The Portrait of a Lady A Photograph | Class 11 English Notes

1 The Portrait of a Lady

This section is an autobiographical narrative by Khushwant Singh that describes his relationship with his grandmother. The narrative begins with a vivid description of the grandmother’s physical appearance and personality, emphasizing her age, wrinkles, and serene beauty. The author contrasts this with the portrait of his grandfather, who appears ancient and imposing. The grandmother is portrayed as a deeply religious and peaceful woman, who spends much of her time in prayer, feeding sparrows, and maintaining a calm presence in the household. The narrative traces the evolving relationship between the author and his grandmother through three distinct phases: when he attended the village school, the city school, and later university. Initially, the grandmother accompanies him to school, participates in his daily routine, and shares a close bond with him. However, as he moves to the city and attends an English school, their relationship changes due to cultural and educational differences. The grandmother disapproves of the new subjects, such as Western science and music, which she associates with moral decline. Eventually, as the author grows up and moves away for higher studies, their contact diminishes, and the grandmother accepts her seclusion with resignation. The narrative culminates with the grandmother’s illness, her peaceful death, and the symbolic presence of sparrows that she used to feed, which quietly fly away after her death. This story highlights themes of love, generational differences, cultural change, and the dignity of old age.

📊 Diagram: No diagrams are included in this section as it is a narrative prose passage.

🧪 Activity: Students are encouraged to read the text silently paragraph-wise and discuss the main points orally. They answer comprehension questions about the phases of the relationship and the grandmother’s behavior.

🔗 Connection: This section sets the emotional and thematic foundation for the next section, 'Understanding the text,' where students analyze and reflect on the narrative.