The Grandmother in 'The Portrait'

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Questions and Answers

Why was it difficult for the author to imagine his grandmother as once being young and pretty?

The author found it hard to believe because he had only known her as an old woman with wrinkles and white hair for the last 20 years.

How is the grandfather depicted in his portrait?

He is portrayed as an old man with a beard, a big turban, and loose-fitting clothes, looking over a hundred years old.

What impression does the grandfather's portrait give about his family life?

The portrait suggests that he would have many grandchildren, indicating a life filled with family.

Describe the physical appearance of the author’s grandmother.

The grandmother was short, fat, slightly bent, and her face was marked with wrinkles, indicating her advanced age. Signup and view all the answers

What makes the author's thought about his grandmother's beauty 'almost revolting'?

The contrast between his grandmother's old age and her past beauty makes it hard for him to accept that such a pretty woman could marry an old man. Signup and view all the answers

In what way did the grandmother display her religious devotion?

She regularly told the beads of her rosary and continuously moved her lips in inaudible prayers. Signup and view all the answers

What was the grandmother's daily routine regarding the author during his childhood?

She would wake him up, bathe and dress him, and take him to school every morning. Signup and view all the answers

What lessons did the writer gain from the village priest?

He learned the alphabet and the morning prayer from the priest. Signup and view all the answers

Why didn't the grandmother accompany the writer to school in the city?

The grandmother didn't accompany the writer because he went to school by bus. Signup and view all the answers

Why was the grandmother unable to help the writer with his lessons at the city school?

She couldn't help because the writer was studying Western science, which she did not know. Signup and view all the answers

Why did the lessons at the English school distress the grandmother?

The lessons distressed her because she believed real education was reading scriptures, not studying Western science. Signup and view all the answers

What did the grandmother think about music lessons at the English school?

She was disturbed by music lessons because she associated music with lewdness and thought it was not for gentle folk. Signup and view all the answers

How did the grandmother spend her days when the writer went to university?

She spent her days sitting by the spinning wheel, reciting prayers, and feeding the sparrows. Signup and view all the answers

What was the happiest time of the day for the grandmother?

The happiest time for her was in the afternoon when she fed the sparrows. Signup and view all the answers

How did grandmother react to her seclusion after the writer went away?

She accepted her seclusion with resignation and did not complain. Signup and view all the answers

How did the grandmother see the author off at the railway station?

She kissed his forehead and saw him off with affection. Signup and view all the answers

Who accompanied the writer to the village school and what materials did he carry?

The writer's grandmother accompanied him, and he carried a wooden slate, an earthen ink pot, and a reed pen. Signup and view all the answers

What was the turning point in the relationship between the grandmother and writer?

The turning point was when they shifted to the city, as the grandmother could no longer accompany him to school. Signup and view all the answers

How was the city house different from the country house?

The city house lacked street dogs that the grandmother would feed with stale chapattis, reflecting a major change in her lifestyle. Signup and view all the answers

What did the writer think would happen to his grandmother when he left for abroad?

He thought his long absence would upset his grandmother. Signup and view all the answers

What did the grandmother do instead of talking to her family when she fell ill?

She refused to talk and spent her time praying to God. Signup and view all the answers

How did the sparrows behave around the grandmother's dead body?

The sparrows sat scattered on the floor around the dead body without chirruping and did not eat the food offered to them. Signup and view all the answers

What does the line about the sweeper sweeping bread crumbs into the dustbin imply?

It implies that the grandmother's death left a significant void, as the sparrows did not eat and the food was eventually discarded. Signup and view all the answers

What impression does the grandfather's portrait give about his age?

The portrait makes him appear to be about a hundred years old, too old to have a wife or children. Signup and view all the answers

Why does the author find the grandmother's youthful prettiness hard to believe?

The author finds it hard to believe because he sees her as old and not reflecting the beauty described by others. Signup and view all the answers

What was the grandmother doing in the temple while the priest taught the writer?

The grandmother was reading the holy scriptures inside the temple. Signup and view all the answers

What was the reason behind the grandmother's monotonous prayer?

The grandmother prayed in a monotonous sing-song to help her grandson learn the prayer by heart. Signup and view all the answers

What did the grandmother carry for the village dogs?

She carried several stale chapattis to feed the village dogs. Signup and view all the answers

What does the phrase 'absurd and undignified' refer to in the context of the grandmother?

