THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
Chapter 1
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
1. Mention 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 passed through three distinct phases.
The first phase was in the village, where they were constant companions. His grandmother woke him up, got him ready for school and accompanied him there. While he attended the school attached to the temple, she sat inside the temple reading the scriptures. On their way home, she fed the village dogs.
The second phase began when they moved to the city. The author started going to an English school by motor bus, so his grandmother could no longer accompany him. She could not help him with his English and science lessons and was unhappy because the school did not teach anything about God or the scriptures. She was also disturbed when she learned that music was taught there.
The third phase began when the author joined the university and was given a room of his own. Their daily companionship almost came to an end. His grandmother accepted her loneliness quietly and spent most of her time spinning, praying and feeding the sparrows.
2. Mention three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.
Answer: The author’s grandmother was disturbed for three main reasons:
- She could no longer accompany him to school or help him with his lessons because he studied English and Western science, which she did not understand.
- She was unhappy because the school did not teach anything about God or the religious scriptures.
- She was greatly disturbed by the music lessons because she associated music with people whom she did not consider respectable.
3. Mention three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
Answer: After the author grew up, his grandmother spent her days in three main ways:
- She spent most of her time sitting beside her spinning wheel.
- She continuously recited prayers and counted the beads of her rosary.
- In the afternoon, she fed the sparrows in the verandah, which became the happiest part of her day.
4. Mention the odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.
Answer: On the evening of the author’s return from abroad, his grandmother behaved in an unusual manner. Instead of saying her prayers, she gathered the women of the neighbourhood, took an old drum and sang about the homecoming of warriors. She continued singing and beating the drum for several hours until the family persuaded her to stop.
It was the first time in the author’s memory that she had missed her prayers. The next morning she fell ill. Believing that her end was near, she stopped talking and spent her final hours praying and counting the beads of her rosary.
5. Mention the way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.
Answer: When the grandmother died, thousands of sparrows gathered silently in the room and on the verandah. Unlike their usual behaviour, they did not chirp.
The author’s mother offered them bread crumbs, but they did not touch the food. When the grandmother’s body was carried away for cremation, the sparrows flew away quietly.
Their silence, refusal to eat and quiet departure expressed their sorrow in a deeply moving way.
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
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 was deeply religious. Her lips constantly moved in prayer, and she regularly counted the beads of her rosary.
In the village, she recited her prayers while getting the author ready for school. She accompanied him to the school attached to the temple and spent her time there reading the scriptures.
She was unhappy when she learned that the city school did not teach anything about God and the scriptures. Later, when the author joined the university, she spent most of her time spinning and praying.
Even when the author left for abroad, she remained absorbed in prayer. During her final illness, she stopped talking and devoted her last moments entirely to prayer and counting the beads of her rosary. These incidents clearly show her deep religious faith.
2. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?
Answer: In the village, the author and his grandmother were extremely close. They shared the same room, followed the same daily routine and went to school together.
Their relationship began to change after they moved to the city. The author went to an English school by motor bus, so his grandmother could no longer accompany him or help him with his studies. As he grew older, they spent less time together.
When he joined the university and was given a separate room, the common link of their daily friendship was finally broken.
However, their love for each other never changed. She went to the railway station to see him off when he left for abroad and silently kissed his forehead. When he returned after five years, she welcomed him with great joy and celebrated his return in her own way. Thus, their daily companionship changed, but their affection remained strong.
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 a woman of strong character.
She followed a disciplined life based on prayer, duty and simple habits. She remained firm in her beliefs even when the author’s education and lifestyle began to change.
When the author grew older and their companionship decreased, she accepted her loneliness without complaint. Instead of becoming bitter, she occupied herself with spinning, praying and feeding the sparrows.
When the author left for abroad for five years, she did not openly show her sadness. She silently prayed and kissed his forehead.
During her final illness, she firmly decided not to waste time talking and devoted her remaining moments to prayer. Her self-control, determination, faith and ability to accept change show the strength of her 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, I have known an elderly member of my family whose simple and caring nature reminded me of the author’s grandmother. The person followed a disciplined routine, cared deeply for the family and showed affection through small everyday actions rather than through words.
