The Portrait of a Lady Questions and Answers for Class 11

Get comprehensive assistance with NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Hornbill Chapter 1, “The Portrait of a Lady.” Elevate your understanding of this captivating chapter through detailed explanations, summaries, and expertly crafted answers to the chapter’s questions. Enhance your grasp of literature, character analysis, and themes with these well-structured solutions, ensuring a solid foundation for academic success. Access a holistic learning experience that fosters critical thinking and deep comprehension of the text.

NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter -1 The Portrait of a Lady Questions and Answers

Understanding the text

Mention 

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

Answer: In the initial stage, the author’s connection with his grandmother commenced in their village. Each morning, she would rouse him from slumber, provide him with breakfast, and assist in his preparations for school. As they transitioned to the second phase, this relationship evolved when they moved to the city and he enrolled in an English school. However, at this juncture, the grandmother couldn’t accompany him to school or aid in his studies.

The third phase of their bond unfolded as the author pursued higher education at the university and secured a room of his own. During this time, the grandmother’s interactions with the author dwindled significantly. She became absorbed in her prayers, her fingers engrossed in the rhythmic motion of counting the beads of her rosary.

2. Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.

Answer: The author’s grandmother found herself perturbed for three distinct reasons:

(i) The city school did not impart teachings about God and scriptures to the author.

(ii) The school introduced the author to music lessons, which the grandmother believed carried inappropriate associations.

(iii) The limited time the author could spend with his grandmother saddened her. With his mode of transportation now being a motor bus, she could no longer accompany him to school. Furthermore, her discontent grew as the author learned English vocabulary, absorbed fragments of Western science and knowledge, including concepts like the law of gravity and Archimedes’ Principles, from his teachers.

3. Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.

Answer: After the author matured, his grandmother filled her days with the following three activities:

(i) As the author adapted to his urban lifestyle, his grandmother embraced her solitude with a sense of resignation. She relinquished her spinning wheel, leaving it for anyone who might use it. Her days were then spent seated beside the wheel, engaged in the art of spinning.

(ii) In the afternoon, a brief respite would come her way when she fed breadcrumbs to sparrows. During this simple act, she experienced profound contentment.

(iii) Her lips were in a perpetual state of prayerful movement, and her fingers remained occupied with the rhythmic task of counting the beads of her rosary.

4. The odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.

Answer: Ceasing her conventional prayers, the grandmother gathered the women from her neighborhood. Setting up an aged drum, she embarked on singing religious hymns. Accompanied by the rhythmic beat of the drum, she would sing melodious songs recounting the return of valiant warriors. This unconventional behavior marked the unique demeanor of the author’s grandmother prior to her demise.

5. The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.

Answer: Upon the passing of the author’s grandmother, a scattering of sparrows adorned the ground, their cheerful chirps silenced. The fragments of bread offered by the grandmother went unnoticed, as the sparrows abstained from their usual feasting. In a quiet display of mourning, the entirety of the sparrows departed discreetly as the grandmother’s lifeless body was taken for cremation. This was the poignant manner in which the sparrows conveyed their sorrow.

Talking about the text

Talk to your partner about the following: 

1. The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this?

Answer: Various indications illuminated the religious devotion of the author’s grandmother:

(i) The presence of her rosary beads, accompanied by the perpetual tremble of her lips reciting prayers.

(ii) Her regular visits to the temple, where she engaged in fervent prayers to God.

(iii) The rendition of morning prayers in a steady, sing-song manner.

(iv) Her compassionate act of tossing bread to the dogs within the village.

(v) The nurturing gesture of feeding breadcrumbs to the sparrows residing around her urban residence.

2. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change? 

Answer: Returning to the city marked a significant turning point in the relationship between the author and his grandmother, as they began sharing the same room. However, the grandmother no longer accompanied the author to school. Upon the author’s enrollment in an English school, religious teachings took a backseat, with the curriculum emphasizing Western subjects and scientific terminology. The grandmother was unsettled upon learning about his admission to the English school, feeling unable to assist with his studies there. Music education being imparted at the school was a source of displeasure for her. As the author matured and pursued higher education at the university, his grandmother embraced her solitude with a sense of acceptance. She occupied herself with spinning and prayer.

When the time came for the author to depart abroad, the grandmother’s emotions remained restrained, though she quietly bestowed a kiss on his forehead. This act marked the final instance of physical connection that the author would experience.

Nonetheless, their affection for one another persisted. Upon the author’s return from abroad, the grandmother celebrated the reunion with genuine joy.

3. Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that show this. 

Answer: Certainly, the author’s grandmother exhibited a resolute and steadfast character, as evidenced by the following instances:

(i) In the absence of the author’s parents, she assumed the responsibility of caring for him, showcasing her strong and nurturing character.

(ii) When she transitioned to the city, she maintained her inner strength. Despite her new environment, she continued her compassionate acts, such as feeding sparrows and leading songs about returning warriors with a group of local women.

(iii) The constant movement of her lips in prayer and the unwavering activity of her fingers as they counted the beads of her rosary showcased her deep religious devotion and commitment.

(iv) Her distress over the lack of religious education for the author, particularly in regards to God and scriptures, highlighted her strong belief in the importance of spiritual teachings.

