The Portrait of the Lady Class 11 English Summary

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Author at PW

January 30, 2026

The portrait of a lady summary tells a sweet story about a grandson and his grandmother. Written by Khushwant Singh, it shows how their friendship changes over many years. As the boy grows up and moves from a village to a big city, the way they spend time together shifts, but their love stays strong until the very end.

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Summary of The Portrait of the Lady

The story begins with the author describing his grandmother, whom he had always seen as an old and wrinkled woman. He finds it difficult to believe that she was once young and beautiful. He paints a serene image of her with her white attire, silver hair, and peaceful demeanor. The author recalls how she played a significant role in his early years, taking care of him when his parents lived in the city.

His grandmother had a daily routine that involved waking him up, preparing him for school, and accompanying him to the temple-attached school. While he attended his classes, she read scriptures in the temple. After school, she would feed stale chapattis to the village dogs. Their bond was strong, and he was deeply attached to her.

However, the turning point in their relationship came when his parents called them to the city. The author enrolled in an English school, which his grandmother neither understood nor liked. She was displeased with the fact that the school did not teach about God but instead focused on Western education and science. Music lessons, in particular, upset her, as she associated them with a low social status. Over time, their interactions became limited, and their relationship grew distant.

When the author left for university, their bond weakened further. The grandmother spent most of her time spinning her wheel and feeding sparrows in the afternoon. Even when he decided to study abroad for five years, she did not express any sadness or disappointment but saw him off with a silent prayer and a forehead kiss.

Upon his return, he found that she looked just the same, with no visible signs of aging. Her happiest moment was the afternoon spent feeding the sparrows. That evening, she gathered neighborhood women and sang songs about the homecoming of warriors. The family asked her to stop, fearing she would exhaust herself, but she remained determined.

The next day, she fell ill with a mild fever. Though the doctor assured them it was nothing serious, she believed her time had come. She chose to spend her last hours praying instead of talking to her family. Eventually, she passed away peacefully while praying. Her body was covered in a red shroud as per customs, and when her family returned to her room after preparations for the funeral, they saw hundreds of sparrows gathered in silence. Even when offered food, they did not eat, symbolizing their deep grief and respect for the grandmother.

Life in the Village: The Portrait of a Lady Summary Short

In the beginning, the boy and his grandmother lived alone in a small village. The portrait of a lady summary short shows them as best friends who did everything together. She would wake him up, get him ready for school, and walk him to the temple school every single day.

Their Daily Village Routine

Walking to School: She carried stale chapatis to feed the street dogs on the way.
Praying Together: While he learned his ABCs, she sat inside the temple reading holy books.
A Beautiful Soul: Even though she was old and wrinkled, the boy thought she was beautiful like the calm, white winter mountains.

By reading the portrait of a lady in class 11, we see that this was the happiest time in their lives. They were always side by side, and she was his first teacher.

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Moving to the City: The Portrait of a Lady Summary Class 11

The "turning point" in their friendship came when they moved to the city to live with the boy's parents. In the portrait of a lady summary class 11, we see that things changed because the boy started going to an English school in a motor bus.

What Changed in the City?

No More Dogs: There were no dogs in the city, so she started feeding sparrows in the yard.
School Lessons: She could not help him with his homework anymore because he learned science and music instead of God and holy books.
Silence: She did not like his new school and spent most of her time spinning thread and praying with her beads.

Even though they lived in the same house, they talked much less. This part of the portrait of a lady summary shows how growing up can sometimes pull people apart.

The University Years: The Portrait of a Lady Summary in 100 Words

When the boy went to university, he got his own room. This broke the last link of their friendship. The portrait of a lady summary in 100 words explains that the grandmother accepted her loneliness quietly. She spent her whole day sitting by her spinning wheel and telling her beads.

Her Only Happy Hour

The only time she smiled was in the afternoon. She would sit on the porch and break bread into tiny pieces for hundreds of little sparrows. The birds would sit on her head and shoulders, but she never shooed them away. It was the "happiest half-hour of the day" for her.

The Final Goodbye: The Portrait of a Lady Summary

The boy went to a different country for five years to study. He thought his grandmother might not be there when he came back because she was so old. But in the portrait of a lady's summary, she was waiting at the station to meet him! She didn't say a word, she just hugged him.

Her Last Celebration

Singing Songs: That evening, she collected local women and sang songs about warriors coming home while beating an old drum.
Falling Ill: She became sick the next morning. She knew her end was near, so she stopped talking and just prayed.
Peaceful End: She died peacefully while her fingers were still holding her prayer beads.

The Sparrows' Mourning: The Portrait of a Lady Summary Short

The most touching part of the portrait of a lady summary short is what happened after she died. Thousands of sparrows flew in and sat quietly around her body. They did not chirp at all.

A Lesson in Love

Refusing Food: The boy's mother threw bread crumbs to the birds, but they did not touch them.
Quiet Departure: When the family carried the grandmother away, the birds flew away quietly.
True Sadness: The birds were mourning for their friend who used to feed them every day.

You can also read the portrait of a lady summary in Hindi to understand these deep feelings better. It is a story that shows how animals can feel love and sadness just like humans do.

The True Beauty of a Kind Heart: The Portrait of a Lady Summary

The portrait of a lady's summary teaches us that being beautiful is not about how you look on the outside, but how you act on the inside. Even though the grandmother was old and could only hobble around the house, her spirit was pure and peaceful. She spent every second of her life thinking about others, whether she was praying for her grandson or feeding the hungry dogs and birds. This story helps us see that true friendship between old people and children is a treasure that lasts forever.