After losing that person, I felt a deep sense of loss. The familiar voice, habits and acts of kindness remained fresh in my memory. Such memories continue to remind us of the love and care we once received.
THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
1. Which language do you think the author and his grandmother used while talking to each other?
Answer: The lesson does not directly mention the language they used. However, since Khushwant Singh belonged to Punjab, it is reasonable to assume that he and his grandmother probably spoke Punjabi, their familiar home language.
2. Which language do you use to talk to elderly relatives in your family?
Answer: I usually speak Assamese with the elderly relatives in my family because it is our home language and allows us to communicate naturally and comfortably.
3. How would you say ‘a dilapidated drum’ in your language?
Answer: In Assamese, ‘a dilapidated drum’ can be expressed as “এটা জৰাজীৰ্ণ ঢোল”, meaning an old and badly damaged drum.
4. Can you think of a song or a poem in your language that talks of homecoming?
Answer: Yes. There are many Assamese songs and poems that express love for one’s homeland and the joy or longing associated with returning home. A student may mention any suitable Assamese song or poem and briefly explain how it expresses the feeling of homecoming.
WORKING WITH WORDS
I. Match the different senses of the word ‘tell’.
| Use in the text | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Telling the beads of her rosary | Count while reciting |
| 2. Tell her English words and little things of Western science | Make something known in spoken words |
| 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. Took to feeding sparrows
Answer: It means that the grandmother began feeding sparrows regularly as a habit after moving to the city.
2. Was taken ill
Answer: It means that the grandmother suddenly became ill on the morning after celebrating the author’s return.
III. Words referring to different manners of walking
The correct words are:
- Shuffle — walk without lifting the feet properly from the ground.
- Stride — walk with long, confident steps.
- Waddle — walk with short steps while moving from side to side.
- Swagger — walk in a proud and confident manner.
- Trudge — walk slowly and heavily, usually because of tiredness.
- Slog — walk with great effort, especially over a long distance or difficult ground.
NOTICING FORM
Identify the past perfect forms used in the sentences.
Answer: The past perfect tense is generally formed with:
had + past participle
The past perfect forms used in the given sentences are:
- had been
- had known
- had once been
- had had
- had finished
- had taught
- had lit
These forms refer to actions or states that happened before another action or point in the past.
THINGS TO DO
Write a short description of an elderly person whom you liked very much.
Answer: My grandfather was a kind, disciplined and caring person. He woke up early every morning, looked after the plants and read the newspaper regularly. He did not speak much, but he always helped me whenever I needed guidance. He also enjoyed telling interesting stories about his younger days. His kindness, wisdom and simple habits made him very special to me. The memories of the time I spent with him will always remain close to my heart.
IMPORTANT QUESTION AND ANSWER
1. Describe the portrait of the author’s grandfather.
Answer: In the portrait, the author’s grandfather wore a large turban and loose-fitting clothes. He had a long white beard that covered much of his chest and looked extremely old.
To the author, he appeared so old that it was difficult to imagine him as a young man with a wife and children. He seemed more like a person who could have many grandchildren.
2. What was the author’s first impression of his grandmother’s youth and beauty?
Answer: The author found it difficult to believe that his grandmother had ever been young and pretty. He had always seen her as an old and wrinkled woman.
The idea of her once being young and beautiful seemed strange and almost unbelievable to him.
3. What was the author’s grandmother’s daily routine in the village?
Answer: The grandmother woke the author in the morning and recited her prayers while getting him ready for school. She prepared his school things and gave him breakfast.
Then she accompanied him to school. While he attended lessons, she sat in the temple and read the scriptures. On the way home, she fed the village dogs with the chapattis she carried with her.
4. How did the author’s grandmother react to the changes in his education?
Answer: The grandmother was unhappy with the author’s new education in the city. She could not understand English or Western science and therefore could no longer help him with his lessons.
She was especially disturbed because there was no teaching about God and the religious scriptures. She also strongly disapproved of the music lessons at his school.
5. What role did the grandmother play in the author’s education during his childhood?
Answer: During the author’s childhood in the village, his grandmother played an important role in preparing him for school.
