The Portrait of a Lady Question Answer | Class 11 | The Portrait of a Lady Notes | Study Corner

Short Question : 2 Marks

Question : Point out the three phases of the author's relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad.

Answer: The three phases of the author’s relationship together with his grandmother before he left the country to take education abroad are :

(i) In his childhood, the author went to the village school with his grandmother and his grandmother took care of him and helped him to get ready for school.

(ii) In his Boyhood, when the author went to the city school in a bus, he stayed with his grandmother and got help from grandmother. But now she didn't stay with him and also didn't help him in his study.

(iii) In his Early youth, when the author went up to the University, he was living in a extra room. Then, their common link of friendship was broken suddenly.

Question : Point out the three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.

Ans: The Three reasons that the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school are :

(i) The author's grandmother did not like the English words, the western science and learning, Archimedes' Principle, the law of gravity, etc.

(ii) She was distressed that there was nothing to teach about God and scriptures.

(iii) She was very unsatisfied when she heard about the music lesson. According to his grandmother, music was the monopoly of prostitutes and beggars and not meant for gentlefolk.

Question : Point out three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.

Ans: The 3 ways during which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up are :

(i) His grandmother accepted her solitariness and tried to live alone in her room.

 (ii) She sat at her spinning wheel and recited prayers from sunrise to sunset.

(iii) In the afternoon, she passed the happiest half-hour by giving bread to the sparrows.

Question : Point out the odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.

Ans : In the morning, she was suffering from a mild fever. She told them that her end was near. She refused to talk to anyone before her death. She laid peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. After sometime, they knew that she was dead.

Question : Point out the way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.

Ans: When the author's grandmother died, thousands of sparrows sat scattered near the dead body. They didn't chirrup as they kept quiet. They felt sorry for the birds and the author's mother threw some crumbs of bread to them but they took no notice of the bread. When the dead body was carried off to burn, they flew away silently. In this way, the sparrows expressed their sorrow.

Long Question : 6 Marks

Question : The author's grandma was a kind of religious person. What are the ways in which we come to know this?

Ans: We have come to know from the story that the author's grandmother was a religious person. She went to the temple every morning to pray and read scriptures. She always recited her soundless prayer and kept counting the beads of the rosary. She said her morning prayer in a monotonous sing-song while she bathed and dressed the author for schools in the hope that he would learn it by heart. She didn't like English school as there was no teaching of God and scriptures.

 Even from sunrise to sunset she sat by her spinning-wheel and recited prayers. Perhaps it was only once that she didn't recite her prayers. It was in the previous evening before her death, when she became very happy at the arrival of her grandson, celebrated it with songs and beatings of drum. She kept praying and telling beads of her rosary till her death.

Question : Relate the changing relationship between the writer and his grandma. Did their feelings for each other change?

Ans: In his boyhood, the author depended completely on his grandmother. She was a part of his life. When they settled in the city, that was the turning point in their friendship. Although they shared the same room, she no longer came to school with him as he went there by bus. She also could not help him in his studies. She felt unhappy when she knew that there were no teachings about God and scriptures. She felt offended that music was also taught but she ignored it silently. After this, she rarely talked to him. When he went to the University, he was given a separate room. The common link of friendship was broken.

    They were separated, but the feelings for each other did not change and they still loved each other so much. She went to leave the author at the railway station when he was going abroad for higher studies. She didn't show any emotion but kissed his forehead silently. The author felt that this was perhaps the last physical contact between them. When the author returned after five years, she received him at the station. She clasped him in her arms. In the evening she celebrated the grandson's homecoming by singing and beating an old drum.

Question : Would you agree that the author's grandmother was an individual of strong character? If yes, give illustration to show this.

Ans: Yes, I agree that the author's grandmother was a person of strong character. She was a woman with strong beliefs. Although she was not formally educated, she was very cared about her grandson's education. She did not favour the teaching of western way of Science and English. She hated music and did not agree the teaching of music in school. Rather she preferred the teaching of God and scriptures.

    The grandmother was very kind woman as she feeds the village dogs and the sparrows in the city. Although she was physically weak, she had the strength of mind. Just before her death she was not interested in talking to her family members but wished to pray and not waste time. She wanted to make up the loss because she could not pray the previous evening as she was enjoying celebrating the homecoming of her grandson. She lay peacefully in bed saying prayers and telling the beads of her rosary till her death.

Question : Have you realized anyone as the writer's grandmother ? Do you consider the similar sensation of loss with regard to someone whom you have loved and lost?

Ans: Yes, I have known my grandmother, she was kind and friendly who deeply loved me and whenever I was with her she took great care of me. She was not very much different from the author's grandmother. She inspired us to get up early in the morning, do our work properly and systematically. Although she was not educated, she sometimes said us to study hard to prosper in life. She took care of us in every way. When our parents were not there, she was the perfect caretaker. She was a firm, kind-hearted, caring and a strong woman. She always insisted on inculcating good habits and character building. She passed away due to some old age illness. I miss her a lot but her smiling face always inspires me and encourages me to fight against the struggle of life.