“The Portrait of a Lady” by Khushwant Singh is based on a real story. The whole story discusses the life journey about his grandmother which he had listened from her in his childhood. In this story, the writer has discussed the relationships with the grandma throughout her life journey. Before writing this story he minutely observed the daily activities of his grandmother. In order to disclose the portrait of his grandmother, he has provided her actual appearance along wither the emotional attachment with other family members. The relationship between the grandmother as well as grandson is beautifully presented in this story. The innocence of their relationship also shows an example of admiration as well as love can be clearly seen. During the separation from his grandmother, the author’s mental condition was also beautifully portrayed in such a wide canvas.
The initial phase discusses the early childhood phases when he stayed with his grandmother. In this phase, he lived in a village and his grandmother looked after him very much by getting him up from sleep and making him ready for school.
The next phase was the time when they both moved to the city with his parents. The turning point of the story started when they had to stay separated from each other.
The final phase started when the author was admitted to the university. He lived in a separate room and his grandma was in another room. All day long she was busy wheelspinning and reciting prayers. Grandmother accepted this seclusion in silence.
The grandmother of the author was disturbed when she knew that in school the learning was related to western science which she did not accept at all. Another reason for her disturbance happened because any kind of story about god as well as scriptures was not taught in school. The next unhappiness of his grandmother was about the music lesson. According to him, music is only suitable for those people who are belonged to the low dignity.
The three ways in which the grandmother spent the days are grandma lived alone within the room and she fully accepted this loneliness silently. She never complained about her position and asked for the company of others. All day long, she sat at the spinning wheel and recited prayers silently. In the afternoon, grandmother would feed sparrows on the meadow, for not more than half an hour. Moreover, she was completely habituated to her position in the family and genuinely missed her village home.
Before death, grandmother behaved in an odd way she mostly omitted to pray and spent a very little time talking with the family members. The lips of grandmother almost stopped moving and rosary fells from fingers her which was lifeless. Moreover, before her death grandmother omitted all the connections with the family members and spent a lonely life.
A unique bond was seen between the grandmother and the sparrow. She got the ultimate satisfaction to feed them and spending time with them. During the afternoon she became very happy. The day, when she died, thousands of sparrows came to the meadow and chattered around her body.
The grandmother of the author was fully a religious lady and it could be seen from her behavior. She recited prayers all day, and visited temples daily as well as read scriptures. She also recited the prayers when the writer was getting ready to go to school. Even she did not like the school where the author was admitted because any kind of religious teaching was taught there. During the time, when the author returned from school she became very excited and happy and this is the time when she did not recite at all. Until her death, she continued her prayer as well as telling beads of a rosary.
Throughout the story, the relationship between the author and his grandmother was changed gradually. In the initial period, the author was closely connected with her but when they shifted to the city then he was separated from his grandmother. Only the schoolgoing time as well as returning time was the happiest time for her as she got in touch with her daughter.
Yes, she was a strong lady as she thought religious teaching than science or music teaching. She spent all the time on the spinning wheel as well as praying. She did not express his emotion to others and never complained about her situation. She ignored other family members and eagerly waited for his grandson.
The sparrows were all silent as they mourned her death. They did not notice the food on the meadow at all and when her body was taken away for the final rites they also silently left the place.
Q1. What is a real-based story?
Ans. This type of story is based on any real characters or an incident. In this type of story, all the facts that are described are fully connected with reality. In this particular story, the whole story portrayed the different shades of characteristics of the author’s grandmother and their relationship.
Q2. It is a religious story?
Ans. No, it is not a religious story as such through the grandmother is a fully religious lady. Here in the story, all the facts are surrounded by the different facts of her life journey. The bond of a grandmother with a grandson is displayed in this story.
Q3. Is the title of this story justified?
Ans. All over the story, Khushwant Singh displayed the different stages of his grandmother’s life journey and the relationship with the family members. Here, the author beautifully portrayed the different shades of the characteristics of his grandma like her loving or caring nature, her loneliness as well as her spirituality. Moreover, the author successfully portrayed his grandmother so the title is fully justified.
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