ABOUT THE AUTHOR
·
Khushwant
Singh
Khushwant
Singh
·
Born
– February 02, 1915, Hadali, British India
Born
– February 02, 1915, Hadali, British India
·
Died
– March 20. 2014, New Delhi, India.
Died
– March 20. 2014, New Delhi, India.
·
Khushwant
Singh was an Indian novelist, lawyer, politician and journalist.
Khushwant
Singh was an Indian novelist, lawyer, politician and journalist.
·
Notable
works –
Notable
works –
a) Train to Pakistan (1956)
b) Black Jasmine (1971)
c) The company of women
(1999)
(1999)
d) Death at my door step
(2005)
(2005)
·
Awards
–
Awards
–
i)
Padma
Bhushan (1974)
Padma
Bhushan (1974)
ii)
Punjab
Rattan Award (2006)
Punjab
Rattan Award (2006)
iii)
Padma
Vibhushan (2007)
Padma
Vibhushan (2007)
THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY
–
A
TOUCHING PORTRAIT OF GRANDMOTHER
A
TOUCHING PORTRAIT OF GRANDMOTHER
We are overwhelmed by the description of the
character of the grandmother. She is more than a grandmother in the story. She
can only be evaluated as a woman with pure positivity. Her virtues leave us
emotional and we bear her memory as a woman of reverence. She is a sacred lady
with the spontaneous assay to stay in close communion with almighty. She has
fondness towards ancient culture and heritage. She is a responsible and caring grandmother.
She is kind to everything which is endowed with life. And the mourning of the
birds on her death shows the justification of her life.
character of the grandmother. She is more than a grandmother in the story. She
can only be evaluated as a woman with pure positivity. Her virtues leave us
emotional and we bear her memory as a woman of reverence. She is a sacred lady
with the spontaneous assay to stay in close communion with almighty. She has
fondness towards ancient culture and heritage. She is a responsible and caring grandmother.
She is kind to everything which is endowed with life. And the mourning of the
birds on her death shows the justification of her life.
THE PORTRAIT
OF A LADY
OF A LADY
A RELIGIOUS
LADY
LADY
The grandmother never stopped praying in
whatever situation she was in whether she is busy in her work or she is
preparing her a grandson for school or she is spinning the wheel, she always
continued her prayer along with telling the beads of rosary. We find her to
cease praying only for once, after the author’s return from abroad. Her death
can be taken as a mysterious one as she shows her complete awareness towards
her approaching end. To others it had been a mild fever but she knew that she
would soon depart this mortal world.
whatever situation she was in whether she is busy in her work or she is
preparing her a grandson for school or she is spinning the wheel, she always
continued her prayer along with telling the beads of rosary. We find her to
cease praying only for once, after the author’s return from abroad. Her death
can be taken as a mysterious one as she shows her complete awareness towards
her approaching end. To others it had been a mild fever but she knew that she
would soon depart this mortal world.
THE PORTRAIT
OF A LADY
OF A LADY
GRANDMOTHER
AND GRANDSON
AND GRANDSON
The whole story revolves around the link between
the Grandmother and grandson. We are acquainted here with the picture how with
the passing of time the link between the grandmother and grandson apparently
got fragile. In the village grandmother had played the role of a caring and
responsible grandmother who took every care to prepare him for school and as
well as to take care about his studies. The link got weak when they moved to
the town and the author started to go to an English school. Then the link got
even weaker when the author went to university and abroad. The author had
emotional thoughts as he feared that their meeting might not take place any
more as the grandmother might pass away in the course of time.
the Grandmother and grandson. We are acquainted here with the picture how with
the passing of time the link between the grandmother and grandson apparently
got fragile. In the village grandmother had played the role of a caring and
responsible grandmother who took every care to prepare him for school and as
well as to take care about his studies. The link got weak when they moved to
the town and the author started to go to an English school. Then the link got
even weaker when the author went to university and abroad. The author had
emotional thoughts as he feared that their meeting might not take place any
more as the grandmother might pass away in the course of time.
