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The Photograph 

SHIRLEY TOULSON, an English author who lives in Somerset, was drawn into the spell of Celtic Christianity as she worked on her books dealing with the oldest roads and folklore of Britain and Ireland, and found herself following the routes taken on their journeys by the saints of the early church.

Text

The cardboard shows me how it was

When the two girl cousins went paddling

Each one holding one of my mother’s hands, 

And she the big girl - some twelve years or so. 

All three stood still to smile through their hair

At the uncle with the camera, A sweet face

My mother’s, that was before I was born

And the sea, which appears to have changed less

Washed their terribly transient feet. 

Some twenty- thirty- years later

She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty

And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they

Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday

was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry

With the laboured ease of loss

Now she’s has been dead nearly as many years

As that girl lived. And of this circumstance

There is nothing to say at all, 

Its silence silences. 

Introduction

In the poem "The Photograph", Touslon presents the emotions she and her mother felt once by seeing a photograph of her mother’s childhood and what it means to the poet now. The photographs captures a moment in author’s mother’s life and with that capture the emotions felt during the moment the photo was taken as well.

For the poet, the image brings out feelings of loss as her mother has passed away (12 years prior). The poet remembers her mother looking at the image and laughing as she recalled her holiday trip to the beach.

The title of the poem represents something very different for the poet than it did for her mother. As for the author the image evokes a sadness of the loss of her mother, while it evoked thoughts of happiness for her mother.

Materialistically, the poet can find sadness that those depicted in the image have changed while the scenery in the photo has been allowed to stay the same. Here, the poet could sense a feeling of the memory being unfair given the ocean has been allowed to exist, without change, over the years while her mother has changed dramatically and is now gone.

Therefore, the title of the poem creates a double meaning for both the poet and the poet's mother. For one it is sadness and the other is happiness. The poet finds this ironic given her sadness is associated with her mother's happiness.

According to poet a photograph captures something seen by many and can; therefore, evoke many different feelings for those depicted and those looking at the image.

SUMMARY

The poet looks at the photograph of her mother, which was taken when her mother was 12 years old. She had gone for a sea holiday with her cousins Betty and Dolly and while they were paddling, her uncle took a photograph of them. Each of the cousins was holding the hands of the poet’s mother who was the eldest among them. All the three of them stood smiling through their hair while the photo was taken. Her mother had a sweet face. All these happened before she was born. Years fled past since then. Her mother grew up into an adult. They all underwent changes while the sea stood still. After about twenty or thirty years the poet’s mother would look at the photograph laughing nostalgically and remembering the past. She would appreciate the dress worn by her cousins Betty and Dolly. The sea holiday belonged to the past of her mother and the poet still remembers how her mother would laugh looking at the snap shot. For the poet both these bring great sadness and an acute sense of loss. He mother died 12 years ago and now the poet has nothing to say about this circumstance of the photograph. 

Detailed explanation

This poem by Shirley Toulson is a tribute to her mother. One day, she finds an old photograph of her mother, pasted on a cardboard sheet; a photograph she remembered her mother talking about with fondness.

The cardboard shows me how it was

When the two girl cousins went paddling

Each one holding one of my mother’s hands, 

And she the big girl - some twelve years or so

The cardboard (photograph) shows the narrator how it was that day when the two cousins went for a walk along the poet’s mother. Each of the cousins held one of her mother’s hands. And among all the three girls her mother was the eldest, about twelve years old at this time.

Poetic device used:

1)   allusion as the cardboard’s lack of durability hints at the lack of permanence of human life

All three stood still to smile through their hair

At the uncle with the camera, A sweet face

My mother’s, that was before I was born

And the sea, which appears to have changed less

Washed their terribly transient feet. 

 All three of them stood smiling, their hair possibly tossed by the beach wind or water and they were snapped by the uncle who was with them in the beach. In the photo poet’s mother was having a smiling happy face. May be the photo was taken long before poet’s birth. And the mother changed a lot. But the sea remains same. In the picture it seems to wash their feet which by nature are transient because human life is short-lived as compared to nature. 

Poetic devices used:

1.    Alliteration... stood still to smile

2.    Transferred Epithet. Human life itself is temporary not the feet. When the adjective for one noun like life is transferred to another noun like feet, it is called transferred epithet.

It is also alliteration due to the repetition of the ‘t’ sound but Transferred Epithet is the dominant device here.

