5 Mothers Day

 

5 Mother's Day

A. Reading With Insight

Question 1:

This play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the mother in the family.

1. What are the issues it raises?
2. Do you think it caricatures these issues or do you think that the problems it raises are genuine? How does the play resolve the issues? Do you agree with the resolution?

Answer:

1. The play raises many serious issues. The first and foremost is proper appreciation of a housewife’s role and responsibilities. Those who work eight hours a day and forty hours a week treat the housewife as an unpaid domestic servant, who must carry out their orders. They neither request her nor thank her for her services. The second issue is the reciprocity of love and gratitude towards the mother or wife. The husband, son and daughter leave the lady of the house alone every night and go out to enjoy themselves in their several ways. They do not take any notice of her and have become thoughtless and selfish. The mother’s excessive love, care and promptness to serve them also spoil them.
2. The problems the play raises are serious. The treatment is of course, comic. The playwright adopts an unusual method to resolve the issues. He takes the help of magic bf the East. Incantation of a magical spell helps in the interchange of the personalities. Now Mrs Pearson, with the strong and sinister personality of Mrs Fitzgerald, gives rough treatment to the daughter, son and husband respectively. Her stern looks and commanding tone suggests to them that she can be really tough. The spoilt member are brought round by the heavy dose of exposure of reality to them. They agree to stay and help in preparing the supper while the housewife has a talk with her husband.
   The resolution of the issues seems far-fetched and unnatural but extreme means have to be adopted in disaster management.

Question 2:

If you were to write these issues today, what are some of the incidents, examples and problems that you would think of as relevant?

Answer:

Various responses are possible One such response is given below:

The incidents of unfair treatment to the fair gender at home, at work, in public transport and elsewhere will prove handy. The examples of exploitation of female workers with lower wages, harassment by seniors, indecent remarks, eve-teasing and molestation can highlight the problems of social inequality that women face in practice. Even in the twenty first century women face the same problems in spite of the talk of women empowerment. The poor housewives have to bear the physical torment and mental anguish at the hands of bullish husbands who boast of their masculinity by inflicting physical violence, barbs and taunts on the defense less women. Examples of rapes and sexual harassment which hug the limelight in daily newspapers can also be included to highlight the problems of insecurity of women in modem society.

Question 3:

Is drama a good medium for conveying a social message? Discuss.

Answer:

Yes, drama is certainly a good medium for conveying a social message. Direct moralising is often resented and usually ignored. Drama is a presentation of a slice of life through characters placed in various situations. The attention of the spectators centres round their actions and reactions. Most of them feel fully involved with the protagonists. The working out of the theme generally leaves a message—sometimes obvious and explicit but in most of the cases, indirect and implicit. The social message of these plays seems to come out of the interactions of the characters and their traits of character. The victory of evil over good is usually portrayed indirectly. These day we find many plays centred around themes creating social awareness such as evils of drinking and smoking; dangers of pollution, child labour, the decreasing female ratio and need to empower women.

A. Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:

How are Mrs Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald contrasted?

Answer:

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:

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: 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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.