EnglishCBSE Class 9 · Vitamin-M

Vitamin-M (Kaveri Unit 4): Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya

Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked

In Vitamin-M, Grandpa is independent, sharp and playful; Ravi is dutiful, caring and a little foolish in his detective role; and his mother Vidya is loving but over-protective and, in the end, forgetful herself. Each trait is shown through action: Grandpa's trick with the cap, Ravi's hiding, and Vidya's forgotten birthday.

Understand Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya

How to write a character sketch. Name the character, give two or three traits, support each with an event or quotation, and end with what the character shows about the theme. A trait without evidence earns few marks.

Grandpa (retired lawyer, seventy-five). (1) Independent: he says he has been "looking after myself for the better part of my seventy-five years" and has kept house since his wife died ten years ago. (2) Sharp: he plays brilliant chess and remembers famous games, and he guesses Ravi's instructions. (3) Playful and clever: he gives his yellow cap to a man at the barber shop, so Ravi follows the wrong man, and he enjoys the sugary tea, bananas and ice cream forbidden at home. (4) Generous: he hands out gifts on his own birthday, as he always does, which the story calls "typical of Grandpa". (5) Proud: he resents being "treated like a baby".

Ravi (a schoolboy on holiday). (1) Dutiful: he promises his mother that he will not let Grandpa go out alone. (2) Considerate: he follows secretly, not wanting to hurt Grandpa's feelings. (3) Eager but inexperienced: his hiding behind an elephant-shaped bush and banyan tree is comic, and he enters the ladies' salon by mistake. (4) Affectionate: when he reaches home and finds Grandpa asleep, he hugs him and asks nothing.

Vidya (Ravi's mother). (1) Loving and anxious: she worries because Grandpa took a double dose of medicine and once got lost. (2) Over-protective: she speaks loudly to him, as if he were a child, and instructs Ravi never to let him out alone. (3) Ironically forgetful: she circled Grandpa's birthday on the calendar and still forgot it. Her love is real, but her way of showing it is condescending.

Relationships. Grandpa and Ravi share a warm bond, while Grandpa and Vidya have a loving but strained one, because of her worry.

What the characters show. Respect and independence are as important as care.

Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya: key facts

Grandpa: Independent
Sharp
Playful
Generous
Proud; Evidence: seventy-five years, chess, cap trick, gifts.
Ravi: Dutiful
Considerate
Inexperienced
Affectionate; Evidence: promise, hiding, salon, hug.
Vidya: Loving
Over-protective
Forgetful; Evidence: loud voice, never alone, forgotten birthday.
Method: Trait
Evidence
Meaning; Use for every character sketch.

How to answer Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya questions

Use this for a character sketch or trait question.

1Name the character and give the role.
2Choose two traits.
3Support each with an event or a quote.
4Show one weakness or contrast.
5Link to the story's message.

Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Care that feels like control

Suppose a mother tells her teenage son to call her every hour from a trip, and he feels she does not trust him, even though she only loves him.

Which character does she resemble, and why? Answer in 2 lines.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

She worries and instructs.
The result is that he feels treated like a child.

Answer: She resembles Vidya, whose love shows as over-protection, so Grandpa feels he is treated like a baby.

Memory hook: Love needs trust.

Tricks to remember Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

G-I-S-P-G
Grandpa: Independent, Sharp, Playful, Generous.
Use it when: Traits of Grandpa.
R-D-C-A
Ravi: Dutiful, Considerate, Amateur, Affectionate.
Use it when: Traits of Ravi.
V-L-O-F
Vidya: Loving, Over-protective, Forgetful.
Use it when: Traits of Vidya.

Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Occupation · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Before retiring, Grandpa was
(a) a teacher (b) a lawyer (c) a doctor (d) a chess coach

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The text calls him a retired lawyer.

Answer: (b) a lawyer

Example 2: Independent · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Which line shows Grandpa's independence? Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Quote the seventy-five years line (1).
Explain (1).

Answer: Grandpa says he has been looking after himself for the better part of his seventy-five years. The line shows his independence. He has kept house on his own since his wife died ten years ago and resents being treated like a baby by his daughter and grandson.

Example 3: Ravi's traits · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Describe two traits of Ravi with evidence. Answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Trait 1 with evidence (1).
Trait 2 with evidence (1).

Answer: Ravi is dutiful: he has promised his mother not to let Grandpa out alone, so he follows him. He is also considerate, because he follows secretly so as not to hurt Grandpa's feelings. When he finds Grandpa safe at home, he hugs him and asks nothing, which shows his affection.

Example 4: Vidya · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Is Vidya a good mother and daughter? Support your answer in 40-50 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Care (1).
Fault (1).
Balanced conclusion (1).

