Mother’s Day Chapter Highlights

• The two neighbours, Mrs Annie Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald

discuss Annie’s problems.
• Mrs Fitzgerald suggests Annie to be the boss in her house
and not to meet everyone’s demand.
• Annie agrees that her children should treat her properly.
• Mrs Fitzgerald points out that the children and husband
should not be allowed to treat her as a servant; she also has
the right to enjoy herself.
• Mrs Fitzgerald suggests that they should temporarily
exchange their personalities by using a magic spell she had
learnt in the East.
• A transformation takes place and the personality of Mrs
Fitzgerald shifts into the body of Mrs Annie Pearson and
vice-versa.
• Mrs Fitzgerald, now in the body of Annie, stays at Annie’s
house and sends her (in Mrs Fitzgerald’s body) to Mrs
Fitzgerald’s house.
• When Doris, daughter of Annie, a pretty girl, aged 20 years,
enters the house, she observes her mother playing cards
and smoking, which horrifies her.
• Her mother, refuses to make tea for her or iron her yellow
silk dress. Doris is surprised at her mother’s behaviour.
• After some time, Cyril, Mrs Annie’s Pearson’s son gets the
same treatment when he enquires about his clothes being
put out as he has to go again in the evening.
• Annie continues drinking and both her daughter and son are
shocked. They presume that something is certainly wrong
with their mother.
• Annie tells them that they are so engrossed in their own
activities that they hardly care for her. She also informs them
of her intention of not doing any household work on Saturday
and Sunday.
• Mr George Pearson, Annie’s husband, comes and finds his
daughter crying. He also gets shocked at his wife’s drinking
and totally disapproves it.
• George is enlightened by Annie that he was a laughing stock
in his social circle. She tells him that people call him
Pompyompy Pearson. George goes out in anger.
• When Cyril objects to his mother about behaving badly with
his father, he is criticised by his mother.
 • Now the real Mrs Annie Pearson in the body of Mrs
Fitzgerald returns. George appears and complains about
what was happening in his house to Mrs Fitzgerald.
• Mrs Fitzgerald asks George and Doris to leave her and
Annie alone for some time, promising that everything was
going to be right.
• When alone, Mrs Fitzgerald (at present Annie) chants some
magic words and again their personalities get back in their
bodies.
• After this shock treatment, Annie’s family starts giving her
more respect and attention. They also pay attention to her
likes and dislikes.

Mother’s Day Extra Questions

Question 1.
Who is Mrs Fitzgerald? What does she advise Mrs Pearson?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald is Mrs Pearson’s neighbour and friend. A fortune teller,
who had learnt the art from the East, she tells Mrs Pearson that her
fortune could turn either way. With effort and counsel, the situation
would swing in her favour. She advised her to assert herself as the boss
of the house.

Question 2.
What was Mrs Pearson’s reaction to Mrs Fitzgerald’s advice?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson said that it would not be easy to put her family members in
place as she was very fond of them. She knew that they were
thoughtless and selfish but felt, perhaps, they did not mean to be so.

Question 3.
What was Mrs Fitzgerald’s opinion of Mrs Pearson’s attitude?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald said that Mrs Pearson’s family was undoubtedly spoilt.
She felt that it was Mrs Pearson’s attitude that did them no good, tending
to their needs, taking their orders, and staying at home every night while
they went out enjoying themselves.
Question 4.
What does Mrs Fitzgerald offer to do for her?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald sensed that Mrs Pearson was far too gentle, submissive
and generous to tackle her family. Mrs Fitzgerald offered to make them
realize the error of their ways not as Mrs Fitzgerald but as Mrs Pearson.
She offered to change their bodies and change back again.”

Question 5.
How did the two women react after their bodies were changed?
Answer:
When Mrs Pearson looked down at herself in Mrs Fitzgerald’s body, she
gave a scream of fright. On the other hand, Mrs Fitzgerald is rather
pleased and feels that the transition was so neat that she did not even
know that she had it in her.

Question 6.
What is Doris’s first reaction on seeing her mother? Why?
Answer:
Doris was taken aback to see her mother smoking and playing cards.
When Doris asks her what she was doing, she is startled to get her
answer—‘whitewashing the ceiling.’ Moreover, her conduct was not
nervous and apologetic but cool and incisive.

Question 7.
What did Doris want her mother to do? How did the mother react?
Answer:
Doris wanted her to iron her yellow silk dress that she ‘must wear’ that
night. She also wanted her mother to make tea for her. She refused to
get her tea and iron her dress, telling her that she put in twice the hours
Doris did but got neither wages, nor thanks for it.

Question 8.
What does Mrs Pearson say to Doris that really bothered her?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson asked where Doris would wear her yellow silk dress. She
said that she planned to go out with Charlie Spence. Mrs Pearson told
her to find somebody better, and insulted Charlie Spence by calling her
buck-toothed and was half-witted.

