How I Taught My Grandmother to Read (Part-2)

 How I Taught My Grandmother to Read 

Summary of the Text "How I Taught My Grandmother to Read"

The narrator, a twelve-year-old girl, finds her grandmother (Avva) crying one night. The grandmother explains that she feels helpless because she cannot read the Kannada magazine Kashi Yatre. When the narrator was away, she had no one to read it to her, and she felt embarrassed to ask others for help. This made her realize that without education, she is dependent despite being financially well-off.

Determined to change this, the sixty-two-year-old grandmother decides to learn the Kannada alphabet. Though the narrator initially laughs at her, she soon becomes her teacher. The grandmother proves to be a hardworking and dedicated student, practicing reading and writing every day.

By the time of the Dassara festival, she successfully learns to read. On that day, she surprises the narrator by touching her feet as a mark of respect for being her teacher. She then reads the novel Kashi Yatre independently, showing that she has achieved her goal.

Theme Explanation

1. Education brings independence: 

The grandmother realizes that money is not enough—without education, she feels dependent and helpless. Learning to read gives her confidence and freedom.

2. There is no age limit for learning

Even at sixty-two, she decides to study and succeeds. This shows that determination matters more than age.

3. Determination and hard work

Her strong will and regular practice help her achieve her goal in a short time.

4. Respect for teachers

The grandmother touching her granddaughter’s feet highlights the deep respect given to teachers in Indian culture, regardless of age.

5. Emotional bond and role reversal

The story beautifully shows the loving relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, where the child becomes the teacher. 

How I Taught My Grandmother to Read 

Text

I could not understand why my sixty-two-year-old grandmother was telling me, a twelve-year-old, the story of her life in the middle of the night. But I knew I loved her immensely and there had to be some reason why she was talking to me. I looked at her face. It was unhappy and her eyes were filled with tears. She was a good-looking lady who was usually always smiling. Even today, I cannot forget the worried expression on her face. I leaned forward and held her hand. ‘Avva, don’t cry. What is the matter? Can I help you in any way?’

‘Yes, I need your help. You know when you were away, Karmaveera came as usual. I opened the magazine. I saw the picture that accompanies the story of Kashi Yatre and I could not understand anything that was written. Many times I rubbed my hands over the pages wishing they could understand what was written. But I knew it was not possible. If only I was educated enough. I waited eagerly for you to return. I felt you would come early and read for me. I even thought of going to the village and asking you to read for me. I could have asked somebody in this village but I was too embarrassed to do so. I felt very dependent and helpless. We are well-off, but what use is money when I cannot be independent?’

Word Meanings

immensely – very much / deeply
worried expression – a look showing tension or concern
leaned forward – bent slightly towards someone
accompanies – goes along with something
rubbed – moved hands back and forth over something
embarrassed – feeling shy or uncomfortable
well-off – rich or financially comfortable
independent – able to do things on one’s own

Explanation

The narrator sees her grandmother crying one night and asks the reason. The grandmother explains that while the narrator was away, she received the magazine Karmaveera but could not read the story Kashi Yatre because she was uneducated. She felt helpless, dependent, and too embarrassed to ask others for help. This made her realize that even though she is financially well-off, without education she cannot be truly independent.

Text

 I did not know what to answer. Avva continued. 

‘I have decided I want to learn the Kannada alphabet from tomorrow onwards. I will work very hard. I will keep Saraswati Puja day during Dassara as the deadline. That day I should be able to read a novel on my own. I want to be independent.’ 

I saw the determination on her face. Yet I laughed at her. 

‘Avva, at this age of sixty-two you want to learn the alphabet? All your hair is grey, your hands are wrinkled, you wear spectacles and you work so much in the kitchen...’ 

Childishly I made fun of the old lady. But she just smiled. 

Word Meanings

wrinkled – having lines or folds on the skin (due to old age)
spectacles – eyeglasses
childishly – in a silly or immature way

Explanation

Avva decides to learn the Kannada alphabet and sets a goal to read a novel by the time of the Dassara festival. She is determined to work hard and become independent. Although the narrator notices her strong determination, she laughs at her grandmother and makes fun of her age. However, Avva remains calm and confident, smiling despite being mocked.

