Mother’s Day NCERT Solution Question Answer
Mother’s Day NCERT Solution Question Answer
Question 1:
What are the issues it raises? 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:
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.
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.
Question
2:
If
you were to write these issues today, what are some of the incidents, examples
and problems that you would think of as relevant?
Answer:
Various
responses are possible One such response is given below:
The
incidents of unfair treatment to the fair sex at home, at work, in public
transport and elsewhere will prove handy. The examples of exploitation of
female workers with lower wages, harassment by seniors, indecent remarks,
eve-teasing and molestation can highlight the problems of social inequality
that women face in practice. Even in the twenty first century women face the
same problems in spite of the talk of women empowerment. The poor housewives
have to bear the physical torment and mental anguish at the hands of bullish
husbands who boast of their masculinity by inflicting physical violence, barbs
and taunts on the defense less women. Examples of rapes and sexual harassment
which hug the limelight in daily newspapers can also be included to highlight
the problems of insecurity of women in modem society.
Question
3:
Is
drama a good medium for conveying a social message? Discuss.
Answer:
Yes, drama is certainly a good medium for conveying a social message. Direct moralising is often resented and usually ignored. Drama is a presentation of a slice of life through characters placed in various situations. The attention of the spectators centres round their actions and reactions. Most of them feel fully involved with the protagonists. The working out of the theme generally leaves a message—sometimes obvious and explicit but in most of the cases, indirect and implicit. The social message of these plays seems to come out of the interactions of the characters and their traits of character. The victory of evil over good is usually portrayed indirectly. These day we find many plays centred around themes creating social awareness such as evils of drinking and smoking; dangers of pollution, child labour, the decreasing female ratio and need to empower women.
Question
4:
Discuss
in groups plays or films with a strong message of social reform that you have
watched.
Answer:
For
group discussion at class level. There can be varied responses. One such
response is given below: The latest film I have watched recently is ‘SWADESH’.
It has a strong message of social reform. It tells the story of an Indian
scientist at NASA (America) who visits his ancestral home in India. The poor
condition of the villagers and lack of basic facilities fills him with deep
agony. He resigns his job in America and returns to his native country
(Swadesh) to begin his work of rural uplift. He gives the villagers a message
that self-help is the best help and we cannot depend for everything on the
Government. This remote village is plunged in darkness after sunset as there is
no electricity. With the help of a few villagers, the scientist is able to
produce hydroelectricity and light the village homes. The water can be used for
irrigation purposes also. Thus the economic and social condition of the
villagers undergoes a sea change.
Mother’s Day Answer Type Questions
Question
1:
How
are Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald contrasted?
Answer:
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.
Question
2:
“I’m
much obliged,” says Mrs. J Pearson. What for does she feel obliged and to whom?
Answer:
Mrs. Pearson feels obliged to Mrs Fitzgerald for telling her fortune. She thinks it quite wonderful having a real fortune teller living next door.
Question
3:
What
fortune does Mrs Fitzgerald predict for Mrs Pearson?
Answer:
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.
Question
4:
What
problem does Mrs Pearson face? Who do you think is responsible for this state
of affairs?
Answer:
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.
Question
5:
What
course of action does Mrs Fitzgerald suggest to Mrs Pearson to tackle the
situation?
Answer:
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.
Question
6:
What
difficulties does Mrs Pearson face while dealing with the various members of
her family?
Answer:
Mrs
Pearson loves her husband and children too much. She does not find courage
enough 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.
Question
7:
“Then
let me do it”, suggests Mrs Fitzgerald. How does Mrs Pearson react to it?
Answer:
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.
Question
8:
How
does Mrs Fitzgerald plan to deal with the family of Mrs Pearson?
Answer:
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.
Question
9:
Why
does Doris Pearson feel astounded on returning home?
Answer:
Doris
finds her mother smoking away—lighting another cigarette and laying out the
cards for patience on the table. She shoots her query about ironing her yellow
silk, but feel astounded on seeing her mother’s behaviour.
Question
10:
What
are the two reasons that annoy Doris Pearson?
Answer:
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.
Question
11:
How
does Mrs Pearson refute Doris’s argument about working hard?
Answer:
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.
Question
12:
How
does Mrs Pearson criticize Doris on going out with Charlie Spence?
Answer:
Mrs
Pearson asks Doris if she could not find anyone better than Charlie Spence. He
has buck-teeth and if 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.
Question
13:
Why
is Cyril Pearson annoyed with his mother? Give two reasons.
Answer:
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 has not too much time. His mother has not taken his things out. She
has neither mended them nor is she willing to do so.
Question
14:
“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?
Answer:
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.
Question
15:
How
do Doris and Cyril react to Mrs Pearson’s query about stout?
Answer:
Cyril is the first to react. He hints that she doesn’t want 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.
Question
16:
What
changes in the behaviour of Mrs Pearson startle Doris and Cyril? What possible
reasons do they suggest?
Answer:
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 a concussion as a result of her head
hitting something.
Question
17:
How
does Mrs Pearson teach her children to be responsible adults?
Answer:
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.
Question
18:
“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?
Answer:
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.
Question
19:
“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?
Answer:
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.
Question
20:
“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?
Answer:
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.
Question
21:
“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?
Answer:
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.
Question
22:
How,
do you think, is George Pearson treated at the club?
Answer:
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.
Question
23:
What
objection does Mrs Pearson have against George’s going to club so frequently?
Answer:
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.
Question
24:
“Sometimes
it does people good to have their feelings hurt.” Do you agree with Mrs
Pearson’s observation?
Answer:
Mrs
Pearson has hurt the feelings of her husband, George by telling him the truth.
She thinks that truth should not hurt anybody for long. I think she is right.
It’s no good living in fool’s paradise.
Question
25:
Why
does Mrs Pearson doubt the value of Cyril’s opinion?
Answer:
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.
Question
26:
Why
is George Pearson incensed at Mrs Fitzgerald’s utterances?
Answer:
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.
Question
27:
“Perhaps
you’ll excuse us….” What lessons of civility does Mrs Pearson teach George
Pearson?
Answer:
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.
Question
28:
Why
does Mrs Pearson threaten to slap her husband?
Answer:
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.
Question
29:
“Either
Pm off my chump or you two are”. Why do you think George arrives at this
conclusion?
Answer:
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.
Question
30:
How
is Doris taught a lesson in behaviour?
Answer:
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.
Question
31:
How
does the real Mrs Pearson learn about her daughter’s miserable state?
Answer:
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.
Question
32:
What
forces the real Mrs Pearson to come to the conclusion: “That’s enough quite
enough”?
Answer:
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.
Question
33:
What
is Mrs Fitzgerald’s final advice to Mrs Pearson after reversion to their
original personalities?
Answer:
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.
Question
34:
What
would Mrs Pearson like the members of her family to do?
Answer:
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.
Question
35:
How
does the stern treatment reform the spoilt children?
Answer:
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.
Mother’s Day Answer Type Questions
Question
1:
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 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.
Question
2:
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
3:
“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 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.
Question
4:
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 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.
Question
5:
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.
Answer:
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.
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.
Question
7:
Write a note on the title of the play ‘Mother’s Day’.
Answer:
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.
