The Portait of a Lady by Khushwant Singh - Hornbill - Prose - Class XI- English Core Summary and Answers

🖼️ The Portrait of a Lady

Class XI · Hornbill (Prose) · by Khushwant Singh · Summary & Solutions

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Hello Class XI!

Welcome to the solutions for "The Portrait of a Lady" by Khushwant Singh. This story is a tender reflection on love, ageing, and the quiet resilience of tradition. Let's explore the summary and answers together!

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📖 Summary 📝 Understanding the Text 💬 Talking About the Text 🗣️ Thinking About Language 📚 Working with Words 🧠 Interactive Quiz 💡 Teacher's Insight

📖 Summary

"The Portrait of a Lady" is a nostalgic account of the author's relationship with his grandmother. The story traces three phases of their bond:

• Phase 1 (Village): Deep intimacy—she wakes him, prepares him for school, and accompanies him to the temple-school.
• Phase 2 (City): Growing distance—she can't help with his English education and is disturbed by the lack of religious teaching.
• Phase 3 (University): Physical separation—he gets a separate room; she retreats to her spinning wheel, prayers, and sparrows.

Despite the growing distance, her love never wavers. In the end, she passes away peacefully, surrounded by family, leaving behind a legacy of strength and spirituality. The sparrows' silent mourning is a poignant tribute to her gentle soul.

1 Understanding the Text

Q1 (SA)

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

Answer:

• Phase 1 (Village): Intimate bond. She woke him, bathed him, and accompanied him to the temple-school.
• Phase 2 (City): Distance grew. She couldn't help with his studies and disliked the lack of religious education.
• Phase 3 (University): Complete separation. He got his own room; she focused on spinning, prayers, and feeding sparrows.

Q2 (VSA)

Mention three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.

Answer:

1. She could no longer help him with his lessons.
2. There was no teaching about God or the scriptures.
3. Music lessons upset her, as she believed music had "lewd" associations.

Q3 (VSA)

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

Answer:

• She spent most of her time by the spinning wheel.
• She continuously recited prayers and told the beads of her rosary.
• She loved feeding and spending time with the sparrows.

Q4 (VSA)

The odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.

Answer: She stopped praying, collected the neighbourhood women, and began singing and beating an old drum—behaviour completely out of character for her.

Q5 (VSA)

Mention the way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.

Answer: Thousands of sparrows sat silently around her dead body without chirping. They flew away quietly without eating the breadcrumbs offered by the author's mother.

2 Talking About the Text

Q1 (SA)

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

Answer: Her religiosity is evident through her constant rosary-telling, morning prayers while getting the author ready, and her deep distress when the city school lacked religious education. Even on her deathbed, she continued to pray, proving her unwavering faith.

Q2 (SA)

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

Answer: Their relationship evolved from intimate childhood companionship to a distant, formal bond as the author grew up. However, their feelings never changed. Despite the physical and intellectual distance, their mutual love, respect, and care remained constant until her death.

Q3 (SA)

Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that show this.

Answer: Yes. She showed immense strength by quietly accepting her loneliness when the author moved out. She never complained, instead immersing herself in her daily routines of spinning and praying. Her dignified resilience in old age and her self-control when bidding him goodbye reveal her strong character.

Q4 (LA - Sample)

Have you known someone like the author’s grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone whom you have loved and lost?

Answer: Yes, my grandmother shared similar traits—she was deeply religious, resilient, and silently loving. The sense of loss is indeed profound, much like the author's. However, the memories of her unconditional love, her gentle wisdom, and her quiet strength remain a comforting presence, reminding me that love transcends physical absence.

3 Thinking About the Language

Q1 (VSA)

Which language do you think the author and his grandmother used while talking to each other?

Answer: Most likely Punjabi or Hindi, as the story is set in a Punjabi family in India, and these were their native languages.

Q2 (VSA)

Which language do you use to talk to elderly relatives in your family?

Answer: This varies by region. Typically, we use our native or regional language (e.g., Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi) as elderly relatives are most comfortable and connected in their mother tongue.

Q3 (VSA)

How would you say ‘a dilapidated drum’ in your language?

Answer: In Hindi, it is "टूटा-फूटा ढोल" (Toota-Foota Dhol). The exact translation depends on your native language.

