CLASS 11, CHAPTER 1

 

The Portrait of a Lady:

Understanding the text-

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

Ans-  The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad are:

a)     Childhood- The author spent most of his childhood time with his grandmother. She use to wake him up in the morning, help him get ready for school while reciting her morning prayers in a monotonous sing song manner in the hope that he would learn the prayers by heart.

b.   Teenage  - At this stage the author along with his grandmother had shifted to the city. Now the boy goes to an English school in a motor bus and this was the stage where his grandmother could not help him in his studies anymore.

c.     Adult - In the third stage of his life the author says that the relationship of his with his grandmother was snapped because he was provided with a spate room, because now he goes to the university and also had a separate room. 

 

2.     2. Three reason why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.

Ans-  The three reason why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school :

a.      The author’s grandmother had to shift to the city and in the city she could not accompany him to school as he used to go on a motor bus. There were no dog whom she could feed now. This changes made her upset.

b.     Secondly the author’s grandmother was disturbed because she could no longer help him in his studies. She also did not understand the English words and theory. And in that English school there were no teaching of god and scriptures.

c.      The author’s grandmother was most disturbed when she heard that there were music lesson in the school. For her music had lewd association. It was not for the gentlefolk but rather it was the monopoly of beggars and prostitutes.

 

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

Ans- Three ways the grandmother spent her days after he grew up are:

a.      She spent most of her time in prayers.

b.     She started to spend most her time spinning wheels.

c.      She spends the best part of her day feeding the sparrows.

 

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

Ans- The author’s grandmother had spent the day before singing the homecoming of warriors with the other ladies of her neighbor. And the next day, in the morning she felt ill. For everyone it was a mild fever and she would be fine. But she thought it a different way, she knew that she doesn’t have much time  so she refused to talked to everyone and rather spend her time reciting prayers. She didn’t spend a single minute talking to the people and just laid down in the bed peacefully telling her prayers with the beads of rosary.

 

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

Ans- On the day of her death, her corpse was laid on the veranda the sun was setting and had lit her room and veranda with a blaze of golden light. All over the Veranda there were thousands of sparrows sat scattered on the floor. On that day there were no chirruping. The authors mother felt sorry for the birds and gave them breads crumbs but not a single bird took notice to the bread crumbs. When the corpse was carried off , they flew away quietly. The next morning sweeper swept the bread crumbs into the dustbin.

 

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT-

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

Ans- Certain situation mentioned in the story shows that the author’s grandmother was a religious person. In the beginning of the chapter it is mention that his grandmother constantly keeps on praying inaudible prayers in a monotonous sing song manner. While she gets him ready for school she recites her prayers in hope that her grandson will learn it someday. She also accompanies him to school and while he reads the alphabets and morning prayers she remain inside the temple reading the scriptures.

Later when they shifted to the city, his grandmother was upset to know that there were no teaching of god and scriptures in the school. Her great love for animals also symbolises her religious manner. Even on her last time of her life she had ignored her family and kept herself busy in prayers. This situation makes it clear that the author’s grandmother was a religious person.

 

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

Ans- The author and his grandmother shared a strong bond. The childhood of the author was entirely depended on his grandmother; she was an important part of his life. From the morning his grandmother remained constantly with him from getting him ready for school to accompanying him to school and coming back together. The whole day they remained with each other.

But the turning point was when they shifted to the city. She no longer could help him in his studies, there were no teaching of god and scriptures in the school. what made their communication gone was when she learned that there were music lesson in the school, as for her music was for the lewd association and not for gentlefolk. The link of their relationship was snapped when he got a separate room.  However there feeling for each other did not  change. His grandmother came to the railway station to see him off when he travelled to abroad for five year for his higher studies. She also kissed him on his forehead and showed no such emotion. After five years also his grandmother received him at the station and clasped him in her arms. This shows that their love for each other did not change only the situation changed.

 

EXTRA QUESTION-

ü What the different between village school education and urban school education is as brought out in the lesson “The Portrait of the Lady”?

Ans- The village school taught the students alphabets and morning prayers in the temple, all the students sat in the veranda in rows and sang the prayers in chorus. And in the urban school there were English lessons and theories about western science and learning, the law of gravity, Archimedes Principles, the world being round etc. There were no teaching of God and Scriptures.

ü Why have the sparrows refused to eat the crumbs of the bread on the death of the author’s grandmother?

Ans- The sparrows refused to eat the crumbs of the bread because on that day the sparrows gathered to show their gratitude.

ü Give two examples of the author’s grandmother’s love of animals.

Ans- The author’s grandmother feed the street dogs in the village. And in the city she had started feeding the sparrows. The sparrows perched on her legs, others on her shoulders, some even sat on her head. She smiled and never shooed them away.