CHAPTER 1 : PORTRAIT OF A LADY
~Khushwant Singh
Question 1:
The three phases of the author‟s relationship with his grandmother before he left
the country to study abroad.
Answer:
Ans: The story traced three phases of the author and grandmother‟s friendship. The
primary phase was the happiest time when the relationship blossomed. Author and
grandmother were constantly together in the village. Grandmother raised him
during the initial years of his life when his parents were away. She used to wake
him up, get him ready and accompany him to school.
It is in the second phase when their friendship saw a steep turn. Author and
grandmother shifted to the city, and he went to an English medium school, in a
motor bus. Grandmother could no longer accompany him to the school and hence
they grew apart.
During the third phase, they lost all the common ties. The author was given a
room of his own in the university and soon moved abroad for five years, leaving
grandmother behind and alone. Even though they still loved each other, their
communication became nil.
Question 2:
Three reasons why the author‟s grandmother was disturbed when he started going
to the city school.
Answer:Ans: After the author and grandmother shifted to the city. They started
seeing each other for less time as the author went to an English medium school.
She was also disturbed by the education that was provided to them. She could not
understand the implications of reading about laws of gravity or Archimedes‟
principles without teaching kids about God and holding scripture. She also did not
like the idea of the author showing interest and involvement in the subject of music
because according to her music was meant for harlots and beggars. But she never
showed her disapproval towards these things but remained silent.
Question 3:
Three ways in which the author‟s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
Answer:
After the author grew up and they shifted to the city, their lives grew apart. He
became busy with his work and studies, so eventually, grandmother accepted her
seclusion. She started spending the majority of her time by the spinning wheel,
, reciting her prayers. In the afternoon she relaxed for a while on the veranda feeding
the sparrows with breadcrumbs.
Question 4:
The odd ways in which the author‟s grandmother behaved just before she died.
Answer:
Just before her death, the author‟s grandmother stopped praying and collected the
women of the neighborhood and got a dilapidated drum. She thumped it and sang
of the homecoming of warriors. She caught fever the next day and refrained from
resting or going to the doctor and declared that her end was near and she would
spend the time meditating and praying. She survived for the day but the next
morning she passed away.
Question 5:
The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author‟s
grandmother died.
Answer:
When grandma passed away all the sparrows visited as usual but seeing her dead
they just scattered on the veranda floor. There was no chirruping. The author‟s
mother threw some crumbs of bread to them but they took no notice of them. As
soon as the grandmother‟s corpse was carried off, they flew away quietly. Thus in
this way the sparrows expressed their sorrow.
The Portrait of a Lady Talking About the Text
Talk to your partner about the following:
Question 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 a deeply religious lady. We come to know this
through the different ways of her behavior. She visited the temple every morning
and read scriptures. At home she always mumbled inaudible prayer and kept telling
the beads of rosary. She would repeat prayers in a sing-song manner while getting
the writer ready for school. She hoped that he would learn it by heart. She didn‟t
like English school as there was no teaching of God and scriptures.
Even while spinning at her spinning-wheel she would recite prayers. Perhaps it was
only once that she skip to say her prayers. She continued praying and telling beads
of her rosary till her last breath.
~Khushwant Singh
Question 1:
The three phases of the author‟s relationship with his grandmother before he left
the country to study abroad.
Answer:
Ans: The story traced three phases of the author and grandmother‟s friendship. The
primary phase was the happiest time when the relationship blossomed. Author and
grandmother were constantly together in the village. Grandmother raised him
during the initial years of his life when his parents were away. She used to wake
him up, get him ready and accompany him to school.
It is in the second phase when their friendship saw a steep turn. Author and
grandmother shifted to the city, and he went to an English medium school, in a
motor bus. Grandmother could no longer accompany him to the school and hence
they grew apart.
During the third phase, they lost all the common ties. The author was given a
room of his own in the university and soon moved abroad for five years, leaving
grandmother behind and alone. Even though they still loved each other, their
communication became nil.
Question 2:
Three reasons why the author‟s grandmother was disturbed when he started going
to the city school.
Answer:Ans: After the author and grandmother shifted to the city. They started
seeing each other for less time as the author went to an English medium school.
She was also disturbed by the education that was provided to them. She could not
understand the implications of reading about laws of gravity or Archimedes‟
principles without teaching kids about God and holding scripture. She also did not
like the idea of the author showing interest and involvement in the subject of music
because according to her music was meant for harlots and beggars. But she never
showed her disapproval towards these things but remained silent.
Question 3:
Three ways in which the author‟s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
Answer:
After the author grew up and they shifted to the city, their lives grew apart. He
became busy with his work and studies, so eventually, grandmother accepted her
seclusion. She started spending the majority of her time by the spinning wheel,
, reciting her prayers. In the afternoon she relaxed for a while on the veranda feeding
the sparrows with breadcrumbs.
Question 4:
The odd ways in which the author‟s grandmother behaved just before she died.
Answer:
Just before her death, the author‟s grandmother stopped praying and collected the
women of the neighborhood and got a dilapidated drum. She thumped it and sang
of the homecoming of warriors. She caught fever the next day and refrained from
resting or going to the doctor and declared that her end was near and she would
spend the time meditating and praying. She survived for the day but the next
morning she passed away.
Question 5:
The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author‟s
grandmother died.
Answer:
When grandma passed away all the sparrows visited as usual but seeing her dead
they just scattered on the veranda floor. There was no chirruping. The author‟s
mother threw some crumbs of bread to them but they took no notice of them. As
soon as the grandmother‟s corpse was carried off, they flew away quietly. Thus in
this way the sparrows expressed their sorrow.
The Portrait of a Lady Talking About the Text
Talk to your partner about the following:
Question 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 a deeply religious lady. We come to know this
through the different ways of her behavior. She visited the temple every morning
and read scriptures. At home she always mumbled inaudible prayer and kept telling
the beads of rosary. She would repeat prayers in a sing-song manner while getting
the writer ready for school. She hoped that he would learn it by heart. She didn‟t
like English school as there was no teaching of God and scriptures.
Even while spinning at her spinning-wheel she would recite prayers. Perhaps it was
only once that she skip to say her prayers. She continued praying and telling beads
of her rosary till her last breath.
