Quick Revision Notes & Study Guide

Class: 11th
Subject: English (Hornbill)
Chapter: The Portrait of a Lady
Author: Khushwant Singh

1. Introduction & Chapter Overview

Theme: The chapter is a touching tribute by the author, Khushwant Singh, to his grandmother. It highlights the changing relationships across generations, the bond between a grandson and his grandmother, and the beauty of unconditional love and traditional values.
Genre: Biographical Sketch / Memoir.

2. Character Sketch: The Grandmother

Physical Appearance:
- Old, wrinkled, short, and slightly bent (stooped).
- Silver hair scattered untidily over her pale, puckered face.
- Always dressed in spotless white clothes.
- One hand resting on her waist to balance her stoop, and the other constantly telling the beads of her rosary.
Personality & Traits:
- Highly religious, pious, and serene.
- Constantly praying (inaudible mumbling).
- Compassionate and kind-hearted (fed village dogs and sparrows).
- Traditional yet adaptable (accepted English school and city life without complaining, though she disapproved of music).
- Strong-willed and resilient until her peaceful end.

3. Chronological Phases of the Relationship

The relationship between the author and his grandmother can be divided into four distinct phases:

Phase 1: Early Childhood (In the Village)
- Parents left the author with his grandmother while they lived in the city.
- Grandmother woke him up, bathed him, dressed him, and got his wooden slate ready.
- Walked him to school while carrying stale chapattis for village dogs.
- Grandmother read scriptures inside the temple while the author studied.
Phase 2: City Life (The Turning Point)
- Parents settled in the city and called them over. This was a major turning point in their friendship.
- Author went to an English school in a motor bus.
- Grandmother could no longer help him with his lessons (no teaching of God and scriptures).
- She was distressed to learn that science and music were being taught at school (she considered music undignified).
Phase 3: University Years (The Growing Distance)
- Author went to the university and got a separate room.
- The common link of their friendship was snapped.
- Grandmother accepted her seclusion quietly; spent her whole day spinning the wheel and reciting prayers.
- Found solace in feeding hundreds of sparrows in the afternoon (her happiest hour of the day).
Phase 4: The Final Journey (Departure for Abroad & Death)
- Author decided to go abroad for higher education for five years.
- Grandmother came to the railway station to see him off; she showed no emotion, only kissed his forehead.
- Author expected this to be their last meeting due to her old age, but she was alive when he returned.
- On the day of her death, she stopped praying, gathered the women of the neighborhood, beat an old drum, and sang of the homecoming of warriors.
- She peacefully passed away in bed while praying and telling her beads.
- Even the sparrows mourned her death by sitting quietly in the courtyard and refusing to eat the bread crumbs.

4. Important Vocabulary & Meanings

Portrait: A painting, drawing, or photograph of a person (here, a word-picture).
Stoop: Bend forward and downward.
Puckered: Wrinkled.
Absurd: Wildly unreasonable, illogical.
Undignified: Lacking dignity or nobility; unseemly.
Seclusion: The state of being private and isolated.
Frivolous: Not having any serious purpose or value.
Lark: A small ground-dwelling songbird.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (MP Board Exam Focus)

Q: Why was the grandmother disturbed by the author’s new English school?
- Ans: She could no longer help him with his lessons, and she was unhappy that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures. Moreover, she was deeply upset by the introduction of music lessons, which she considered unbefitting for gentlefolk and associated with beggars and prostitutes.
Q: What was the happiest moment of the day for the grandmother in the city?
- Ans: Feeding the sparrows in the afternoon for half an hour was her happiest time, during which the birds would perch on her legs, shoulders, and head.
Q: How did the sparrows express their grief when the grandmother died?
- Ans: Thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor silently around her dead body. They did not chirp, and when the author's mother threw bread crumbs to them, they took no notice of the bread and flew away quietly after the body was carried off.

The Portrait of a Lady