The Portrait of a Lady Summary Class 11 in Easy English

The Portrait of a Lady Summary in Easy English | Class 11 English

Short Summary 

“The Portrait of a Lady” is written by Khushwant Singh. In this story, the author talks about his grandmother and their relationship. When he was a child, they were very close to each other. As he grew older, their bond slowly changed. His grandmother was a simple, religious, and kind woman. At the end of the story, she dies peacefully, and the scene becomes very emotional.

About the author 

Khushwant Singh was a famous Indian writer and journalist. He wrote many books and articles. His writing style is simple and emotional. In this chapter, he shares real memories of his grandmother.

Full Summary 

The story begins with the author describing his grandmother. She was old, short, and slightly bent. She always wore white clothes and kept telling her prayer beads. She was very religious.

In the beginning, the author and his grandmother lived in a village. She used to wake him up, get him ready for school, and walk with him to school. The school was attached to a temple, and students were taught religious lessons. His grandmother liked this system.

Later, the author’s parents moved to the city. In the city, the author joined an English school. There were no religious teachings there. The grandmother did not like the modern education system. She was unhappy because the author was learning music and science instead of religion. Slowly, they stopped talking much.

When the author went to university, he was given a separate room. The common friendship between them ended. The grandmother then spent most of her time praying and feeding sparrows. She was very fond of the birds.

After some years, the author went abroad for higher studies. He stayed there for five years. When he came back, his grandmother looked very weak and old. She celebrated his return by singing prayers with old women. The next day, she fell ill. She said her end was near and stopped talking. She continued praying quietly.

Soon, she died peacefully.

After her death, thousands of sparrows came and sat silently in her room. They did not make any sound. It seemed as if they were mourning her death. This scene was very touching and emotional.

Theme of the chapter 

1.Love and Affection

2.Changing Relationships

3.Generation Gap

4.Traditional vs Modern Life

5.Peaceful Death

Character Sketch

Grandmother 

• She was old and religious.
• She always wore white clothes.
• She believed strongly in God.
• She loved her grandson deeply.
• She was kind and peaceful.
• She loved feeding sparrows.

She was a symbol of traditional Indian values.

Important Questions and Answers

Q1. Why was the grandmother unhappy in the city?

She was unhappy because the city school did not teach religion, and she did not like modern education.

Q2. How did the sparrows react to her death?

Many sparrows came into her room and sat silently, as if they were mourning her death.

Q3. How did the relationship change over time?

In childhood, they were very close. But as the author grew up and moved to the city, their friendship became less strong.

Message of the story 

The story teaches us the importance of love, respect, and family bonds. It also shows how relationships change with time but memories always remain in our hearts.