Text Book Question and answer
The Toppers Guide
Introducing the author
Khushwant Singh (born 2 February 1915) is a prominent Indian English writer and journalist. His weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, is among the most widely read columns. He is well known in Indian literary history as one of the finest historians and novelists, a forthright political commentator, an outstanding observer and a critic of social life.
Think it out-1(The Potrait of a Lady)
1. Why was it hard for the author to believe that his grandmother was once young and pretty?
Ans: The author has seen his grandmother for the last 20 years. She was always wrinkled with white hair. So when people say that she was young and pretty in her youth, the writer could not believe it.
2. How did the grandfather appear in his portrait?
Ans: His grandfather looked handsome, imposing and manly in his turban and loose-fitting clothes.
3. What sort of a person did he look in his portrait?
Ans: In his portrait he looked as if he would only have lots and lots of grandchildren.
4. How does the author portray his grandmother?
Ans: The writer's grandmother was short, fat and slightly bent. Her face had wrinkles. She had grown older and had stayed at the same age for twenty years.
5. Why does he say, "the thought was almost revolting"?
Ans: His grandmother was both pretty and pious. She was unpretentious too. To be mother of so many children, and be submerged in the lust of life was not in her character.
6. The grandmother had a divine beauty. How does the author bring this out?
Ans: The grandmother had a serene and simple look. She exuded purity and peace. In the language of the author, she resembled the winter landscape of the mountains clean & calm. This was the divine charm she wore.
Think it out-2(The Potrait of a Lady)
1. What was the grandmother's routine in the village?
Ans: She was the mentor and caretaker of the author. She would visit the village temple on her way to school, feed some stray dogs on the way, and escort him back.
2. How did the grandmother take care of the writer during his childhood? Was she a good companion of the writer in the village?
Ans: The grandmother woke him up every morning, bathed and dressed him, fed him and carried him to school. She was a good companion of the writer in the village, staying with him at every moment.
3. What lessons did the writer learn from the village priest ?
Ans: The priest taught the boy the alphabets and the morning prayer.
4. How did the grandmother spend her time at the temple?
Ans: She read the scriptures till the boy had finished the lessons under the priest.
5. Was she a religious person? How?
Ans: She was a religious person. She did her pujas sincerely, and fed the dogs out of her kindness.
Think it out-3(The Potrait of a Lady)
1. Why didn't the grandmother accompany the writer to school in the city?
Ans: The writer was growing up in age. His school changed. He went to a school in the city by bus, not on foot. There was no need of an escort, so the old lady didn't go to the city with him.
2. Why couldn't the grandmother help the writer with his lessons at the city school?
Ans: The writer was reading western science, law of gravity, Archimedes' principle, the world being round. Grandmother did not know it. So she couldn't help him in his lessons.
3. Why did the lessons at the English school distress the grandmother?
Ans: The school taught subjects that appeared so distant and irrelevant to the old lady brought up with traditional values. The school didn't have scriptures in the syllabus. This horrified her, and she felt distressed.
4. Why was she disturbed about music lessons at the English school?
Ans: She was disturbed by music lessons at the English school, because, in her view, music had vulgar associations. It was meant exclusively for prostitutes, but not for gentlefolk.
5. What were the three ways in which the grandmother spent her days when the author went to University?
Ans: The three ways in which the grandmother spent her days when the author went to University were spinning, reciting prayers and feeding the sparrows.
6. What was the happiest time of the day for her?
Ans: Feeding bread pieces to the large flock of birds gave her real pleasure. They took liberty with her, sitting on her head and shoulders, but she relished the experience.
7. How did she accept her seclusion?
Ans: She accepted her fate with equanimity and resignation.
Think it out - 4(The Potrait of a Lady)
1. How did the grandmother see the author off at the railway station?
Ans: When the writer decided to go abroad, grandmother came to see him off at the railway station. She kissed his forehead and saw him off.
2. How did she receive him when he came back home from abroad?
Ans: When the writer came back home from abroad, grandmother came to the station to receive him. She clasped him in her arms.
3. What were her happiest moments on the first day of his arrival?
Ans: On that evening, she appeared to be more than happy to feed her sparrows. She lavished her affection on them, often chiding them playfully for their naughtiness.
4. How did she celebrate his return in the evening? Does her behaviour appear odd to you?
Ans: In the evening, she collected some women of the neighbourhood, played drum, sang of the home coming of warriors.
5. How did she pass away?
Ans: She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. Gradually her lips stopped moving and her rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. She died a peaceful death.
6. How did sparrows react when the author's grandmother died?
Ans: When the author's grandmother died, the sparrows plunged into grief. They neither chirruped nor took any notice of little crumbs of bread.
7. "Next morning the sweeper swept the bread crumbs into her dust bin." What does this line imply?
Ans: Mother offered few pieces of bread to the sparrows sitting around the corpse of grandmother. They did not receive it. So the next morning the sweeper swept the bread crumbs into the dustbin to clear the room.