MOTHER’S DAY - J.B.

PRIESTLY

[Link] play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the
status of the mother in the family.

1. What are the issues it raises?

2. 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:

1. The play raises many serious issues. The first and foremost is proper
appreciation of a housewife’s role and responsibilities. Those who work eight
hours a day and forty hours a week treat the housewife as an unpaid domestic
servant, who must carry out their orders. They neither request her nor thank
her for her services. The second issue is the reciprocity of love and gratitude
towards the mother or wife. The husband, son and daughter leave the lady of
the house alone every night and go out to enjoy themselves in their several
ways. They do not take any notice of her and have become thoughtless and
selfish. The mother’s excessive love, care and promptness to serve them also
spoil them.
2. The problems the play raises are serious. The treatment is of course, comic.
The playwright adopts an unusual method to resolve the issues. He takes the
help of magic bf the East. Incantation of a magical spell helps in the
interchange of the personalities. Now Mrs Pearson, with the strong and sinister
personality of Mrs Fitzgerald, gives rough treatment to the daughter, son and
husband respectively. Her stern looks and commanding tone suggests to them
that she can be really tough. The spoilt member are brought round by the
heavy dose of exposure of reality to them. They agree to stay and help in
preparing the supper while the housewife has a talk with her husband.
The resolution of the issues seems far-fetched and unnatural but extreme
means have to be adopted in disaster management.

[Link] are Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald contrasted?

The two ladies are sharply contrasted. Mrs Pearson is a pleasant but worried
looking woman in her forties. She speaks in a light, flurried sort of tone with a
touch of suburban cockney. Mrs Fitzgerald is older, heavier and has a strong
and sinister personality. She smokes. She has a deep voice, rather Irish tone.

Q2“I’m much obliged,” says Mrs. J Pearson. What for does she feel obliged
and to whom?
Mrs. Pearson feels obliged to Mrs Fitzgerald for telling her fortune. She thinks it quite
wonderful having a real fortune teller living next door.
Q3. What fortune does Mrs Fitzgerald predict for Mrs Pearson?
Mrs Fitzgerald is quite equivocal in her predictions. She says it could be a good
fortune or a bad one. All depends on Mrs Pearson herself now. She asks her to
decide firmly. Her fortune depends on it.

Q4. What problem does Mrs Pearson face? Who do you think is responsible
for this state of affairs?
Mrs Pearson devotes all her time and energy to serve her husband, son and
daughter. These thoughtless and selfish persons go out every night to enjoy
themselves leaving Mrs Pearson alone at home. She is no better than a servant in
her own home. Mrs Pearson herself is responsible for the ill-treatment, neglect and
lack of concern shown to her.

Q5. What course of action does Mrs Fitzgerald suggest to Mrs Pearson to
tackle the situation?
Mrs Fitzgerald tells Mrs Pearson to decide firmly and stick to her decision. She must
assert her position and become the real mistress of the house. Her own initiative can
help her. She must let them wait or look after themselves for once.

Q6. What difficulties does Mrs Pearson face while dealing with the various
members of her family?
Mrs Pearson loves her husband and children too much. She does not have enough
courage to discuss the problem with them. She only keeps dropping hints. She hates
any unpleasantness. She does not know where to start. She doesn’t know how to
begin discussion with the other members of the family.

Q7. “Then let me do it”, suggests Mrs Fitzgerald. How does Mrs Pearson react
to it?
Mrs Fitzgerald offers to deal with the family of Mrs Pearson and teach them to
treat her properly Mrs Pearson feels flustered. She thanks her saying that it wouldn’t
do at all. They would resent being ill-treated by somebody else and wouldn’t listen.

Q8. How does Mrs Fitzgerald plan to deal with the family of Mrs Pearson?
She tells Mrs Pearson that she will deal with her family not as herself but as Mrs
Pearson. They will change places or really bodies. Mrs Pearson would then look like
Mrs Fitzgerald and the latter would look like the former.