(v) Demonstrating her strength even in the face of mortality, she ceased her prayers as she sensed her life drawing to a close.

(vi) As the author pursued advanced education at the university, her acceptance of solitude with a sense of resignation underscored her enduring strength and adaptability.

In all these instances, the grandmother’s strong character shone through, reflecting her resilience, determination, and unwavering values.

4. Have you known someone like the author’s grandmother? Do you feel the same sense of loss with regard to someone whom you have loved and lost? 

Answer: It’s clear that your grandmother had a profound impact on your life, and you’ve shared a range of experiences that reflect the depth of your relationship. Here’s a paraphrased version of your narration:

Yes, my own grandmother possessed a similar character. I experienced a comparable sense of loss when she passed away. Our time together was filled with cherished memories. Our relationship went through several phases. During my childhood, I shared countless joyful moments with my grandmother, who cared for me as if I were her prized possession.

In my school years, my grandfather would often drop me off at school on his scooter. However, when I enrolled in Milton Grammar School, he didn’t seem to take much notice of this decision. He was a deeply religious individual, dedicated to charitable activities and a strong believer in Lord Shiva. Every morning, he would offer manna before the idol of Lord Shiva, and I frequently accompanied him in these devotions. He wished for me to attend a school that emphasized religious education.

As I approached the age of twenty-eight, I entered university for higher studies, leading to our physical separation. When I returned from abroad to receive my degrees, I found my grandmother yearning for my presence. At that time, he expressed his intention to no longer address me by name. His lips trembled in prayer, reflecting his devotion to God. When I reunited with her, she embraced me with deep affection. Her happiness at our reunion was palpable, and in that moment of profound joy, she peacefully breathed her last. This unforgettable experience will forever remain etched in my memory.

Thinking about language

1. Which language do you think the author and his grandmother used while talking to each other? 

Answer: The author and his grandmother communicated with each other using gentle and soft-spoken language. 

2. Which language do you use to talk to elderly relatives in your family?

Answer: I employ a soft-spoken tone when conversing with the elderly members of my family. 

3. How would you say ‘a dilapidated drum’ in your language?

Answer: In my own vernacular, I would refer to it as a “jarjar dhol,” which translates to a dilapidated drum.

4. Can you think of a song or a poem in your language that talks of homecoming? 

Answer: Attempt it yourself.

Working with words

I. Notice the following uses of the word ‘tell’ in the essay: 

1. Her fingers were busy telling the beads of her rosary. 

2. I would tell her English words and little things of Western Science and learning. 

3. At her age one could never tell.

4. She told us that her end was near.

Given below are four different senses of the word ‘tell’. Match the meaning to the uses listed above.

(a) make something known to someone in spoken or written words
(b) count while reciting
(c) be sure
(d) give information to somebody.

Answer:

II. Notice the different senses of the word ‘take’:

1. to take to something: to begin to do something as a habit

2. to take ill: suddenly become ill

Locate these phrases in the text and notice the way they are used.
Answer: attempt it yourself.

III. The word ‘hobble’ means to walk with difficulty because the legs and feet are in bad condition.
Tick the words in the box below that also refer to a manner of walking.

Answer: These words are :

shuffle

stride

waddle

paddle

swagger

trudge

slog

Noticing form

Notice the form of the verbs italicised in these sentences. 

1. My grandmother was an old woman. She had been old and wrinkled for the twenty years that I had known her. People said that she had once been young and pretty and had even had a husband, but that was hard to believe.

2. When we both had finished we would walk back together.

3. When I came back she would ask me what the teacher had taught me. 

4. It was the first time since I had known her that she did not pray. 5. The sun was setting and had lit her room and verandah with a golden light.

These are examples of the past perfect forms of verbs. When we recount things in the distant past we use this form.

Things to do

Talk with your family members about elderly people who you have been intimately connected with and who are not there with you now. Write a short description of someone you liked a lot.

Answer: Attempt for yourself.

Notes

Understanding the text

The tasks cover the entire text and help in summarising the various phases of the autobiographical account and are based on the facts presented.

• Ask the students to read the text silently, paragraph by paragraph, and get a quick oral feedback on what the main points of each are. For example: Paral- description of grandmother and grandfather’s photograph.
• At the end of the unit ask students to answer the comprehension questions first orally and then in writing in point form. For example, -when he went to the:

– village school

– city school

– university

Talking about the text

Peer interaction about the text is necessary before students engage in writing tasks. The questions raised in this section elicit subjective responses to the facts in the text and also open up possibilities for relating the events to the reader’s own life and establish the universality of the kind of relationship and feelings described in the text.

Thinking about language

The questions here try to: 

• make the reader visualize the language that must have been used by the author and his grandmother 

• think about their own home language

• find equivalents in their language for English phrases 

• related to songs with emotional import in their own language.

Working with words

Highlight different uses of common words like ‘tell’ and ‘take’; words used for different ways of walking; and semantically-related word groups. You could add to the items by using the dictionary for vocabulary enrichment.

Noticing form

Make students notice the use of the past perfect form of the verb that frequently appears in the text to recount the remote past. You could practice the form with other examples.

Things to do

Relating the topic of the text to the reader’s real-life experience ; writing about a person who one holds dear.