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NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Ch-1: The Portrait of a Lady

'The Portrait of a Lady' by Khushwant Singh is a touching character sketch from an autobiographical perspective, describing the author's evolving relationship with his grandmother across different stages of his life.

Overview of Topics & Subtopics

Important Questions and Answers

Q1: How does the author describe his grandmother's physical appearance?
Answer: The author describes his grandmother as old, short, fat, and slightly bent, with a wrinkled face, white hair, and a serene, kindly expression, noting that she had always looked the same to him, as if she had never been young.
Q2: What was the nature of the relationship between the author and his grandmother during his childhood in the village?
Answer: During childhood, the author and his grandmother shared an extremely close bond; she took him to school, told him religious stories, fed the sparrows daily, and was a constant, loving presence in his life, almost inseparable from him.
Q3: How did the relationship between the author and his grandmother change when they moved to the city?
Answer: In the city, the author began attending an English-medium school where Western education and music were emphasized, creating a cultural and generational gap between him and his grandmother, who did not approve of these modern influences, gradually leading to emotional distance between them, even though they lived in the same house.
Q4: How did the grandmother react as she neared her death?
Answer: Sensing that her death was near, the grandmother calmly stopped spinning her wheel, prayed continuously, and accepted her impending death with remarkable peace and dignity, showing no fear, only quiet resignation and spiritual readiness.
Q5: What is the significance of the sparrows gathering silently after the grandmother's death?
Answer: The gathering of thousands of silent sparrows after the grandmother's death is a powerful, almost mystical symbol of nature mourning her passing, reflecting the deep spiritual connection she shared with them throughout her life through her daily feeding ritual.
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Class 11 › English › The Portrait of a Lady
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