[Link] does Doris Pearson feel astounded on returning home?

Doris finds her mother smoking away—lighting another cigarette and laying out the
cards for patience on the table. She rudely enquires about ironing her yellow silk, but
feels astounded on seeing her mother’s behaviour and reply.

Q10. What are the two causes of annoyance to Doris Pearson?

Firstly, Doris is annoyed that her mother has not ironed her yellow silk dress which
she has to wear that night. Secondly, she has returned home after working hard all
day and mother hasn’t even bothered to get her tea ready.
Q11. How does Mrs Pearson refute Doris’s argument about working hard?
Mrs Pearson tells Doris that she has a good idea how much Doris does. Mrs
Pearson claims that she puts in twice the hours that Doris does, and gets no pay or
thanks for it.

Q12. How does Mrs Pearson criticize Doris on going out with Charlie Spence?
Mrs Pearson asks Doris if she could not find anyone better than Charlie Spence. He
has buck-teeth and is half-witted. She wouldn’t be seen dead with Charlie Spence.
At her age she would either have found somebody better than Charlie Spence or
stopped dating boys on seeing no hope of success.

[Link] is Cyril Pearson annoyed with his mother? Give two reasons.
Cyril feels annoyed when his mother tells him that tea is not ready as she couldn’t
bother about it. He esquires if she is not feeling well and then asks her to be quick as
he does not have much time. His mother has not put his things out. She has neither
mended them nor is she willing to do so.

Q14. “That’s a nice way to talk What would happen if we all talked like that?”
says Cyril. In what context does he say so? What argument does he get in
return?
When Mrs Pearson tells her son, Cyril that she has decided now that she doesn’t like
mending, Cyril objects to her words. Mrs Pearson gives him a taste of his own
medicine by saying that all of them do talk like that. If there’s something at home
they don’t want to do, they don’t do it. If it is something at their work, they get the
union to bar it. She has now joined the movement.

Q15. How do Doris and Cyril react to Mrs Pearson’s query about stout?
Cyril is the first to react. He hints that she shouldn’t be drinking stout then i.e., at tea
time. Her remark that she wants to drink surprises both Doris and Cyril and they
exchange notes regarding her behaviour towards them since they returned home
that evening.

Q16. What changes in the behaviour of Mrs Pearson startle Doris and Cyril?
What possible reasons do they suggest?
Doris couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her mother smoking and playing
cards. Cyril too noted the change and asked her if she was feeling ill. She looks just
the same but her behaviour is suddenly different. Cyril asks if she has gone slightly
mad. Doris thinks that she has had a concussion as a result of her head hitting
something.

Q17. How does Mrs Pearson teach her children to be responsible adults?
First she scolds them for their guffawing and giggling. Then she has a dig at their
lifestyle. They just-come in, ask for something, go out again and then return as
there’s nowhere else to go. When Doris and Cyril boast of doing their work all day,
Mrs Pearson tells them that she has also done her eight hours. She threatens to
have two days off at the weekend.
Q18. “But any of you forty-hour-a weekers who expect to be waited on hand
and foot on Saturday and Sunday with no thanks for it, are in for a nasty
disappointment,” says Mrs Pearson. How has she planned to spend the
weekends?
She might do cooking or make a bed or two as a favour: only if she is asked very
nicely and thanked for it. They’ll have to pay attention to her and show care and
concern. Perhaps she might go off for the weekend. It will provide her a change. She
is bored of remaining at home all the time.

Q19. “I’ll hit you with something, girl, if you don’t stop, asking silly questions.”
says Mrs Pearson to Doris. Which ‘silly’ questions does she object to?
Doris at first asks with disbelief if she would go off for the weekend and then
enquires where she would go and with whom. Mrs Pearson tells her that it is her
business. Doris then asks her if she had fallen or hit herself with something. Mrs
Pearson objects to this silly question.

