NCERT Textbook - Mother's Day | English Class 11 PDF Download

 Page 1


3
Mother’s Day
J.B. Priestley
The following play is a humorous portrayal of the status of the mother in a
family. Let’s read on to see how Mrs P earson’s family reacts when she tries
to stand up for her own rights.
Characters
MRS ANNIE PEARSON
GEORGE PEARSON
DORIS PEARSON
CYRIL PEARSON
MRS FITZGERALD
The action takes place in the living-room of the
Pearsons’ house in a London suburb.
Time: The Present
Scene: The living-room of the Pearson family. Afternoon. It is a comfortably
furnished, much lived-in room in a small suburban semi-detached villa.
If necessary only one door need be used, but it is better with two— one
up left leading to the front door and the stairs and the other in the right
wall leading to the kitchen and the back door. There can be a muslin-
covered window in the left wall and possibly one in the right wall, too.
The fireplace is assumed to be in the fourth wall. There is a settee up
right, an armchair down left and one down right. A small table with two
chairs on either side of it stands at the centre.
2024-25
Page 2


3
Mother’s Day
J.B. Priestley
The following play is a humorous portrayal of the status of the mother in a
family. Let’s read on to see how Mrs P earson’s family reacts when she tries
to stand up for her own rights.
Characters
MRS ANNIE PEARSON
GEORGE PEARSON
DORIS PEARSON
CYRIL PEARSON
MRS FITZGERALD
The action takes place in the living-room of the
Pearsons’ house in a London suburb.
Time: The Present
Scene: The living-room of the Pearson family. Afternoon. It is a comfortably
furnished, much lived-in room in a small suburban semi-detached villa.
If necessary only one door need be used, but it is better with two— one
up left leading to the front door and the stairs and the other in the right
wall leading to the kitchen and the back door. There can be a muslin-
covered window in the left wall and possibly one in the right wall, too.
The fireplace is assumed to be in the fourth wall. There is a settee up
right, an armchair down left and one down right. A small table with two
chairs on either side of it stands at the centre.
2024-25
Mother’s Day 17
When the curtain rises it is an afternoon in early autumn and the
stage can be well lit. Mrs Pearson at right, and Mrs Fitzgerald at left, are
sitting opposite each other at the small table, on which are two tea-cups
and saucers and the cards with which Mrs Fitzgerald has been telling
Mrs Pearson’s fortune. Mrs Pearson is a pleasant but worried-looking
woman in her forties. Mrs Fitzgerald is older, heavier and a strong and
sinister personality. She is smoking. It is very important that these two
should have sharply contrasting voices— Mrs Pearson speaking in a light,
flurried sort of tone, with a touch of suburban Cockney perhaps; and Mrs
Fitzgerald with a deep voice, rather Irish perhaps.
MRS FITZGERALD: [collecting up the cards] And that’s all I can
tell you, Mrs Pearson. Could be a good
fortune. Could be a bad one. All depends
on yourself now. Make up your mind— and
there it is.
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?
2024-25
Page 3


3
Mother’s Day
J.B. Priestley
The following play is a humorous portrayal of the status of the mother in a
family. Let’s read on to see how Mrs P earson’s family reacts when she tries
to stand up for her own rights.
Characters
MRS ANNIE PEARSON
GEORGE PEARSON
DORIS PEARSON
CYRIL PEARSON
MRS FITZGERALD
The action takes place in the living-room of the
Pearsons’ house in a London suburb.
Time: The Present
Scene: The living-room of the Pearson family. Afternoon. It is a comfortably
furnished, much lived-in room in a small suburban semi-detached villa.
If necessary only one door need be used, but it is better with two— one
up left leading to the front door and the stairs and the other in the right
wall leading to the kitchen and the back door. There can be a muslin-
covered window in the left wall and possibly one in the right wall, too.
The fireplace is assumed to be in the fourth wall. There is a settee up
right, an armchair down left and one down right. A small table with two
chairs on either side of it stands at the centre.
2024-25
Mother’s Day 17
When the curtain rises it is an afternoon in early autumn and the
stage can be well lit. Mrs Pearson at right, and Mrs Fitzgerald at left, are
sitting opposite each other at the small table, on which are two tea-cups
and saucers and the cards with which Mrs Fitzgerald has been telling
Mrs Pearson’s fortune. Mrs Pearson is a pleasant but worried-looking
woman in her forties. Mrs Fitzgerald is older, heavier and a strong and
sinister personality. She is smoking. It is very important that these two
should have sharply contrasting voices— Mrs Pearson speaking in a light,
flurried sort of tone, with a touch of suburban Cockney perhaps; and Mrs
Fitzgerald with a deep voice, rather Irish perhaps.