Some twenty- thirty- years later

She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty

And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they

Dressed us for the beach.” The sea holiday

was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry

With the laboured ease of loss

Some twenty, thirty years later from when the picture was clicked, her mother had looked at the snapshot and laughed. She had pointed out her cousin Betty and Dolly and talked nostalgically of how oddly they used to be dressed for the beach. The sea holiday was remembered by her mother with a fondness as well as a sense of loss because that time would never return.  Similarly, her laughter would never return to the narrator. So, the sea holiday was the narrator’s mother’s past and her mother’s laughter is the narrator’s past. These pasts, the sea holiday as well as the laughter of her mother are remembered with a difficult and yet easy sense of loss.

Poetic devices used:

1)   Oxymoron: The coming together of two opposite ideas to describe the same entity. ‘Laboured’ and ‘easy’ are opposite words describing the same entity ‘losses. The loss of the holiday and the laughter was easy because these things have to be accepted as a part of life. They are merely a part of the past and cannot be brought back or relived. However, precisely because they cannot be relived, there will always be a tinge of difficulty letting them go completely. They will always be seen as loss.

“Now she’s has been dead nearly as many years

As that girl lived. And of this circumstance

There is nothing to say at all, 

Its silence silences. “

Now, it has been twelve years since her mother passed away. The girl in the photograph seems like a different person altogether. Thus, the use of the words, ‘that girl’ and about the fact that her mother has passed away leaving behind nothing but memories and photographs like this one. There is nothing to be said. It is a part of life and on thinking of it, one really has no words to express how one feels. The silence of the whole situation silences the poet and leaves her quiet.

Poetic device:

1.    Personification : The situation has been given the human quality of silence

2.    Alliteration :  The sound of ‘s’ has been repeated

The camera thus managed to capture a moment in time. It kept the memory of the mother and for the mother alive. The sea holiday brought a sad smile (wry) to the mother’s face because she couldn’t relive it but was glad that she once had.
Similarly, thinking of her mother’s laughter brought a sad smile to the poet’s face because although that laughter was now gone she was glad to have once had it in her life.

Nature is perennial while human life is temporary or transient. The poet uses a transferred epithet (terribly transient feet) in order to make this comparison and highlight the terribly short-lived life of her mother.

As in the Portrait of a Lady, this poem also deals with the theme of loss and bereavement and the impact it leaves on those who are left behind.

TEXT BOOK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What does the word ‘cardboard’ denote in the poem? Why has this word been used?
‘Cardboard’ refers to the photograph only. In the past photographs used to be fixed to a cardboard and hung from the wall for everyone to see it.

2. What has the camera captured?
The camera has captured some happy moments from the childhood of the poet’s mother. It was a scene taken from a beach where she had gone with her cousins and her uncle for a sea holiday. The girls were paddling in the water.

3. What has not changed over the years? Does this suggest something to you?
The sea has not changed over the years. It is still the same. The sea symbolizes eternity.
4. The poet’s mother laughed at the snapshot. What did this laugh indicate?
This laugh indicates her remembering her past. She looked back to her childhood with nostalgia and remembered the innocent joys of her childhood days.
5. What is the meaning of the line “Both wry with the laboured ease or loss”
‘Both’ refers to the sea holiday as remembered by her mother and the poet remembering her mother’s laughing face. Both these now belong to the past. Her mother is no more now.
6. What does “this circumstance” refer to?
‘This circumstance’ refers to the circumstance when the photo was taken.

REFERENCE PASSAGE QUESTIONS
1. 
The cardboard shows me how it was
When the two girl cousins went paddling
Each one holding one of my mother’s hands,
And she the big girl- some twelve years or so.

a. What does the cardboard refer to?
The cardboard refers to the childhood photograph of her mother.
b. Who was the big girl and how old was she?
The big girl was the poet’s mother. She was then twelve years old.
c. How did the cousins go paddling with mother?
The girl cousins went paddling with mother holding her hand.

2.
All three stood still to smile through their hair
At the uncle with the camera, A sweet face
My mother’s, that was before I was born

a. Who does ‘all three’ refer to here?
‘all three’ refers to the poet’s mother and her two cousins.
b. Where are they now?
They have gone to the seashore. They are paddling in the water.
c. Why did they smile through their hair?
They smiled through their hair because they were posing for a photograph.

