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The
The Portrait
Portrait of
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Lady Important
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for Class
Class 11
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 01 Nov, 2022

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Extra Questions and Answers for The Portrait of a Lady

Class 11 English The Portrait of a Lady
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The Portrait of a Lady Extra Questions Class 10 English

Short Answer Type Questions for The Portrait of a Lady

Question 1: How long had the narrator known his grandmother—old and
wrinkled? What did people say? How did the narrator react?

Answer

The narrator had known his grandmother- old and wrinkled for the last twenty years.
She was terribly old. Perhaps she could not have looked older. People said that she
had once been young and pretty. They said that she even had a husband. The
narrator found it hard to believe.

Dick Smith

A Time To Be Brave: A
Graphic Novel (Owly 4)

Question 2: How did the narrator’s grandfather appear in the portrait?

Answer

His grandfather looked very old. He had a long white beard. His clothes were loose
fitting. He wore a big turban. He looked too old to have a wife or children. He looked
at least a hundred years old. He could have only lots and lots of grandchildren.

Question 3: Which thought about the grandmother was often revolting and
for whom?

Answer

The narrator’s grandmother was very old and wrinkled. She had stayed at this stage
for the last twenty years. People said that once she was young and pretty. The
narrator couldn’t even imagine her being young. So the thought was revolting to
him.

Question 4: Explain: “As for my grandmother being young and pretty, the
thought was almost revolting”.

Answer

The narrator’s grandmother was terribly old. She could not appear young and
beautiful. Her face was a criss-cross of wrinkles. She was short, fat and slightly bent.
The very idea of her being young and pretty did not appeal to the mind.

Question 5: The narrator’s grandmother ‘could never have been pretty, but
she was always beautiful’. Explain the importance of the statement.

Answer

She was terribly old to appear pretty. Her face was a criss-cross of wrinkles. She was
short, fat and slightly bent. She didn’t create any physical appeal or attraction.
However, in her spotless white dress and grey hair she was a picture of serenity,
peace, sobriety and beauty.

Question 6: Why was it hard for the author to believe that his grandmother
was once young and pretty?

Answer

She was quite an old lady. She had been old and wrinkled for more than two
decades. It is said that once she had been young and pretty. But it is hard to believe
so.

Question 7: The narrator’s grandmother looked like the ‘winter landscape

in the mountains’. Comment.

Answer

The grandmother was always dressed in spotless white. She had silvery hair. Her
white locks spread untidily over her pale and wrinkled face. She looked like an
expanse of pure white serenity. The stretch of snow over the mountains looks
equally white and peaceful. So her silvery locks and white dress made her look like
the winter landscape in the mountains.

Question 8: How did the narrator and his grandmother become good
friends?

Answer

During his childhood, the narrator stayed with his grandmother in the village. She
was his constant companion. She looked after him. She used to wake him up. She got
him ready for school in the morning. She would give him breakfast. She went to
school with him.

Question 9: Why could the grandmother not walk straight? How would she
move about the house?

Answer

The grandmother was short and fat. She was also slightly bent. She put one hand on
her waist to support the stoop. She could not walk straight. She walked like a lame
person. She limped or hobbled about while moving.

Question 10: Describe how the grandmother spent her time while the
narrator sat inside the village school.

Answer

The grandmother went to the school with the narrator. The school was attached to
the temple. The narrator would learn alphabet and morning prayer at school. The
grandmother would sit inside the temple. There she would read holy books. Thus she
spent her time before they came back together.

Question
Question 11:
11: Grandmother
Grandmother hashas been
been portrayed
portrayed as
as aa very
very religious
religious lady.
lady.
What
What details
details in
in the
the story
story create
create this
this impression?
impression?

Answer
Answer

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 narrator ready for school. All these
details create the impression that she was a religious lady.

Question
Question 12:
12: The
The grandmother
grandmother had
had aa divine
divine beauty.
beauty. How
How does
does the
the author
author
bring
bring this
this out?
out?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother’s silvery locks scattered untidily over her pale and wrinkled face.
This made her look like an expanse of pure white serenity. She had a divine beauty.
She looked like the winter landscape in the mountains.

Question
Question 13:
13: What
What proofs
proofs do
do you
you find
find of
of the
the friendship
friendship between
between
grandmother
grandmother and
and grandson
grandson inin this
this story?
story?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother was closely attached to the narrator in his childhood. She woke
him, got him ready and took him to school. She prepared his wooden slate. She
waited in the temple while he studied in school. They returned home together.

