By KHUSHWANT SINGH
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (SAQs)
1. Describe the physical appearance of the narrator’s grandmother as depicted in the chapter.
Answer: The narrator’s grandmother was short, fat, and slightly bent, with a wrinkled face. Her silver hair was scattered untidily over her face, and she always wore a spotless white sari. Her appearance was serene, resembling a winter landscape in the mountains.
Value Points: Physical description, serene look, white sari, winter landscape simile.
2. What role did religion play in the grandmother’s daily life?
Answer: Religion was central to the grandmother’s life. She spent her days praying, reading scriptures, and telling her beads. In the village, she read holy books at the temple; in the city, she continued praying while spinning the wheel, reflecting her deep spiritual devotion.
Value Points: Prayer, scripture reading, temple visits, spinning wheel, spiritual devotion.
3. How would you compare the grandmother’s relationship with the narrator to a modern-day grandparent-grandchild bond?
Answer: The grandmother’s bond with the narrator was close, marked by care and shared routines, but strained by modern education. Today, grandparents and grandchildren often connect through technology or shared hobbies, yet face similar gaps due to generational differences in values and lifestyles.
Value Points: Close bond, generational gap, modern parallels, technology influence.
4. Analyze how the grandmother’s reaction to the narrator’s music lessons reflects her cultural values.
Answer: The grandmother disapproved of the narrator’s music lessons, considering music lewd and associated with undesirable professions. This reflects her traditional, conservative values, rooted in modesty and religious propriety, which clashed with the modern, Western influences of the narrator’s city education.
Value Points: Disapproval of music, traditional values, cultural conflict, modesty.
5. Do you think the grandmother’s isolation in the city was self-imposed or a result of external factors? Justify.
Answer: The grandmother’s isolation was partly self-imposed due to her adherence to traditional values and discomfort with modern education. However, external factors like the narrator’s urban lifestyle and lack of shared activities also contributed, as she found no one to confide in.
Value Points: Self-imposed isolation, traditional values, external urban influences.
6. Imagine the grandmother writing a diary entry about her life in the city. What might she say about her routine?
Answer: In her diary, the grandmother might write: “In this noisy city, I find solace in my prayers and spinning wheel. The boy is busy with his studies; I miss our village talks. Feeding sparrows brings me joy, connecting me to nature amidst this strange world.”
Value Points: Prayer, spinning, loneliness, sparrows, contrast with village life.
7. What can you infer about the grandmother’s personality from her interaction with the sparrows?
Answer: The grandmother’s feeding of sparrows reveals her compassionate, nurturing, and patient personality. Her joy in their company reflects her love for simple, natural connections, compensating for her isolation in the city and showing her gentle, caring nature.
Value Points: Compassion, nurturing, love for nature, coping with isolation.
8. How does Khushwant Singh use characterization to portray the grandmother as a static yet relatable figure?
Answer: Khushwant Singh uses vivid physical descriptions and consistent behaviors—like praying and feeding sparrows—to portray the grandmother as a static character, unchanging in her traditional values. Her relatable warmth and resilience make her a timeless figure, evoking empathy despite generational differences.
Value Points: Static character, vivid descriptions, traditional values, relatability.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (LAQs)
The chapter highlights the grandmother’s struggle to adapt to modern life. Relate this to the challenges faced by elderly people today in adapting to rapid technological advancements, and evaluate whether society does enough to support them.
Answer: The grandmother in The Portrait of a Lady struggles with the shift from rural simplicity to urban modernity, feeling alienated by the narrator’s Westernized education. Similarly, today’s elderly face challenges adapting to rapid technological advancements, such as smartphones, digital payments, or social media, which dominate modern life. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many elderly struggled with online healthcare or virtual communication, highlighting their digital exclusion. The grandmother’s isolation mirrors their sense of disconnect when younger generations prioritize technology over personal interaction.
Society’s efforts, like digital literacy programs or senior-friendly apps, are steps forward but often insufficient. Urban-centric policies and fast-paced innovation overlook rural or less tech-savvy elderly, leaving them dependent or isolated. More inclusive initiatives, like community tech workshops or intergenerational bonding programs, are needed to bridge this gap. The grandmother’s resilience suggests the elderly can adapt with support, but society must prioritize empathy and accessibility to ensure their inclusion in today’s tech-driven world.
Value Points: Grandmother’s alienation, modern elderly challenges, technology’s impact, societal efforts, need for inclusivity, empathy.
2. Analyze how Khushwant Singh’s use of first-person narrative enhances the emotional impact of The Portrait of a Lady. Create a brief narrative from the grandmother’s perspective about her final day, reflecting her emotions and thoughts.
Answer: Khushwant Singh’s first-person narrative in The Portrait of a Lady creates an intimate, reflective tone, allowing readers to experience the narrator’s evolving bond with his grandmother through personal memories. This perspective emphasizes the emotional distance caused by modernity and the narrator’s guilt, making the grandmother’s death profoundly moving. The nostalgic lens and vivid imagery, like the “winter landscape” simile, deepen the emotional impact, fostering empathy for her unchanging, serene presence amidst change.
From the grandmother’s perspective on her final day: “Today, I felt a quiet peace, praying softly as sparrows chirped outside. My boy’s face, now grown, carries the village in his eyes, yet the city pulls him away. I sang with the women, my heart full, knowing my time nears. I’m ready, content, for I’ve lived with love and faith.” This narrative reflects her acceptance, spiritual strength, and unspoken bond with the narrator, echoing the chapter’s emotional depth.
Value Points: First-person narrative, emotional intimacy, nostalgia, grandmother’s perspective, acceptance, spiritual strength.