Text

‘For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle. I will work harder than anybody but I will do it. For learning there is no age bar.’ 

The next day onwards I started my tuition. Avva was a wonderful student. The amount of homework she did was amazing. She would read, repeat, write, and recite. I was her only teacher and she was my first student. Little did I know then that one day I would become a teacher in Computer Science and teach hundreds of students. 

Word Meanings

determined – having a strong decision to do something
overcome – to successfully deal with or defeat a problem
obstacle – something that blocks or makes progress difficult
wonderful – very good / excellent
amazing – surprising in a good way
recite – to say something aloud from memory
little did I know – I did not know at that time

Explanation

Avva says that with determination, any obstacle can be overcome and that there is no age limit for learning. Inspired by her strong will, the narrator begins teaching her. Avva proves to be a hardworking and dedicated student, practicing regularly by reading, writing, and reciting. The narrator becomes her teacher, and this experience later inspires her to become a teacher in Computer Science.

Text

The Dassara festival came as usual. Secretly I bought Kashi Yatre which had been published as a novel by that time. My grandmother called meto the puja place and made me sit down on a stool. She gave me a gift of frock material. Then she did something unusual. She bent down and touched my feet. I was surprised and taken aback. Elders never touch the feet of youngsters. We have always touched the feet of God, elders, and teachers. We consider that as a mark of respect. It is a great tradition but today the reverse had happened. It was not correct.

 She said, ‘I am touching the feet of a teacher, not my granddaughter; a teacher who taught me so well, with so much of affection that I can read any novel confidently in such a short period. Now I am independent. It is my duty to respect a teacher. Is it not written in our scriptures that a teacher should be respected, irrespective of the gender and age?’

 I did return her namaskara to her by touching her feet and gave my gift to my first student. She opened it and read immediately the title Kashi Yatre by Triveni and the publisher’s name. I knew then that my student had passed with flying colours.

Word Meanings

bent down – lowered her body
taken aback – surprised and shocked
tradition – a long-established custom or belief
reverse – the opposite situation
scriptures – holy religious books
irrespective – without considering
namaskara – a respectful greeting by bowing/touching feet
passed with flying colours – succeeded very well

Explanation

On the day of the Dassara festival, the narrator secretly gifts her grandmother the novel Kashi Yatre. The grandmother surprises her by touching her feet as a mark of respect, calling her a teacher rather than a granddaughter. She expresses gratitude for being taught with love and proudly says she is now independent. The narrator feels emotional and returns the gesture. Finally, the grandmother reads the book fluently, showing that she has successfully learned to read.

Question Answers

Check Your Understanding

I.  State whether the following sentences are true or false. Share your answers with your classmates and teacher.

1. The grandmother wanted to learn the Kannada alphabet to gain independence.	True
2. The grandmother asked someone in the village to read Kashi Yatre to her while the narrator was away.	False
3. The narrator was the grandmother’s first teacher and taught her how to read Kannada.	True
4. The grandmother believed that there was no age limit for learning	True
5. The grandmother touched the narrator’s feet as a mark of respect for her as a teacher.	False
6. The narrator was disappointed with the progress her grandmother made in learning to read.	False

Critical Reflection

I Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

1. When I came back to my village, I saw my grandmother in tears. I was surprised, for I had never seen her cry even in the most difficult situations. What had happened? I was worried.

 ‘Avva, is everything all right? Are you okay?’ 

 I used to call her Avva, which means mother in the Kannada spoken in north Karnataka.

 She nodded but did not reply. I did not understand and forgot about it. In the night, after dinner, we were sleeping in the open terrace of our house. It was a summer night and there was a full moon. Avva came and sat next to me. Her affectionate hands touched my forehead. 

(i) Complete the following sentence with the appropriate option. The phrase ‘never seen her cry in the most difficult situations’ tells us that the grandmother was _________________. 

 A. strong-willed 

 B. understanding

 C. considerate 

 D. bold 

Answer:  A. Strong-willed

(ii) Complete the following with the correct option from those given in the brackets.

 Grandmother did not reply when the narrator asked if she was alright because she might have been too ________________________ (emotional/tired) to respond.

