The Portrait of a Lady

1. What were the three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left else country to
study abroad? -

Answer:

The author’s relationship with his grandmother had developed in three phases before he left the country to study
abroad. The first being in his childhood when he was left with his grandmother while his parents moved to the city. He
went to the village school and the grandmother helped him to get ready and accompanied him to school.

The second phase was in his boyhood, when they moved to the city to stay with his parents, and this proved to be the
turning point of their relationship. The author got admission in a city English School and commuted by motor bus. He
shared a room with grandmother, but she could no longer help him in his studies.

The final phase before going abroad was when he started attending the University and was given a separate room of his
own. The common link of friendship was snapped.

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

Answer:

The three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school are she
hated western Science and learning. The author went to a city school in a motor bus and studied English,
law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and many more things which she could not understand at all.
Grandmother could neither accompany him to school nor help him in his studies.
She was pained to know that there was no teaching of God and the scriptures there. She had aversion to music. She
thought it was not meant for decent people and gentlefolk. It was the monopoly of the d ancing girls and beggars.

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

As the author grew up and started attending the university, he was given a separate room. The grandmother accepted
this separation calmly without any objection. She lived alone in her room as she had accepted her loneliness quietly. She
sat at her spinning wheel reciting prayers. In the afternoon, she would feed the sparrows for half an hour which used to
be her happiest moment of the day.

3. Comment on the odd ways in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.

Answer:

Just before her death, the author’s grandmother refused to talk to them. Since she had omitted to pray the previous
night while she was singing songs of homecoming and beating the drum, she was not going to waste any more time. She
ignored their protests. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling beads.

4. Write the way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.
Answer:
Thousands of sparrows sat silently surrounding the dead body of the author’s grandmother. There was no chirruping.
The author’s mother threw some crumbs of bread to them. They took no notice of them. As soon as the grandmother’s
corpse was carried off, they flew away quietly. Thus, the sparrows expressed their sorrow.
5. The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know
this?
The author’s grandmother was a deeply religious lady. We come to know this through the different ways of her
behaviour. She visited the temple every morning and read scriptures. At home she always mumbled inaudible prayer
and kept telling the beads of rosary. She would repeat prayers in a sing-song manner while getting the writer ready for
school. She hoped that he would learn it by heart. She didn’t like English school as there was no teaching of God and
scriptures.
Even while spinning at her spinning-wheel she would recite prayers. Perhaps it was only once that she forgot to say her
prayers. It was on the evening prior to her death when she felt over excited while celebrating the arrival of her grandson
with songs and beatings of drum. She continued praying and telling beads of her rosary till her last breath.
 6. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other
change?
Answer:
During his childhood, the author was completely dependent on his grandmother. She was a part of his life.
Grandmother woke him up in the morning, plastered his wooden slate, prepared his breakfast, and accompanied him to
school. While he studied alphabet, she read the scriptures in the temple attached to the school.

The turning point in their friendship came when they went to city. The author went to a city school in a motor
bus and studied English, law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and many more things which she could not
understand at all. Grandmother could neither accompany him to school nor help him in his studies.
She was upset that there was no teaching of God and scriptures at city school. Instead, he was given music
lesson which, according to her, was not meant for gentlefolk. But she said nothing. When author went to a
university, he was given a separate room. The common link of their friendship was snapped, and grandmother
rarely talked to anyone now. She accepted it without any protest and displaying calm resilience.

After this she rarely talked to him. When he went to the university, he was given a room of his own. The common link of
friendship was snapped.

However, their feelings for each other did not change. They still loved each other deeply. She went to see the
author off at the railway station when he was going abroad for higher studies. She showed no emotion but kissed
his forehead silently. The author valued this as perhaps the last sign 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 occasion by singing songs of the home coming of warriors on an old, dilapidated drum,
along with the ladies of the neighbourhood.
7. Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give
instances that show this.
Answer:
Yes, I agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. She was a strong woman
with strong beliefs. Although she was not formally educated, she was serious about the author’s
education. She could not adjust herself to the western way of life. The author went to a city school in a
motor bus and studied English, law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and many more things which she
could not understand at all. Grandmother could neither accompany him to school nor help him in his
studies.
She was upset that there was no teaching of God and scriptures at city school. Instead, he was given music
lesson which, according to her, was not meant for gentlefolk. But she said nothing. When author went to a
university, he was given a separate room. The common link of their friendship was snapped, and grandmother
rarely talked to anyone now. She accepted it without any protest and displaying calm resilience.

She was a deeply religious lady. Her lips were always moving in a silent prayer. She was always telling
the beads of her rosary. She went to temple daily and read the scriptures. She was distressed to know
that there was no teaching about God and holy books at the author’s new English school.
She was a kind lady. She used to feed dogs in the village. In the city she took to feeding sparrows.