Question 9.
What does Mrs Pearson have to say to Cyril that shocks him?
Answer:
When Cyril walk in and insists on her getting the tea and his clothes
ready, he is stunned to hear that she doesn’t ‘like mending’. She goes
on to tell him that when he does not want to do something, he does not
do it. She planned to do the same. Cyril could not believe his ears.

Question 10.
What do Doris and Cyril feel about Mrs Pearson’s changed behaviour?
Answer:
Doris and Cyril discuss that there is something wrong with their mother
as she is not behaving in character. They discuss how Mrs Pearson
behaved oddly with each of them. They try to fathom if she had gone
crazy or had a concussion.

Question 11.
What is Mrs Pearson’s reaction to see her children giggling when she
returns to the room?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson asks them the reason for their amusement. Doris answers
that she had never understood their jokes. To which Mrs Pearson
retorts, rudely, that she was bored at their jokes even before they were
bom. Doris is tearful and Mrs Pearson blames them for being selfish
about their needs.

Question 12.
What reason does she give Cyril for not making the tea?
Answer:
When Cyril again asks for tea as he had been working for an eight-hour
day, Mrs Pearson replies that she had done her eight hours and
henceforth she would work only for forty hours a week. She declared
that she would have her two days off on the weekend.

Question 13.
What, according to Mrs Pearson, were her plans for the weekends?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson tells her children that at the weekend she would have her
two days off. She agreed to make beds and cook a little as a favour,
conditional to how she was treated. Mrs Pearson tells her children that in
case they did not like the arrangement, she would go elsewhere for the
weekend.
Question 14.
Why was George Pearson surprised when he came home? What was
the answer that he got?
Answer:
Mr George Pearson was surprised to see Doris crying and was shocked
to see Mrs Pearson sipping beer. He said that it did not look right. Mrs
Pearson replied that it was ‘a nice change’ and it had been quite some
time since he was surprised at her.

Question 15.
What did Mrs Pearson say to her husband when he was angry with her
for not making tea?
Answer:
Mr Pearson informed Mrs Pearson that he did not want tea but grew
angry at being told that tea was not ready. She taunted him that if he
went up to the bar at the club and refused a glass of beer and showed
irritation because they had not served it earlier, he would invite ridicule.

Question 16.
What was the truth about Mr George Pearson that hurt him the most?
Answer:
Mrs Pearson told George that that he was one of the standing jokes in
the club. He was called ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’ because they thought
that he was slow and pompous. She was surprised that he spent so
much time at a place where people always ridiculed him, leaving his wife
at home.

Question 17.
What was Mrs Fitzgerald’s reaction to Mrs Pearson shouting at Cyril?
Why?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald was in reality Mrs Pearson, so when she saw Mrs
Pearson (the real Mrs Fitzgerald) shouting at Cyril, she protested as she
was actually Cyril’s mother. But Mrs Pearson told her not to interfere.

Question 18.
What were the two slips that could have let out the real identity of Mrs
Fitzgerald?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald, in her nervousness, addresses Mr Pearson, as George.
Mr Pearson is surprised to be called thus, but Mrs Pearson covers up for
Mrs Fitzgerald. Later, when Mrs Fitzgerald attempts to slap George,
following an argument, the real Mrs Pearson exclaims and calls out to
her, ‘Mrs Fitzgerald’, which confuses George.

Question 19.
How was the experience for the two women after the change of bodies?
Answer:
The real Mrs Pearson (now Mrs Fitzgerald) had not enjoyed the
experience as she had seen her family being treated roughly and rudely
by Mrs Fitzgerald. On the other hand, Mrs Fitzgerald had enjoyed the
experience, as she had been able to teach Doris,Cyril and George
Pearson a lesson to value Mrs Pearson.

Question 20.
What was Mrs Fitzgerald’s advice to Mrs Pearson after she had put back
the family members in their proper place?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald advised Mrs Pearson not to be soft and waste all the
effort she had put in to change the attitude of her family for the better.
Mrs Pearson is unsure how she would explain her behaviour. But Mrs
Fitzgerald warns her not to yield.

Question 21.
What was the change that came over the Pearson family in the end?
Answer:
When Mrs Fitzgerald left, Mrs Pearson’s family was relieved to see her
smile. Mrs Pearson decides to stay home for a family game of rummy,
and have the children prepare dinner. They readily agree and gather
around Mrs Pearson as the play ends.

Mother’s Day Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Write in your words the conversation between Mrs Pearson and Mrs
Fitzgerald in the beginning of the play. What is the outcome of the
meeting?
Answer:
Mrs Fitzgerald predicts her friend Mrs Pearson’s fate and tells her that it
was high time she asserted herself as the head of the family. Mrs
Pearson says that it was not easy because she loves her family although
they are very thoughtless and selfish. But Mrs Fitzgerald insists that they
ought to learn to appreciate her and treat her appropriately. She tells her
not to run after them and oblige. Mrs Pearson agrees with Mrs
Fitzgerald, but wonders if anything would affect them.

