CLASS –XI ENGLISH NCERT SOLUTIONS- HORNBILL ENGLISH

The Portrait of lady

Page No: 3

Answer 1:
The thought was almost revolting – The thought that the author’s grandmother was once
young and pretty raises a doubt in the mind of the author. He finds it too hard to believe.

An expanse of pure white serenity – It refers to the calm, peaceful and serene character
and conduct of the author’s grandmother. She is compared to the peaceful winter landscape
in the mountains.

A turning-point – It refers to the point where the author’s relationship with his
grandmother changes drastically after they move to the city-house.

Accepted her seclusion with resignation – This shows the author’s grandmother’s passive
submission to her secluded life after she gradually loses touch with her grandson.

A veritable bedlam of chirruping – It refers to the noise, confusion and chaos caused by the
chirruping of the sparrows that scattered and perched around the author’s grandmother.

Frivolous rebukes – It refers to the casual and light-hearted rebukes of the grandmother to
the sparrows.

The sagging skins of the dilapidated drum – It points to the shabby and deteriorated
condition of the drum.

Page No: 6 Understanding the Text

Answer 1:
The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country
to study abroad are given below.

The first phase was the period of the author’s early childhood. During this phase, he used to
live with his grandmother in the village. The grandmother used to take care of him from
waking him up and getting him ready to accompanying him to the school. Both shared a good
friendship with each other.

The second phase was the time when the author and the grandmother moved to the city to
live with author’s parents. This was a turning-point in their friendship because now they
‘saw less of each other’.

The third phase was the time the author joined University. He was given a room of his own
 and the common link of their friendship was snapped. The grandmother turns to wheel-
spinning and reciting prayers all day long. She accepts her seclusion with silence.

Answer 2:
The author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school because:
(i) She could not help him with his lessons in English, science. She didn't believe in them.
(ii) No teaching of God and scriptures.
(iii) She was unhappy with the idea of music lessons being given at school. She considered
music suitable only for the people with low dignity.

Page No: 7

Answer 3:
The three ways in which the author's grandmother spent her days after he grew up are by
spinning wheel, reciting prayers and feeding the sparrows.

Answer 4:
The grandmother told the family her end was near. She had omitted to pray, she was not
going to waste any more time talking to us. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her
beads.

Answer 5:
The sparrows and the grandmother developed an intimate relationship in this manner. When
the grandmother died thousands of sparrows expressed their sorrow by sitting scattered in
the verandah in mourning while grandmother’s dead-body lay there. They did not chirrup.
Author’s mother threw some pieces of bread but they did not eat them. When they carried
grandmother’s corpse they flew away quietly. Thus, the sparrows mourned her death and
paid their silent tribute to the grand old lady in a very unique manner.

Talking about the Text

Answer 1:
The author’s grandmother was a religious lady with a kind heart. Her one hand was always
busy in telling the beads of her rosary. Her lips constantly moved in an inaudible prayer. She
used to get up early in the morning. She did her morning prayer in “a monotonous sing-
song”. Everyday, she went along with the author to his school and while narrator studied she
sat in a temple and read scriptures Later, in the city she was unhappy that there was no
religous teaching at school. Before dying, she stopped talking to her family members and
turned to prayers, and counting the beads.

Answer 2:
The changing circumstances did have a bearing on the relationship between the author and
his grandmother. Author and his grandmother lived as intimate friends in the village. A
turning point came in their relationship when they came to the city to live with author’s
parents. The author joined an English school in the city. She remained confined to home as
here she could not accompany him to the school. In the new English school she could not help
him in studies. She could not like the kind of education being given to the author at the
 English school. The grandmother became disturbed as there was no teaching about God and
scriptures in the new school. She reconciled herself with spinning and taking to feed the
sparrows. When the narrator grew up, he went up to university and then went abroad. The
common link of friendship between the author and his grandmother was snapped. His
grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation.
No, their feelings for each other did not change though distances grew between them.

Answer 3:
Yes, the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. The instances to prove this
are given below.

• The author’s grandmother was a person strong in character. She was a picture of
contentment.
• She had her own thoughts about the learning at school. She considered the teaching of
scriptures to be more fruitful than science and music.
• In her phase of loneliness and seclusion, she took to wheel-spinning and feeding
sparrows.
She appeared composed and did not display any emotion when the author decided to
go abroad for studies.
• Ignoring everyone who tried to stop her, she sang for several hours celebrating the
home-coming of her grandson.
• During the last few hours of her life, ignoring the protests of her family members, she
stopped talking to everyone and took to reciting prayers and telling her beads.

Answer 4:
Yes, I knew someone like the author’s grandmother. It was my own grandmother who passed
away recently. The intense sense of loss is very heart-wrenching as I spent almost fifteen
years of my life with her.
OR
No, I have never known someone the way the author knew his grandmother. Thus, I have
never felt the sense of grief presented in the story.

Thinking about the Language

Answer 1:
The author and his grandmother might have used their mother-tongue to converse with each
other. As the author, Khushwant Singh, belongs to Punjab, the language used by them might
be Punjabi.

Answer 2:
Your Mothertongue (Could be English, Hindi, Telgu, Bhojpuri etc.)

Answer 3:
Know your meaning in mothertongue (In Hindi it is ‘phata-hua dholak’.)
 Working with Words

Answer 1:
1. Make something known to someone in spoken or written words: I would tell her
English words and little things of western science and learning.
2. Count while reciting: Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary.
3. Be sure: At her age, one could never tell.
4. Give information to somebody: She told us that her end was near.

Page No: 8

Answer 1:
The instances where these phrases have been used in the story are given below.
1. “... she took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard of our city house”.
This phrase refers to the daily activity that the author’s grandmother took up when
they shifted to the city.
2. “The next morning she was taken ill.”
This phrase refers to the author’s grandmother’s sudden illness.

Answer 2:
The words that also refer to a manner of walking are:
shuffle
stride
waddle
paddle
swagger
trudge
slog