Answer: Vidya is loving, since she worries about her father's safety after the double dose of medicine and the walk where he got lost. But she treats him like a child, speaking loudly and keeping him from going out alone. Ironically, she forgets his birthday, so her care is real but flawed.

Example 5: Grandpa as a hero · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

"Grandpa is the real hero of the story." Do you agree? Answer in 100-120 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Position (1).
Evidence (3).
Balance with Ravi (1).
Expression (1).

Answer: I agree that Grandpa is the hero of the story. He is independent, having looked after himself for most of his seventy-five years, and he refuses to be treated like a baby. He is sharp, since he plays brilliant chess and guesses Ravi's instructions. His clever trick with the yellow cap makes Ravi follow a stranger, and he returns home before everyone. He is also generous, giving gifts on his own birthday. Ravi shows devotion, but he is outwitted. The story's message is that old age does not reduce a person's intelligence, and Grandpa proves that point so well that we cheer for him.

Where students lose marks in Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Listing traits without proof
Examiners need evidence.
Wrong working
Grandpa is independent and clever.
Right working
Grandpa is independent: he looks after himself at seventy-five.
Do this: Add an event to each trait.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks
Mistake: Calling Vidya cruel
She cares deeply.
Wrong working
Vidya is a heartless daughter.
Right working
Vidya is loving but over-protective.
Do this: Balance her love and fault.
Usually costs: 1 to 2 marks
Mistake: Wrong family relation
Grandpa is her father.
Wrong working
Grandpa is Ravi's father's father.
Right working
Grandpa is Vidya's father and Ravi's maternal grandfather.
Do this: Check the relationships.
Usually costs: 1 mark
Mistake: No link to the theme
Add the message.
Wrong working
Only the characters.
Right working
End with respect and independence.
Do this: Close with the theme.
Usually costs: 1 mark

Exam tips

Use the pattern trait, evidence, meaning.
Give two traits per character.
Quote short lines such as "treating me like a baby".
Name the relationships correctly.
End with the message of respect.

Practice questions on Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of these is NOT a trait of Ravi?
(a) considerate (b) dutiful (c) forgetful of his promise (d) affectionate
Hint
He keeps his promise.
Answer
(c) forgetful of his promise
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What does Grandpa's wish to fetch the Tamil newspaper show about him? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of independence.
Answer
Grandpa wants to fetch the newspaper himself, though everyone fears he may get lost. This shows his independence and his wish to do ordinary tasks without help. It also reveals how much he dislikes being watched over as if he could not manage.
Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How does Ravi's feeling towards Grandpa change in the story? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of the first and last scenes.
Answer
At first Ravi is puzzled, because Grandpa plays good chess but is said to forget names. He then follows him anxiously, partly as a duty. In the end, when Grandpa outwits him, Ravi hugs him with affection and respects his sharpness, so worry turns into admiration.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What is ironic about Vidya's wish for a memory vitamin? Answer in 40-50 words.
Hint
Think of the birthday.
Answer
Vidya wishes for a vitamin that would improve the memory of old people, meaning her father. But the story ends by showing that she is the one who forgot his birthday, though she had circled it on the calendar. The irony shows that forgetfulness is not only a problem of age.
Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Suppose Grandpa speaks to Vidya the evening of his birthday. Write what he says in 100-120 words.
Hint
Show dignity and humour.
Answer
Vidya, my dear, I know you worry about me, and I love you for it. But I am seventy-five and I have managed my own house for ten years. Today I walked to the park, had tea and ice cream, and your son tried to follow me like a detective. I hope you do not mind that I outwitted him! Please do not speak to me as you would to a child. I would also remind you, gently, that today is my birthday, the one you circled on the calendar. Perhaps it is you who needs a little Vitamin-M. Now let us cut the cake together.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Who is Grandpa to Ravi?Show answer
His maternal grandfather.
2.What does Grandpa play well?Show answer
Chess.
3.What does Vidya forget?Show answer
Grandpa's birthday.
4.Where does Ravi hide at the tea stall?Show answer
Behind a banyan tree.
5.What did Grandpa carry?Show answer
An eagle-headed walking stick.
6.Who did Ravi follow onto the bus?Show answer
A stranger in the yellow cap.

Vitamin-M: Character Sketch of Grandpa, Ravi and Vidya: frequently asked questions

What are Grandpa's main traits?

Independent, sharp, playful and generous.

What are Ravi's main traits?

Dutiful, considerate, inexperienced and affectionate.

Is Vidya a bad mother?

No; she is loving but over-protective and ironically forgetful.

What do the characters show?

The elderly need respect and independence along with care.