Q20. “Well that ought to be nice change for you” says Mrs Pearson. What
‘change’ does she refer to and how does George react to it?
George finds his wife Annie (Mrs Pearson) drinking stout at the wrong time of the
day. Moreover, he has never seen her doing it before. Naturally, he is confused and
surprised. When he remarks that he doesn’t like her drinking and it doesn’t look right.
Mrs Pearson remarks about the ‘change’ in her style.

Q21. “Annoyed because I don’t get a tea for him that he doesn’t even want”,
says Mrs Pearson. What forces her to make this remark?
At first, George Pearson tells his wife that he wouldn’t want any tea as there is
supper at the club that night. He feels hurt to know that she hasn’t prepared any tea.
When he asks “suppose I’d wanted some,” Mrs. Pearson makes this bitting remark.

Q22. How, do you think, is George Pearson treated at the club?

The members of the club laugh at George Pearson. He is, in fact, one of their
standing jokes. They call him Pompy-Ompy Pearson because they think he is quite
slow and pompous. Although this joke is quite famous, George is unaware of it.

Q23. What objection does Mrs Pearson have against George’s going to club so
frequently?
Mrs Pearson fails to understand why her husband George wants to spend so much
time at the club where people are always laughing at him behind his back and calling
him names. He leaves his wife alone every night. She wouldn’t make him look a fool
if he went out with her.

Q24. “Sometimes it does people good to have their feelings hurt.” Do you
agree with Mrs Pearson’s observation?
Mrs Pearson has hurt the feelings of her husband, George by telling him the truth.
She thinks that truth would not hurt anybody for long. I think she is right. It’s no good
living in fool’s paradise.
Q25. Why does Mrs Pearson doubt the value of Cyril’s opinion?
She tells Cyril frankly that he knows nothing about worldly affairs. He spends too
much time and good money at amusement shows like greyhound races, dirt tracks
and ice shows.

Q26. Why is George Pearson incensed at Mrs Fitzgerald’s utterances?

George reacts with horror and surprise when his neighbour, Mrs Fitzgerald
addresses him by his first name, George, instead of the formal Mr George Pearson.
Her second remark “Oh-dear-I ought to have known” further incenses him as he
thinks she has no business to poke “her nose into their family affairs.

Q27. “Perhaps you’ll excuse us….” What lessons of civility does Mrs Pearson
teach George Pearson?
Mrs Pearson tells George that she will not excuse him for his behaviour. She asks
him to be polite to her friend or neighbour in future. He should greet her politely
instead of coming in and sitting down silently.

Q28. Why does Mrs Pearson threaten to slap her husband?

George feels angry at being humiliated in the presence of his neighbour. He loses
his temper and asks his wife if she has gone mad. This is too much for Mrs Pearson
to bear. She jumps up and threatens to slap George if he shouts at her again.

Q29. “Either I’m off my chump or you two are”. Why do you think George
arrives at this conclusion?
Mrs Pearson threatens to slap George if he shouts at her again. Then Mrs Fitzgerald
begins to moan and addressing Mrs Pearson as Mrs Fitzgerald, requests her not to
do so. George is bewildered and exclaims that either he is mad or both of them are
mad.

[Link] is Doris taught a lesson in behaviour?

When Mrs Fitzgerald remarks that Doris was going out with Charlie Spence that
night, Doris feels annoyed and retorts that she has got nothing to do with it. Mrs
Pearson rebukes Doris harshly and tells her to answer Mrs Fitzgerald properly. She
adds that she won’t have her daughter behaving rudely with anyone.

Q31. How does the real Mrs Pearson learn about her daughter’s miserable
state?
The real Mrs Pearson has the body of Mrs Fitzgerald. At her insistence Doris tells
her that her mother has been criticizing her and making her feel miserable.
According to her Charlie Spence has buck-teeth and is half-witted. All this has made
her miserable.