Q4 (VSA)

Can you think of a song or a poem in your language that talks of homecoming?

Answer: In Hindi, a famous song is "घर आया मेरा परदेसी" (Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi), which beautifully captures the joy and emotion of a loved one returning home.

4 Working with Words

Vocabulary

The word "tell" is used in different ways in these sentences. Explain the meaning in each context.

• "Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary." → Here, 'telling' means counting or moving the beads one by one during prayer.
• "I would tell her English words..." → Here, 'tell' means to inform or share information.
• "At her age one could never tell." → Here, 'tell' means to know or predict with certainty.
• "She told us that her end was near." → Here, 'told' means to communicate or convey a message.

5 Interactive Quiz

🧠 Check Your Comprehension

Answer these 15 factual and inferential questions. Click "Submit" to see your score!

1. In the village, the grandmother accompanied the author to school because:

a) The school was attached to the village temple b) She enjoyed the morning walk with him c) He needed help crossing the river d) She was the only teacher there

2. What upset the grandmother most about the city school?

a) The strict discipline and rules b) The modern teaching methods c) The high fees and expenses d) The absence of religious instruction

3. Why did the grandmother dislike music lessons?

a) She preferred visual arts like painting b) They interfered with her prayer time c) She considered music immoral and degrading d) She thought they were a waste of money

4. How did the grandmother spend her time after the author went to university?

a) She took up gardening b) She visited the temple daily c) She learned to read English d) She spun the wheel, prayed, and fed birds

5. What was the grandmother's reaction when the author left for abroad?

a) She quietly blessed him and showed no grief b) She gave him a gold locket c) She asked him to write every day d) She refused to speak to him

6. What "odd" behaviour did the grandmother show before dying?

a) She refused to see anyone b) She started reading the newspaper c) She gave away all her belongings d) She sang and played an old drum

7. How did the sparrows mourn the grandmother's death?

a) They built a nest on her body b) They sat in silence and ignored the breadcrumbs c) They flew around the room d) They pecked at the windows

8. What does the rosary (beads) symbolize in the story?

a) Her daily routine b) Her connection to nature c) Her loneliness d) Her unwavering faith

9. Why did the grandmother feel lonely in the city?

a) She felt disconnected from the author's new world b) She had no friends her age c) The city was too noisy d) She missed the village fields

10. What does "dilapidated drum" refer to?

a) A traditional temple artefact b) A type of folk dance c) A worn-out, damaged drum d) A modern percussion tool

11. Why did the grandmother stop praying before she died?

a) She felt a sudden sense of liberation b) She forgot the prayers c) She was angry with God d) She was too weak to pray

12. How did the author's feelings for his grandmother evolve?

a) He became indifferent to her b) He only remembered her after she died c) Distance grew but his affection never faded d) He started resenting her

13. What does the spinning wheel represent in the story?

a) Her inner calm and self-reliance b) Her poverty c) Her desire to travel d) A mere hobby

14. Why did the grandmother feed the sparrows daily?

a) She wanted to trap them b) She was training them c) She enjoyed their company d) It was her daily ritual of compassion

15. What is the central theme of "The Portrait of a Lady"?

a) Unconditional love bridging generations b) The beauty of city life c) The value of money d) The joy of travelling

Teacher's Insight: The Silent Bridge

What makes this story timeless? Khushwant Singh doesn't just write about his grandmother; he writes about the quiet, unspoken language of love that exists across generations. Notice how the grandmother never complains about the growing distance. Instead, she finds her purpose in the spinning wheel and the sparrows.

This story is a gentle reminder that relationships evolve, but they don't necessarily weaken. The grandmother represents a vanishing world—one rooted in faith, oral traditions, and simple routines. In today's fast-paced world, she challenges us to ask: Are we making space for the elderly in our lives, not just physically, but emotionally?

As you write your answers, remember that the grandmother's strength isn't in loud actions, but in her quiet acceptance and unwavering faith. That is the true portrait Khushwant Singh paints for us.

🌟 The Portrait of a Lady – Solved!

Keep these key themes in mind: love, loss, generational gaps, and resilience. They are the heart of every great literature question. Happy revising!