MRS FITZGERALD: [collecting up the cards] And that’s all I can
tell you, Mrs Pearson. Could be a good
fortune. Could be a bad one. All depends
on yourself now. Make up your mind— and
there it is.
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?
2024-25
18 Snapshots
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.
MRS PEARSON: [smiling apologetically] That’s easier said
than done. Besides I’m so fond of them even
if they are so thoughtless and selfish. They
don’t mean to be...
MRS FITZGERALD: [cutting in] Maybe not. But it’ud be better
for them if they learnt to treat you properly...
MRS PEARSON: Yes, I suppose it would, in a way.
MRS FITZGERALD: No doubt about it at all. Who’s the better
for being spoilt—grown man, lad or girl?
Nobody. You think it does ’em good when
you run after them all the time, take their
orders as if you were the servant in the
house, stay at home every night while they
go out enjoying themselves? Never in all your
life. It’s the ruin of them as well as you.
Husbands, sons, daughters should be
taking notice of wives an’ mothers, not giving
’em orders an’ treating ’em like dirt. An’ don’t
tell me you don’t know what I mean, for I
know more than you’ve told me.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] I— keep dropping a hint...
MRS FITZGERALD: Hint? It’s more than hints your family needs,
Mrs Pearson.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] I suppose it is. But I do hate
any unpleasantness. And it’s so hard to
know where to start. I keep making up my
mind to have it out with them but somehow
I don’t know how to begin. [She glances at
her watch or at a clock ] Oh— good gracious!
Look at the time. Nothing ready and they’ll
be home any minute and probably all in a
hurry to go out again.
2024-25
Page 4


3
Mother’s Day
J.B. Priestley
The following play is a humorous portrayal of the status of the mother in a
family. Let’s read on to see how Mrs P earson’s family reacts when she tries
to stand up for her own rights.
Characters
MRS ANNIE PEARSON
GEORGE PEARSON
DORIS PEARSON
CYRIL PEARSON
MRS FITZGERALD
The action takes place in the living-room of the
Pearsons’ house in a London suburb.
Time: The Present
Scene: The living-room of the Pearson family. Afternoon. It is a comfortably
furnished, much lived-in room in a small suburban semi-detached villa.
If necessary only one door need be used, but it is better with two— one
up left leading to the front door and the stairs and the other in the right
wall leading to the kitchen and the back door. There can be a muslin-
covered window in the left wall and possibly one in the right wall, too.
The fireplace is assumed to be in the fourth wall. There is a settee up
right, an armchair down left and one down right. A small table with two
chairs on either side of it stands at the centre.
2024-25
Mother’s Day 17
When the curtain rises it is an afternoon in early autumn and the
stage can be well lit. Mrs Pearson at right, and Mrs Fitzgerald at left, are
sitting opposite each other at the small table, on which are two tea-cups
and saucers and the cards with which Mrs Fitzgerald has been telling
Mrs Pearson’s fortune. Mrs Pearson is a pleasant but worried-looking
woman in her forties. Mrs Fitzgerald is older, heavier and a strong and
sinister personality. She is smoking. It is very important that these two
should have sharply contrasting voices— Mrs Pearson speaking in a light,
flurried sort of tone, with a touch of suburban Cockney perhaps; and Mrs
Fitzgerald with a deep voice, rather Irish perhaps.
MRS FITZGERALD: [collecting up the cards] And that’s all I can
tell you, Mrs Pearson. Could be a good
fortune. Could be a bad one. All depends
on yourself now. Make up your mind— and
there it is.
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?
2024-25
18 Snapshots
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.
MRS PEARSON: [smiling apologetically] That’s easier said
than done. Besides I’m so fond of them even
if they are so thoughtless and selfish. They
don’t mean to be...
MRS FITZGERALD: [cutting in] Maybe not. But it’ud be better
for them if they learnt to treat you properly...
MRS PEARSON: Yes, I suppose it would, in a way.
MRS FITZGERALD: No doubt about it at all. Who’s the better
for being spoilt—grown man, lad or girl?
Nobody. You think it does ’em good when
you run after them all the time, take their
orders as if you were the servant in the
house, stay at home every night while they
go out enjoying themselves? Never in all your
life. It’s the ruin of them as well as you.
Husbands, sons, daughters should be
taking notice of wives an’ mothers, not giving
’em orders an’ treating ’em like dirt. An’ don’t
tell me you don’t know what I mean, for I
know more than you’ve told me.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] I— keep dropping a hint...
