Mothers day class 11 -english chapter-5 ,word-meanings , Questions and answers
Mothers day by
(J:B Priestley)
chapter mothers day class 11
Table of contents
- Introduction
- characters
- Main points
- story of the play
- word-meanings
- Questions and answers
1. Introduction:
This play brings out the sad condition of mothers in most homes. A mother works from morning till night to satisfy the needs of her husband and children, she cleans and sweeps she cooks and washes but sadly she gets no reward or praise for her labours her husband and children are most thoughtless they don’t ever think that the mother is not a machine they never realize that she too, is a human being and needs rest, we work five or six days a week, and claim it as a night to have a day or two off. but do we allow the same right to mothers,? don’t mothers too, like all of us have a body that can get tired and a mind that can get bored? don’t they , too need some rest or recreation ? Do we ever think of it ?if we don’t we need to be chastised in some way. this is what this play is all about.
2. Characters in the play
- Mrs. Annie pearson–She plays the mother in the drama
- George pearson–She is the husband of Annie pearson
- Doris pearson–She is the daughter of Annies pearson and George Pearson
- cyril–He is brother of doris
- Mrs, Fitzgerald –She is a friend of Mrs. Annie pearson
3. Main points of the play
- Mrs, pearson is very fond of her husband and children but they are very thoughtless and selfish
- The children (cyril the son and doris the daughter) take no notice of the mother. they treat her like a servant
- Mrs. pearson’s neighbour, Mrs, fitzgerald offers to set the pearson family right. she knows some magic
- Mrs. fitzgerald changes her personality with that of Mrs. pearson . now she looks like Mrs, pearson and Mrs, pearson looks like her .
- Mrs. fitzgerald sends, Mrs. pearson to her house for some time
- soon Mrs,pearson’s daughter , doris comes home from works, she feels shocked to see her mother smoking . (Actually, as we know she is Mrs, fitzgerald )
- Doris asks mother for tea but Mrs, pearson tells her to make it herself
- Doris had planned to spends the evening with her boyfriend. she wants mother to iron her yellow silk.
- mothers tells doris bluntly to do the ironing herself, she mocks at her boyfriend also. she calls him half-witted and buckteeth.
- doris can’t tolerate all this she runs out in tears,
- next cyril comes, in he is annoyed to see that mother has prepared no tea for him, she was not mended his shirt also,
- Mrs, pearson remains totally unconcerned she says that she doesn’t like mending
- she also declares that henceforth she, too would work eight hours a day and five days a week
- cyril wonders what has happened to his mother,
- In the meantime her husband george pearson comes, in he says he won’t have any tea because there is a special party at the club but then he gets angry when Mrs, pearson says that she hasn’t prepared any tea.
- Mrs, pearson mockingly asks george if he has ever behaved similarly at the club, she tells him that people at the club laugh at him and call him pompy-ompy pearson
- geoge, cyril and doris can hardly believe the change they find in ,Mrs, pearson they all look like frightened cats,
- just them Mrs, fitzgerald (the real Mrs, paesron ) comes in she can no longer bear the shabby treatment of her husband and children
- Mrs, pearson who is in fact Mrs, fitzgerald asks george cyril and doris to leave her alone with with her friend
- the two ladies change back into their proper personalities, Mrs fitzgerald warns Mrs, pearson not to go soft again or it would all be mere waste.
- george, doris and cyril are now a changed lot, they readily agree to whatever Mrs, pearson wants them to do
4.story of the play:
The play opens in the living room of Mrs, pearson; we find Mrs, pearson and ,Mrs,, fitzgerald playing cards at a table Mrs, fitzgerald is a friend and neighbour of Mrs pearson she is a woman of strong character she is smoking while talking to Mrs, pearson she comes to know that the husband and children of Mrs pearson don’t treat her well she advises Mrs. pearson to be the boss of her family but Mrs. pearson is too timid and gentle to do that so Mrs fitzgerald offers to help her in setting her family right, after a great deal of hesitation , Mrs pearson agrees to it,
Mrs, fitzgerald has lived twelve years in the East: she has learnt some magic there. by using it she could exchange her personality with that of any other pearson, she tells her plan to Mrs, pearson she says that by her magic tricks, she will exchange her personality with that of Mrs, pearson , then she she will stay at Mrs, pearson’s house for a couple of hours and set the pearson family right.
Mrs. fitzgerald utters her magic words: there is a wonderful change, by her face and appearance Mrs, fitzgerald ‘s now looks like Mrs, fitzgerald In that changed appearance the real Mrs, pearson goes to Mrs, fitzgerald’s house thus it is Mrs, fitzgerald who stays in Mrs. pearson’s house when Mrs, pearson;s husband and children come in, they take Mrs, fitzgerald for Mrs, pearson
chapter mothers day class 11
The first to come back home is doris: she is Mrs, pearson daughter she was come from office. she is surprised to see her mother smoking and blowing out puffs of smoke she was never see her mother doing that before , when she questions her mother about, it Mrs, pearson (in fact, Mrs fitzgerald) snubs her, saying that there is no law against, it doris asks mother for tea at this mother tells her to make tea for herself if she wants it, doris can;t understand why her mother is behaving so strangely this evening .
Doris asks her mother if she has ironed her yellow silk: she says has to wear it in the evening since she wants to go out with her boyfriend , charlie spence. Mrs pearson tells her bluntly to do the ironing herself, she also mocks at doris;s boyfriend charlie spence. she calls him half-witted and buckteeth. doris can’t tolerate all this and she runs out in tears.
