THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY - class-12-english-summary-questions-and-answers-chse
SUMMARY NOTES –
This autobiographical story by Khushwant Singh describes his relationship with his grandmother.
His grandmother was old, wrinkled, and deeply religious. She spent most of her time praying, counting rosary beads, and feeding sparrows.
In the village, she helped the author with his early schooling. She accompanied him to the school attached to a temple.
When they moved to the city, their bond weakened. The author went to an English school where Western science and English literature were taught. His grandmother disliked this modern education, especially when there was no teaching of God and scriptures.
Later, when the author went abroad for higher studies, the grandmother accepted it calmly. She busied herself with spinning and prayers.
On his return after five years, she welcomed him warmly.
A day before her death, she prayed constantly, refusing to talk, as if preparing for the end. She passed away peacefully.
Thousands of sparrows sat silently in mourning, refusing to eat, showing their grief at her death.
Themes: Bond of love between grandmother and grandson, contrast between tradition and modernity, spirituality, and the inevitability of death.
SHORT QUESTION–ANSWERS
Q1. Who is the author of The Portrait of a Lady?
Ans. Khushwant Singh.
Q2. How is the grandmother described physically?
Ans. She was very old, wrinkled, bent, and always carried a rosary.
Q3. What was the grandmother’s routine in the village?
Ans. She prayed, taught the author religious lessons, and fed village dogs.
Q4. Where did the author first go to school?
Ans. A school attached to a temple in the village.
Q5. Why did the grandmother dislike English schooling?
Ans. Because it had no teaching of God and scriptures.
Q6. What was her reaction when the author went abroad?
Ans. She accepted it calmly without showing emotion.
Q7. What did the grandmother do when the narrator returned from abroad?
Ans. She celebrated by singing, beating the drum, and calling women to sing.
Q8. What work did she do in the city?
Ans. She spun the wheel (charkha), recited prayers, and fed sparrows.
Q9. How did the grandmother die?
Ans. Peacefully, while praying, the day after she fell ill.
Q10. What unusual thing did sparrows do after her death?
Ans. Thousands sat silently mourning without chirping or eating.
Q11. Why did the grandmother feed sparrows daily?
Ans. Out of love and compassion for them.
Q12. What does the rosary symbolize in the essay?
Ans. Spirituality and her deep devotion to God.
Q13. How does the narrator describe the change after moving to the city?
Ans. Their closeness reduced as he went to an English school.
Q14. How does the grandmother react to music lessons?
Ans. She disliked music, considering it indecent and meant only for beggars and harlots.
Q15. What did the grandmother do in the last hours of her life?
Ans. She stopped talking, prayed continuously, and prepared for death.
Q16. How does the author feel about his grandmother?
Ans. He feels deep love, respect, and admiration for her.
Q17. What religious practices did the grandmother follow?
Ans. Constant prayer, temple visits, reading scriptures, and spinning charkha.
Q18. How did the sparrows react the next morning after her death?
Ans. They sat quietly in mourning and flew away silently after cremation.
Q19. Why did the author call it The Portrait of a Lady?
Ans. Because the essay paints a vivid word-portrait of his grandmother.
Q20. What qualities of the grandmother impress the narrator most?
Ans. Her simplicity, faith, devotion, and quiet strength.
LONG QUESTION–ANSWERS
Q1. Write a character sketch of Khushwant Singh’s grandmother.
Ans. The grandmother was old, wrinkled, and deeply religious. She devoted her life to prayer, spinning, and helping others. In the village, she guided the author in studies and moral lessons. She showed love for animals and birds by feeding dogs and sparrows. She disliked Western education and music, as she considered them irreligious. Despite all this, she showed dignity, patience, and calmness. Her peaceful death and the sparrows’ mourning show her spiritual greatness. She is portrayed as a symbol of faith, love, and simplicity.
Q2. How did the grandmother help the narrator in his childhood?
Ans. In the village, she looked after the narrator completely. She woke him up, bathed him, and prepared him for school. She also accompanied him to the temple-school, where she sat reading scriptures while he studied. On their way back, she fed stale chapatis to stray dogs. She thus combined care, love, and religious teaching in his upbringing.
Q3. What differences arose between the narrator and his grandmother after moving to the city?
Ans. In the city, the narrator went to an English school that taught science and literature but not God. The grandmother could no longer accompany him. She disapproved of Western education and felt lonely. Later, when the narrator went to university, she accepted her isolation and busied herself with spinning and prayers. This created a distance between them, though mutual love and respect remained.
Q4. Why did the grandmother dislike music and modern education?
Ans. The grandmother considered music as indecent, fit only for beggars and harlots, not for respectable people. Similarly, she disliked modern education because it ignored God, scriptures, and moral teachings. She believed true education must include spirituality. Her rejection of these subjects shows her strong faith in traditional values.
Q5. How did the grandmother spend her time in her later years?
Ans. In her later years, she rarely left home. She sat spinning the wheel, reciting prayers, and sometimes feeding sparrows. She had withdrawn from worldly affairs and devoted herself to God. Her peaceful and disciplined routine showed her acceptance of old age and her spiritual strength.
Q6. Describe the grandmother’s reaction when the narrator returned from abroad.