3.
…………………………………………………..A sweet face,
My mother’s, that was before I was born
And the sea, which appears to have changed less
Washed their terribly transient feet.

a. Where was her mother?
Her mother was on the seashore with her cousins and posing for a photograph.

b. When did this incident took place?
This incident took place when she was twelve years old.

c. How is the poet able to remember her mother’s childhood?
The poet is able to remember her mother’s childhood when she looks into the photograph of her mother.
d. What has stood the onslaught of time and what has not?
The sea has stood the onslaught of time. It is still the same. However, her mother and her cousins underwent changes. Her mother grew up to be an adult and now she is no more.

4.
Some twenty- thirty- years later
She’d laugh at the snapshot. “See Betty
And Dolly,” she’d say, “and look how they
Dressed us for the beach.”

a. Who would laugh at the snapshot after twenty – thirty years later?
The poet’s mother would laugh at the snapshot after twenty – thirty years later.

b. How did mother remember her past?
Mother remembered her past with nostalgia.

c. Who were Betty and Dolly?
Betty and Dolly were her cousins who had gone with her to the beach for paddling.

6. ………………………………… The sea holiday
was her past, mine is her laughter. Both wry
With the laboured ease of loss
a. Who went for the sea holiday in the past?
The poet’s mother had gone for the sea holiday in the past when she was a young girl.

b. What does ‘both’ refer to?
‘Both’ refers to the poet’s mother remembering her past sea holiday as well as the poet remembering her mother’s laughter.

c. How does the poet feel when she remembers her mother?
The poet experiences great sorrow when she remembers her mother who left for heavenly abode twelve years ago.

7.
Now she’s has been dead nearly as many years
As that girl lived. And of this circumstance
There is nothing to say at all,
Its silence silences.
a. How many years are over after the death of her mother?
Her mother died 12 years ago.
b. What does ‘this circumstance’ refer to?
‘This circumstance’ refers to the sea holiday enjoyed by her mother.
c. Why has the poet nothing to say about this circumstance?
The poet has nothing to say about this circumstance as the memory of it brings pain to her.
d. What impact has the photograph on the poet?
The silence of the photograph silences the poet. She experiences the great loss of her mother.

The Portrait of a Lady

About the author:

·                     - Born 1915

·                     - Prominent Indian: Anglican novelist, editor and journalist

·                     - Weekly column: 'With Malice Towards One and All'

·                     - Trenchant secularist, loves poetry, distinct style and sense of humour

·                     -  Padma Bhushan (1974)

·                     - Honest Man of the Year (2000)

·                     - Punjab Rattan Award (2006)

·                     - Padma Vibhushan (2007)

·                     - Sahitya Academy Fellowship Award (2010)

Summary of “The Portrait of a Lady”

The story is a insight of Khushwant Singh of his grandmother through his own eyes. Khushwant Singh remembers his grandmother as an everlastingly old person. She was an extremely religious person. He finds it difficult to conceptualise that once she too was young and pretty like other women. The stories about her childhood games were like fairytales to him. She was short, fat and somewhat hunched in stature. Her silvery white hair used to spread out on her wrinkled face.

Khushwant Singh remembers her limping around the house in spotless white clothes with one hand resting on her waist to balance her stoop and the other busy in telling the beads of her rosary. Her lips constantly moved inaudibly in prayers. Perhaps she was not beautiful in a temporal sense but she looked extremely beautiful with the peacefulness, serenity and the contentment her face exhibited.

Khushwant’s relationship with his grandmother experienced several switches when he was a small boy. In the first stage Khushwant lived in a village with her as his parents were looking for the chance to settle down in the city. In village grandmother took care of all the needs of the child. She was quite dynamic and active. She woke him up in the morning, got him ready for the school, coated his wooden slate, prepared his breakfast and accompanied him to the school. They fed street dogs with stale chapaties on their way to school which was a great fun for them. She helped him in his lessons also .It was her realm and she was the queen of her realm. In this period she was the exclusive undisputed custodian, mentor and architect of the child Khushwant.

