The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 animation

Summary

The narrator reflects on their close bond with their grandmother, who, despite her old age and frailty, embodied serenity and wisdom. She had been a constant presence in their life, waking them for school, teaching them prayers, and caring for animals. Over time, as the narrator grew, their connection began to fade, especially when they moved to the city for further studies. The grandmother, devoted to her spiritual practices, accepted her seclusion gracefully. In her final days, she peacefully passed away, leaving behind a poignant memory. Her love for sparrows and her life of prayer are deeply etched in the narrator’s heart.

Takeaways

• 😀 The narrator's grandmother had always been old and wrinkled, and she seemed ageless, unable to believe that she was once young and pretty.
• 😀 The narrator's grandfather, who appeared ancient in his portrait, gave the impression of being a figure who could only have grandchildren, not a wife or children.
• 😀 The grandmother's childhood stories were considered absurd and impossible by the narrator, who saw them as fables told by prophets, rather than believable events.
• 😀 Despite her physical appearance, the grandmother was described as beautiful because of her serene, peaceful nature, symbolized by the winter landscape.
• 😀 The grandmother and the narrator shared a close bond, with the grandmother waking him up for school, reciting prayers, and preparing his school materials.
• 😀 The grandmother would attend school with the narrator, feeding village dogs and sitting inside the temple to read scriptures while he learned.
• 😀 When the narrator's parents moved to the city, the bond between him and his grandmother weakened as he started attending an English school and the grandmother became more focused on feeding sparrows.
• 😀 The grandmother's disapproval grew as the narrator learned new things like the law of gravity and music, which she associated with low-class people, showing the divide between her traditional values and Western education.
• 😀 As the narrator went to university and lived independently, their friendship became more distant, and the grandmother accepted her solitude with resignation.
• 😀 Even when the narrator went abroad, the grandmother showed no emotional attachment during his departure, and upon his return, she was unchanged, still feeding sparrows and reciting prayers.
• 😀 The grandmother's last moments were marked by her reciting prayers until she peacefully passed away. Even after her death, the sparrows that had surrounded her for years ignored the bread crumbs offered to them.

Q & A

How is the grandmother described in terms of her physical appearance?

The grandmother is described as short, slightly bent, and having a face crisscrossed with wrinkles. Her hair is gray and scattered untidy over her pale face. She is not physically pretty, but her calm and peaceful demeanor makes her beautiful in a different sense.

What does the author mean when he says his grandmother was beautiful but not pretty?

The author refers to the grandmother's beauty as a reflection of peace, serenity, and contentment rather than physical attractiveness. Her personality and calmness, like the winter landscape, are what made her truly beautiful.

How did the grandmother spend her time in the city after the author moved there?

In the city, the grandmother did not go to school with the author anymore. Instead, she fed sparrows in the courtyard of their city house and spent her time spinning the wheel and reciting prayers.

What was the grandmother's reaction to the author’s learning in the English school?

The grandmother was unhappy about the author's education in the English school. She was distressed by the absence of teachings about God and scriptures and was disapproving of subjects like music, which she associated with disreputable people.

What significance did the sparrows have for the grandmother?

The sparrows were very important to the grandmother. She spent a part of her day feeding them, and they surrounded her during this time, making it her happiest half hour. She had a special connection with these birds.

What change occurred in the grandmother’s behavior when the author went abroad for studies?

When the author went abroad, the grandmother accepted her seclusion with resignation. She rarely interacted with anyone and spent most of her time in silence, spinning the wheel and reciting prayers. She no longer showed much emotion.

How did the grandmother react when the author returned after five years?

When the author returned after five years, the grandmother did not appear older and showed no outward emotion. She still spent time feeding the sparrows and even participated in singing with the women of the neighborhood, though she had stopped praying that evening.

What was the significance of the grandmother's singing on the evening of the author's return?

The grandmother's singing was significant because it was the first time she had not prayed. She sang for hours, beating a worn-out drum and singing about the homecoming of warriors, which was a departure from her usual routine of prayer and silence.

What happened to the grandmother shortly after she stopped singing?

After she stopped singing, the grandmother fell ill and was soon expected to pass away. She continued to pray and tell her beads until her death, which was peaceful and calm.

What happened to the sparrows after the grandmother’s death?

After the grandmother passed away, the sparrows gathered around her body, but when her body was taken away for cremation, the sparrows flew away quietly. They ignored the bread crumbs that were offered to them, showing their connection to her was no longer there.