CBSE Class 11 English Mothers Day Questions Answers Worksheet Set 03

Question. What is the problem that is disturbing Mrs Pearson?
Answer: Mrs Pearson devoted all her time and energy to serve her husband, son and daughter. These thoughtless and selfish members of her family would go out every night to enjoy themselves, leaving Mrs Pearson alone at home. She was no better than a servant in her own home. Mrs Pearson herself was responsible for the ill-treatment, neglect and lack of concern shown to her, because she did not develop the skill of asserting herself. She bowed down to the demands of her family, and thus remained under everyone’s thumb till the time she was advised by her friend to begin making changes.

Question. What was the plan of action for bringing about ‘change’?
Answer: Mrs Fitzgerald tells Mrs Pearson to decide firmly and stick to her decision. The two ladies were going to exchange their minds, making it easier for Mrs Pearson to execute Mrs Fitzgerald’s plan. The changed Mrs Pearson’s aggressive behaviour created the necessary drama, to make the members of the family understand the mistake they were making.

Question. 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 found it difficult to muster the courage to discuss the problems she had experienced 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 a discussion with the other members of the family.

Question. How does Mrs Pearson react to: “Then let me do it”, suggested by Mrs Fitzgerald?
Answer: Mrs Pearson is flustered when Mrs Fitzgerald offers to deal with her family members and make them understand the need to treat her properly. 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. How does Doris react when she sees her mother?
Answer: Doris finds her mother smoking away—lighting a cigarette and laying out the cards on the table. She shoots her a query about ironing her yellow silk, but feels astounded on seeing her mother’s changed and non-cooperative behaviour.

Question. Why was Doris annoyed?
Answer: Firstly, Doris was annoyed that her mother had not ironed her yellow silk dress which she wanted to wear that night, whilst going on a date with Charlie Spence. More annoying was that when she had returned home after working hard all day, and her mother hadn’t bothered to get her tea ready.

Question. How does Mrs Pearson refute Doris’s argument about working hard?
Answer: Mrs Pearson tells Doris that she has a good idea as to the number of hours of work Doris puts in every day. Mrs Pearson claims that she puts in twice the hours that Doris does, and gets no pay or gratitude for it.

Question. Why was Cyril annoyed with his mother?
Answer: Mrs Pearson asks Doris if she could not find anyone better than Charlie Spence, whom she calls buck-teethed and half-witted and added that, personally, she wouldn’t be seen dead with Charlie Spence. At her age, she would either have found somebody better than him or given herself up as a bad job.

Question. Why was Cyril annoyed with Mrs Pearson’s attitude?
Answer: Cyril was annoyed when his mother tells him that tea was not ready and that she couldn’t bother about preparing it. He enquires if she was unwell and then orders her to be quick as he did not have too much time. His mother was not affected by any of his ramblings. Another problem that annoyed the lad was that his mother had not taken out his clothes for the night nor had she checked whether they needed mending. She was resolute on not doing any work.

Question. “That’s a nice way to talk. What would happen if we all talked like that?” says Cyril. Explain the situation.
Answer: These words were told by Cyril, when his mother says, “Well, now I’ve decided I don’t like mending.” She was supposed to take his clothes out and check if any of them needed mending. In response to his words, she tells him that they all talk to her in the same manner, and would refuse to do the work if they didn’t like to do so. She follows it up by saying that if they were in the work place, their union would put a bar on workers doing extra work. She says that she has now joined the movement started by such unions.

Question. What changes in the behaviour of Mrs Pearson startle Doris and Cyril? What possible reasons do they consider as being the cause?
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 wonders if she could be slightly mad, while Doris thinks that she might have had a concussion as a result of her head hitting on something.

Question. How does Mrs Pearson announce her hitherto changed working pattern to her children?
Answer: Initially, she scolded them for their guffawing and giggling. Then she takes a dig at their lifestyle, their practice of just coming in, asking for something, going out again and then returning when there’s nowhere else to go. When Doris and Cyril boast of doing work all day, Mrs Pearson tells them that she has also done her eight hours. She threatens them that henceforth, it’s going to be a forty-hour-week for everyone. Also, that the two days of the weekend would be off for her too.