The critical point came in their relationship when they came to city to stay with Khushwant’s parents. In city Khushwant joined an English School and started to go to school in a bus. Here the role of his grandmother in his bringing up was cut back a little bit. Now she could not go with him to the school. In spite of her immense interest in his studies, she could not help him in his lessons as he was learning English, laws of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and many more such things which she could not understand and this made her distressed. She found herself at loss. Another thing which disquieted her much was that the kids were not learning about God and scriptures in the school instead they were given music lessons which was not an respectable t in her belief. To her music was not meant for gentlemen. It was intended for beggars and prostitutes only. She highly disdained the music lessons. She was dismayed and withdrew herself to some level. Perhaps she realised that in the reforming of the child her role was finished and this very thought affected her most.
After finishing school Khushwant went to university. He was given a separate room. The common nexus of their friendship was ruptured. His grandmother confined herself to a self-imposed reclusiveness. She spent most of her time in reciting prayers and by sitting beside her spinning wheel. She rarely talked to anyone. The only diversion for her was in the afternoon when she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows. A kind hearted person, in village she used to feed street dogs, here in city she concentrated on birds and they too became very friendly with her. This was the stage when she found herself altogether sequestered and aloof but she weathered this closing off with grace and self-respect.
Khushwant’s grandmother was a firm person. Whatever she experienced in her heart she always held back herself from showing her emotions. He recollects that when he went abroad for further studies his grandmother was there to see him off on railway station quite calm busy telling the beads of her rosary and reciting prayers as ever. When he came back after five years he found her more and more religious and more and more self-possessed. She spent even more time in prayers and spinning the wheel. Feeding the birds was her only happy pursuit. But just the day before her death for the first time she broke this routine and abandoned her prayers. That day she sang the songs of the home coming of the warriors on a withered drum along with the ladies of neighbourhood in order to celebrate her grandson’s return from abroad.

Next morning she became ill. The doctor said it was a mild fever and would disappear she could anticipate that her end was approaching. She was disconcerted that she neglected her prayers just before the final exit from the world. She did not want to waste any more time talking to anybody. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling the beads till her lips stopped moving and rosary fell from her lifeless fingers.

Thousands of sparrows flew in to mourn her death and sat dispersed around her body in complete silence. They even disregarded the breadcrumbs thrown for them by Khushwant’s mother. They only flew away after the corpse was carried away for final rituals.

Themes-

·                     The deconstruction of the title of the chapter

·                     The grandmother's physical appearance, outer vs. inner beauty

·                     The grandmother-grandson relationship in the village

·                     Difference between village and city school

·                     The grandmother's spirituality

·                     The grandmother's kindness towards animals

1.         What does Khushwant Singh describe in ‘The Portrait Of A Lady’?

Ans. In "the portrait of a lady" Khushwant Singh basically tells about his relationship with his grandmother in three different phases of his life. In the first phase, he and his granny live in the village. Their relationship is great. She helps him with his work, drops and picks him from school, dressed him up.  Then in the second phase they go to live in the city. Grandmother has problems with the English medium school in which he now studies. She can’t help him with his study; they don’t get to spend time together. She finds objection in the narrator’s music lessons. She thinks music is a subject of lowly people. It’s not for gentle people.  So, it upsets her. In the third phase the author grows up. He attends university.  Their friendship kind of ends and they couldn’t find time for each other. So, grandmother starts developing and confining herself in her own world. When the author comes back from college, she behaves unusual and celebrates his home coming. Eventually, the loud singing makes her ill and then she dies. In “The Portrait of a Lady” author tries to show the decreasing relevance of grandmother in the narrator’s life.

2.      Comment on the title ‘The Portrait of a Lady’?

Ans.The author, Khushwant Singh, describes his grandmother, painting a word-portrait for the reader. To him, with her pious, kind, understanding and caring persona, she is the true embodiment of the term, ‘lady’. According to the author, the grandmother may not have been pretty, but her inner beauty shone through her persona making her beautiful.

3.      Comment on the grandson and the grandmother’s relationship.

Ans. Grandson and grandmother: The grandson and his grandmother shared a close bond. Initially, the grandson stayed with his grandmother in the village. She took care of his daily needs and even accompanied him to school. She was pious and religious and hoped to pass on her faith to Khushwant as well. Khushwant describes her as beautiful like the winter landscape in the mountains, serene and content. She might old and wrinkled but her spiritual aura, simplicity, calmness and general contentment with her life made her beautiful to Khushwant’s eyes. When the grandson and grandmother moved to the city, they stayed in separate rooms and the grandmother no longer accompanied him to school. The distance grew further when she came to know that he was taught music, science and English in his school. She did not trust these subjects and was distressed that there was no teaching about God or scriptures. Although the generation gap widened in the city, they still loved one another. She silently lent him support when he went to study abroad. Her death left a void in Khushwant even though he felt blessed for having had her as a part of his life.

