[Hornbill] Class-11: The Portrait of a Lady by Khushwant Singh (Notebook Work)

Meanings of the Expressions 

Background of the Story

The story is a real-life account of the author’s grandmother. It reflects the traditional Indian lifestyle, emotional bonding, and the contrast between old values and modern education during British-era India.

Overview

• A touching story about the relationship between a grandson and his grandmother.
• Shows how their bond evolves as the boy grows up.
• Highlights the grandmother’s simplicity, spirituality, and unconditional love for the grandson.

Setting

• Village: Traditional, peaceful, religious environment
• City (Delhi): Modern, busy, Western-influenced life
• Time period: Pre- and post-independence India (early 20th century)

Perspective

• First-person narration
• Told from the point of view of the grandson (author himself)

Tone 

The tone moves from warm and nostalgic to peaceful and slightly sad, highlighting the deep bond between the narrator and his grandmother.

Mood

• Warm and emotional
• Becomes sad and reflective towards the end (grandmother’s death)
  

Key Words

• Spirituality
• Tradition
• Generation gap
• Affection
• Isolation
• Simplicity
• Nostalgia
  

Summary in Points

1. The author describes his grandmother as old, wrinkled, and deeply religious.
2. In the village, she looked after him, woke him up, and accompanied him to school.
3. She taught him prayers and valued traditional education.
4. When they moved to the city, things changed drastically.
5. The author joined an English school; grandmother could not relate to his studies.
6. She disapproved of Western education, especially music lessons.
7. Their interaction reduced, and emotional distance grew.
8. Grandmother accepted her loneliness and spent time in prayer and feeding sparrows.
9. When the author went abroad, she did not express sorrow openly.
10. After five years, he returned; she celebrated quietly by praying and feeding sparrows.
11. Soon after, she fell ill and realised her end was near.
12. She stopped talking and continued chanting prayers.
13. She died peacefully, holding her rosary.
14. Thousands of sparrows gathered around her body in silence, showing deep affection.

FLOWCHART

Childhood in Village
                ⬇
Grandmother takes care of him (school + prayers)
                ⬇
Shift to City (Delhi)
                ⬇
English school → Grandmother feels disconnected.
                ⬇
Growing Distance (less interaction)
                ⬇
Grandmother becomes isolated → spends time praying & feeding sparrows.
                ⬇
Author Goes Abroad (5 years)
               ⬇
Grandmother remains calm, hides emotions.
               ⬇
Author Returns → quiet celebration.
              ⬇
Grandmother falls ill → stops talking → prays continuously.
              ⬇
Peaceful Death
              ⬇
Sparrows gather silently → mourn her death.

STORY  ANALYSIS

Central Idea

The central idea of Khushwant Singh's "The Portrait of a Lady" is the touching portrayal of the changing relationship between a narrator and his grandmother, highlighting themes of love, respect, and the inevitability of change. It explores the deep bond between generations, the loneliness of old age, and the serenity found in spiritual, traditional living. The story explores deep emotional bonding, the inevitability of change, and the clash between tradition and modernity.

Themes

1. Love and Affection – A strong bond between grandmother and grandson.
2. Tradition vs Modernity – Contrast between village and city life.
3. Ageing and Isolation – Grandmother grows old and feels lonely.
4. Death and Acceptance – She accepts death calmly and peacefully.
5. Spirituality – Deep faith and devotion to God.
6. Change and Ageing – Time brings change in both their lives.
7. Generation Gap and Modernisation – Differences grow with modern education and lifestyle.
8. Unconditional Love and Friendship – Their love remains despite distance.
9. Inner Strength – Grandmother shows quiet strength through faith.
10. Love for Nature and Animals – Her bond with sparrows shows kindness and care.

