Okay, here is a summary of the play “Mother’s Day” and the answers to the questions, made easy to understand with emojis, drawing on the provided sources.
Summary of “Mother’s Day”
“Mother’s Day” is a humorous and satirical play by J.B. Priestley about the status of the mother in a family. The action takes place in the living-room of the Pearson family in a London suburb.
The main character, Mrs Annie Pearson, is a pleasant but worried-looking woman who is treated by her family (husband George, daughter Doris, and son Cyril) as a servant. They are thoughtless and selfish, taking her orders, expecting her to run after them all the time, do their chores like ironing, and stay home while they go out enjoying themselves. Mrs Pearson herself is fond of them but finds it hard to stand up for herself. She hates unpleasantness and doesn’t know where to start.
Her neighbour, Mrs Fitzgerald, is an older, heavier woman with a strong personality. She is also a fortune-teller who has learned tricks out East, including how to change bodies. Seeing Mrs Pearson’s predicament, Mrs Fitzgerald insists she needs to put her foot down and be the mistress of her own house and the boss of her family. When Mrs Pearson admits she can’t do it herself, Mrs Fitzgerald suggests they change places. Using a spell learned out East, their personalities swap bodies.
Now, Mrs Pearson (with Mrs Fitzgerald’s personality) is bold and dominating, while Mrs Fitzgerald (with Mrs Pearson’s personality) is nervous and fluttering. The swapped Mrs Pearson immediately starts acting very differently: smoking, drinking stout, not getting tea ready, refusing to iron clothes, and speaking sharply and directly to her children and husband. She confronts Doris about her date and crying, tells Cyril she couldn’t bother to do his mending, and informs them she’s joining the “movement” of not doing things she doesn’t want to do, instituting a “Forty-hour week for all now”. She even tells George that his friends at the club laugh at him and call him “Pompy-ompy Pearson”.
The family is astounded, bewildered, and upset by this sudden change. They wonder if she is “off-colour”, has hit her head, or gone “barmy” or “tiddly”.
Mrs Fitzgerald (still in Mrs Pearson’s body) returns, anxious about how far things have gone. She wants to change back because she can’t bear to see the family miserable. The swapped Mrs Pearson (in Mrs Fitzgerald’s body) believes the tough treatment is doing them good but agrees to change back. They swap bodies back using the same spell.
Before leaving, the real Mrs Fitzgerald advises the real Mrs Pearson not to go soft on them again and to stay firm. She suggests a firm look or tone of voice and proposes a test: asking the family to stay home and help with supper.
When the family returns, still apprehensive, Mrs Pearson smiles but then uses a sharp tone. She proposes a family game of rummy, followed by the children getting supper ready while she talks with their father. The family, perhaps intimidated by the recent events or the memory of the swapped Mrs Pearson, quickly agrees, even Doris who initially hesitated. Mrs Fitzgerald leaves, confident that Mrs Pearson will now be able to manage her family.
Answers to the Questions
Here are the answers to the questions about “Mother’s Day” based on the sources, made easy to understand with emojis! 😊
This play, written in the 1950s, is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the mother in the family.
(i) What are the issues it raises?
- The play raises the issue of the underappreciated and overworked status of a mother/wife within her own family. Her family members (husband and children) are selfish and thoughtless, taking her for granted and treating her like a servant. They expect her to cater to their needs (like ironing clothes or making tea) without offering thanks or recognition. They go out and enjoy themselves while she stays home. The mother finds it difficult to assert herself and stand up for her own rights or desires. It highlights the imbalance in domestic roles and expectations. 🤔 imbalance
(ii) 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?
- The play does caricature the issues to some extent, particularly through the extreme personality swap and the exaggerated reactions of the family. Mrs Fitzgerald’s boldness and directness in Mrs Pearson’s body are certainly amplified for comedic and satirical effect. However, the problems it raises are generally genuine; many mothers/wives in traditional family structures are taken for granted and overburdened with domestic duties.
- The play resolves the issues by having Mrs Fitzgerald, using a magical body swap, step into Mrs Pearson’s place and forcefully assert Mrs Pearson’s rights and desires. This shock treatment makes the family realise their behaviour is unacceptable. After the swap is reversed, Mrs Pearson is encouraged to maintain a firm hand. The resolution is tested as Mrs Pearson proposes a new plan involving the family staying home and helping with supper, to which they readily agree.
- Agreeing with the resolution depends on perspective. The magical solution is unrealistic ✨, but the idea that the family needs a shock to change their behaviour might be considered necessary by some. The play suggests that a mother needs to be firm and demand respect, which is a positive message, though the method used to achieve this is fantastical. 👍 or 🤷♀️
If you were to write about these issues today what are some of the incidents, examples and problems that you would think of as relevant?
- If writing about these issues today, relevant examples might include:
- The unequal distribution of household chores and childcare between partners, even in families where both work.
- The expectation that the mother is the default parent for managing kids’ schedules, school communication, and activities (“mental load”). 🧠📅
- Family members spending excessive time on personal leisure (social media, gaming, separate hobbies) while the mother is still responsible for domestic tasks. 📱🎮
- Lack of appreciation or thanks for the mother’s efforts. 🙏🚫
- The difficulty mothers face in setting boundaries or taking time for themselves without guilt or resistance from the family. 🚫⏰
- The expectation that her career or personal time is less important than others’. 👩💻➡️🏡
- If writing about these issues today, relevant examples might include:
Is drama a good medium for conveying a social message? Discuss.
- Yes, drama is often a very good medium for conveying a social message. Plays use dialogue and action performed by characters to illustrate issues. This allows the audience to see and hear the problems enacted, making them feel more immediate and relatable than simply reading about them. Humour and satire, as used in “Mother’s Day”, can make the message more palatable and memorable, highlighting absurdities in behaviour without being overly preachy. The visual and auditory elements of a play can evoke strong emotional responses and encourage empathy or reflection on real-life situations. 🎭🗣️👂
Read the play out in parts. Enact the play on a suitable occasion.
- This is a task suggestion rather than a question to answer based on the sources. It’s asking you to physically engage with the play by reading and performing it. 🗣️🎬
Discuss in groups plays or films with a strong message of social reform that you have watched.
- This is another discussion prompt rather than a question answerable from the sources. It encourages you to think about other works of drama or film that address social issues. 🎬🌍
I hope this comprehensive response using the sources helps you understand “Mother’s Day”! 😊