4.      Comment on the village school vs. the city school.

Ans. The village school was attached to a temple and the grandmother-grandson duo would walk to reach it. The teacher was a priest and prayers were taught along with the alphabet. Rote learning, wooden slates lathered with yellow chalk, ink pots and ink pens were used to facilitate learning. In the city school, the grandson travelled by a motor bus. The grandson learnt English, Science and Music. There was no teaching of God or the scriptures.

5.      How spiritual narrator’s grandmother was?

Ans. Prayers/Grandmother’s spirituality: The grandmother’s spiritual nature and devotion to the Almighty defines her personality. She prays daily and almost constantly. She wishes to pass on the same devotion into her grandson. The only day she did not pray was the day her grandson returned from abroad and the very next morning, she fell ill. She prayed from then up to the point of her death passing away with the same spiritual calmness on her face that she had possessed when alive.

6.      Why was it hard for the author to belief that his grandmother was once young and pretty?

Ans. The author had only seen and known his grandmother for twenty years as an old woman.
She is short, fat and slightly stooped in stature, so, it was very difficult for him to believe the stories of his grandmother's beauty in her younger days.

7.      Give three reasons why the author's grandmother was disturbed when he started going to the city school?

Ans. when the author started attending the city school his grandmother was disturbed because she could not help him with his lessons in English, science. Also she was unhappy when she heard that the author was being given music lessons ad that there were no religious teachings about god and the scriptures at his school.

8.      Briefly describe the typical routine of the grandmother both in village and city.

Ans. During her village life, every day she would prepare the author for school. She dressed him up, gave him breakfast and would accompany his grandson to school because his school was attached to the temple. While the children learned alphabets and prayer the grandmother would read the scriptures at the temple. But after she came to the city, there wasn't much to do. So, she would sit and do some clothing work in her spinning wheel and at the afternoon she would feed the sparrows.

9.      The grandmother had a divine beauty. How does the author bring this out?

Ans. The author brings out the inner beauty of the grandmother by comparing her to a snow covered winter mountain landscape. This comparison shows her calmness and serenity.

10.  What does Khushwant Singh describe in ‘The Portrait Of A Lady’ ?

Ans. In ‘The Portrait Of A Lady’, Khushwant Singh draws a pen picture of his beloved grandmother. He describes the relationship he enjoyed with her and the changes that occurred in their bond with time, as the years passed.

11.  How could the grandmother be ‘beautiful’ without being pretty?

Ans. Grandmother was never a physically attractive women but she reflected a divine beauty from within. She was a symbol of peace, serenity and contentment. Her novel virtues gave her a spiritual beauty.

12.  What was the turning point of their friendship?

Ans. The narrator’s parents sent for them and they shifted to the city. It was the turning point in their friendship. Grandmother could not accompany him to the English or help him in his studies. She saw less of him and the distance grew.

13.  What opinion did the grandmother form of the English school in the city?

Ans. The grandmother did not like the English school in the city. She was sad that they did not teach anything about God and the scriptures. Nor was she interested in science. She hated music lessons given in the school.

14.  How were the grandmother and the narrator good and intimate friends in the village?

Answer: Grandmother woke her grandson up every morning and got him ready for school. She gave him breakfast, got him his slate, ink-pot and accompanied him to school. He was entirely dependent on her.

15.  Why did the grandmother hate music?

Ans. Grandmother considered that music was indecent and was meant for harlots and beggars. It was not meant for gentle folk or school children from respectable families.

16.  How did the sparrows mourn the death of grandmother?

Answer: The sparrows gathered in thousands around grandmother’s dead body. They did not chirrup or touch the crumbs of bread thrown to them. They seemed to mourn her death in silence and flew away when her body was taken away for cremation.

17.  How did the grandmother celebrate the homecoming of her grandson?

Ans. Grandmother was overjoyed at the homecoming of her grandson. She collected the women of neighbourhood and was in the mood of celebration. She beat the drum and sang for hours about the homecoming of warriors. She even forgot to pray.

18.  Why did the grandmother stop talking before her death ?

Ans. The old lady was taken ill. She had a mild fever. The doctor told her that she would be alright soon. But the grandmother declared that her end was near. She forgot to pray the last evening. She was not going to waste anymore time talking to them.