Q32. What forces the real Mrs Pearson to come to the conclusion: “That’s
enough quite enough”?
Mrs Fitzgerald who has the body of Mrs Pearson, has been quite harsh to George
Pearson, Doris and Cyril. The real Mrs Pearson objects to her comments about
Charlie Spence. Later when she is a bit rude to George, the real Mrs Pearson feels
offended.
Q33. What is Mrs Fitzgerald’s final advice to Mrs Pearson after reversion to
their original personalities?
Mrs Fitzgerald advises Mrs Pearson not to go soft on the members of her family
again. She should not start explaining or apologizing. She should give them a look or
a rough tone of voice now and then to suggest that she might be tough with them if
she wanted to be so.

Q34. What would Mrs Pearson like the members of her family to do?
She wants them to stop at home in the evening and give her a hand with supper.
She would also like to play a nice game of rummy, which she fails to have except at
Christmas.
:
Q35. How does the stern treatment reform the spoilt children?
The children look apprehensively at Mrs Pearson. However, they smile back at her,
as she smile. Since they are not going out, she suggests having a nice family game
of rummy. She tells the children to get the supper ready while she has a talk with
their father. The spoilt children meekly obey her

.
B. Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. What do you think is the theme of the play? How has it been worked out?
The theme of the play is the status of women in their own household. The housewife
serves the members of her family with complete devotion, sincerity and love.
However, she is never given the regard, attention or thanks due to her. Her leniency
and eagerness to please everyone reduces her to the rank of an unpaid domestic
servant in her own house. Instead of being politely requested for a favour, she is
ordered to do it. She gets no thanks in return.
The theme is worked out by portrayal of the Pearson family. Mrs Pearson is the
harassed mother. Her daughter Doris, son Cyril and husband George take her
services for granted and have become thoughtless and selfish. The interchange of
personalities and the harsh treatment meted out to them by the personality of Mrs
Fitzgerald (in the body of Mrs Pearson) reforms them and they obey the mother
willingly.

Q2. What impression do you form of Mrs Annie Pearson?

Mrs Pearson is the main character in the play ‘Mother’s Day’. She is a pleasant but
worried-looking woman in her forties. She speaks in a light, flurried sort of tone, with
a touch of suburban cockney. She loves her husband and children very much and
runs after them all the time. Her excessive love and care have spoilt them and they
have become thoughtless and selfish. She feels neglected and lonely but lacks
courage to discuss things with them. Perhaps she hates any unpleasantness as well.
She is not willing to act as a tough mom as she is nervous and fluttering by nature.
She is so tender-hearted that she is shocked to see the rough treatment meted out
to her children. She decides to change back to her original personality to deal with
her family herself. She is indeed a loving and affectionate mother and a devoted
wife.
Q3.. “The shock treatment makes the thoughtless and selfish persons realise
the real position of the lady of the house.” How far do you agree with the
statement? Give reasons for your answer.

I fully agree with the aforesaid statement. Drastic situations need drastic remedies.
The thoughtless, selfish and spoilt members of the Pearson family do not understand
the language of love and affection. Mrs Pearson with Mrs Fitzgerald’s bold and
dominating personality and her toughness makes them realise their own state. Doris
is the first to learn her lesson in civility and politeness. The criticism of her boy friend
seems quite unexpected to her—perhaps more than the non-compliance of her
orders of ironing the yellow silk dress. Doris has tearful eyes. Cyril is also told to help
himself. The mother’s declaration that she too will henceforth work forty hours a
week, have the weekends off and go somewhere to enjoy herself come as a shock
treatment. The balloon of her husband’s ego is punctured by disclosing to him how
people at the club make fun of him. In the end all the three members come round
and show their willingness to obey the mother’s command.

Q4. Write a note on the role of Mrs Fitzgerald in the play.