She is afraid of creating unpleasantness in the family. As Mrs Pearson is

about to rush off to prepare dinner for her family, Mrs Fitzgerald comes
up with an idea. She tells . Mrs Pearson that they could exchange their
bodies. She then holds her hand and asks her to keep quiet for a
minute. They stare at each other and Mrs Fitzgerald mumbles ‘Arshtatta
dum—arshtatta lam—arshtatta lamdumbona…’ and they assume each
other’s personality.

Question 2.
What does Mrs Pearson have to say to Doris that disturbs her?
Answer:
When Mrs Pearson’s daughter Doris returns and tells Mrs Fitzgerald, in
the body of Mrs Pearson, to iron her yellow silk dress as she would like
to wear it that night, her mother continues playing patience. Doris asks
her what she is doing and she answers her smugly that she was not
whitewashing the ceiling. She also says that there is no law against
smoking. She informs Doris that she had already had her tea but had not
made tea for the others.

She had not cooked dinner either and would have her meal at the
Clarendon. She tells Doris that she worked twice as hard as the others
and got no wages or thanks for it. She then inquired from Doris where
she wanted to wear her yellow dress. Doris tells her that she was going
out with Charlie Spence. Mrs Pearson tells her to find someone better
than the buck-toothed and half-witted man. Doris is offended and runs
out.

Question 3.
Describe Mrs Pearson’s conversation with Cyril when he walks in and
his reaction.
Answer:
Mrs Pearson’s son Cyril walks in and insists on Mrs Pearson getting the
tea and his clothes ready. He reminds her of the promise she made the
same morning, to mend his clothes. He is surprised to hear that she
does not Tike mending’ and that she would not do anything that she did
not want to do. Cyril could not believe his ears. Cyril again asks for tea,
telling her that he had been working for an eight-hour day, to which Mrs
Pearson says that she had done her eight hours and henceforth she
would work for only forty hours a week. On weekends, she would have
her two days off.

She might make a bed or two and do a bit of cooking as a favour but that
would be conditional to the fact that they asked her very nicely and
thanked her for everything and generally made a fuss of her. Cyril and
Doris are surprised and wait for their father to arrive.

Question 4.
“Sometimes it does people good to have their feelings hurt.” Who says
this and what does she say to hurt Mr Pearson?
Answer:
When Mr Pearson announces that he did not wish to drink tea, after he
returned from work, the real Mrs Fitzgerald informs him that his tea was
not ready. He is angry and she reminds him that he was annoyed
because he did not get the tea that he did not want in the first place. She
adds that if he did that at bar—went up to the bar at the club and told
them he did not want a glass of beer but got irritated because they had
not already poured it out for him, they would laugh at him even more
than they did already.

George was indignant and she added that he was one of their standing
jokes and was called ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’ because they thought that
he was slow and pompous.
George checks with Cyril on the truth of the matter, and Cyril accuses
his mother of not being fair and sensitive. To which, she replies that
sometimes it does people good to have their feelings hurt.

Question 5.
Pick out the instances that bring out the element of humour in the play.
Answer:
The play is a light-hearted comedy. A mother accomplishes changing
the attitude of her family by exchanging her body with her friend, Mrs
Fitzgerald, a bold and assertive woman, thus, introducing humour in the
play. The moment the spirits change, Mrs Pearson notices the cigarette,
snatches it off Mrs Fitzgerald, while she looks down at her changed body
and screams out of fright.

Mrs Pearson answers to her daughter’s query, sarcastically, that she

was not whitewashing the ceiling. Mrs Pearson insults Doris’ date,
comically, calling him ‘buck-toothed and half-witted’. Cyril is told that she
does not ‘like mending’ his clothes, stunning him to silence. When Mrs
Pearson walks out, Doris and Cyril laugh at the idea of her having gone
crazy and decide to wait till the father comes. She tells Mr Pearson how
he was a standing joke in the club and was called ‘Pompy-ompy
Pearson’ because they thought that he was slow and pompous. She
also tells him that he was George, and not the Duke of Edinburgh.

Question 6.
Mrs Fitzgerald’s effort does not go in vain, as the family changes for the
better. Justify.
Answer:
Mrs Pearson has a selfish and a thoughtless family, who is insensitive to
the feelings of the mother. But after the staged trick, and when Mrs
Fitzgerald leaves, the three—George, Doris, and Cyril look anxiously at
Mrs Pearson, who smiles. They are much relieved, and smile back at
her. Mrs Pearson tells them that since they have decided to stay at
home, they would have a nice family game of rummy and then the
children could get the supper ready while she talked with their father. All
of them agree. Mrs Pearson wishes Mrs Fitzgerald goodbye and the
family surrounds Mrs Pearson, implying a happy ending. It looks as if
Mrs Fitzgerald’s effort is rewarded and they seem eager to appease the
real Mrs Pearson.