Long Answer Questions

19.  Describe in brief the pen picture of the narrator’s grandmother highlighting her noble qualities.

Ans. Khushwant Singh presents his grandmother as a symbol of love, care and affection. She was a highly religious and conservative lady but, a woman of generosity and nobility. she was like everybody’s grandmother, loving her grandson immensely and caring for him with deep love and concern. She was not physically attractive. She was old, fat and short with a stoop and hobbled about the house with her hand supporting waist, reciting her prayers and telling her beads. In the village, she was actively involved in her grandson’s life but when they shifted to the city, the bond of friendship was broken. Yet, she presented she presented a picture of peace and contentment always.

Her love for animals was reflected in the way she fed the dogs and sparrows. She did not like the English school but, never interfered. She accepted every decision of her grandson regarding his life with a calm and composed manner. Even in death, she achieved peace and contentment.

20.  Describe the intimate relationship of grandmother with the sparrows. How did the sparrows mourn her death ?

Ans. Grandmother had love and compassion for animals. In the village, she fed the street dogs with bits of chapattis. In the city, she took to feeding the sparrows. She would sit in the verandah in the afternoons and break the bread into small crumbs. She would throw these crumbs to the hundreds of sparrows that gathered around her. They would perch themselves on her legs, shoulders and even on her head and feel the air with their noisy chirruping. It was the happiest half-hour of the day for her.

On the death of grandmother, the sparrows paid a silent tribute to her. Thousands gathered around her dead body. They did not chirrup or accept the bread crumbs given by mother. They mourned her death in silence and flew away after her body was taken away for cremation.

21.  Describe the friendship between Khushwant Singh and his grandmother.

Ans. Khushwant Singh’s grandmother was closely involved in bringing him up when the author lived with her in the village during his early life. She used to wake him up early in the morning. While bathing and dressing him, she sang her prayers, she hoped that the young boy would learn it by heart. She then gave him breakfast – a stale chapatti with butter and sugar. Then they would go together to the temple and school. While the author learnt his lesson, the grandmother would holy books. They returned home together.

A turning point came in their friendship when his parents called them to city. Although they shared a room, she could not help him much. She hated music, science and western education. The common link of their friendship was gradually snapped.

 

NCERT Solutions

 Q.1: Mention: Three phases of the author’s relationship with his grandmother before he left the country to study abroad.

Ans. The first phase of the author’s relationship with his grandmother is the author’s childhood when they lived together in the village. They enjoyed intimate relationship and were good friends. His parents left him with her and they went to live in the city. They were constantly together. She used to wake him up in the morning and get him ready for school. Then she would fetch his wooden slate, a tiny earthen inkpot and a red pen. After a breakfast she accompanied him to the school. She carried several chapattis for the village dogs. She used to stay in the temple that was attached to school. After school hours they would walk back together. The second phase of their relationship began with their being called to the city. That was a turning point in their friendship. He used to go to an English school in a motor bus. The grandmother did not go to school with him. She remained confined to home. As the years rolled by they saw less of each other. She did not like the English school as there was no teaching about God and scriptures there. She hated western science and music. The third phase of this relationship started with the author’s going to university. There he was given a room of his own. The common link of their friendship was snapped. His grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation.

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

Ans. The narrator used to go to an English school in city. He used to go in a motor bus. Here the author’s grandmother could not accompany him to the school as she used to do in the village. She remained confined to home. The grandmother felt quite disturbed. Three most disturbing reasons for her were – 1. Author’s telling her the English words and western science which she did not understand nor could she help him in his studies. 2. No teaching about God and scriptures in the school. 3. Music lessons given to the author in the school as she considered music is fit only for harlots and beggars and not meant for gentle folks.

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

Ans. The intimacy between the narrator and his grandmother started to fade away since they came to city where the author joined an English school. When the narrator grew up, he went up to university and lived in hostel. After that the common link of friendship between the author and his grandmother was snapped. The grandmother accepted it as her fate and found out new ways of spending her time: 1. She now spent most of her time at the spinning-wheel from morning till evening. From sunrise to sunset she sat by the spinning-wheel and rarely talked to anyone. 2. While spinning, she continued reciting prayers and rarely talked to anyone. 3. The third way in which the old lady spent her time was by feeding the sparrows. She would sit in the verandah. She would break the bread into little bits and throw them towards hundreds of little birds gathered around her. They came and perched on her legs and shoulders. Feeding the sparrows used to be the happiest half-hour of the day for her.

Q.4: Mention: The odd ways in which the author’s grandmother behaved just before she died.

