The portrait of a lady - Part 4

2nd May, 2020
Day 5

Good morning gentlemen

“Positive mind. Positive vibes. Positive life.”

We lack optimism in the world today. In these days of struggle, when the an individual is afraid of even meeting and greeting another individual, we need positivism to flow around. There is enough hatred in the world. Come, let us make this world a better place to dwell in. Let us do our bit to bring positive vibes around us.  
I hope that you all must have done the short questions given to you in yesterday's blog yet 
I am sharing the answers to them in today's blog. Have a look at them, in case you were not able to get through any. 

Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1 How does Khushwant Singh describe his old grandmother?

Ans: Khushwant Singh says that his grandmother was so old that she could not get any way older. Her face was full of wrinkles. She was short, fat and somewhat bent. It was unbelievable to imagine that she had once been young and pretty, and had a husband. The thought of her being once was almost revolting to him.  

Q.2 Why did narrator’s grandmother give the impression of ‘winter landscape in the mountains’?

Ans: The author’s grandmother used to wear spotless white clothes. She had silvery hair. White all over, she looked like the winter landscape in the mountains covered with snow. She recited her prayers all the time, so had a serene expression on her face which was like peaceful, white mountains.

Q.3 How can you say that the grandmother was a religious – minded lady?

Ans: The author’s old grandmother was deeply religious-minded. She all day long counted the beads of rosary and recited prayers. She read scriptures inside the temple. She was disturbed to know that there was no teaching about God and scriptures at the city school. She fed the dogs in the villages and the birds in the city.

Q.4 ‘The thought was almost revolting’. What was the thought and why was it disgusting?

Ans: The old grandmother often told the children of the games she used to play as a child. It seemed absurd or believable and even indecent on her part. The children treated those stories like fables. They found it hard to believe that their grandmother could have ever been young and pretty. They had always seen her as an old lady: so they liked to think of her only as their grandmother.

Q.5 Why was the grandmother unhappy in the city?

Ans: In the city, the friendship between the old lady and the little grandson came under strain. She was disturbed because she could not go with him to school, nor help him with his lessons. She did not approve of English education, particularly the music lessons. The author, as he grew up, got a room of his own. The growing distances between them upset her. All this made her unhappy.

Q. 6 Give a brief account of the grandmother’s friendship with sparrows.

Ans: The old grandmother lost even the last link of friendship with the author so she made friends with the sparrow. In the Afternoon, she threw small bits of bread to the birds who even sat on her shoulders and her head. After her death, the sparrows, also grieved for her. Thousands of them made a circle round her. They refused to eat the crumbs offered to them. They flew away only after her dead body was taken away.

Q.7 ‘And at her age, one could never tell’. What was it that one could never tell?
Ans: The author was going abroad for five years. He had a fear that the grandmother would be badly upset, and might not be able to bear the separation. At her age, she could die any day, any moment. Nobody could tell how long she would stay alive.

Q.8 Only once the grandmother did not pray. What was the reason and why?

Ans: The grandmother was a very punctual and regular in her prayers and counting of beards. She missed them only on the day of the return of the author from abroad. She collected some women, got an old drum, beat it and sang of the warriors' homecoming. That was the only day in her life she broke the routine.

Q.9 Describe in brief how the old lady die in peace.

Ans: Because of over-straining at such an old stage, the grandmother was taken ill. She knew for certain that her end was near. So she declined to talk to anybody. She wanted to spend the last moments of her life praying and telling the beads of her rosary. Then slowly her lips stopped and the rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. Thus, she died peacefully.

Q.10 How did the sparrows mourn over the death of grandmother?

Ans: The association or friendship of the old lady with the sparrows began in the city. Left alone, she sought the company of the sparrows. She fed them every day in the afternoon. The birds became very friendly and attached with her. So, they felt bereaved when she died. They gathered around her and sat quietly until the dead body was carried off.

Tomorrow being a Sunday, You are getting a day to complete your work, if pending. 

Today's work includes Long Answer type questions for the lesson. Value points are given to you for framing answers. Be free to expand your vocabulary. As i always say, write to impress. 

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Would you agree that the author’s grandmother was a person strong in character?

•       very religious and conservative lady who hated modern views and ways.

•       had very strong personal likings and dislikes

•       led her own kind of life and never compromised with her principals.

•       loved the narrator deeply but never tried to be sentimental or emotional.

•        had her own thoughts about the learning at school. She considered the teaching of scriptures to be more fruitful than science and music.

•       took to wheel-spinning and feeding sparrows in loneliness and seclusion
appeared composed and did not display any emotion when the author decided to go abroad

•       Ignoring everyone who tried to stop her, she sang for several hours celebrating the home-coming of her grandson.

•       During the last few hours of her life, ignoring the protests of her family members, she stopped talking to everyone and took to reciting prayers and telling her beads.

Q.2 Describe how the bond of friendship between the author and grandmother grew strong and then weak with the passage of time?

·         Both were best friends in the village

·         Grandmother took  care of almost everything for the boy,

·         Went to school with him, sat in the temple

·         Bond was very strong

·         Boy moved to city and bond suffered a crack

·         Grandmother did not accompany him to school anymore

·         She did not like what he learned at school

·         Withdrew herself from the boy

·         Concern and affection was not affected (give instances)

 Q.3 Throw some light on the different phases of relationship which the author shared with his grandmother.

FIRST PHASE –  (Village Life)

•      Took care of all his needs (Examples??)

•      Helped in his lessons

•      Undisputed custodian and mentor of the child

•      Dynamic , agile and active (HOW?)

•      They fed street dogs with stale chapaties on their way to school which was a great fun 

•      It was her realm and she was the queen of her realm

SECOND PHASE  (City Life):-

•      Her role in bringing up the child curtailed a little bit

•      Found herself at a loss – Why?

•      She doesn’t articulate her disapproval – (About what?)

•      Withdrew herself . Retreats with dignity

•      Common nexus of friendship was fading away

•      Contrast with Village life?

•      Differences in both the phases??

Third phase :-

•      Common nexus of friendship – disrupted

•      Her only happy pursuit was….?

•      Lonely and aloof , secluded

•      Held back her emotions

•      Weathered this closing off with grace and dignity

•      Differences from the previous phases? (Point out few examples)

Do not forget to mark your attendance using the link below. 

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Till then

Take care

Be safe

Happy learning

God bless you all!