The Portrait of a Lady: Questions and Answers

1. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences based on your understanding of the story.

a. Describe the grandfather as seen in the portrait.

The author’s grandfather wore a big turban and loose fitting clothes. His long white beard covered his chest. He looked at least hundred years old. 

b. Why was the author left with his grandmother in the village?

The author’s parents had gone to the city in order to earn their bread. They were not settled comfortably. Hence the author was left with his grandmother in the village.

c. Where did the author study in his childhood?

During his childhood the author studied in the village school which is attached to the temple.

d. Why did the grandmother accompany the author to school?

The author’s grandmother went to temple which was attached to the school. At the school hours she sat inside the temple reading the Holy Scriptures, Moreover she wanted to escort her grandson. So she accompanied the author to school.

e. What made the dogs follow the grandmother after school hours?

While going to school and returning home the grandmother carried the stale chapattis and fed the dogs. This made the dogs follow the grandmother after school hours.

f. Why didn’t the grandmother feel sentimental when the author went abroad for higher education?

The author’s grandmother did not feel sentimental when the author went abroad for his higher education. Because she was not even sentimental. She did not talk or show any emotion at the time of his departure. Her lips moved in prayer, her mind was lost in prayer. She bore the fact silently.

g. What was the happiest time of the day for grandmother?

The whole morning the author’s grandmother was busy with her spinning wheel. In the afternoon, she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows. She broke the bread into little bits and fed hundreds of little birds. This was the happiest time of the day for grandmother.

2. Answer the following questions in three or four sentences each.

a. Describe the author’s grandmother.

The author’s grandmother had been old and wrinkled. She had always been short and fat and slightly bent. Her face was a criss–cross of wrinkles. She had been terribly old. She could never have been pretty but she was always beautiful.

b. What was the daily routine of the grandmother at home?

Grandmother woke her grandson up in the morning. She got him ready for the school. She said her morning prayers. Simultaneously she bathed and dressed her grandson. She made all the arrangements for him. She accompanied him to the school. She read the Holy Scriptures at the temple and in the evening both returned home. This was the daily routine of the grandmother.

c. How is school education in the village different from that in the city?

In the village school the author had studied alphabet and learnt to recite morning prayers. But in the city he was taught English words and western science. He also learnt the law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle, the world being round etc.

d. The grandmother appreciated the value of education. Give instances in support of your answer.

While studying in the village school, the author’s grandmother accompanied him to school every day. The author had studied alphabet and learnt to recite morning prayers. Being a very pious woman, the grandmother appreciated the value of education.

e. The grandmother was strong-minded. Justify.

One day the grandmother did not pray. She started to sing about the home coming warriors i.e. is her grandson. She ignored the protests of the members of the family. She had mild fever then. Others thought that she would recover. But she thought differently. She is ready to face her own death boldly. These instances showed that she was strong-minded.

f. How did the grandmother spend the last few hours of her life?

During the last few hours, the author’s grandmother did not pray. She called the women of her neighbourhood and started to sing about the home-coming warriors. She had mild fever then. She knew that her end would come soon. She lied peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. Suddenly her lips stopped moving and the rosary fell from her lifeless fingers.

3. Answer the following in a paragraph of 100 - 150 words each.

a. The grandmother played a vital role in the author’s formative years. Give your own example of how elders have a positive influence on the younger generation. Include examples from the story also.

My grandmother is a great inspiration to me. She had a positive influence on me. When I did my schooling she used to narrate a lot of stories to me. Though she did not help me in my academic side, her stories had a close link with my school curriculum. Like Kushwant Singh’s grandma, my grandma was too pious. My grandma inculcated morality in me through her stories in the form of narrating bed time tales. Actually she taught me a lot through her bed time stories. Sometimes she spun her own story. Later only I could realize it. She introduced to me many Puranas. She was a secularist. She told me stories from the Holy Bible too. She cited the quotes even from the Quran. I missed her a lot when she was in deathbed. As soon as I heard of her ailment, I rushed but I was late. I was unfortunate to be by her side when she left the world. Thanks to my grandmother, I am a person of morality now.

b. As young Khushwant Singh, write a letter to your parents describing your daily routine along with your thoughts and feelings about staying in the village.

Hadali,

2^nd March 2018.

Dear Dad and Mom,

Well and wish to hear the same from you. Here I am fine. Grandma is also fine. She fills my belly with her hand made-delicious chapattis. Not only that, she teaches me a lot of moral stories. She helps me even in arithmetics too. We go to school regularly in the morning. At that moment she feeds the stray dogs with stale chapattis. When I attend my school, she is praying at the temple which is beside the school. When we return home in the evening the dogs follow us. They fight with one another for the chapattis we give them. I feel very happy for being here with my sweet grandma. Take care of your health. There is no need to worry about me. I enjoy my life with my sweet grandma.

With regards,

Yours loving son,

Kushwant Singh.

Address on the envelope:

To               

Sir Sobha Singh,

3, Sixth Avenue,

Hadali,  Kushab district,

Punjab.

c. Animals are capable of empathy. Substantiate this statement with examples from the story as well as your own experiences.

In the village, grandmother used to feed the dogs with stale chapattis both in the morning and evening. When she came to the city her life had been changed a lot. She could not move freely as in the village. She spent most of her time with her spinning wheel. During the afternoon she came to the verandah and fed the sparrows regularly. This was the happiest part of the day. The grandmother lay dead. Thousands of sparrows came there. They did not chirrup. They paid their last homage to the old lady silently. The narrator’s mother threw some crumbs of bread to them. They took no notice of them. As soon as the grandmother’s corpse was carried off, the sparrows flew away quietly. 

The same thing happened in my life too. My uncle had a pet dog. On the sudden demise of my uncle the dog did not have any intake for another one week and it starved to death itself. When I read this story that incident came to my mind. Hence animals are capable of empathy.