CBSE Class 12 English HOTs Should Wizard Hit Mommy

Question. How does Jo want the story to end?

Ans. Jo wants Roger skunk to smell like roses and not have the skunk’s foul smell. She also wants the wizard to take revenge on the mother by hitting her.

Question. What part of the story did Jack himself enjoy the most and why?

Ans. The part of the story, which Jack himself enjoyed the most was where Roger goes to the wizard’s house. Jack imitated the wizard’s voice. He felt being an old man suited him. He mixed his own childhood humiliations and experiences with the narration of the story.

Jack enjoyed doing so because he liked seeing his daughter holding on to his words, liked seeing her apprehensive and expecting something unexpected. Jack enjoyed the fact that Jo loved the stories narrated by him.

Question. Which do you think is a better ending of Roger Skunk’s story, Jo’s or her father’s? Why?

Ans. In Jack’s version of the Roger Skunk story, the wizard uses reverse magic on Roger so as to give him back his original stink because mother Skunk hit him with her umbrella. From an adult’s perspective, Jack’s version of the story aims at teaching two important lessons acceptance of oneself and that parents are the best judge. However, Jo suggests an alternate ending to the story because she does not agree with Jack’s ending. Jo wants a happy ending. She feels sorry for Roger Skunk and wants him to smell like roses so that Roger Skunk can play with other animals. This shows that peer acceptance is quite important for children. It also shows that the sense of freedom of choice develops at an early age. Therefore, from a child’s perspective, Jo’s version of ending the Roger Skunk’s story is also relevant.

Question. How did Jo want the Roger Skunk story to end? Why?

Ans. In Jack’s version of the story, Roger Skunk’s mommy hits the wizard on his head with her umbrella, and told him to cast a reverse spell on Roger skunk and give him his original smell back. However, Jo did not agree with this ending and suggested an alternate end for the story. According to her, the wizard should have hit mommy back and not change Roger Skunk.

To Jo, the wizard was a good person who helps ‘Roger skunk’ when he was in trouble and seeking a way out. Witnessing Mommy Skunk’s actions, Jo felt that ‘stupid Mommy’ should have been punished for her unkind behaviour towards the kind wizard. She believed that Mommy Skunk was imposing her will both on Roger Skunk and the wizard without considering her son’s fear of not getting accepted by his peers. Jo also thought that Roger Skunk should be allowed to choose his own life even if it meant to get rid of the stink.

Question. How was the skunk’s story different from the other stories narrated by Jack?

Ans. The skunk’s story was different from the other stories narrated by Jack because other stories ended on a happy note. The wizard always resolved the problem by the end of the story, which appealed a lot to Jo. However, Roger Skunk’s story had a twisted ending. In this story, the wizard was unable to help Roger Skunk because mother skunk interfered in the process. Jo had not so much interrupted the narration earlier or challenged Jack’s authority. It was also the only story, the ending of which was unacceptable to Jo. But above all, unlike any of Jack’s stories, the ending of this story remained unresolved.

Question. What impression do you form of Jack as a father?

Ans. Jack was an affectionate and caring father, who loved telling bedtime stories to his four year old daughter Jo. He used to be creative and imaginative with his stories and loved watching Jo listening to his stories in awed silence. He was like any typical father. He wanted to instill good morals and virtues in Jo. However, he had to face some opposition from Jo and this irritated Jack. Although, he was a good father and husband, Jack felt caught in the ugly middle, in a cage, i.e., he found himself stuck in a meaningless life, where he lacked personal space and own time.

Question. How did Jo want the wizard to behave when Mommy Skunk approached him?

Ans. When mommy skunk approached the wizard, Jo wanted him to hit her back just as she had hit him on the head with her umbrella and not change Roger Skunk back.