11th English HM

Chapter 5: Mother’s Day

by DILEEP GAUTAM

Mother’s Day

Mother

Mother’s Day Summary

The chapter portrays the practical experience of a mother, Mrs Pearson. Daily, her kids disrespect and disregard her. In her own home, she was treated as a slave. Thus, she feels a lot of ignorance and embarrassment every day not only from her Daughter Doris and son Cyril but also from her husband George Pearson who has completely turned a blind eye from his wife.

Mrs. Pearson’s life turns when she meets Mrs. Fitzgerald, a fortune teller, and discusses her family members and their terrible behavior. She tells Mrs. Fitzgerald everything about her family’s behavior. Moreover, Mrs Fitzgerald (strong and sinister personality) recommends her to exchange personalities. To teach her family a good lesson. At first, Mrs Pearson didn’t agree but after some encouragement, she agreed to switch bodies.

After that, Mrs Fitzgerald casts a spell and swaps her personality with Mrs Pearson. In a matter of seconds, their personalities switch and Mrs Pearson who was calm and composed is now smoking and drinking. And Mrs Fitzgerald is now sitting idle.

The scene changes, and now Mrs Pearson is in her home and Doris enters home. She hands her a dress and asks her to iron it as she has to go on a date with her boyfriend Charlie Spence. Also, she even objects to her mother’s smoking. And when she asks her, Mrs Pearson replies very harshly and advises her to do her work herself. Further, she makes fun of her boyfriend. Afterward, Doris feels miserable and ashamed and starts crying when her mother insults and rebukes her.

After this, her son Cyril enters and asks his mother hurriedly if his tea is ready. On which Mrs Pearson refuses and advises him to prepare it himself. After seeing her mother’s reaction and her sister crying he raises his voice. Also, calls Mrs Fitzgerald an old hag on which Mrs Pearson instructs him to mind his language.

When the kids talk about being worn out after work. She makes it very clear to both of them that they all will work equally from that day onwards. And she will not work at weekends and enjoy with her friends.

At that point, Mr Pearson enters the house and expresses his surprise at seeing her wife drinking and smoking. He objects Mrs Pearson makes him realise that if he can drink then she can too. Further, he tells him that instead of spending his time with her wife he is spending time with people who are making fun of him behind his back.

Mrs Pearson on seeing her family insult asks Mrs Fitzgerald to stop all this. However, she doesn’t let her speak until she teaches all of them a good lesson about respecting and honoring their mother. Soon after they switch personalities again. After that, the son, daughter, and husband learn their lesson and start supporting their mother and wife.

Conclusion 

Through the Mother’s Day summary, the writer wants to say that we all should respect, care, and help our mother for all the hardship she does for us.

Insight Reading Questions

Question 1.

This play written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the mother in a family.
(i) What are the issues it raises?
Answer:
As this play depicts the old status of mothers that’s why it conveys that in those times
(1) mothers were treated like slaves or we could see a home appliance just a care nothing else.
(2) Mothers were always taken for granted as if they did not have any likes or dislikes or what would make them happy or sad. In short, she was thought to be the worst part of due best use in household jobs.

 

 

(ii) Do you think it caricatures these issues or do you think that the problems it raises are genuine? How does the play resolve the issues? Do you agree with the resolution?
Answer:
It caricatures the character of Mrs Fitzgerland not the issues but her character suits because whatever she enacts all is for the betterment of Mrs. Pearson. The problems raised are genuine because they give the genuine picture and condition of the family in the 50s. The play resolves the issues very dramatically as whenever some one in problem he wishes to be someone mightier to face and solve his problem skilfully. The same happened in the play and issues are resolved. I do agree because true realization can only eradicate the civil issues for over.

Question 2.
If you were to write about these issues today what are some of the incidents, examples, and problems that you would think of as relevant?
Answer:
Doris Pearson, the daughter of the family was willing to go out with Charlie Spence a mature person not that good and could even ruin her life. But she was mad at him. The same is happening in today’s era. The girls want to be out even late at night for their fun and frolic. Their companion should be mad about them and rich. If a fellow qualifies for these two conditions the girls would also go crazy.

