English Hornbill Notes for Chapter 1 The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 - FREE PDF Download
Chapter 1 of CBSE Class 11 English, "The Portrait of a Lady" by Khushwant Singh, tells the heartfelt story of the author's relationship with his grandmother. This chapter helps students understand themes like family, change, and memories. It beautifully describes the grandmother’s character and how their relationship evolves. The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 Notes offers a thorough and detailed explanation, making it easier for students to understand the chapter.
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Vedantu’s Class 11 English Notes highlight important points, and concepts through simple explanations and summaries. Students can easily grasp the story, characters, and main themes, which helps in exam preparation. Students can download the FREE Chapter 1 The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 Notes PDF, updated according to the CBSE Class 11 English Syllabus.
FAQs on The Portrait of a Lady Class 11 English Hornbill Chapter 1 CBSE Notes - 2025-26
1. What is a quick summary of Khushwant Singh's 'The Portrait of a Lady' for revision?
This story is a heartfelt tribute by the author, Khushwant Singh, to his grandmother. The narrative provides a detailed summary of their evolving relationship through three phases: their close companionship in the village, the growing distance between them in the city, and the final snapping of their physical bond when the author goes abroad. It beautifully captures themes of love, companionship, the generation gap, and the quiet acceptance of life's changes.
2. What are the key character traits of the grandmother for a quick recap of the chapter?
For a quick recap of the grandmother's character, focus on these key traits:
- Deeply Religious: She was always seen telling the beads of her rosary and her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayer.
- Kind and Nurturing: This is evident in how she cared for the author in his childhood and later found solace in feeding the village dogs and then the city sparrows.
- Strong and Independent: Despite her loneliness in the city, she accepted her seclusion with grace and never displayed her emotions.
- Traditional: She disapproved of the English education and music lessons, believing in the importance of scriptures and religious teaching.
3. What main themes are essential to understand from the 'The Portrait of a Lady' notes?
The essential themes to grasp from the chapter notes are the inviolable bond of love and friendship between a grandmother and her grandson, the inevitability of change and the generation gap as time passes, and the contrast between tradition and modernity. The story also explores innocence, companionship, and the serene acceptance of life and death.
4. How does the relationship between the author and his grandmother change over the three distinct phases described in the story?
The relationship evolves significantly across three phases. Phase 1 (Village Life): They shared a deep bond of friendship. She was his constant companion, waking him up and walking him to school. Phase 2 (City Life): This was a turning point. They shared a room but grew distant as he attended an English school she didn't understand. The common link of their friendship was strained. Phase 3 (University & Abroad): The common link was completely severed when he got his own room and later went abroad for studies. They saw less of each other, but their underlying affection remained, marked by a silent understanding.
5. What was the turning point in the friendship between Khushwant Singh and his grandmother?
The most significant turning point in their friendship occurred when the author and his grandmother moved to the city to live with his parents. He started going to an English-medium school in a motor bus. She could no longer accompany him or help with his lessons, which included modern subjects like science that she disapproved of. This created a distance that marked the beginning of a new phase in their relationship.
6. Why is the grandmother's connection with the sparrows a key concept in the story's summary?
The grandmother's connection with the sparrows is a key concept because it symbolises her immense capacity for love and her nurturing spirit, which she extends to all living beings. When human connection with her grandson weakened in the city, she found a new outlet for her affection in feeding the birds. The sparrows' silent mourning on her deathbed highlights the purity of this bond, suggesting that even nature recognised her gentle and pious soul.
7. How can the grandmother's character be seen as a 'portrait' of traditional Indian values?
The grandmother is a 'portrait' of traditional Indian values through her unwavering faith, selflessness, and resilience. Her life revolved around prayer, scriptures, and caring for her family. She represents an older generation's rootedness in culture and spirituality. Her disapproval of Western education and music highlights the clash with modernity, while her graceful acceptance of seclusion in the city showcases the traditional virtue of quiet endurance and inner strength.
8. What key events are essential for a chapter recap of 'The Portrait of a Lady'?
For an effective chapter recap, focus on these key events:
- The author's childhood in the village under his grandmother's complete care.
- Their move to the city, which marks the beginning of their emotional separation.
- The author's admission to university and getting a private room, further reducing their interaction.
- The author leaving for five years of study abroad, and his grandmother's silent, emotional farewell at the railway station.
- His return and her unusual celebration by singing for hours.
- Her subsequent illness, peaceful death, and the poignant mourning by thousands of sparrows.
9. Why did the author find it hard to believe his grandmother was once “young and pretty”?
The author found it difficult to imagine his grandmother as "young and pretty" because, for as long as he could remember, she had looked the same: old, stooped, and with a puckered face. To him, her old age was a constant and timeless reality. The idea of her being young was as unbelievable as the fables she told him. This perception underscores her role as a permanent, stable, and serene figure in his life, rather than a person who had gone through the life cycle of change.
10. How does the concept of silence play an important role in the chapter summary?
Silence is a powerful concept throughout the chapter. The grandmother's prayers were often 'inaudible,' and she communicated her displeasure with silence rather than words. Their farewell at the station was marked by a silent kiss. Most importantly, her death was followed by the profound silence of the sparrows, who sat without chirruping to mourn her. This recurring motif of silence in the summary emphasises the deep, unspoken understanding and emotions that defined her character and her relationships.