Question 14: The grandmother was a kind-hearted woman. Give examples

in support of your answer.

Answer

Grandmother had a very kind heart. She loved her grandson. She loved even birds
and animals. In the village, she fed the street dogs. In the city, she would feed the
sparrows.

Question 15: What is the significance of sparrows in grandmothers life?

Answer

When grandmother shifted to the city, she spent half an hour everyday feeding the
sparrows. The birds became very friendly with her and came everyday in the
verandah of her house. It was the happiest hour of the day. When she died after her
short illness, hundreds of sparrows flew in the verandah and sat near her body. They
were quiet and not chirping . They even ignored the bread crumbs given by the
author’s mother. In this way they expressed their grief and their bonding with the
grandmother.

Question 16: Give a pen picture of narrator’s grandfather as he appeared in

the portrait?

Answer

The narrator’s grandfather looked like a hundred years old man in the portrait. He
had a long white flowing beard. It came up to his chest. It looked as if he had lots and
lots of grandchildren.

Question 17: Did the narrator like his grandmother telling him of the
games she played as a child? If not, why?

Answer

The grandmother often told her grandson about the games she played as a child.
Her stories looked quite funny. She looked childish. The narrator didn’t take them
very seriously.

Question 18: Why did the grandmother keep one hand on her waist?

Answer

The grandmother was very old. She was slightly bent. She had to keep one of her
two hands on her waist. She did so to balance her stoop.

Question 19: Explain. “As for my grandmother being young and pretty, the
thought was almost revolting?”

Answer
Answer

The narrator’s grandmother was terribly old. She could not appear young and
beautiful. Her face was a criss-cross of wrinkles. She was short, fat and slightly bent.
The very idea of her being young and pretty did not appeal to the mind.

Question
Question 20:
20: How
How long
long had
had the
the narrator
narrator known
known his
his grandmother
grandmother ‘old
‘old and
and
wrinkled’?
wrinkled’? What
What did
did people
people say?
say? How
How did
did the
the narrator
narrator react?
react?

Answer
Answer

The narrator had known his grandmother to be old and wrinkled for the last twenty
years. Shewas terribly old. Perhaps she could not become older. People said that she
had once been young and pretty. They said that she even had a husband. The
narrator found it hard to believe.

Question
Question 21: 21: Explain.
Explain. “Old,
“Old, so
so terribly
terribly old
old that
that she
she could
could not
not have
have grown
grown
older
older ….
…. .. .. ””

Answer
Answer

The grandmother looked extremely old. She couldn’t have grown older anymore. She
looked the same terribly old lady for the last twenty years.

Question
Question 22:
22: Why
Why did
did the
the grandmother
grandmother hate
hate music?
music?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother actually hated music. She thought that music was meant only for
prostitutes and beggars. Music was not meant for school children from respectable
families. It was not meant for gentle folk.

Question
Question 23:
23: The
The narrator’s
narrator’s grandmother
grandmother looked
looked like
like ‘the
‘the winter
winter landscape
landscape
in
in the
the mountains’.
mountains’. Comment.
Comment.

Answer
Answer

The grandmother always wore spotless white clothes. Her locks of hair also looked
silver white. Her spotless white dress and silver white hair made her look like the
snowy mountains in winter. It is also because she exuberated peace and tranquility
like the mountains.

Question
Question 24:
24: The
The grandmother
grandmother had
had aa divine
divine beauty.
beauty. How
How does
does the
the author
author
bring
bring it
it out?
out?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother’s silvery locks scattered untidily over her pale and wrinkled face.
This made her look like an expanse of pure white serenity. She had a divine beauty.
She looked like the winter landscape in the mountains.

Question
Question 25:
25: How
How were
were the
the grandmother
grandmother and
and the
the narrator
narrator good
good and
and
intimate
intimate friends?
friends?

Answer
Answer

Actually, both of them were like good and intimate friends, she woke him up early in
the morning and got him ready for school. She gave him a breakfast of stale bread
with a little butter and sugar spread on it. She accompanied him to his school.