Question. “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: During the weekend, she says she might do a bit of cooking or make a bed or two as a favour, but it would be done only if she was asked very nicely and thanked for it. The rest of the family have to pay attention to her and show her some care and concern. She adds that perhaps, she might go off for the weekend as it will provide her a change from the boredom of staying indoors all the time.

Question. “Well, that ought to be a 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. He has never seen her doing so before. This made him confused and surprised. When he remarked that he doesn’t like her drinking and it doesn’t look right, Mrs Pearson replies to his chauvinistic statement by saying that it was a nice change for him, as it had been quite a while since he was surprised at her.

Question. 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 smiles. 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. The impact of the stern treatment was impressive.

Long Answer Questions

Question. Write, in your words, about the conversation between Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald in the beginning of the play. What is the outcome of the meeting? (Constructed Response Question)
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 despite the fact that 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 them. 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. Describe Mrs Pearson’s conversation with Cyril when he walks in.
Answer: Mrs Pearson’s son, Cyril, walks in and insists on 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 like 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 the tea, telling her that he had been working for eight hours, 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 also 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 on them asking her very nicely and thanking her for everything. Cyril and Doris are surprised and wait for their father to arrive.

Question. Pick out the instances that bring out the element of humour in the play.
Answer: The play is a light-hearted comedy. A mother, Mrs Pearson, succeeds in 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. After their spirits change, Mrs Pearson notices the cigarette and snatches it off Mrs Fitzgerald, while the latter looks down at her changed body and screams out of fright. Mrs Pearson answers her daughter’s query sarcastically, that she was whitewashing the ceiling. Mrs Pearson insults Doris’s 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 their father comes. She tells George that 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 mocks him saying that he was George, and not the Duke of Edinburgh.

Question. What is the reaction of Doris and Cyril to the unusual behaviour of their mother?
Answer: Both Doris and Cyril are astonished at the unusual behaviour of their mother. She has always been very kind and affectionate, meek and submissive. But now she is very cold and indifferent, and seems to be in a defiant mood. She has not bothered to get tea ready for them and tells them to help themselves. When Doris asks her to iron her yellow silk, she refuses to oblige. She has not cared to put Cyril’s things out, though she had promised that morning to look through them in case there was any mending. They are astonished to hear that mother, who has been running after them all the time taking their orders, now proposes to work forty hours a week and have two days off from household chores. They are against her drinking stout. As far as they know her, she has never tasted stout. They thought that they had done something wrong and that she was offended with them. But now they realise that there is something wrong with their mother. Doris thinks that she might have hit her head and got some violent shock, but her idea seems too far-fetched to Cyril. Nevertheless, they laugh to think how she would behave when Dad comes home.

Question. Sketch the character of Mrs Pearson.
Answer: The character of Mrs Pearson can be best studied in three parts: (a) before she changes her personality with that of Mrs Fitzgerald; (b) after she changes her personality with Mrs Fitzgerald; and (c) after she becomes her proper personality. Before Mrs Pearson changes her personality with that of Mrs Fitzgerald, she is an ideal housewife. She spends all her time in looking after her family, waiting on them like a servant and meeting all their needs. She suffers in silence and does not express her resentment for fear of creating any unpleasantness in the house. After changing her personality with Mrs Fitzgerald, she is bold and defiant. She refuses to obey their orders. She speaks to them impudently and shows them their proper place in the family. After Mrs Pearson gets back into her original personality, we note a marked change in her behaviour. She is no longer meek and submissive and docile. She knows how to tackle them with just a look or a tone of voice. She is now the mistress of the house who could be tough with them if she wanted to be.

Question. 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 and action of the play which revolve around a mother. The playwright confronts us at the outset with the problems the mother faces from her grown-up children and their father. The 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 lessons in courtesy and polite behaviour not only towards the mother but also towards the visiting neighbour as well. 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, are rare gifts that the mother receives on that important day.