It refers to the contrast between her current old age and the youthful games she used to play, which seem outdated now. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Portrait Of A Lady

Why was it hard for the author to believe his grandmother was once young and pretty? The author had seen his grandmother for 20 years, always wrinkled and with white hair. He found it hard to believe stories about her youth.
How did the grandfather appear in his portrait? The grandfather appeared as a bearded man with a large turban and loose-fitting clothes. He seemed very old, perhaps a hundred years old.
What sort of person did the grandfather look like in his portrait? The portrait suggests he seemed to have lots of grandchildren.
How does the author portray his grandmother? The author's grandmother is described as short, fat, and slightly bent, with wrinkles on her face. She seemed to have stayed the same age for twenty years.
Why does the author say "the thought was almost revolting"? The author is surprised to imagine his grandmother as pretty, especially considering her current, old age. He couldn't reconcile the image of her youth with her present appearance.
What was the grandmother's routine in the village? The grandmother woke the author each morning, bathed and dressed him, fed him and took him to school.
How did the grandmother take care of the writer during his childhood? Was she a good companion? The grandmother woke the author every morning, bathed and dressed him, fed him, and carried him to school. She was a good companion in the village, always supporting him.
What lessons did the writer learn from the village priest? The writer learnt the alphabet and morning prayers from the priest.
How did the grandmother spend her time at the temple? The grandmother sat inside the temple, reading scriptures while the author was studying near the priest.
Was she a religious person? How? She was religious; Her morning prayers were monotonous and recited in a singsong. She spent her time reading scriptures in the temple.
Why didn't the grandmother accompany the writer to school in the city? The writer went to school by bus making it impossible for her to take him.
Why couldn't the grandmother help the writer with his lessons? She doesn't know the subjects.
Why did the lessons at the English school distress Grandmother? The grandmother considered bible study and prayer as true education, which was not taught in the English school.
Why was she disturbed about music lessons at the English school? The grandmother believed music lessons were only appropriate for "harlots and beggars" not for polite society.
What were the three ways in which the grandmother spent her days when the author went to university? She sat by the spinning wheel, recited prayers, and fed the sparrows.
What was the happiest time of the day for her? Feeding the hundreds of sparrows that gathered around her demanding bread.
How did she accept her seclusion? She accepted her isolation with resignation.
How did the grandmother see the author off at the railway station? She saw him off at the railway station and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
How did she receive him when he came back from abroad? She greeted him warmly, clasping him in her arms when he returned from abroad.
What were her happiest moments on the first day of his arrival? Feeding the sparrows and the joyous reunion with him.
How did she celebrate return in the evening? She celebrated his return with neighbourhood women, drumming, and songs of homecoming.
How did she pass away? She died peacefully in prayer, with her lips still moving and her rosary falling from her fingers.
How did the sparrows react when the author's grandmother died? They sat scattered on the floor around the body, not taking any food.
'Next morning the sweeper swept the bread crumbs into the dustbin...' What does this line imply? The sparrows didn't eat the bread offerings. It meant the grandmother had passed.
What kind of a person did the grandfather appear in his portrait? The portrait suggested he was an old man with lots of grandchildren, likely over a hundred years old.
What was 'absurd and undignified' about the grandmother? The idea of her youthful beauty seemed incompatible with her current age to the author's new perspective.
"...that was hard to believe." What was hard to believe? The author found it hard to believe people's accounts of his grandmother's youthful beauty. The people said she was beautiful in her youth and had a husband.
What was the grandmother doing in the temple when the village priest was teaching the writer? The grandmother accompanied her grandson to school. While the priest taught him prayers and the alphabets, the grandmother read scripture.
What made the grandmother say her morning prayer in a monotonous sing-song? She used to say her prayer in a monotonous tone while bathing and dressing her grandson, hoping he will listen and learn the prayers.
What did the grandmother carry with her for the village dogs and why? The grandmother carried stale chapattis to feed the village dogs while accompanying her grandson to school.
Who accompanied the writer to the village school and what did the writer carry with him to school? The grandmother accompanied the writer to school. The writer carried study materials like slate, chalk, inkpot, and reed pen.
When did both the grandmother and the writer leave for their city-house? After the narrator's parents settled in the city.
What was the turning point in the friendship between the grandmother and the writer? Moving to the city. The grandmother could no longer accompany the writer to school.
Were the city house and country house different from each other? If so, how? Yes, the city house was different. There were no dogs, and the life style was different from the country house.
What did the author think will happen to his grandmother after he leaves for abroad? He thought his long absence would upset her.
What happened to the grandmother the day after the late-night celebration? She fell ill , a mild fever, but she told the family her end had come.
Why did not the grandmother talk to the members of the family? The grandmother refused to talk to the family because she didn't want to waste their time; She prayed to God.

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Description

Explore the complex portrayal of the author's grandmother and grandfather in the text. This quiz delves into the author's reflections on beauty, family life, and religious devotion, as well as the grandmother's routines and her impact on the author's upbringing.