She woke him up, bathed and dressed him, prepared his school materials and accompanied him to school every day. She also helped create a disciplined daily routine for him.
6. What was the grandmother’s reaction when the author went to university?
Answer: When the author joined the university and was given a room of his own, the last common link of their daily companionship was broken.
The grandmother accepted this separation quietly. She did not complain and instead spent most of her time spinning the wheel, praying and feeding the sparrows.
FILL IN THE BLANKS
1. The author’s grandmother was always __________ and had been so for the last twenty years.
Answer: old and wrinkled
2. The grandmother’s daily task of feeding __________ became one of her happiest activities.
Answer: sparrows
3. The author’s grandmother had a deep devotion to __________.
Answer: religion / prayer
4. The author went to a school attached to the __________.
Answer: temple
5. The author’s grandmother died after a brief __________.
Answer: illness
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. What did the author find difficult to believe about his grandmother?
(a) She was once young and pretty.
(b) She had grandchildren.
(c) She once lived in a village.
(d) She could read scriptures.
Answer: (a) She was once young and pretty.
2. Where did the grandmother stay while the author attended the village school?
(a) At home
(b) In the temple reading scriptures
(c) In the school playground
(d) Near the river
Answer: (b) In the temple reading scriptures.
3. What did the grandmother do in the afternoon after moving to the city?
(a) Slept for several hours
(b) Went to the temple
(c) Fed the sparrows
(d) Visited neighbours
Answer: (c) Fed the sparrows.
4. Why was the grandmother unhappy about the author’s city school?
(a) It was far from home.
(b) It had too many students.
(c) It did not teach about God and the scriptures.
(d) The teachers were strict.
Answer: (c) It did not teach about God and the scriptures.
5. What did the grandmother do when the author left to study abroad?
(a) She cried loudly.
(b) She gave him money.
(c) She remained absorbed in prayer.
(d) She refused to go to the station.
Answer: (c) She remained absorbed in prayer.
6. What did the author notice about his grandmother when he returned after five years?
(a) She looked much older.
(b) She appeared to have aged very little.
(c) She had stopped praying.
(d) She had left the house.
Answer: (b) She appeared to have aged very little.
7. What did the grandmother sing about on the evening of the author’s return?
(a) The homecoming of warriors
(b) A lullaby
(c) A school prayer
(d) A wedding song
Answer: (a) The homecoming of warriors.
8. What was unusual about the grandmother’s behaviour on the evening before she fell ill?
(a) She did not say her usual prayers.
(b) She refused to speak.
(c) She stopped feeding the sparrows forever.
(d) She went to sleep early.
Answer: (a) She did not say her usual prayers.
9. How did the sparrows behave after the grandmother’s death?
(a) They chirped loudly.
(b) They ate all the bread crumbs.
(c) They remained silent and ignored the food.
(d) They flew around the room noisily.
Answer: (c) They remained silent and ignored the food.
10. What did the grandmother think about music lessons?
(a) She loved them.
(b) She believed they were essential.
(c) She considered them unsuitable for respectable people.
(d) She wanted to learn music herself.
Answer: (c) She considered them unsuitable for respectable people.
11. How did the author react to stories about his grandmother’s childhood?
(a) He found them difficult to believe.
(b) He recorded them in a notebook.
(c) He asked her to repeat them.
(d) He believed every story.
Answer: (a) He found them difficult to believe.
12. What did the grandmother mainly do after the author joined the university?
(a) Travelled with him
(b) Spun the wheel and prayed
(c) Started studying English
(d) Went back to the village
Answer: (b) Spun the wheel and prayed.
13. How did the grandmother feel about the author’s Western education?
(a) Completely pleased
(b) Indifferent
(c) Disturbed and dissatisfied
(d) Very excited
Answer: (c) Disturbed and dissatisfied.
14. What did the grandmother regularly do with bread in the city?
(a) Fed it to the village dogs
(b) Used it to feed the sparrows
(c) Threw it away
(d) Gave it to neighbours
Answer: (b) Used it to feed the sparrows.
15. What marked the unusual change in the grandmother’s routine after the author returned from abroad?
(a) She stopped spinning forever.
(b) She refused to meet him.
