Mother’s Day Class 11th is written by J B Priestley as a play. In this play, the writer depicts the situation of a stay-at-home mother who is neither respected nor loved by her children. Mother’s Day short summary is an easy way for the children to understand the whole play.
About the Author of Mother’s Day Class 11th
John Boynton Priestley was a novelist. He was also a playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster, and social critic from the United Kingdom. He was born on 18th September 1894. His Yorkshire upbringing is mirrored in many of his fictions, most notably in The Good Companions, which launched his career. Some of his famous works are The Good Companions, An Inspector Calls, Dangerous Corner, etc. In his work “Mother’s Day”, J B Priestley Talks about how a mother devotes her life towards her family and in return gets only disrespect and is taken for granted.
Central Idea of Mother’s Day Class 11th
The play, Mother’s Day, revolves around the character Mrs. Annie Pearson, who asks for help from her friend to earn the respect she deserves from her family. The author depicts and describes how a mother is mistreated by her husband and children, forcing her to rely on a third party to get what she deserves. She switches roles with the support of her next-door Neighbour, Mrs. Fitzgerald, and fights for her rights.
Character Sketch Mother’s Day
Mrs. Annie Pearson- She was a pleasant and nervous-looking woman in her forties. Mrs. Annie’s love and care have spoilt her husband and children. Over time she has lost faith in her ability to meet her family’s needs. She now aspires to earn her respect and take a stand for herself.
Mrs. Fitzgerald– She is a woman with a powerful personality. She was Annie Pearson’s Neighbour and an excellent fortune-teller. In the play, she helps Mrs. Pearson takes a stand for herself and earns the respect she deserves.
Doris Pearson– She was Annie’s oldest daughter, who was around twenty years old. She never helps with domestic chores and is unconcerned about herself. Charles Spence was the subject of her affair.
Cyril Pearson– He is Annie’s son, but he has no sympathy for her and is uninterested in helping her. He was a very demanding character with no respect or sympathy for his mother.
Mr. George Pearson– He was Mrs. Annie Pearson’s husband who was least interested in his wife’s feelings. He dominated his family but was mocked at the club.
Mother’s Day Summary
Mrs. Annie Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald are close neighbors but their personalities are very different. Annie is a sweet woman in her forties who has dedicated all her life to her family. She appears to be nervous and despite loving and taking care of her family; she has received neither respect nor love. Mrs. Fitzgerald was a lady with a powerful personality and a broad mind. She was an excellent future teller. She is an old lady with a deep voice.
Mrs. Fitzgerald has learned the art of future telling from the West and she reads Annie’s future. She Advises Annie to be strict and become the boss of the family. Annie should also be specific about her rights and demand respect from her family.
Annie was taken for granted by her family. She used to work all day and night as a maid at her home, but was paid no attention or respect by anyone. Her children and husband her so spoilt that they never help her with her household chores. Rather, they mistreat her and disrespect her.
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When Annie shared her situation with Mrs. Fitzgerald, she was enraged and she asked Annie to take action.
To change the attitude of the entire family towards Annie, Mrs. Fitzgerald plans to switch roles and personalities with Annie through a magic spell. She takes Annie’s hand in hers and speaks some enchanted words to her. Mrs. Fitzgerald’s personality moves to Annie’s body and vice versa.
After the exchange, Annie gets a little nervous, but when assured by Mrs. Fritzgerald, she relaxes and moves to Mrs. Fritzgerald’s house.
Mrs. Fitzgerald, now Annie, was playing cards and smoking. When her daughter entered the room, she was dumbstruck looking at her mother in that position.
Dorris inquired about her yellow outfit, but Annie remained silent and continued doing her work. She then requested that she make tea. Annie urged her to iron her clothes and make her tea. Dorris was in tears when her mother made fun of her boyfriend.
Next, Cyril entered the room, and in an angry tone, demanded tea. The mother did not respond to his demand and rather said that she was not bothered by their demands. Cyril requested his mother to make tea, as he didn’t know how to make it, but his mother seemed in no mood to do so. Then Cyril asked for his clothes, to which his mother replied that they were not ready. When Cyril’s anger crossed all borders, he asked his mother about her behavior. To which Annie replied, that was the way all of them behaved with her every day, so why now are they feeling bad? Annie also mentioned that she has become a member of the union now, so she gets what she deserves.
Dorries enters the room wearing a shoulder strap, to which her mother taunts her, leading to an argument between the mother and daughter. Later, Cyril was shocked when his mother asked for a beer. Both the siblings were discussing what had happened to their mother and were giggling. They were thinking of what the situation would be when their father comes home.
Dorries asked her mother what was their fault for such behavior from her. Annie replied she was hurt by her family’s behavior towards her, who were never bothered about her and didn’t care for her.
Then comes George Pearson, who is taken aback to see his wife day-drinking. Mrs. Pearson responded by saying that she can drink wine whenever she likes. He reveals he has a memorable match at the club this afternoon and will not need tea. When he is told there is no tea, he becomes upset once more. Mrs. Pearson makes fun of him for being irritated because he didn’t get something he wanted. She also informed him that his regular pals make fun of him when he was not around. Annie informs him of the slang he overhears in the club. She continues to mock him, claiming that if he had stayed at home now, none of this would have happened.