Mrs Fitzgerald plays a very important role in the play. She is introduced as a fortune
teller and the next-door neighbour of the Pearsons. It is through the initial
conversation between her and Mrs Pearson that we come to know the problems that
Mrs Pearson faces. Mrs Fitzgerald analyses the situation quite objectively and
becomes the playwright’s mouthpiece. She also suggest the ways and methods of
tackling the situation. Since Mrs Pearson does not have the guts to stand for her
right, Mrs Fitzgerald suggests a novel approach—exchange of personalities. Now as
Mrs Pearson, with the personality Mrs Fitzgerald, she puts the plan of reformation in
action. She smokes, drinks and plays cards. All this is unusual for the family. She
further shocks them by being tough with them in word and action. She asks them to
look after themselves. She clearly tells them that she has already worked for more
than eight hours that day. She tells them plainly how they behave at home and
workplace. She is equally blunt with Mr George Pearson, who goes away every
evening to club, leaving his wife alone at home. She reveals to him how the people
at club make a fun of him. In short, she makes them realise their responsibility
towards the mother. In the end, she performs the exchange of personalities once
again. Thus she is the main spring of initial action, climax and denouement
.

Q5. The play ‘Mother’s Day’ is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status
of the woman in a family. Bring out briefly the elements of humour and satire.

The play ‘Mother’s Day’ treats a serious theme in a light-hearted manner. The
humour in the play springs from an unusual situation where the personalities of two
ladies change bodies. Their subsequent behaviour, which is in total contrast to their
previous one, is a very powerful source of laughter. The ignorance of the characters
about the personality they are facing also creates humour. Suggestive dialogues
also provide a lot of fun. For example, consider the following:
  “Mrs Pearson if you had to live my life it wouldn’t be so bad. You’d have more
fun as me than you’ve had as you.”
 “It’s that silly old bag from next door—Mrs Fitzgerald.”
 “Ticking her off now, are you, Annie?”
 “They call you Pompy-Ompy Pearson because they think you’re so slow and
pompous.”
The actions, gestures and reactions of the characters also provide humour. The
housewife being given orders, treated like dirt and forced to stay home every night
while other members go out to amuse themselves is sharply contrasted with the
position at the end of the play where she is the mistress of the house. Then play also
satirises the eight hour work culture and threats to go on strike. Even the housewife
adopts this weapon.

Q6. Comment on the ending of the play ‘Mother’s Day’.

The play has a happy ending with a complete reversal of the initial situation. Mrs
Pearson is now cheerful while the family looks anxiously at her. When she smiles,
they feel much relieved and smile back at her. None of them is going out.
For the first time, perhaps she tells the members of the family what they should do.
Instead of behaving timidly, she looks sharply at the family and asks if they have any
objections. George is the first to yield. He agrees to do whatever she says. Still
smiling, she suggests that they should have a nice family game of rummy and then
the children could get the supper ready while she has a talk with their father. George
supports her and looks enquiringly at the children. Cyril hastily approves the
proposal while Doris agrees hesitatingly. A sharp command: “What Speak up!” does
the trick and Doris agrees. Mrs Pearson bids good bye to Mrs Fitzgerald and
smilingly asks her to come again soon.
The ending seems quite natural. It also leaves a message for the mothers. They
should assert themselves.

Q7. Write a note on the title of the play ‘Mother’s Day’.

The title of the play is quite appropriate. It sums up the theme of the play. It suggests
that the action of the play revolves round a mother. The playwright confronts us at
the outset with the problems the mother faces from her grown up children and their
father. The novel technique employed to tackle the spoilt children and the grown up
man is quite amusing and thought provoking. The bold and dominating mother acts
tough with the children and makes them realise the need of proper attention towards
their mother. They are made to learn lesson in courtesy
and polite behaviour not only towards the mother but also towards the visiting
neighbour. The mother certainly has her day as the children learn to treat her
properly. The supper being prepared by the children, their stay at home and the
family game of rummy is a rare gift that the mother receives on this important day.