(c) She beat an old drum and sang.
(d) She went to the temple immediately.
Answer: (c) She beat an old drum and sang.
Teacher Generate Question Answer
TEXTBOOK EXERCISES
Mention
1. The three phrases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad
Ans: The first phase of the author’s relationship with his grandmother started when he was still a child. She used to tell him of the games she used to play as a child. “That seemed quite absurd”. The children treated them like the fables of the prophets she used to tell them.
The second phase of this relationship began when the narrator started going to school. His parents left him with her and they went to live in the city. They were constantly together. She used to wake him up in the morning and get him ready for school. Then she would fetch his wooden slate, a tiny earthen inkpot and a red pen. She would give him a breakfast of a thick, slate chapatti. Then they went to school. She carried several chapattis for the village dogs. The school was attached to the temple. She would sit in the temple and he in the school.
The third phase of their relationship began when the narrator’s parents sent for them in the city. That was a turning-point in their friendship. He used to go to an English school in a motor bus. As the years rolled by they saw less of each other. She didn’t like the English school. There was no teaching about God and scriptures in the English school. She hated western science and music. When he went up to university, he was given a room of his own. The common link of their friendship was snapped. His grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation.
2. Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school?
Ans: When the narrator’s parents settled in the city, they sent for them. That was a turning-point in their friendship. They still lived in the same room. But the old lady was now quite disturbed. The narrator used to go to an English school in a motor bus. She couldn’t accompany him to the school as she used to do in the village. In the village she used to stay in the temple that was attached to the school.
In the city there was no dogs in the streets. The grandmother felt quite disturbed. She couldn’t throw chapattis to them now. The old lady took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard of their city house. As the years rolled by, the narrator and the grandmother saw less of each other.
The most disturbing factor for the grandmother was the English school where he used to study. She didn’t understand English words. Nor could she help him in his studies. She knew nothing about western science and learning. She did not believe in the topics they taught at the English school. She was distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures. She was disturbed when she came to know that they taught music at the school. She hated music. She considered it fit only for harlots and beggars. It was not meant for gentle folks.
5. Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up ?
Ans: The intimacy between the narrator and his grandmother was snapped when they were sent for in the city. As the years rolled by, they saw less of each other. When the narrator grew up, he went up to university. He was given a room of his own. The common link of friendship was snapped. The grandmother accepted it as her fate.
The grandmother soon found out new ways of spending her time. She now spent most of her time at the spinning-wheel. She rarely left her spinning-wheel to talk to anyone. From sunrise to sunset she sat by the spinning-wheel. While spinning, she continued reciting prayers. She relaxed only in the afternoon to feed the sparrows.
The third way in which the old lady spent her time, was her feeding the sparrows. She would sit in the verandah. She would break the bread into little bits. Hundreds of little birds collected around her. They created a ‘bedlam of chirrupings’. They came and perched on her legs and shoulders. Some even sat on her head. She smiled but never shooed them away. Feeding the sparrows used to be the happiest hour of the day for her.
4. The odd ways in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died ?
Ans: After five years the narrator came back home. He found the grandmother at the station. She didn’t utter any words but clasped him in her arms. He could hear her reciting her prayers. But in the evening a change came over her. Her behaviour was quite odd. She didn’t pray. She collected the women of the neighbourhood. She got an old drum and started singing. For several hours she thumped the drum. She sang of the homecoming of warriors. She was very much excited. They had to persuade her to stop to avoid over straining. That was the first time that she did not pray.
The next morning she was taken ill. It was a mild fever. But the grand old lady declared that her end was near. She was not going to waste any more time talking to them. She continued praying. They protested but she ignored their protests. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. Her lips stopped moving. The rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. Her face turned pale. They knew she was dead. They lifted her off the bed and covered her with a shroud.
The grandmother behaved quite strangely just before she died. She was quite excited at the homecoming of her grandson. She tired herself and fell ill. She died while praying and telling her beads.
