The Portrait of a Lady (Q.) Everybody including the sparrows mourned grandmothers death.

Elaborate.
(2 Marks) (Ans)

The day the grandmother died, thousands of sparrows came and sat silently around the corpse of the grandmother as if they too, had come to mourn the death of the old woman. They did not even eat the breadcrumbs scattered by the authors mother.
(Q.) The grandmother had a divine beauty. How does the author bring this

out?
(2 Marks) (Ans)

The author brings out the inner beauty of the grandmother by comparing her to a snow covered winter landscape. This comparison shows her calmness and serenity.
(Q.) Give a description of Khushwant Singhs grandmother according to his

earliest memory of her?

(2 Marks) (Ans)

The author felt that his grandmother had always looked the same for the twenty years that he had known her. He felt she was always old, short, fat and bent. Her face was covered with wrinkles. She wore only white and walked with a stoop.
(Q.) What did Khushwant Singhs grandmother think of education in the city

school?
(2 Marks) (Ans)

She disapproved of city schools as they taught only English and Science. There was no religious teaching and the worst was when she learnt that they taught music in the city school. Music was meant for harlots and beggars according to her. This distressed her.
(Q.)

What was the grand mother's opinion about music?

(2 Marks) (Ans)

According to the grand mother, music had lewd associations and not meant for gentlefolk. Beggars and harlots had something to do with it. She did not at all approve of music.
(Q.) Why was it hard for the author to believe that his grandmother was once

young and pretty?

(2 Marks)

(Ans)

The author had only seen and known his grandmother as an old woman. It had been the same situation for twenty years. As a child, therefore, he found it hard to believe that she was young and pretty once upon a time.
(Q.) What details in the story create the impression that the grandmother was

religious minded?
(2 Marks) (Ans)

The grandmothers lips constantly mumbled some silent prayers. Her fingers would also keep moving the beads of a rosary. She would recite prayers while getting the author ready for school. While the author would be studying in school, she would be in the temple reading religious scriptures.
(Q.) What proofs of the friendship between the grandmother and the

grandson do you find in the story?

(2 Marks) (Ans)

As a young child, the author was very close to his grandmother. She helped him to dress up, helped to get his bag packed for school. She even went to leave him at the village school. She helped him with his lessons. This friendship became less strong when they were in the city.
(Q.) Which language do you think the author and his grandmother used while

talking to each other?

(2 Marks) (Ans)

The author was a Sikh by religion. Hence, it is evident that their native language was Punjabi and he talked with his grandmother in this language only.
(Q.) The grandmother was a kind-hearted woman. Give examples in support

of your answer.
(2 Marks) (Ans)

The grandmother was very kind hearted and compassionate. She would feed stale chapattis to the village dogs everyday while leaving her grandson to school. In the city, she continues this practice but would feed sparrows with breadcrumbs, in the courtyard of the house.
(Q.) That was the turning point in our friendship. What was the turning

point?
(2 Marks) (Ans)

The turning point in the friendship came when they shifted to the city. Life in the city was very difficult from village life and so were the studies. Grandmother could not help him with his studies and could not go to the school with him. Hence the bond started weakening.

(Q.) Draw a comparison between village school education and city school

education.
(2 Marks) (Ans)

In the village school the author learnt his native language and the morning prayer. In the city school there was only English alphabet, no religious teachings. There was more emphasis on Science, English, Maths and also music. Grandmother did not approve ofhis learning music at school.
(Q.) What was the happiest moment of the day for the grandmother? (2 Marks) (Ans)

The happiest moment for the grandmother was when she fed the sparrows with breadcrumbs in the afternoon. The sparrows got so used to her and would even perch on her shoulders. This made her extremely joyous.
(Q.) Khushwant Singhs grandmother was not pretty but was always beautiful.

Explain the meaning of this statement

(2 Marks) (Ans)

The authors grandmother was not a good-looking woman. But despite her unattractive physical appearance, there was a certain calm and serenity surrounding her. She hadspiritual beauty that made her more divine and attractive.
(Q.) What was Khushwant Singhs and his grandmothers routine in the

village?
(2 Marks) (Ans)

In the village the grandmother used to wake up the author, bathe and dress up and then leave him at the village school. While he attended lessons, she would read religious scriptures. On the way back, she would feed stale chapattis to village dogs. She even helped the author with his lessons.
(Q.) Which activity did the grandmother find most relaxing when she lived in

the city?
(2 Marks) (Ans)

The grandmother would feed the sparrows daily in the verandah of the house. She used to let them perch on her shoulders and would talk to them. She had made it a daily ritual and she found it very relaxing.
(Q.) How did the grandmother celebrate Khushwant Singhs return from

abroad?
(2 Marks) (Ans)

She gathered all the women of the neighbourhood and got an old dilapidated drum.

She sang songs while beating the drum. The songs were of the homecoming of warriors. She sang continuously so much so that she did not even pray that evening.
(Q.) Give two instances to show that the authors grandmother was serious

about education.
(2 Marks) (Ans)

The grandmother herself used to clean the authors slate every evening, pack his bag for school, help him with his homework and drop himat school. She would wait there till he would finish classes and thentakehim back home. In the city also, she tookinterest in what he was learning at school, but was unable to help him with his studies.
(Q.) Write a character sketch of grandmother. (10 Marks) (Ans)

Grandmother was an old woman who was once young and pretty. She was short and fat and slightly bent. She was beautiful at heart. Being very caring, she used to wake upthe author in the morning and get him ready for school. She was very concerned about the authors education. She would fetch the wooden board which she had already plastered with yellow chalk. She was very kind and would carry stale chapattis for the village dogs. She fed the sparrows with bits of bread. She was benevolent and fond of music. She called the neighborhood women and beat the drum when her grandson returned from abroad. She was very attached to him and would spend hours talking to him about his studies. She was deeply distressed at western education and learning of music. She was religious as she was always telling the beads of a rosary and would say a prayer in a sing-song manner.