MRS FITZGERALD: Hint? It’s more than hints your family needs,
Mrs Pearson.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] I suppose it is. But I do hate
any unpleasantness. And it’s so hard to
know where to start. I keep making up my
mind to have it out with them but somehow
I don’t know how to begin. [She glances at
her watch or at a clock ] Oh— good gracious!
Look at the time. Nothing ready and they’ll
be home any minute and probably all in a
hurry to go out again.
2024-25
Mother’s Day 19
[As she is about to rise, Mrs Fitzgerald reaches
out across the table and pulls her down.]
MRS FITZGERALD: Let ’em wait or look after themselves for once.
This is where your foot goes down. Start now.
[She lights a cigarette from the one she has
just finished.]
MRS PEARSON: [embarrassed] Mrs Fitzgerald—I know you
mean well— in fact, I agree with you — but I
just can’t— and it’s no use you trying to make
me. If I promise you I’d really have it out with
them, I know I wouldn’t be able to keep my
promise.
MRS FITZGERALD: Then let me do it.
MRS PEARSON: [ flustered] Oh no—thank you very much,
Mrs Fitzgerald— but that wouldn’t do at all.
It couldn’t possibly be somebody else—
they’d resent it at once and wouldn’t listen —
and really I couldn’t blame them. I know I
ought to do it— but you see how it is? [She
looks apologetically across the table, smiling
rather miserably.]
MRS FITZGERALD: [coolly] You haven’t got the idea.
MRS PEARSON: [bewildered] Oh— I’m sorry— I thought you
asked me to let you do it.
MRS FITZGERALD: I did. But not as me— as you.
MRS PEARSON: But—I don’t understand. You couldn’t be
me.
MRS FITZGERALD: [coolly] We change places. Or—really—
bodies. You look like me. I look like you.
MRS PEARSON: But that’s impossible.
MRS FITZGERALD: How do you know? Ever tried it?
MRS PEARSON: No, of course not...
MRS FITZGERALD: [coolly] I have. Not for some time but it still
ought to work. Won’t last long, but long
enough for what we want to do. Learnt it
out East, of course, where they’re up to all
these tricks. [She holds her hand out across
the table, keeping the cigarette in her mouth]
Gimme your hands, dear.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] Well— I don’t know— is it right?
2024-25
Page 5


3
Mother’s Day
J.B. Priestley
The following play is a humorous portrayal of the status of the mother in a
family. Let’s read on to see how Mrs P earson’s family reacts when she tries
to stand up for her own rights.
Characters
MRS ANNIE PEARSON
GEORGE PEARSON
DORIS PEARSON
CYRIL PEARSON
MRS FITZGERALD
The action takes place in the living-room of the
Pearsons’ house in a London suburb.
Time: The Present
Scene: The living-room of the Pearson family. Afternoon. It is a comfortably
furnished, much lived-in room in a small suburban semi-detached villa.
If necessary only one door need be used, but it is better with two— one
up left leading to the front door and the stairs and the other in the right
wall leading to the kitchen and the back door. There can be a muslin-
covered window in the left wall and possibly one in the right wall, too.
The fireplace is assumed to be in the fourth wall. There is a settee up
right, an armchair down left and one down right. A small table with two
chairs on either side of it stands at the centre.
2024-25
Mother’s Day 17
When the curtain rises it is an afternoon in early autumn and the
stage can be well lit. Mrs Pearson at right, and Mrs Fitzgerald at left, are
sitting opposite each other at the small table, on which are two tea-cups
and saucers and the cards with which Mrs Fitzgerald has been telling
Mrs Pearson’s fortune. Mrs Pearson is a pleasant but worried-looking
woman in her forties. Mrs Fitzgerald is older, heavier and a strong and
sinister personality. She is smoking. It is very important that these two
should have sharply contrasting voices— Mrs Pearson speaking in a light,
flurried sort of tone, with a touch of suburban Cockney perhaps; and Mrs
Fitzgerald with a deep voice, rather Irish perhaps.
MRS FITZGERALD: [collecting up the cards] And that’s all I can
tell you, Mrs Pearson. Could be a good
fortune. Could be a bad one. All depends
on yourself now. Make up your mind— and
there it is.
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?
2024-25
18 Snapshots
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.
MRS PEARSON: [smiling apologetically] That’s easier said
than done. Besides I’m so fond of them even
if they are so thoughtless and selfish. They
don’t mean to be...
MRS FITZGERALD: [cutting in] Maybe not. But it’ud be better
for them if they learnt to treat you properly...
MRS PEARSON: Yes, I suppose it would, in a way.
MRS FITZGERALD: No doubt about it at all. Who’s the better
for being spoilt—grown man, lad or girl?
