Previous Year Long Questions With Answers - Mother`s Day - Class 11 PDF Download

Q. 1. What is the problem confronted by Mrs. Pearson ? Who helps her solve this problem and how ?
Ans. Mrs. Person’s problem is that she is neglected by her husband and children. She is very fond of her family. She runs after them all the time, takes their orders as if she was the servant in the house and stays at home every night while they go out enjoying themselves. She takes no holiday. They have come to believe that she is there simply to look after them and wait for them. So they take, no notice of her. Her neighbour, Mrs. Fitzgerald, helps her solve this problem. She advises Mrs. Pearson to assert her rights as the mistress of the house if she wants them to treat her properly. Mrs. Pearson says that she does keep dropping a hint now and then but she can’t be harsh with them as she does not want any unpleasantness in the house. Mrs. Fitzgerald asks her to let her do it. Mrs. Pearson wonders how it is possible. Mrs. Fitzgerald tells her that they would change their personalities with each other. She had learnt this trick when she was in East. Mrs. Pearson hesitates but she finally agrees. The two women change their personalities. Now, Mrs. Pearson with Mrs. Fitzgerald’s personality, puts the members of her family in their proper places. They begin to give her due regard and consideration.

Q. 2. What role did Mr. Fitzgerald play to make Mr. Pearson the boss of the family ? [KVS Silchar 2017]
Ans. Mrs. Pearson’s problem is that she is neglected by her husband and children. She is very fond of her family. She runs after them all the time, takes their orders as if she was the servant in the house and stays at home every night while they go out enjoying themselves. She takes no holiday. They have come to believe that she is there simply to look after them and wait for them, so they take, no notice of her. Her neighbour, Mrs. Fitzgerald, helps her solve this problem. She advises Mrs. Pearson to assert her rights as the mistress of the house if she wants them to treat her properly. Mrs. Pearson says that she does keep dropping a hint now and then but she can’t be harsh with them as she does not want any unpleasantness in the house. Mrs. Fitzgerald asks her to let her do it. Mrs. Pearson wonders how it is possible. Mrs. Fitzgerald tells her that they would change their personalities with each other. She had learnt this trick when she was in East. Mrs. Pearson hesitates but she finally agrees. The two women change their personalities.

Q. 3. How does Mrs. Pearson make her daughter Doris miserable ?
Ans. Doris Pearson enters the room violently and orders her mother to iron her yellow silk as she has to wear it that night. She is astonished to find her mother smoking. She finds mother’s behaviour rather unusual. When she asks about tea mother says casually that she has not got her tea ready. She is surprised to hear that mother is thinking of going out and get a meal at the Clarendon. Mother always iron her clothes ungrudgingly but now she seems to be in no mood to iron her yellow silk for her. Formerly, mother never objected to her going out with Charlie Spence. Now, when Doris tells her that she is going out with Charlie Spence, mother severely asks her whether she should not find anybody better than buck teeth and halfwitted Charlie Spence. This is too much for Doris. She runs out of the room with tears in her eyes.

Q. 4. What is the reaction of Doris and Cyril to the unusual behaviour of their mother?
Ans. 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 asks them to help themselves. When Doris asks her to iron her yellow silk, mother 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 their 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 stand against to see her going to the kitchen to fetch stout of herself. As far as they know her she has never tasted stout. They thought that they had done something wrong and mother was offended with them. But now they realise there is something wrong with the mother. Doris thinks mother 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.

Q. 5. The play ‘Mother’s Day’ is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the woman in a family. Bring out briefly the elements of humour and satire.
Ans. The play ‘Mother’s Day’ is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the woman in a family is shown in its serious theme treated in a light-hearted manner. The humour in the play springs from an unusual situation where the personalities of two ladies exchange bodies. Their subsequent behaviour, which is in total contrast to their previous one, is a very powerful source of laughter. The importance of the character about the personality they are facing also creates humour. The following dialogues also provides a lot of fun : “Mrs. Pearson if you had to love my life it wouldn’t be so band. You’d have more fun as me than you’ve had as you.”
“It’s that silly old bag from next door Mrs. Fitzgerald.”
“Tickling her off now, are you, Annie ?”
“They call you Pompy-Ompy Pearson because they think you’re so slow and pompous.”
The actions, gestures and reactions of the characters also provide humour. The housewife being given orders, treated like dirt and forced to stay home every night while other members go out to amuse themselves in sharply contrasted with the position at the end of the play where she is the mistress of the house. The play also satirises the eight hour work culture and threats to go on strike. Even the housewife adopts this weapon.