Mother’s Day (Snapshots)
Long Answer type questions
Question 1: This play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of
the mother in the family. What are the issues it raises?
Do you think that the problems it raises are genuine? How does the play resolve the issues? Do
you agree with the resolution?
Answer: 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 own 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.
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 of 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. Her stern looks and commanding tone suggests to them that she
can be really tough. The spoilt members are brought round by the heavy dose of exposure of
reality to them. They agree to stay and help in preparing 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.
Question 2: What do you think is the theme of the play? How has it been worked out?
Answer: 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 which is due for 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.
Question 3: What impression do you form of Mrs. Annie Pearson?
Answer: 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.
Question 4: “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.
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 boyfriend 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.
Question 5: Write a note on the role of Mrs. Fitzgerald in the play.
Answer: 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 suggests 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.
Question 6: Comment on the ending of the play ‘Mother’s Day’.
Answer: 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.