Question
Question 26:
26: Why
Why did
did the
the grandmother
grandmother accompany
accompany the
the narrator
narrator to
to his
his
school?
school? What
What did
did she
she do
do there?
there?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother accompanied her grandson to his school. Actually, the school was
attached to a temple. She sat inside the temple reading scriptures while he studied
at the school.. They came back home when the school was over.

Question
Question 27:
27: What
What did
did the
the priest
priest teach
teach at
at the
the village
village school?
school?

Answer
Answer

The priest taught the alphabet and the morning prayer at the village school. He
made the students stand in rows on either side. They would sing the alphabet and
the morning prayer in a chorus.

Question
Question 28:
28: Describe
Describe the
the feeding
feeding of
of village
village dogs
dogs by
by the
the grandmother.
grandmother.

Answer
Answer

When the grandmother and the narrator would walk back home together, the village
dogs met them at the temple door. They followed them. The grandmother would
throw chapattis to them. The dogs would growl and fight with each other for the
crumbs.

Question
Question 29:
29: What
What was
was the
the turning
turning point
point in
in their
their friendship?
friendship?

Answer
Answer

The narrator’s parents brought them to the city. It was the turning point in their
friendship. The city life and English school made all the di"erence. She didn’t
accompany him to his school. Nor could she help him in his studies. They saw less of
each other now.

Question
Question 30:
30: What
What opinion
opinion did
did the
the grandmother
grandmother form
form of
of the
the English
English school
school
in
in the
the city?
city?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother didn’t like the English school in the city. She was sad as they didn’t
teach anything about God and scriptures at the school. Nor was she interested in
Science. She hated music lessons given in the school.

Question
Question 31:
31: How
How was
was the
the common
common link
link of
of friendship
friendship between
between the
the
grandmother
grandmother and
and the
the grandson
grandson snapped?
snapped?

Answer
Answer

When the narrator’s family shifted to the city, the grandmother couldn’t accompany
him to the school as she used to do in the village. Now he would go by motor bus.
She was not able to help the grandson in his studies also. Thus the common link
between their friendship snapped.

Question
Question 32:
32: Draw
Draw aa comparison
comparison between
between village
village school
school education
education and
and city
city
school
school education.
education.

Answer
Answer

Elementary education was given in the village school. The pupils were taught
alphabets and multiplication tables. It was quite simple confined to reading, writing
and arithmetic. In the city school, English, Science and Music were taught. Unlike the
village school there was no teaching about God and the scriptures.

Question
Question 33:
33: What
What were
were the
the happiest
happiest moments
moments of
of the
the day
day for
for the
the
grandmother?
grandmother?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother would sit in the verandah breaking the bread into little bits for the
sparrows. Hundreds of sparrows would gather around her. They would perch on her
legs, shoulders and even on the head. It was the happiest half-an-hour of the day for
her.

Question
Question 34:
34: When
When did
did the
the common
common link
link of
of friendship
friendship between
between the
the
narrator
narrator and
and his
his grandmother
grandmother finally
finally snap?
snap?

Answer
Answer

The narrator went to the university. Now he was given a room of his own. This
separated the narrator from his grandmother. The common link of their friendship
was thus finally broken.

Question
Question 35:
35: How
How did
did the
the grandmother
grandmother react
react when
when the
the narrator
narrator decided
decided to
to
go
go abroad
abroad ?? Was
Was she
she upset?
upset?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother appeared to be quite normal. She knew that her grandson would
be away for five years. She looked composed and didn’t show any emotion. She came
to see him o" at the station. She kissed him lightly on his forehead before departing.

Question
Question 36:
36: Why
Why did
did the
the narrator
narrator think
think that
that the
the grandmother’s
grandmother’s kiss
kiss was
was
the
the last
last sign
sign of
of physical
physical contact
contact between
between them?
them?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother kissed the forehead of the narrator before he left for abroad. The
narrator considered it the last sign of physical contact between them. He never
expected his old grandmother to live for five more years, the time when he would be
back.

Question
Question 29.
29. Grandmother
Grandmother never
never complained
complained about
about anything.
anything. Her
Her patience
patience
was
was beyond
beyond any
any measure.
measure. Mention
Mention any
any two
two instances.
instances.

Answer
Answer

Two instances that show the grandmother’s patience are:

When she fed the sparrows the birds used to sat on her head but she never
shooed them away.
She did not become upset when the author went abroad for higher education.
She accepted the decision in a calm and composed manner.