Mrs. Fitzgerald (real Mrs. Annie Pearson) sees her daughter crying. In front of her, her family is also being humiliated. Mr. George tells Annie Pearson (real Mrs. Fitzgerald) that she is insulting everyone. Soon Mr. George Pearson’s wife threatens to break his large, fat, silly face when he rants at her. Mrs. Fitzgerald (real Mrs. Pearson) could no longer handle it. Mrs. Fitzgerald, the real Mrs. Fitzgerald, was asked to return to her usual self.
Mother’s Day Class 11 Question Answer (NCERT Solutions)
This play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the mother’s status in the family. This play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the mother’s status in the family.
- What are the issues it raises?
Answer A: Many significant themes are raised in the play. The first and most important is a solid understanding of the job and obligations of a stay-at-home parent. Those who work eight hours a day, forty hours a week regard the stay-at-home parent as an unpaid domestic servant who must obey their commands. They don’t ask for her help or appreciate her for it. The second issue is the mother’s or wife’s thankfulness and exchange of affection. Every night, the husband, son, and daughter leave the lady of the house alone and go out to have fun in their various ways. They are unconcerned about her and have become oblivious and greedy. They are also spoiled by their mother’s excessive affection, attention, and promptness in serving them.
- 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 B: The issues raised by the play are significant. Of course, the treatment is amusing. The playwright resolves the challenges innovatively. He enlists the aid of the East’s magic. The incantation of a magical spell aids in the personality exchange. Mrs. Pearson, who has the powerful and evil personality of Mrs. Fitzgerald, now treats the daughter, son, and husband harshly. Her harsh demeanour and commanding tone give them the impression that she is a formidable opponent. The spoiled members are brought back to reality by a severe dose of reality exposure. They agree to stay and help with the supper preparations while the stay-at-home parent has a conversation with her husband. Although the solutions to the problems appear far-fetched and unnatural, extreme measures must be used in catastrophe management.
Q2: If you were to write about these issues today, what are some incidents, examples, and problems that you would think of as relevant?
Ans: Many responses can be made. The following is an example of such a response:
Unfair treatment of the female at home, at work, on public transportation, and elsewhere will come in handy. The challenges of social inequality that women confront in practice can be highlighted through examples of exploitation of female workers with lower earnings, harassment by seniors, indecent remarks, eve-teasing, and molestation. Although women are empowered, women still suffer the same difficulties in the twenty-first century. Poor housewives are subjected to physical and mental suffering at the hands of domineering husbands who flaunt their manhood by inflicting physical abuse, barbs, and taunts on defenseless women.
Q 3: Is drama a good medium for conveying a social message? Discuss.
Ans: Yes, drama is an excellent medium for delivering a social message. Direct moralizing is frequently despised and ignored. Drama is storytelling that depicts a slice of life through individuals in various settings. The audience’s attention is drawn to their actions and emotions. The majority of them have a strong emotional attachment to the protagonist. The theme’s development usually leaves a message—sometimes clear and explicit, but more often indirect and implicit. These plays appear to have a societal message that is taken from the characters’ actions. The triumph of evil over virtue is frequently depicted obliquely. Many plays nowadays are centered on issues that raise societal consciousness, such as the dangers of drinking.
Mother’s Day Extra Question Answer
How are Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald contrasted?
Ans: Mrs. Annie Pearson was a forty-year-old, soft-spoken, and a lady with a pleasant attitude. She is a housewife who does all the household chores on her own and is always available for her husband and children’s service. Mrs. Fitzgerald is a strong-willed woman who takes a hard stance on everything. She smokes cigarettes and speaks in an Irish tone.
What fortune does Mrs. Fitzgerald predicts for Mrs. Pearson?
Ans: Mrs. Fitzgerald was very confident that Mrs. Pearson’s future was in her hands. She was the only one who could decide if she wanted a wonderful future or a bad one.
What problem does Mrs. Pearson face? Who do you think handles this state of affairs?
Ans: Annie devotes all of her time to her husband and family, handling all the household responsibilities on her own. She was never asked how she was feeling or what she wanted in return. Annie is still at their beck and call. She has taken on the role of a servant for them, always working. In addition, she was consistently disregarded by all of them.
What course of action does Mrs. Fitzgerald suggests to Mrs. Pearson to tackle the situation?
Ans: Mrs. Fitzgerald suggested Annie stick to her decision. She also told her not to be nervous and to hold her position at home with respect and enjoy her rights as the boss of the house.
How does Mrs. Fitzgerald plan to deal with the family of Mrs. Pearson?
Ans: Mrs. Fitzgerald planned that she and Annie would switch their roles and Mrs. Fitzgerald would teach a lesson to Annie’s family. After that, they would again be back to their original roles.
Why does Doris Pearson feel astounded on returning home?
Ans: On returning home, Doris Pearson finds her mother smoking and playing cards. She asked her mother to make tea for her and also iron her dress. But when she came back later, she found that her mother did whatever she asked and rather was sitting there unbothered. This shocked her.
Why is Cyril Pearson annoyed with his mother?
Ans: Annie’s son Cyril was annoyed with her because when he came home, he found that his mother had not prepared tea. When asked to do it quickly as he had to leave for someplace, his mother refused. He was more annoyed because of that.
What was the most painful truth about Mr. George Pearson?
Ans: Mrs. Annie Pearson told George that he was a running gag at the club. Because he was slow and pretentious, he was dubbed ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson.’ She was astounded that he left his wife at home and spent so much time at a place where he was continuously criticized.