CBSE Class 12 English HOTs Should Wizard hit Mommy

Introduction:
The story `Should Wizard Hit Mommy` is written by John Updike. Here, the writer wants to convey two messages.
First message is whether parents are always right; second is what will be the effect of story told by parents on the mind of a child. Children love to hear stories from their parents or grandparents at bedtime. Mostly such stories do not have any logic behind them. Children take them literally true. But when the child grows up, he begins to ask questions. He wants to know why and how certain things happen. Parents want the child to accept it as true whatever is told to him. Here in story, a little girl named Jo interrupts her father a number of times. She raises questions whenever she feels that the story is wrong. Father does not know whether to accept the child`s version or stick to his own. This story raises a moral issue and the writer leaves it to the readers to resolve it.

Question. Where does the enormous wise old owl live?
(a) in a den
(b) on the tree
(c) in the temple
(d) none of the above

Answer : B

Question. What is the meaning of the word ‘crick’ in the story?
(a) a little river
(b) a little mountain
(c ) a well
(d) a pond

Answer : A

Question. What was Skunk`s mommy`s reaction on changing the smell?
(a) she was happy
(b) she was annoyed
(c ) no reaction
(d) she started weeping

Answer : B

Question. What did she take away with her to meet the wizard?
(a) a stick
(b) a gun
(c) an umbrella
(d) a chair

Answer : C

Question. Where was the wizard`s house situated?
(a) on the hill
(b) in the city
(c) in the wood
(d) in a village

Answer : C

Question. What was the name of Jo’s brother?
(a) David
(b) Bobby
(c) Mohan
(d) John

Answer : B

Question. Which animal story does Jo want to hear today?
(a) Roger Fish
(b) Roger Squirrel
(c) Roger Skunk
(d) Roger dog

Answer : C

Question. What was the colour of wizard`s house?
(a) red
(b) blue
(c) white
(d) none of the above

Answer : C 

Question. How many pennies did the wizard demand?
(a) four
(b) five
(c) six
(d) seven

Answer : D

Question. How many pennies did Roger Skunk have with him?
(a) four
(b) five
(c) six
(d) seven

Answer : A

Question. Where was Skunk sent for by the wizard to get the short pennies?
(a) to home
(b) to friends
(c ) to a magic well
(d) to the railway stations

Answer : C

Question. How many pennies did Roger Skunk get from the magic well?
(a) two
(b) three
(c) four
(d) five

Answer : B

Question. What was the appearance of the wizard?
(a) having long white beard
(b) having pointed blue hat
(c) both (a) & (b)
(d) having blue eyes

Answer : C

Question. Which smell does Roger Skunk want to have?
(a) rose
(b) vinegar
(c ) perfumes
(d) all the above

Answer : A

Question. How did the wizard change the smell of Skunk?
(a) with the help of magic band
(b) by reciting a spell
(c) both (a) & (b)
(d) by pushing him inside his home

Answer : C

Question. Where did she hit the umbrella to the wizard?
(a)over his head
(b) on his leg
(c) to his arm
(d) on his stomach

Answer : A

Question. What was the wizard`s reaction on hitting the umbrella over his head?
(a) he hit back
(b) agreed to change the smell back
(c) denied to change the smell
(d) none of the above

Answer : B

Short Answer Type Questions 

Question. Father has felt empty after two years of story telling to Jo. What idea do you form about his skill in the art of story telling ?
Answer : It would be wrong to say that Jo's father is a bad story teller. In fact, with all his histrionics, sound effects and gestures, he is quite effective in the art. His only problem is that his stories lack variety and he ends up telling the same old story again and again with slight variation here and there. He feels empty because he has been telling stories for over two years now and has quite naturally run short of ideas.

Question. What was Roger Skunk's problem? How did he get rid of it?  
Answer : Roger Skunk was a delightful child. His only problem was that he smelled awful. As a result nobody liked to befriend him and play with him. He got rid of his bad smell with the help of wizard who cast a magic spell to change the smell into that of roses.

Question. How was Jo affected by Jack's story telling ?
Answer : Jo would be immensely engrossed in the story. She liked the way her father used to tell story particularly his dramatization of it, through gestures and changing voices. She also liked the predictable way the story would unfold for it allowed her to make guesses, draw conclusions and ask questions. The whole world of the story would come alive before her and she would twitch and turn in excitement as the story progressed.

Question. Why does the wizard instruct the Skunk to "Hurry up"?
Answer : The wizard asks Skunk to hurry up because he is used to living alone and does not like company for a long time and secondly he was keen to have his full payment for the task performed. Another reason can be that he could not stand Skunk's smell for long.

Question. After the Skunk started smelling of roses Jo "thought the story was all over." Why did she think so ?
Answer : Viewed from a child's angle, Skunk's smelling of roses is a befitting ending for the story, because first, Skunk's long standing desire has been fulfilled and secondly he is able to do what is dearest to his heart-play with other woodland creatures.

Question. The Skunk accepts Mom's order like a tame lamb and follows her to the wizard without demur, but Jo chooses to differ from her father with regard to changing the rose smell. How would you account for this difference in attitude between the two ?
Answer : Roger Skunk as a character symbolizes Jack's own personality as a child. He loved and obeyed his mother very much. She in turn taught him courage and self-regard in dealing with his hurt and humiliation on account of his psoriasis and stammering. Thus, Skunk is as unquestioningly obedient as Jack himself was. Jo on the other hand is a happy-go-lucky child of four who has no upset and humiliation to deal with. She is naturally inquisitive and is curious to know more and more. It is not surprising that she is full of questions. The attitudes of both Skunk and Jo are shaped by their life experience.

Question. What is the under lying idea behind the wizard's taking the beating and tamely changing the rose smell?
Answer : By making the wizard take his beating by Skunk's mother quietly, Jack and through him the author wishes to bring home the idea that mothers are always right and that we should accept what is natural. The wizard also sees the point and tamely changes Skunk's rose smell into his original Skunk smell.

Question. What inference do you draw from the narrator's statement, "eventually they (woodland creatures) got used to the way he (the Skunk) was and did not mind it at all" ?
Answer : The woodland creatures learnt the lesson that what is natural is not disgraceful and should be accepted as an integral part of one's being. One should not hate or avoid others because of something they cannot help. One should instead be courageous and tolerant enough to accept is. This is how the woodland creatures got used to the way Skunk smelled.

Long Answer Type Questions 

Question. Why is an adult's perspective on life different from that of a child's ? 
Answer : As the child grows into maturity his perspective and vision of life change gradually. A child views things at superficial and sensory level but a grown up's vision is realistic, reflective, philosophical and even psychological. Viewed from the study of the story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" Jo, a child of four, like most children of her age, prefers to live in dreams and fantasies. She is hostile by nature and would like to wreak vengeance on Skunk's mother and wants the wizard to retaliate. 

She is annoyed because the father refuses to accept her suggestion. The father has a mature perspective and sees beyond the surface and explores the philosophical and moralistic aspect of the entire situation. The wizard had unwittingly interfered with nature and had thus done a great deal of harm and deserved to be punished. According to him the punishment meted out to the wizard is well merited and retaliation is out of the question.

Thus the story makes it clear that the perspective of a child and that of an adult is totally different.