THE PORTRAIT
OF A LADY
OF A LADY
GRANDMOTHER
MORFE THAN A GRANDMOTHER
MORFE THAN A GRANDMOTHER
The grandmother of the story is indeed more
than what we find in grandmothers. She is with difference. We find her never to
cease praying. She is kind and benevolent towards the animals and birds. She feeds
the dogs and the birds. She loved seclusion and spent life in prayers and
spinning wheels. She was endowed with religious attainments. She could
understand that she was about to meet the horns of death.
than what we find in grandmothers. She is with difference. We find her never to
cease praying. She is kind and benevolent towards the animals and birds. She feeds
the dogs and the birds. She loved seclusion and spent life in prayers and
spinning wheels. She was endowed with religious attainments. She could
understand that she was about to meet the horns of death.
SOME IMPORTANT LINES EXPLAINED
1. ‘’She often us of the
games she used to play as a child. That ………………………………
games she used to play as a child. That ………………………………
…………………………………………………………….prophets
she used to tell us.”
she used to tell us.”
The author is in no way to imagine that grandmother
had also been a girl once. She had also played games as they do. This thought
appeared to him because he has never seen grandmother as a child on a young
lady rather he has known her only as an old woman with respect and dignity.
Whenever they hear this, they feel it to be as impossible as the fables of the
prophets.
had also been a girl once. She had also played games as they do. This thought
appeared to him because he has never seen grandmother as a child on a young
lady rather he has known her only as an old woman with respect and dignity.
Whenever they hear this, they feel it to be as impossible as the fables of the
prophets.
2. ‘’ old terribly old
that she could not have grown older and had stayed at the same age for twenty
years.”
that she could not have grown older and had stayed at the same age for twenty
years.”
The grandmother was very old. The memory of
the author about his grandmother revolves around only one age i.e. old age.
Since his childhood he has found only an old grandmother. And for the past
twenty years she stayed in the same state of an old lady. Though years rolled
by there had not been much change in the physique of the grandmother
the author about his grandmother revolves around only one age i.e. old age.
Since his childhood he has found only an old grandmother. And for the past
twenty years she stayed in the same state of an old lady. Though years rolled
by there had not been much change in the physique of the grandmother
3, ‘’It was the monopoly
of harlots……………………………………………………..
of harlots……………………………………………………..
………………………………………….she
rarely talked to the after that”
rarely talked to the after that”
Grand mother had a strong dislike for the
teaching and the school her grandson was reading in . She despised the teaching
of the school. She wanted that students must learn about God and scriptures
when she got to know that her grandson was given lessons on music she condemned
to the utmost. According to her music was meant for the beggars and harlots.
She protested it with silence and ceased talking to her grandson.
teaching and the school her grandson was reading in . She despised the teaching
of the school. She wanted that students must learn about God and scriptures
when she got to know that her grandson was given lessons on music she condemned
to the utmost. According to her music was meant for the beggars and harlots.
She protested it with silence and ceased talking to her grandson.
4. “Silently she kissed my
…………………………………………
…………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………contact
between us.”
between us.”
Owing to the senile state of the
grandmother, the author was quite sure that there was no possibility to meet
the grandmother after his return from the abroad. She kissed the author on his
for head which left the author emotional. He felt and considered the moist
imprint to be last physical contact between them and went dejected.
grandmother, the author was quite sure that there was no possibility to meet
the grandmother after his return from the abroad. She kissed the author on his
for head which left the author emotional. He felt and considered the moist
imprint to be last physical contact between them and went dejected.
5. “She said that since only
……………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………time
talking with us.
talking with us.
Grandmother was completely aware about the fact that
she was about to die. For the first time she had omitted to pray and she is now
not going to waste her time in talking with them. She was religiously conscious
and felt her demise. It shows her strong religious inclination.
she was about to die. For the first time she had omitted to pray and she is now
not going to waste her time in talking with them. She was religiously conscious
and felt her demise. It shows her strong religious inclination.