Nobody. You think it does ’em good when
you run after them all the time, take their
orders as if you were the servant in the
house, stay at home every night while they
go out enjoying themselves? Never in all your
life. It’s the ruin of them as well as you.
Husbands, sons, daughters should be
taking notice of wives an’ mothers, not giving
’em orders an’ treating ’em like dirt. An’ don’t
tell me you don’t know what I mean, for I
know more than you’ve told me.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] I— keep dropping a hint...
MRS FITZGERALD: Hint? It’s more than hints your family needs,
Mrs Pearson.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] I suppose it is. But I do hate
any unpleasantness. And it’s so hard to
know where to start. I keep making up my
mind to have it out with them but somehow
I don’t know how to begin. [She glances at
her watch or at a clock ] Oh— good gracious!
Look at the time. Nothing ready and they’ll
be home any minute and probably all in a
hurry to go out again.
2024-25
Mother’s Day 19
[As she is about to rise, Mrs Fitzgerald reaches
out across the table and pulls her down.]
MRS FITZGERALD: Let ’em wait or look after themselves for once.
This is where your foot goes down. Start now.
[She lights a cigarette from the one she has
just finished.]
MRS PEARSON: [embarrassed] Mrs Fitzgerald—I know you
mean well— in fact, I agree with you — but I
just can’t— and it’s no use you trying to make
me. If I promise you I’d really have it out with
them, I know I wouldn’t be able to keep my
promise.
MRS FITZGERALD: Then let me do it.
MRS PEARSON: [ flustered] Oh no—thank you very much,
Mrs Fitzgerald— but that wouldn’t do at all.
It couldn’t possibly be somebody else—
they’d resent it at once and wouldn’t listen —
and really I couldn’t blame them. I know I
ought to do it— but you see how it is? [She
looks apologetically across the table, smiling
rather miserably.]
MRS FITZGERALD: [coolly] You haven’t got the idea.
MRS PEARSON: [bewildered] Oh— I’m sorry— I thought you
asked me to let you do it.
MRS FITZGERALD: I did. But not as me— as you.
MRS PEARSON: But—I don’t understand. You couldn’t be
me.
MRS FITZGERALD: [coolly] We change places. Or—really—
bodies. You look like me. I look like you.
MRS PEARSON: But that’s impossible.
MRS FITZGERALD: How do you know? Ever tried it?
MRS PEARSON: No, of course not...
MRS FITZGERALD: [coolly] I have. Not for some time but it still
ought to work. Won’t last long, but long
enough for what we want to do. Learnt it
out East, of course, where they’re up to all
these tricks. [She holds her hand out across
the table, keeping the cigarette in her mouth]
Gimme your hands, dear.
MRS PEARSON: [dubiously] Well— I don’t know— is it right?
2024-25
20 Snapshots
MRS FITZGERALD: It’s your only chance. Give me your hands
an’ keep quiet a minute. Just don’t think
about anything. [Taking her hands] Now look
at me. [They stare at each other. Muttering]
Arshtatta dum—arshtatta lam—arshtatta
lamdumbona...
[This little scene should be acted very carefully. We are to assume
that the personalities change bodies. After the spell has been
spoken, both women, still grasping hands, go lax, as if the life
were out of them. Then both come to life, but with the personality
of the other. Each must try to adopt the voice and mannerisms of
the other. So now Mrs Pearson is bold and dominating and Mrs
Fitzgerald is nervous and fluttering.]
MRS PEARSON: [now with Mrs Fitzgerald’s personality] See
what I mean, dear? [She notices the cigarette]
Here— you don’t want that. [She snatches
it and puts it in her own mouth, puffing
contentedly.]
[Mrs Fitzgerald, now with Mrs Pearson’s personality, looks down
at herself and sees that her body has changed and gives a scream
of fright.]
MRS FITZGERALD: [with Mrs Pearson’s personality] Oh—it’s
happened.
MRS PEARSON: [complacently] Of course it’s happened. Very
neat. Didn’t know I had it in me.
MRS FITZGERALD: [alarmed] But whatever shall I do, Mrs
Fitzgerald? George and the children can’t
see me like this.
MRS PEARSON: [grimly] They aren’t going to—that’s the
point. They’ll have me to deal with—only
they won’t know it.
MRS FITZGERALD: [still alarmed] But what if we can’t change
back? It’ud be terrible.
MRS PEARSON: Here— steady, Mrs Pearson— if you had to
live my life it wouldn’t be so bad. You’d have
more fun as me than you’ve had as you.
MRS FITZGERALD: Yes— but I don’t want to be anybody else...
MRS PEARSON: Now—stop worrying. It’s easier changing
back—I can do it any time we want...
MRS FITZGERALD: Well— do it now...
2024-25