Question. What has the author tried to convey in the play ‘Mother’s Day’?
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 selflessness and eagerness to please everyone eternally, reduces her quite unfortunately to the rank of an unpaid domestic help. Instead of being politely spoken to, she is ordered or instructed to do things. She is never appreciated for the efforts she puts in to make everyone in her house safe, comfortable and happy. The author has presented this concern through the characters of the Pearson family. Mrs Pearson is the harassed mother. Her daughter Doris, son Cyril and husband George take her services for granted and they come across as thoughtless and selfish people. The author introduces a humorous twist in the story by causing an interchange of personalities and subjects the family members to harsh treatment. This was meted out to them by the personality of Mrs Fitzgerald (in the body of Mrs Pearson). The conclusion of the story is that the trick worked wonders and changed the Pearson family to a great degree.

Question. “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. (Constructed Response Question)
Answer: This statement is certainly worth agreeing upon. Drastic measures need to be taken to solve stubborn problems. The thoughtless, selfish and spoilt members of the Pearson family do not understand the language of love and affection. When Mrs Fitzgerald’s spirit entered her body, Mrs Pearson imbibed her bold and dominating personality and toughness. This enabled to make the family realise their mistakes. Doris was the first to receive a lesson on civility and politeness. The criticism of her boyfriend was an unexpected experience which she found difficult to digest, compared to the issue with the yellow silk dress. 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 came as a bolt from the blue. The balloon of her husband’s ego was punctured by disclosing to him how people at the club made fun of him. In the end, all the three members come around and showed their willingness to obey, respect and appreciate the woman of the house.

Question. Analyse 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. As Mrs Pearson does not have the guts to stand up for herself, Mrs Fitzgerald suggests a novel approach—an exchange of personalities. Now Mrs Pearson, with the personality Mrs Fitzgerald, puts the plan of reformation in action. She smokes, drinks and plays cards. All this unusual behaviour is noticed by the family. She further shocks them by being tough with them both in words and actions. She asks them to fend for themselves. She clearly tells them that she has already worked for more than eight hours that day. She is equally blunt with Mr George Pearson, who goes away every evening to the club, leaving his wife alone at home. She reveals to him how the people at the club make 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, Mrs Fitzgerald uses her powerful personality to transform the frustrating and insipid life of her friend, Mrs Pearson with ease.

Question. How does the play ‘Mother’s Day’ end? Describe.
Answer: Mrs Pearson is reinstated as the matriarch of the family. This was accomplished by the efforts taken by her friend Mrs Fitzgerald. Left to herself, the passive, humble lady would have continued to live the life of a decorated maid. A few hours of planned drama changes the character of three rigid, selfish and opportunistic family members with amazing ease. This was made possible because of the acquired skills of Mrs Fitzgerald in fortune telling and exchanging spirits. She exchanged her spirit with her friend and actually made the day a Mother’s Day. The events of the day were resolved to be kept as a secret between the friends. Mrs Fitzgerald leaves for her home with an advice to her friend to build up on the foundation of change that had been very strongly set. The play ends on a beautiful note, when the family decides to spend quality time in each other’s company, with food and games.

Questions for Practice

Extract-based Questions

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

MRS PEARSON: Yes, thank you, Mrs Fitzgerald. I’m much obliged, I’m sure. It’s wonderful having a real fortune-teller living next door. Did you learn that out East, too?
MRS FITZGERALD: I did. Twelve years I had of it, with my old man rising to be Lieutenant Quartermaster. He learnt a lot and I learnt a lot more. But will you make up your mind now, Mrs Pearson dear? Put your foot down, once an’ for all, an’ be the mistress of your own house an’ the boss of your own family.

Question. What does Mrs Pearson find so wonderful?
Answer: Mrs Pearson finds it wonderful that a real fortune-teller, Mrs Fitzgerald, is living right next door to her.

Question. To whom does ‘old man’ refer to in the given extract?
Answer: In this extract, the term ‘old man’ refers to Mrs Fitzgerald's husband.

Question. Mrs Fitzgerald learnt the art of _____________ in the East.
(a) Ouija board
(b) fortune telling
(c) horoscope reading
(d) both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) both (b) and (c)