Mother's day

Question 1

How are Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald contrasted?

Answer 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

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 9

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 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

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 21

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 22

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 23

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 24

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 25

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 26

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 27

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 28

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 29

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 30

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 31

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 32

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 33

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 34

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 35

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.