Ans. Before the grandmother died, a change came over her. Her behaviour became quite odd. She collected the women of the neighborhood, took a broken drum and sang of home-coming of warriors the whole day. She did not pray that day which used to be her daily work. She was very much excited. Other family members had to persuade her to stop to avoid over straining. That was the first time that she did not pray. The next morning she got a mild fever. She herself declared that her end was near and continued praying without wasting any time by talking to others. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. Her lips stopped moving. The rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. Her face turned pale. Everyone understood that she was no more.

Q.5: Mention: The ways in which the sparrows expressed their sorrow when the author’s grandmother died.

Ans. Feeding the sparrows was the happiest hour of the day for grandmother. The sparrows and the old lady 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

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

Ans.The author’s grandmother was a highly religious lady. 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”. In village, she accompanied the author to the school and instead of returning home, she used to sit in a temple reading scriptures which was attached to the school. It was because of her religious nature that she could not like the new English school in the city. She was unhappy because there was no teaching about God and scriptures at the city-school. Being a religious lady and a widow, she could be seen hobbling about the house in a spotless white dress. When she realized that her end was near, she stopped talking. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads till she took her last breathes.

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

Ans. 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.

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

Ans. Yes, it is a fact that the grandmother was a very strong personality. She was a very religious and conservative lady who hated modern views and ways. She had very strong personal likings and dislikes. Being a religious lady and a widow, she could be seen hobbling about the house in a spotless white dress. She used to get up early in the morning. She said her prayers in a monotonous sing-song. One of her hands was always telling the beads of her rosary. According to the author, she was a symbol of white serenity. She had peace and contentment. She had certain rigid ideas about life. She liked the village school because it was attached to the temple. She sat in the temple reading the scriptures. She hated the English school in the city for various reasons. She was unhappy that there was no teaching about God and the scriptures there. She was quite disturbed. They gave music lessons at the school. She considered it fit only for harlots and beggars and not meant for “gentle folks”. When the author returned from abroad after five years, he found her in the same condition. Before she died, she herself declared that her end was near. There were some unique changes in her behaviour. She lay peacefully in bed praying and telling her beads. It is quite difficult to show complete agreement with her outdated views. But she was a strong and determined character. She led her own kind of life and never compromised with her principals. She loved the narrator deeply but never tried to be sentimental or emotional.

Short Answer Questions:

Q.1. Did you like the story? Why or why not?

Q.2. What do you think is a pen-portrait? Has Khushwant Singh been successful at drawing such a portrait in this chapter? Discuss with reference to the text.

Q.3. Despite her physical appearance, the grandmother has been called beautiful. Why?

Q.4. The narrator and his grandmother were good friends. Discuss with examples from the text.

Q.5. Physical distance does not dim the emotional connect. Comment based on the story read.

Q.6. What differences does the story bring out between the village school and the city school?

Q.7. The grandmother loved animals. We see this at two points of the story. Which are these points?

Q.8. How did the move to the city prove to be the turning point of the grandmother-grandson relationship?

Q.9. Feeding the sparrows was the happiest hour of the day for her. Highlight at least two traits that this statement brings out about the personality of the grandmother.

Q.10. Why do you think the grandmother was not upset when the narrator left to study abroad for five years?

Q.11. Discuss the spiritual and/or religious nature of the grandmother as evident in the story.

Q.12. She sang of the homecoming of the warriors. What was the grandmother singing about?

Q.13. Prayer can be a source of personal fortitude. Comment interspersing your opinion with the one highlighted in the text.

Q.14. When the grandmother was carried away to the cremation ground, the sparrows flew away and the bread crumbs were later swept into the dustbin. Do you think these lines are important? Why or why not?

Q.15. How was the grandmother a lady despite being unfamiliar with modern education?

Long answer questions:

Q.16. Justify the title of the chapter. Had you been given the choice to alter this title, what name would you give to the story?

Q.17. Write a letter as the grandmother to your grandson on the eve of his return from abroad.

Q.18. The grandmother is a silent voice in the story. However, her actions reveal her personality. Draw a character sketch for the grandmother using examples from the text.

Q.19. Based on this story, what do you think is Khushwant Singh’s attitude towards religion?

Q.20. Being alone can be loneliness or solitude. Which one was it for the grandmother after she moved to the city? What incidents/words from the chapter helped you form your opinion?

Q.21. Imagine you are Khushwant Singh and your grandmother has died recently and you are assailed by the feeling of regret and guilt on having neglected her. Write a Dairy Entry expressing your feelings.