5. The ways in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died?
Ans: The sparrows expressed their sorrow in a remarkable way when the author’s grandmother died. Thousands of them gathered in the verandah and her room, silently sitting on the floor near her lifeless body. Unlike their usual chirping, they remained completely quiet, creating an atmosphere of mourning. Even when the narrator’s mother offered them bread crumbs, they did not eat, showing their grief in their own silent manner. As the grandmother’s body was carried away for cremation, the sparrows flew away quietly. The next morning, the untouched bread crumbs were swept into the dustbin.
TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT
1. The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this?
Ans: The author’s grandmother was a highly religious lady. Her one hand was always busy in telling the beads of her rosary. Her lips constantly moved in an inaudible prayer. She used to get up early in the morning. She said her morning prayer in ‘a monotonous sing-song’. The grandmother always went to school with the narrator because the school was attached to the temple. The grandmother would sit in the temple reading the scriptures.
The old lady was quite conservative. She didn’t like the new English school in the city. She was unhappy because there was no teaching about God and the scriptures at the city school. She felt quite disturbed at this aspect of education. They gave music lessons at the English school. She considered music fit only for harlots and beggars. It was not meant for gentlefolks.
The only time when she didn’t pray was the day when the narrator returned from abroad. It was quite an odd thing for her. But she more than compensated for this lapse. When she realised that her end was near, she stopped talking. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. Her lips stopped moving. The rosary fell from her lifeless fingers.
2. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?
Ans: In the early years of their relationship, the author and his grandmother shared a close bond of friendship and togetherness, especially when he lived with her after his parents moved to the city. However, this dynamic changed when they, too, had to relocate. The grandmother felt a deep sense of loss as she could no longer be involved in his school life. As he grew older, their time together gradually decreased, and she spoke to him less and less. Their connection weakened further when he was given a separate room, marking the final break in their shared companionship.
Despite this growing distance, their love and affection for each other remained unchanged. When the author left for higher studies, she went to the railway station to see him off, expressing her emotions in her own quiet way. The author cherished the moist imprint of her kiss on his forehead. Upon his return, though she did not openly display her joy, her happiness was evident in everything she did.
3. Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that show this.
Ans: Yes, I agree that the author’s grandmother was a woman of strong character and unwavering beliefs. Though she lacked formal education, she deeply valued the author’s learning. However, she struggled to accept the Western influence of Science and English education. She strongly disapproved of music, believing it was not meant for respectable people.
Despite facing loneliness, she found ways to keep herself engaged. She never openly displayed her emotions or broke down in tears. When she went to the railway station to see off her grandson, she simply continued praying and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Her deep faith in God and devotion to prayer were the sources of her inner strength. When she realized her end was near, she sought to make up for the prayers she had missed the previous evening. Lying peacefully in bed, she spent her final moments reciting prayers and counting the beads of her rosary until she took her last breath.
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?
Ans: Yes, I remember my grandmother with love and respect. She resembled the author’s grandmother in every respect. Like them, we were left together in the village. My parents went to settle in the city. My grandmother was an essential part of my life and personality. She woke me up early in the morning. She got me ready for school. We went to school together. She sat in the temple reading scriptures. The temple was attached to the school. We came home together. However, a turning-point came in our friendship when my parents sent for us in the city. I was admitted to an English school. My grandmother hated western science, English and music. When I went up to university, the bond of our relationship was broken. The grandmother accepted her fate silently.
Definitely, we feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone whom we have loved. The death of my grandmother proves this point. I still remember the grand old lady. She is no more in this world but her memories are still fresh in my mind. These keep me alive.
THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
1. Which language do you think the author and his grandmother used while talking to each other?
Ans: Khushwant Singh and his grandmother lived in a village of Punjab. Naturally, they talked to each other in Punjabi.
2. Which language do you use to talk to elderly relatives in your family?
Ans: I belong to a assamese speaking area. I use assamese language while taking to elderly relatives in my family.
3. How would you say ‘a dilapidated drum’ in your language?
Ans: ‘A dilapidated drum’ in my language means “dhol”.
4. Can you think of a song or a poem in your language that talks of homecoming?
Ans: Come back!
Back to the land of your birth.
Meadows are still green
Air as fresh as you left it.
Come and see those gurgling brooks
They will reflect your childhood.
Come back! Years that rolled by
Will come to life once again.
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