The Portrait of a Lady
Background
“The Portrait of a Lady” is a heartfelt short story written by the renowned Indian author Khushwant Singh. It’s an autobiographical account, meaning the author is writing about his own life and his personal relationship with his grandmother. The story unfolds in different phases of his life, from his childhood spent in a village with her, to his boyhood in the city, and finally to his adulthood when he goes to university and even abroad. Through his eyes, we get to see a vivid “portrait” of his grandmother, not just her physical appearance, but her very essence and spirit.
Explanation
The Grandmother’s Appearance
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Always Old: To the author, his grandmother had always been old and wrinkled for the twenty years he knew her.
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Beautiful but not “Pretty”: While people said she was once young and pretty, the author found it hard to believe. However, he describes her as “beautiful” like a peaceful winter landscape in the mountains.
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Daily Routine: She wore spotless white clothes, walked with a slight stoop, and was always “telling the beads of her rosary” while praying silently.
Life in the Village
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Best Friends: The author and his grandmother were very close when they lived in the village.
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School Days: She would wake him up, get him ready, and walk him to school because it was attached to a temple.
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Feeding the Dogs: On their way home, she would feed stale chapattis (bread) to the village dogs that followed them.
Moving to the City (The Turning Point)
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The Change: When they moved to the city to live with the author’s parents, their friendship changed.
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English School: The author began going to an English school in a motor bus, so the grandmother could no longer go with him.
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New Habit: Since there were no dogs in the city streets, she started feeding sparrows in the courtyard.
The Growing Gap
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Unhappy with Lessons: She was upset that the English school taught science and music instead of God and the scriptures. To her, music was not for “gentlefolk”.
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University Life: When the author went to university and got his own room, their common link of friendship was broken.
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Silent Prayer: She accepted her loneliness and spent most of her time spinning her wheel and reciting prayers.
The Author Goes Abroad and Returns
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The Departure: The author went abroad for five years for higher studies. Even at the railway station, his grandmother did not show emotion; she just prayed and kissed his forehead.
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The Homecoming: When he returned, she was there to meet him. She celebrated by collecting neighborhood women, beating an old drum, and singing for hours.
The Final Farewell
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The Illness: The next morning, she fell ill. She knew her end was near and insisted on spending her last moments praying rather than talking to the family.
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A Peaceful Death: She died peacefully while praying and holding her rosary.
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Mourning Sparrows: Thousands of sparrows came and sat silently around her body. They did not eat the bread crumbs offered to them and flew away quietly when her body was taken away.
Social Interpretations
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Changing Times: The story shows how moving from a village to a city can change family bonds and traditions.
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Modern vs. Traditional Education: It highlights the difference between traditional religious learning and modern scientific education, and how this can create a gap between generations.
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The Value of Elders: The text encourages us to think about how we treat elderly people in our families as they grow older and feel more secluded.
Lessons We Learn
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Respect for Elders: We learn the importance of respecting and understanding the feelings of our grandparents.
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Simple Living: The grandmother’s life of prayer and feeding animals shows us the beauty of a simple and disciplined life.
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Bond with Nature: Her relationship with the dogs and sparrows teaches us that we should be kind to all living creatures.
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Acceptance: The way she accepted her “seclusion with resignation” teaches us how to face changes in life with dignity.
Conclusion
“The Portrait of a Lady” is more than just a description of a grandmother; it is a story about a deep human connection that stays strong even when life changes. Through her silence and her prayers, the grandmother leaves a lasting impression on her grandson and on us as readers.