Today’s woman is independent and thinks of her identity, not like the women of 1950, totally devoted to the family. As too much of everything is bad same is the case with women. Too much negligence or suppression leads to depression and demoralization. On the other hand, too much liberty would also ruin the house. There are no parameters for conduct and behavior because where our liberty ends other’s liberty starts.

Question 3.
Is drama a good medium for conveying a social message? Discuss.
Answer:
Drama is an effective medium for conveying a social message because it makes the sugarcoated bitter pill easy to swallow and removes the disease as well. Drama stages the actions and situations. When a person watches, imagines himself in those shoes, and realizes that a wearer, only best knows where the shoe pinches. Such dramas are very effective because they convey the message to the literate or illiterate, elderly or younger, and urban or rural society undubiously.

Question 4.

Read the play out in parts. Enact the play on a suitable occasion.

Answer:

Enact in the Classroom.

Question 5.
Discuss in group, plays, or films with a strong message of social reform that you have watched.
Answer:
Teachers can help the students by dividing the students into four groups e.g. A, B, C, D. Each group should be given a separate topic to enact within a week’s time.

Questions On Appreciation

Question 1.
Write about the relationship between Mrs. F and Mrs. P which forced Mrs. F to help Mrs. P.
Answer:
Mrs. F and Mrs. P were neighbors and good friends too. Like other ladies, they share their joys and sorrows. This sharing made Mrs F about Mrs. P’s sorrows and weaknesses which pinched Mrs. F a lot Mrs. F made up her mind to help Mrs. P in family affairs. It was not possible to set things right, therefore both of them exchanged their bodies and it was child’s play for Mrs. F. Later Mrs. F as Mrs. P set Mrs. P’s family affairs in her way.

Question 2.
Comment on the contrasting characters of Mrs. F and Mrs. P.
Answer:
Mrs F is older, heavier, and strong and sinister personality. On the other hand, Mrs. P is a pleasant but worried-looking woman in her forties. Both are working opposite personalities and they are different in their behaviour too. That’s why when Mrs. F unpleasantly settles Mrs P’s family affairs, it’ seems to be ironic and unbearable to Mrs. P. Though they are opposite in every respect good friends indeed may be because opposites attract each other.

Question 3.
Detail any situation from the drama when Mrs. F calls a spade a spade and comment as well.
Answer:
Mrs. F as Mrs P straight way tells Mr. George Pearson why he is going to club always and not spending time with his wife though his wife is always concerned for him. She also discloses that people at the club are naming you Pompy-company Pearson because they think you’re slow and pompous. George gets upset and calls Cyril to clarify but Cyril hesitatingly tells that it is true. George gets staggered and Cyril indignantly turns to Mrs. F as Mrs. P for unpolished behavior. She calls a spade a spade very ironically hurting the feelings of the George.

Question 4.

Express Doris and Cyril’s thinking and assumption about Mrs. F as Mrs. P.
Answer:
Both of them faced a real setback when there was not even a tea for them. Moreover, Mom was planning to go out for equal meal. They thought their Mom might have gotten hurt and became insane. That’s why she was doing such activities. They got annoyed when she carried on the same behavior with their father too. They were in tears when Mrs P the real Mom entered their house. She was welcomed as never before as a savior.

Discussion

Question 1.
How Mrs. F solved Mrs. P’s problem is humorous, realistic, ironic, imaginative, or practical. Elaborate.
Answer:
The dramatic procedure followed for solving the problem is humorous to the reader only. It is nonrealistic as in real life we can’t exchange our bodies or spirit. It is purely imaginative as everyone wishes to change himself and the situation with a magic chant but we know it is not possible but imagination can go to any extent.

It is practically impossible to misbehave with family members and to treat them harshly to convince or make them realize. Through love and emotion, everything can be made right. It is ironic because an outsider can only call a spade without caring about the feelings of others. Therefore the way Mrs. F followed was a completely unrealistic and ironic approach to solving the problem.

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