Long Answer Type Questions of The Portrait of a Lady

Question
Question 1:
1: Describe
Describe the
the friendship
friendship ‘between
‘between Khushwant
Khushwant Singh
Singh and
and his
his
grandmother.
grandmother.

Answer
Answer

Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was closely involved in bringing him up when the
author lived with her in the village during his early life. She used to wake him up
early in the morning. While bathing and dressing him, she sang her prayers. She
hoped that the young boy would learn it by heart. She then gave him breakfast—a
stale chapatti with butter and sugar. Then they would go together to the temple
school. While the author learnt his lesson, the grandmother would read holy books.
They returned home together.
A turning point came in their friendship when his parents called them to city.
Although they shared a room, she could not help him much. She hated music,
Science and Western education. The common link of their friendship was gradually
snapped.

Question
Question 2:
2: What
What image
image of
of the
the grandmother
grandmother emerges
emerges from
from ‘The
‘The Portrait
Portrait of
of
aa Lady’?
Lady’?

Answer
Answer

Khushwant Singh’s grandmother has been portrayed as a very old lady. She was
short statured, fat and slightly bent. Her face was wrinkled and she was always
dressed in spotless white clothes. 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 the temple and read the scriptures.
The grandmother was a kind lady. She used to feed dogs in the village. In the city she
took to feeding the sparrows. She had great a"ection for her grandson. She looked
after him in the village. She could not adjust herself to the Western way of life,
Science and English education. She hated music and was distressed to know that
there was no teaching about God and holy books at Khushwant’s new English school.
On the whole, she was a nice, kind-hearted and religious lady.

Question
Question 3:
3: Write
Write aa character
character sketch
sketch of
of the
the author’s
author’s grandmother
grandmother byby using
using
following
following words:
words: a"ectionate,
a"ectionate, caring,
caring, kind
kind and
and benevolent,
benevolent, religious,
religious, aa
strong
strong woman.
woman.

Answer
Answer

Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was a very old lady. She was short, fat and slightly
bent. Her face was wrinkled. She had white hair. She was very a"ectionate. She was
closely involved in bringing up the author. The two lived in the village. She was a
caring grandmother. She would wake him early in the morning and get him ready for
school. She served him breakfast and took him to school. She waited for him in the
temple. She prayed while he studied. She returned with him.
She was kind and benevolent. She used to feed dogs in the village. In the city she
took to feeding the sparrows. 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
the temple and read the scriptures.
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, Science and English education. She hated music. She was
distressed to know that there was no teaching about God and holy books at
Khushwant’s new English school. On the whole, she was a nice, a"ectionate, kind
hearted and religious lady.

Question
Question 4:
4: The
The grandmother
grandmother herself
herself was
was not
not formally
formally educated
educated but
but was
was
serious
serious about
about the
the author’s
author’s education.
education. How
How does
does the
the text
text support
support this?
this?

Answer
Answer

The grandmother was quite serious about the author’s education. She woke him up
in the morning and got him ready for school. She washed his wooden slate. She
plastered it with yellow chalk. She tied his earthen ink-pot and reed pen into a
bundle. She took him to school. He studied in school. She waited for him in the
temple reading scriptures.
In the city, the author went to an English school in a motor bus. When he came back
she would ask him what the teacher had taught him. She could not help him with his
lessons. She did not believe in the things taught at the English school. She was
distressed to learn that her grandson was being taught music. She considered it
unfit for gentle folk.

Question
Question 5:
5: Gradually
Gradually the
the author
author and
and the
the grandmother
grandmother sawsaw less
less of
of each
each
other
other and
and their
their friendship
friendship was
was broken.
broken. Was
Was the
the distancing
distancing in
in the
the
relationship
relationship deliberate
deliberate or
or due
due to
to demand
demand of
of the
the situation?
situation?

Answer
Answer

During his boyhood, grandmother was a part of his life. He was completely
dependent on her. The turning point in their friendship came when they went to city.
Now, he went to school by bus. She no longer accompanied him. As the years rolled
by they saw less of each other. For sometime she continued to wake him up and got
him ready for school. When he came back she would ask him what the teachers had
taught. She did not believe in the things that were taught at school. She was
distressed that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures. She felt
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o"ended that music was also being taught. She expressed her disapproval silently. Learn More
After this she rarely talked to him. When he went up to university, he was given a
room of his own. The common link of friendship was snapped. Now she spent most