Answer: Emotional

(iii) Identify the clue from the extract that indicates a rural setting with traditional customs.

Answer:  Clue of rural setting:

• “sleeping in the open terrace of our house” and mention of “village” show a rural, traditional lifestyle.

(iv) Which lines of the extract establish a tender atmosphere?

Answer: “Avva came and sat next to me. Her affectionate hands touched my forehead.”

(v) Which of the following aspect is NOT emphasised in the given extract? 

A. the emotional turmoil of the grandmother

B. the affectionate bond between the narrator and her grandmother 

C. the grandmother’s regret over her lack of education 

D. the narrator’s concern for her grandmother

Answer: C. the grandmother’s regret over her lack of education

2. ‘I have decided I want to learn the Kannada alphabet from tomorrow onwards. I will work very hard. I will keep Saraswati Puja day during Dassara as the deadline. That day I should be able to read a novel on my own. I want to be independent.’ 

I saw the determination on her face. Yet I laughed at her.

‘Avva, at this age of sixty-two you want to learn the alphabet? All your hair is grey, your hands are wrinkled, you wear spectacles and you work so much in the kitchen...’ 

Childishly I made fun of the old lady. But she just smiled.

‘For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle. I will work harder than anybody but I will do it. For learning there is no age bar.’ 

(i) What does the grandmother’s statement, “I want to be independent,” reveal about her character? 

A. She wanted to be literate. 

B. She desires self-sufficiency. 

C. She wants to prove her intelligence to others. 

D. She feels pressured by society to learn.

Answer:  B. She desires self-sufficiency.

(ii) Fill in the blank with the appropriate option from those given in brackets. The grandmother’s determination shows that learning has no ___________________. (age limit/gender bias/cultural barriers) 

Answer: The grandmother’s determination shows that learning has no age limit.

(iii) Complete the following with a suitable reason. The narrator laughs at her grandmother’s decision to learn the alphabet at the age of sixty-two because ___________________. 

Answer: The narrator laughs because she thinks old people cannot learn new things and finds the idea unusual at that age.

(iv) List any two qualities displayed by the grandmother.

Answer: Two qualities of the grandmother:

• Determination
• Strong will (or perseverance / dedication)

(v) How can we say that the narrator is making assumptions about her grandmother?

Answer: The narrator assumes that old age, grey hair, and physical weakness make learning impossible, without understanding her grandmother’s true capability and determination.

II Answer the following questions. 

1. Why do you think the grandmother felt embarrassed to ask someone else to read to her while the narrator was away? 

Answer: The grandmother felt embarrassed because she was illiterate and did not want others to know about her inability to read, especially when she depended on others for something she deeply wished to do herself.

2. Why does the narrator initially laugh at her grandmother’s determination to learn at the age of sixty-two? 

Answer: The narrator laughs because she believes learning is only for the young and finds it strange that a sixty-two-year-old woman wants to study, showing her childish thinking.

3.What significance does the story of Kashi Yatre have in both the grandmother’s life and the story? 

Answer: The story Kashi Yatre is significant because it inspires the grandmother’s desire to learn reading. She becomes emotionally attached to the story and feels helpless when she cannot read it herself, which becomes the turning point of the narrative.

4. What does the grandmother’s desire to learn the Kannada alphabet reflect about her?

Answer: The grandmother’s desire to learn reflects her determination, self-respect, and strong will to become independent despite her age.

5. What lessons can we infer from the grandmother’s action of touching the narrator’s feet? 

Answer: Her touching the narrator’s feet teaches:

• Respect for knowledge and teachers
• Humility, regardless of age
• Learning is greater than ego

6. What does the following line tell us about the broader theme of the story? 

 ‘For a good cause if you are determined, you can overcome any obstacle.’ 

Answer: This line highlights that determination and dedication can help a person overcome any difficulty, emphasizing the theme of perseverance and lifelong learning.

7. How effectively does the story highlight the value of education in supporting personal independence?

Answer: The story effectively shows that education is essential for independence and self-confidence. The grandmother’s journey proves that even basic literacy can empower a person and remove dependency on others.