to her sudden sickness after she had
spent an unusually active day, singing and praying. Despite her illness, she
seemed to accept it as part of the natural course of life.
Both phrases highlight shifts in the grandmother’s
life—her adaptation to new habits and her acceptance of illness.
III. The word ‘hobble’ means to walk
with difficulty because the legs and feet are in bad condition. Tick the words
in the box below that also refer to a manner of walking.
|
haggle |
shuffle |
stride |
ride |
waddle |
|
wriggle |
paddle |
swagger |
trudge |
slog |
Answer:
Here are the words from the box that refer to a manner of walking:
Shuffle:
to walk by dragging one's feet along the ground.
Stride:
to walk with long, decisive steps.
Waddle:
to walk with short steps, moving from side to side, like a duck.
Swagger:
to walk in a confident, arrogant, or showy manner.
Trudge:
to walk slowly and with heavy steps, usually because of exhaustion or difficult
conditions.
Slog: to walk with
difficulty, especially through mud or in challenging conditions.
The other words, haggle, ride, wriggle, and paddle,
do not refer to a manner of walking.
Noticing form
Notice the form of the verbs italicised in these
sentences.
1. My grandmother was an old woman. She had been old
and wrinkled for the twenty years that I had known her. People said that
she had once been young and pretty and had even had a
husband, but that was hard to believe.
2. When we both had finished we would walk
back together.
3. When I came back she would ask me what the
teacher had taught me.
4. It was the first time since I had known her
that she did not pray.
5. The sun was setting and had lit her room
and verandah with a golden light.
These are examples of the past perfect forms of
verbs. When we recount golden things in the distant past we use this form.
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