Message

• True love is selfless and silent
• Modern life often distances us from traditional values
• Elderly people need care, respect, and understanding

Literary Devices

• Imagery: Description of grandmother’s appearance
• Simile: “As old as the hills”
• Metaphor: Sparrows mourning symbolise respect and loss
• Irony: Educated grandson grows away from grandmother
• Symbolism: Sparrows → Love and connection with nature  Rosary → Faith and devotion

Title Justification & Significance

• The title The Portrait of a Lady is appropriate because:
• It presents a detailed character sketch of the grandmother
• Like a portrait, it captures her appearance, personality, and values
• It reflects her inner beauty and strength, not just physical features
• It is like a metaphorical painting of the grandmother.
• The author, Khushwant Singh, does not paint her physically but describes her through words.
• The title is a metaphorical portrait painted with words, showing both the outer and inner beauty of the grandmother.

The Portrait of a Lady by Khushwant Singh as an Autobiography (ONLY FOR READING)

The Portrait of a Lady is an autobiographical account.  It is written in the first person (“I”), which shows that the narrator is the author himself. The story is based on the author’s own real-life experiences with his grandmother. Since the author narrates his personal life and memories, it is an autobiography rather than a biography.

NCERT Question and Answers 

Short Questions  

Q1. The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad

The three phases of the author's relationship with his grandmother are - Childhood (Phase 1), Boyhood (Phase 2), and Early youth (Phase 3). In the first phase, they lived in the village and were very close. She took care of him and accompanied him to school. In the second phase, after moving to the city, their interaction reduced as the narrator went to an English school. In the final phase, he went to university, and they lived in separate rooms. Although the physical closeness faded, her love remained constant. 

Q2. Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.

The three ways in which the grandmother of the author spent her days after he grew up are -

1. She accepted the loneliness and lived unaccompanied in the room.
2. She would recite prayers while sitting at the spinning wheel.
3. For half an hour, she fed the sparrows in the afternoon.

Long Question & Higher Order Thinking Skills Question

Q3. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?

The author was entirely dependent on his grandmother during his boyhood. She was an important part of his life. However, a turning point came In their friendship when they moved to the city. As he went to school by bus, she was not able to accompany him. She could not help him in his studies though they shared the same room. She used to ask him what his teachers taught him and did not believe in the things which were taught at school. She was pained that he was not taught about scriptures and God. As music was being taught, she felt offended and expressed her disapproval silently. She rarely spoke to the author after this. The link of friendship was snapped as he was given a separate room when he went to the university.

However, their feelings towards each other did not change. They loved one another deeply. When he left the country and moved abroad for higher studies, she went to the railway station to send him. She quietly kissed his forehead and showed no emotion. This was valued by the author as it was the last sign of physical interaction between them. After five years when the author returned, she received him at the station. She clasped the author in her arms and celebrated his homecoming in the evening by beating an old drum and singing songs.

Home Assignment- Short Questions (Answer in 30 to 40 words)

Q1. Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.
Q2. The odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died. 
Q3. The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.
Q4. What values do you learn from the grandmother’s simple and spiritual life? (Value Based Question)

Long Questions (80 to 100 Words)

Q5. The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this? (Opinion Based)

TASKS FOR CREATIVE SELF NOTES PAGE

Task -1: Make a mind map of the characters and their character traits with the help of the following clues. 

Note - Mention only the keywords in the mind map.

Grandmother’s Character Traits 

1. Loving and Caring – Deeply attached to her grandson.
2. Religious – Spends most of her time praying and chanting.
3. Kind-hearted – Feeds and cares for sparrows and animals.
4. Simple – Lives a plain, traditional life.
5. Strong and Calm – Faces old age and death peacefully.
6. Conservative – Dislikes modern education and lifestyle.
7. Independent – Does not complain about loneliness.
8. Compassionate – Shows empathy towards all living beings.

Author (Narrator) Traits

• Affectionate – Loves and respects his grandmother.
• Observant – Notices small details about her life and habits.
• Sensitive – Feels emotional about their changing relationship.
• Respectful – Values her beliefs and traditions.
• Adaptive – Adjusts to city life and modern education.
• Reflective – Looks back on memories with nostalgia.

The grandmother represents tradition, faith, and simplicity, while the author reflects change, modern thinking, and emotional depth.

Question- 2. Write your opinion about the story.