The Portrait of A Lady

G. D.
Goenka Public School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
Hornbill The Portrait of a Lady Pg: 3-10

Less-1 -Khushwant Singh
1. About the Author

Khushwant Singh, one of the best known Indian writers of all times,
was born in 1915 in Hadali (now in Pakistan). He has been
conferred with various awards such as Rockefeller Grant, 1966;
Punjab Government Grant,1970;n Mohan Singh Award; Padma
Bhushan, India, 1974; Padma Vibhushan, India, 2007. Khushwant
Singh, a stalwart of Indian fiction in English that he is, portrays life
as it is but with a smile on his face as if he is enjoying watching
people around him. And the characters do not land from the stars but
seem like the ones next door. His a bouquet of charming and
engaging stories that hold our interest till the end.
2. Title
The story is a picture perfect portrayal of his grandmother by
Khushwant Singh, an eminent writer and journalist. The story is
written in the first person and is in the biographical mode. It is the
perception of Khushwant Singh’s grandmother through his own
eyes. Khushwant Singh recalls his grandmother as an extremely old
and religious person. When he lived with her in the village, their
entire existence revolved around each other. In this period she was
the sole unchallenged guardian, mentor and creator of the child
Khushwant. The turning point came in their relationship when they
came to city to stay with Khushwant’s parents. The common link of
their friendship was snapped. His grandmother confined herself to a
self-imposed seclusion. She spent most of her time sitting by her
wheel spinning and reciting prayers.
3. Tone / Mood
Khushwant Singh first established his reputation as a writer through
the short story. His stories – wry, poignant, erotic and human – bear
testimony to his remarkable range and ability to create an
unforgettable world. The lovable story, The Portrait of a Lady, is a
heartwarming pen picture of his grandmother who brought him up.
He builds the image of such a real and warm-hearted granny that the
reader feels his own has come alive in flesh and blood before him.
The character is so well-drawn that it touches our innermost beings.
Singh celebrates his association with his grandmother and the
changes in their relationship with the passage of time. Her simplicity
and beauty leave an indelible imprint on the reader’s mind.
Long-Answer Questions:
Q4. Character Sketch of the Grandmother!
Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a strong
person? Write about her character.
Ans. Grandmother was an old woman who was once young and
pretty. She was short, fat and slightly bent. Her face was pale and
wrinkled. She had silvery white hair. She had to rest one hand on
her waist to balance her stoop. She was always dressed in spotless
white clothes. According to the author she was not pretty but was
beautiful at heart.
She was very caring and attentive towards her little grandson. She
used to wake him up and get him ready for school. She shared a
close relationship with him and took care of all his needs. She was
deeply religious and her lips constantly moved in prayer while
telling the beads of her rosary. While he spent his time in school,
she read the Holy Scriptures and waited to take him back home.
She was kind towards animals and she fed the stray dogs in the
village. She started feeding sparrows when she moved to the city.
The relationship between the grandmother and her grandson
changed when they shifted. She could not appreciate the new things
that were a part of his western education. She was always
emotionally attached to her grandson and she gave him her blessings
when he went abroad for higher studies.
Truly, she was an expanse of serenity.
Q5. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his
grandmother.
Ans. The author spent his formative years living with his
grandmother in the village. They shared a close relationship and she
looked after all his needs. It was a simple life and they could share
and enjoy each aspect of it.
When the author’s parents were comfortably settled in the city, they
sent for the author and his grandmother; this was the turning point in
their relationship. Although they shared the same room, their routine
was very different. The grandmother did not accompany him to
school now, he went to school by the school bus. As the years went
by they saw less of each other. Though she continued to wake him
up, it wasn’t as it used to be. She was unhappy that she couldn’t help
him with his lessons.
She did not approve of the western education that he received in the
city school. She was upset that there was no teaching about God and
the scriptures. She was also disturbed at his learning music and she
rarely talked to him after that.
The grandmother spent her time spinning cloth and saying her
prayers. Her happiest moments were with the sparrows that she fed
daily. When he went to the University he was given a room of his
own and the common link of friendship snapped. She hardly showed
any emotion when he went abroad to study, she blessed him silently.
He was surprised to see her looking the same when he returned.
Their feelings for each other had not changed at all; it was just a
situation created by a change in circumstances.
Short-Answer Questions:
Q6. Mention three reasons why the author’s grandmother was
disturbed when he started going to the city school.
Ans. The grandmother was disturbed as the city school did not teach
about the God and the scriptures. Secondly, they imparted western
education and science which she could not appreciate. Moreover he
was given music lessons which she disapproved of – for her music
had vulgar association.
Q7. Mention three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent

her days after he grew up.
Ans. After the author grew up the grandmother spent most of her
time in seclusion. She rarely left the spinning wheel to talk to
anyone and she kept saying her prayers while spinning. She relaxed
for a while to feed the sparrows which gave her a great deal of
happiness.
Q8. Describe the way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow
when the author’s grandmother died.
Ans. The sparrows came and sat scattered on the floor when the
grandmother died. There was no chirping. The mother broke some
breadcrumbs to feed the sparrows. When the grandmother’s corpse
was taken away, the birds flew away quietly without having touched
the bread crumbs.
Q9. How do we know that the grandmother was a religious person?

Ans. The grandmother was always telling the beads of her rosary
and her lips moved constantly in inaudible prayer. She used to get
up early and say her morning prayers in a monotonous sing-song
tone while she bathed and dressed her grandson. She always
accompanied the author to his school because the school was near
a temple and she spent time reading the scriptures in the temple.

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G. D.

Goenka Public School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Hornbill The Portrait of a Lady Pg: 3-10

1. About the Author

Q7. Mention three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent

Q9. How do we know that the grandmother was a religious person?

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