Character Sketch: Should Wizard Hit Mommy? | English Class 12 PDF Download

Character Sketch of Jack

Jack is a loving father. He is a caring husband who shares the household work with his wife. At the same time, he seems to be a chauvinist who does not want to be taken for granted by women. He was quite conscientious when it came to maintaining a balanced family life no matter how weary and tired it made him at the end of the day. His children mattered to him, he took on the duty of narrating stories to his daughter Joanne. Jack was a good storyteller because he could keep not only the listener but also his own interest riveted upon the stories that he created. His stories were imaginative creations and contained characters who had been infused with life by Jack. While telling the story, he tries to dramatise and modulate his voice to bring the effect. He himself didn’t have a very happy childhood. At times, his own childhood experiences, complexes, miseries and humiliations are brought out in his stories.
Should Wizard Hit Mommy Overview – John Updike’s short tale “Should Wizard Hit Mommy?” covers the topic of parenting and the challenges and complications of raising kids. The narrative is portrayed from the viewpoint of a small child who witnesses his parents fighting and arguing and struggles with feelings of rage and perplexity. The story emphasises the challenge that many parents experience in juggling the demands of job and family life through the eyes of this child, as well as the effects that this can have on their relationships and kids.
In addition, the story’s title, “Should Wizard Hit Mommy?,” alludes to the young reader’s internal conflict as he considers violence and aggression. The narrative poses concerns over how parents influence their children’s morals and values as well as the potential long-term consequences of their acts and behaviour. Should Wizard Hit Mommy? topic is one of the difficulties and complications of parenting and the influence that a parent’s behaviour may have on their children.

Character Sketch of Jo

Jo is Jack and Claire’s four-year-old daughter. She is a smart, pampered, loved but sensitive child. Like any other child, she is fond of stories. She is innocent and loves the happy ending stories. She lives in her imaginary world of fairies, magic wands, miracles, etc. and is not prepared for any harsh reality of life. She is very logical and argumentative. She is brave enough not to accept something that she doesn’t believe in. She has her own mind and cannot accept that mothers can be so cruel as to hurt their children. When she is not able to persuade her father to change the ending of the story, she urges him to tell her another story.

Character Sketch of Claire

Claire is the mother of Bobby and Jo. She is six months pregnant with their third child. She is only heard in the story when she moves the furniture under Jo’s room in the living room.Though she is physically absent from the story Jack sees her growing in his daughter Jo as even she acts like her mother or contradicts him which he certainly dislikes.

Character Sketch of Roger Skunk

Roger Skunk is a fictional character invented by Jack with the help of Jo. Roger Skunk is a target of bullying at school because of his strong body odor. He pays the wizard to use magic to remove his odor so that he’ll be accepted at school, but when he goes home smelling like roses instead of the fouls skunky smell, his mother, “Mommy Skunk,” forces the wizard to return her son’s bad skunk smell.

Character Sketch of Wizard

Wizard is a recurring character in Jack’s bedtime stories. He is often the person to whom the wise old owl refers Roger. The wizard solves Roger’s problems and this ends Jack’s story.

Character Sketch of Owl

The wise owl is another recurring character in Jack’s stories. He is supposed to offer Roger _____ some wise piece of advice, but usually just refers Roger to the Wizard.

Character Sketch of Roger’s Mom

The word “Mommy” in the title “Should Wizard Hit Mommy?” is actually Roger Skunk’s mother who forces the wizard to return Roger to his original skunk-like smell. Jo hates Mommy Skunk’s role in the story and roots for her to be hit by Wizard. The mommy says that the skunk-like smell is the identity of Roger and so, he must keep it.