NCERT Class 11 English Chapter 1: The Portrait of a Lady Solutions (Free PDF)

NCERT Class 11 English Chapter 1: The Portrait of a Lady Solutions:  “The Portrait of a Lady” by Khushwant Singh, from the NCERT Hornbill textbook for Class 11, is a touching narrative that explores the evolving relationship between the author and his grandmother. The chapter highlights themes of love, tradition, modernity, and loss, offering insights into the grandmother’s strong character and religious nature. 

To aid students in understanding these themes and the chapter’s nuances, we have provided clear, concise, and well-structured solutions to all the textbook exercises. These solutions aim to deepen students’ comprehension of the text and its emotional and cultural significance.

Explore Notes of Class 11 English Hornbill 

Chapter 1	Chapter 2	Chapter 3	Chapter 4	Chapter 5
Poem 1	Poem 2	Poem 3	Poem 4	Poem 5

Exercises

Understanding the Text

1. Mention the three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad.
   
2. Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school.
   
3. Three ways in which the author’s grandmother spent her days after he grew up.
   
4. The odd way in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.
   
5. The way in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.

Solutions:

1. The three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother:
   
   • Childhood closeness: In the village, the author and his grandmother were very close. She woke him up, bathed him, dressed him, and accompanied him to school, which was attached to a temple where she read scriptures.
   • Growing distance in the city: When they moved to the city, their relationship became less intimate. The author attended an English school, and his grandmother could not help with his studies, leading to reduced interaction, though they still shared a room.
   • Further detachment: As the author grew older and attended university, he got his own room, further reducing their closeness. However, the grandmother accepted this change calmly.
     
2. Three reasons why the author’s grandmother was disturbed:
   
   • Lack of religious education: She was unhappy that the city school taught Western subjects like English and science, with no focus on scriptures or religious teachings.
   • Learning music: She disapproved of music lessons at school, associating music with inappropriate professions or leisure, which conflicted with her traditional values.
   • Modern lifestyle: The author’s exposure to modern education and the city’s way of life created a cultural gap, making her feel disconnected from his upbringing.
     
3. Three ways the grandmother spent her days:
   
   • Praying: She spent much of her time praying, telling the beads of her rosary while sitting at her spinning wheel.
   • Spinning: She engaged in spinning thread on her charkha, which kept her occupied and productive.
   • Feeding sparrows: She fed sparrows in the courtyard, breaking bread into crumbs and enjoying their company, which became a significant part of her daily routine.
     
4. Before her death, she stopped praying, which was unusual for her deeply religious nature. Instead, she gathered women, took an old drum, and sang songs about warriors’ homecoming, celebrating with joy, which was unexpected given her frail condition.
   
5. When the grandmother died, the sparrows gathered around her body in the verandah but did not chirp or eat the breadcrumbs offered by the author’s mother. Their silence and refusal to eat were seen as an expression of grief for her passing.

Talking About the Text

1. The author’s grandmother was a religious person. What are the different ways in which we come to know this?
   
2. Describe the changing relationship between the author and his grandmother. Did their feelings for each other change?
   
3. Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character? If yes, give instances that show this.
   
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?

Solutions:

1. Ways we know the grandmother was religious:
   
   • She spent hours praying and telling the beads of her rosary, even while spinning or during daily activities.
   • In the village, she read scriptures at the temple while the author studied, reflecting her devotion.
   • She disapproved of the city school’s lack of religious teachings, showing her belief in the importance of spiritual education.
   • Before her death, she expressed that her end was near, indicating her faith and acceptance of divine will.
     
2. The relationship evolved from close companionship in the village, where they spent most of their time together, to a more distant one in the city due to the author’s modern education and lifestyle. By the time he attended university, their physical and emotional closeness further diminished. However, their feelings of love and respect remained unchanged, as seen in the grandmother’s calm acceptance of his independence and the author’s quiet grief at her death.
   
3. Grandmother’s strong character:
   
   • Yes, she was strong in character. Instances include:
     • Resilience: She accepted the changes in her relationship with the author without complaint, adapting to his growing independence.
     • Discipline: Her routine of praying, spinning, and feeding sparrows showed her self-discipline and commitment to meaningful activities.
     • Courage: Before her death, she celebrated by singing and drumming, defying her physical weakness and embracing life with joy.
       
4. This is a discussion-based question. Students may share experiences of knowing someone like the grandmother, a traditional, loving, and strong figure. They might describe feeling a deep sense of loss for a loved one, similar to the author’s quiet mourning, emphasizing the emotional impact of losing someone who shaped their life.

Thinking About Language

1. Which language do you think the author and his grandmother used while talking to each other?
   
2. Which language do you use to talk to elderly relatives in your family?
   
3. How would you say ‘a dilapidated drum’ in your language?
   
4. Can you think of a song or a poem in your language that talks of homecoming?

Solutions:

1. The author and his grandmother likely used Punjabi, as Khushwant Singh was Punjabi, and the cultural context of the story suggests they communicated in their native language.
   
2. This depends on the student’s background. For example, one might use Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, or another regional language to speak with elderly relatives, reflecting familial and cultural norms.
   
3. ‘A dilapidated drum’ in your language:
   
   • This varies by language. For example:
     • In Hindi: “phata hua dhol”
     • In Tamil: “siragamana murasu”
     • Students should provide the translation in their native language.
       
4. Song or poem about homecoming:
   
   • Answers depend on the student’s language. For example:
     • In Hindi: The song “Ghar Aaja Pardesi” from the movie Gadar speaks of returning home.
     • In English, The poem “Ulysses” by Tennyson touches on the theme of returning home.
     • Students should identify a relevant song or poem in their language.

Working with Words

I. Match the meanings to the uses of the word ‘tell’ in the text:

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.

Meanings:

1. make something known to someone in spoken or written words
2. count while reciting
3. be sure
4. give information to somebody

II. Locate the phrases with ‘take’ in the text and notice their use:

1. to take to something: to begin to do something as a habit
2. to take ill: to suddenly become ill

III. The word ‘hobble’ means to walk with difficulty. Tick the words that also refer to a manner of walking:
haggle, shuffle, stride, ride, waddle, wriggle, paddle, swagger, trudge, slog

Solutions:

I. Match the meanings to the uses of the word ‘tell’ in the text:

1-2

2-4

3-3

4-1

II. 

1. to take to something: In the text, the grandmother “took to feeding sparrows in the courtyard,” meaning she began this activity as a regular habit to occupy her time.
2. to take ill: Not explicitly used in the text, but the context of the grandmother’s sudden death implies she may have taken ill, as she stopped praying and passed away soon after.

III.  Words that refer to a manner of walking:

• shuffle: To walk by dragging one’s feet.
• stride: To walk with long, decisive steps.
• waddle: To walk with short steps, swaying side to side (like a duck).
• swagger: To walk confidently or arrogantly.
• trudge: To walk slowly and heavily, as if tired.
• slog: To walk with effort, similar to trudging.

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