Ans. The grandmother welcomed him with great joy. She celebrated his return by collecting women from the neighborhood, beating a drum, and singing songs of welcome. Her happiness was so deep that she forgot her routine of prayers for a day. This unusual behavior revealed her suppressed emotions and love for her grandson.
Q7. How did the grandmother face death?
Ans. The grandmother faced death with calmness and dignity. A day before her death, she stopped talking, refused to waste time in idle chatter, and devoted herself entirely to prayer. She lay quietly in bed, reciting her rosary until she passed away peacefully. Her preparation for death showed her spiritual strength and acceptance of life’s end.
Q8. Describe the mourning of sparrows at the grandmother’s death.
Ans. Thousands of sparrows sat silently in and around the house. They did not chirp or make any noise. Their silence, drooping heads, and refusal to eat anything reflected their grief. The next morning, they flew away quietly. Their behavior seemed like a natural mourning ritual, giving a sense of divine respect for the grandmother.
Q9. What does the essay reveal about the bond between the author and his grandmother?
Ans. The essay reveals a deep emotional bond based on love, care, and respect. In childhood, they shared closeness as she guided him. In the city, though physical closeness reduced, the spiritual connection remained. Even when he went abroad, she prayed for him constantly. Their relationship was marked by quiet understanding and strong affection.
Q10. How is The Portrait of a Lady an example of a word-portrait?
Ans. Instead of drawing a picture, Khushwant Singh paints a vivid image of his grandmother with words. He describes her physical appearance, habits, routine, and values in detail. The essay captures not just her outer image but also her inner qualities—her faith, love, and dignity. Thus, it is a literary portrait, bringing her alive for readers.
Q11. How did the grandmother combine traditional values with everyday life?
Ans. The grandmother lived a life rooted in tradition. She prayed constantly, used a rosary, read scriptures, and went to the temple. Yet she also performed everyday duties like taking care of her grandson, spinning the wheel, and feeding animals. She showed that spirituality and daily responsibilities can go hand in hand.
Q12. Discuss the role of religion in the grandmother’s life.
Ans. Religion was central to her life. She constantly prayed, carried a rosary, read scriptures, and visited the temple. She believed education should include spirituality. Even in old age, she spun the wheel while reciting prayers. Her last hours were spent in prayer, showing that her life began and ended in devotion.
Q13. What values does the grandmother’s character teach us?
Ans. The grandmother’s life teaches values of faith, simplicity, discipline, and love. She showed compassion by feeding animals and sparrows. She respected tradition and was deeply spiritual. She accepted life’s changes with calmness and faced death with dignity. Her values are timeless lessons for all generations.
Q14. Explain how the grandmother represents Indian tradition.
Ans. The grandmother symbolizes Indian tradition through her dress, lifestyle, and religious devotion. She wore simple clothes, carried a rosary, believed in scriptures, and disapproved of Western education. Her compassion for animals and sparrows reflects the Indian cultural value of universal love. She stands as a symbol of Indian spirituality and moral strength.
Q15. Why did the author say his grandmother looked the same for the last 20 years?
Ans. The narrator humorously says she looked the same for twenty years because she had been old, wrinkled, and bent since his childhood. Her age seemed timeless, and she never changed in appearance. This description emphasizes her agelessness and adds humor to the portrait.
Q16. How did the grandmother’s daily life change after coming to the city?
Ans. In the city, she no longer accompanied the author to school. She felt lonely and isolated as she disliked modern education. She busied herself with spinning the wheel, reciting prayers, and feeding sparrows. Her role in the narrator’s education reduced, but her spiritual routine remained constant.
Q17. Compare the grandmother’s role in the village and in the city.
Ans. In the village, she was actively involved in the narrator’s upbringing—waking him, accompanying him to school, and teaching him prayers. In the city, this role reduced, and she became more withdrawn, focusing on spinning and praying. Her active role changed into a silent, spiritual presence.
Q18. How does the essay highlight the contrast between tradition and modernity?
Ans. The essay contrasts the grandmother’s faith in traditional education (prayers and scriptures) with the modern English schooling of the narrator. She disliked science and music, while the narrator embraced modern learning. This contrast shows the tension between old and new values but also the coexistence of love between the two generations.
Q19. How does the grandmother’s death scene reveal her spirituality?
Ans. At the time of her death, the grandmother stopped talking and gave up everything except prayer. She recited her rosary till the very end, showing her devotion to God. She accepted death calmly without fear or complaint. This scene highlights her deep spirituality and faith in divine will.
Q20. What is the significance of the title The Portrait of a Lady?
Ans. The title is symbolic. It refers not to a painted portrait but to a word-portrait of the grandmother. Khushwant Singh sketches her physical appearance, habits, values, and death, creating a lasting image in the reader’s mind. The title emphasizes that the essay is not just a story but a tribute to his grandmother’s personality.
Summary with Questions and Answers
Unit-I Prose
Chapter 1 My Greatest Olympic Prize
Chapter 3 The Portrait of a Lady
Chapter 4 The Magic of Teamwork
Chapter 5 Development of Polio Vaccines
Unit-II Poetry
Poem 2 The Ballad of Father Gilligan
Unit-III Non-Detailed Study
Chapter 2 The Nightingale and the Rose
Chapter 3 Mystery of the Missing Cap
Chapter 6 Stay Hungry Stay Foolish