Now cyril comes in: he is Mrs. pearson’s son he has come back from work he feels annoyed to find that mother has prepared no tea for him he asks mother if his shirt has been mended, Mrs pearson replies sharply that the doesn’t like mending cyril wonders what has happened to his mother, Mrs pearson says that they all work for fixed hours in their office they have two days off in a week, they have unions to look after their joined this movement she, says that henceforth she would work for fixed hours a day and will also have off days in a week she says that she could do a little bit of cooking on her off days, if she was requested for that
Doris again comes in : she is in the process of dressing she looks pale and red-eyed mother ridicules her saying “you look terrible , charlie won’t like that face of yours, doris begins to cry
In the meantime, George pearson comes in : he is Mrs pearson’s husband he is a heavy slow, moving person he says that he won’t be having tea because there is a special party at the club but he gets angry when Mrs, pearson says that she hasn’t made any tea” my goodness , says Mrs pearson look at the man he is angry because I haven’t made tea for him that he doesn’t even want ever tired that at the club ? laugh at him and call him pompy-ompy Pearson
George, cyril and doris can hardly believe the change they find in mother: they have never seen her in such a terrible form, they are all scared of her, none dares to oppose her in any way, all the three look frightened cats,
just them Mrs, fitzgerald Comes in: we know she is fact, Mrs Pearson , george does not like Mrs, fitzgerald’s coming at a time when the family is in such a bad shape, Mrs pearson (actually Mrs, Fitzgerald ) scolds George saying that he should be courteous neighbours, she even says that the should slap his silly, fat face,
The real Mrs,Pearson can no longer stand the shabby treatment of her husband and children: George , Cyril and Doris are asked to leave the room for some time now Mrs, Fitzgerald uses her magic words once again and the two ladies regain their proper personalities Mrs, Fitzgerald warns Mrs, Pearson saying Don’t go soft on them again or else it’s all wasted “
Now Mrs, Pearson calls out to George , Cyril and Doris and asks them to come in : all the three file in and look sheepishly at mother George says that he has given up his idea of going to the club Doris and Cyril also that they are not going out, they agree to do the cooking while Mrs, Pearson and George sit down to have game of rummy Doris says, Mom we’;ll do whatever you say thus Mrs, fitzgerald helps, Mrs Pearson to because the boss of her family when she goes out, the family loving clusters round mother,
5. word-Meanings;
- flustered—घबराना,
- bewildered–हक्का-बक्का
- complacently–आत्मतुष्टिपूर्वक
- Grimly–गम्भीरतापूर्वक
- still alarmed–अब भी चिंतित
- Briskly–तेजी से
- coolly–शांत भाव से
- Nearly in tears–लगभग आँसू टपकाती हुई
- wildly–अति क्रोध मैं
- coldly–रूखे स्वर मैं
6. Question and answers:
Question: 1 what did Mrs Fitzgerald think about the duty of husband , sons and daughters?
Answers: she said that husband , sons and daughters should be taking notice of wives and mothers. they should not give them orders and treat them like dirt,
Question:2 how did Mrs Fitzgerald offer help Mrs Pearson to set her family right?
Answer: Mrs Fitzgerald knew some magic by which she could change places with Mrs. Pearson Mrs Fitzgerald would look like Mrs Pearson and vice versa. thus Mrs Fitzgerald offered to set Mrs Pearson’s family right for her.
Question:3 what happened to Mrs after the change of personalities ?
Answer: she now become bold and started behaving like Mrs, Fitzgerald . she snatched cigarette from Mrs Fitzgerald ‘s mouth and put it in her own mouth ,
Question:4 why was Cyril annoyed with his Mother?
Answer: he was annoyed because his mother had not got any tea ready for him she had not mended his shirt also, she said she didn’t like mending
Question:5 what change do you notice in George . doris and Cyril at the end of the play?
Answer: there is a total change in all of them. they are no longer thoughtless and overbearing in their behaviour. Cyril and doris agree to get supper ready while their mom and dad are having a talk .
Question:6 George, doris and Cyril are all ungrateful How?
Answer: George, Doris and Cyril are all ungrateful Each, is worried about himself or herself only. George doesn’t want tea, yet he grows angry with his wife because she hasn’t made any tea for him. Doris wants her mother to iron her yellow silk dress because she is going out to meet her boyfriend , Cyril says he is tired after his eight-hour day, but none of them ever thinks of poor Mrs Pearson ‘s fate Everybody orders her about as if she is their servant, Really they are all very ungrateful.
Question:7 How does Mrs Fitzgerald help Mrs Pearson to be the boss of her family?
Answer: Mrs Fitzgerald is Mrs Pearson’s neighbour. she offers to help Mrs pearson in setting her family right, she knows some magic, and effects a change of personality with Mrs Pearson. now she looks as if she were Mrs pearson and vice versa she send Mrs pearson to her own house and herself stays in Mrs Pearson’s house when Doris , Cyril and George come in she deals with them very severely she makes them realize how unfeeling and selfish they are. thus Mrs Fitzgerald helps Mrs Pearson to be the boss of her family.
Question:8 Contrast the characters of Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald
Answer: Mrs Pearson is a loving mother and a gentle wife. she works hard to keep her husband and children happy. but she gets no praise or regard for it, her husband and children are very thoughtless and selfish they treat her as a servant. Mrs Pearson feels unhappy about it but she is too weak to protest.
on the other hand, Mrs Fitzgerald is very outspoken she can brook no injustice she believes in equal rights with men, To make it clear, she even smokes and drinks she says that husbands, sons and daughter should take notice of wives and mothers, they should not treat them like dirt, she asks Mrs Pearson to be the boss of her family