Mother’s Day Class 11 Notes
Class 11 English Snapshot Chapter 5 | Complete Notes, Summary & Q&A
Welcome to the complete Mother’s Day Class 11 Notes. In this post, we will cover the detailed summary, character sketches, 10 important multiple-choice questions (MCQs), and subjective Q&A for the play written by J.B. Priestley. These notes beautifully highlight the theme of a mother’s unappreciated role in the family and how she eventually gains her rightful respect.
✍️ About the Author
J.B. Priestley was an English novelist, playwright, and broadcaster. He was known for his sharp social commentary and his ability to blend humor with serious societal issues. In the play Mother’s Day, he uses humor and a touch of magic to deliver a strong message about the exploitation of housewives and mothers in domestic settings.
🎭 Key Characters
Mrs. Annie Pearson
A timid, loving, and highly submissive housewife. She loves her husband and children deeply but is treated like a servant by them. She is afraid to stand up for her own rights.
Mrs. Fitzgerald
Mrs. Pearson’s neighbor. She is a bold, strong, and confident woman who knows magic (which she learned in the East). She helps Mrs. Pearson demand respect from her family.
George Pearson
Mrs. Pearson’s pompous and self-important husband. He spends his free time at the club, unaware that people there make fun of him behind his back, calling him ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’.
Doris and Cyril Pearson
The spoilt children. Doris is a pretty girl in her early twenties, obsessed with her looks and boyfriends. Cyril is the demanding son. Both treat their mother like a free domestic worker.
📖 Chapter Summary Class 11
The Problem: The play opens in the Pearson household. Mrs. Annie Pearson is distressed because her family—her husband George, daughter Doris, and son Cyril—treats her like an unpaid servant. They order her around, never thank her, and leave her alone every evening while they go out to enjoy themselves. Her neighbor, Mrs. Fitzgerald, a bold fortune-teller, tells Annie that she needs to put her foot down and demand respect.
The Magic Trick: When Annie says she is too scared to confront her family, Mrs. Fitzgerald proposes a radical plan. Using magic she learned in the East, she swaps her personality with Mrs. Pearson. Now, the bold and aggressive Mrs. Fitzgerald is in Mrs. Pearson’s body, and the timid Mrs. Pearson is in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s body.
Shocking the Family: When the children and husband return, they are in for a massive shock. The ‘new’ Mrs. Pearson is smoking, drinking stout, playing cards, and refusing to do any chores. She rudely tells Doris to iron her own yellow silk dress and insults Doris’s boyfriend, Charlie Spence. She refuses to make tea for Cyril and tells him to do his own work. When George comes home, she openly tells him that people at the club laugh at him and call him ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’.
The Resolution: The family is thoroughly shaken, crying, and completely bewildered by this sudden transformation. The real Mrs. Pearson (in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s body) enters and cannot bear to see her family miserable. She begs Mrs. Fitzgerald to swap back. They reverse the spell. However, the lesson is learned. The family realizes Mrs. Pearson’s value. The play ends happily with the children volunteering to make supper while Mrs. Pearson enjoys a game of rummy with her husband.
🧠 Top 10 MCQs for Exam Preparation
1. Who is the author of the play “Mother’s Day”?
✅ Answer: B. J.B. Priestley
2. What kind of woman is Mrs. Annie Pearson initially?
✅ Answer: C. Timid, submissive, and loving
3. Where did Mrs. Fitzgerald learn her magic?
✅ Answer: B. In the East
4. What did Doris want her mother to iron for her?
✅ Answer: C. Her yellow silk dress
5. How does the ‘new’ Mrs. Pearson describe Doris’s boyfriend, Charlie Spence?
✅ Answer: A. Having buck teeth and being half-witted
6. What was George Pearson’s nickname at his club?
✅ Answer: C. Pompy-ompy Pearson
7. What was the ‘new’ Mrs. Pearson doing that shocked the family when they returned?
✅ Answer: B. Smoking and drinking stout
8. What did Cyril ask for as soon as he entered the house?
✅ Answer: C. Tea and his clothes ready
9. Why did the real Mrs. Pearson (in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s body) return to her house?
✅ Answer: A. Because she was worried about how her family was being treated
10. How does the play end?
✅ Answer: C. The family stays home to play rummy and the children help with supper
📝 Important Short Answer Questions
Q1. How is Mrs. Pearson treated by her family initially?
Ans: Initially, Mrs. Pearson is taken for granted and treated like an unpaid servant. Her husband and children order her around, expect their clothes to be ironed and tea to be ready, and leave her alone every evening to enjoy themselves outside without ever thanking her.
Q2. What plan does Mrs. Fitzgerald suggest to solve Mrs. Pearson’s problem?
Ans: Mrs. Fitzgerald suggests that they use a magic spell she learned in the East to swap their personalities. By doing this, the bold and aggressive Mrs. Fitzgerald would enter Mrs. Pearson’s body to teach her spoilt family a tough lesson, while the real Mrs. Pearson would safely rest in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s body.
Q3. How does the ‘new’ Mrs. Pearson treat George?
Ans: The ‘new’ Mrs. Pearson treats George with utter disrespect. She doesn’t prepare his tea, drinks his stout, and bluntly tells him the harsh truth that people at the club laugh behind his back, calling him ‘Pompy-ompy Pearson’ because he is so slow and pompous.
✍️ Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Justify the title of the play “Mother’s Day”.
Ans: The title “Mother’s Day” is highly appropriate and satirical. Usually, Mother’s Day is a single day of the year when children and husbands show respect and pamper the mother. However, in the Pearson family, the mother is treated like a servant 365 days a year. The play showcases a literal “Mother’s Day” where Mrs. Pearson, with the help of Mrs. Fitzgerald, rebels against this exploitation. She reclaims her position as the boss of the house, forces her family to realize her worth, and makes them respect her. It is the day the mother finally wins her freedom and dignity, making the title perfectly justified.
Q2. Compare and contrast the characters of Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald.
Ans: Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitzgerald are complete opposites, acting as foils to each other. Mrs. Pearson is a pleasant but incredibly timid, anxious, and submissive housewife. She loves her family blindly and allows them to exploit her as an unpaid servant. She lacks the courage to stand up for her own rights. On the other hand, Mrs. Fitzgerald is older, heavier, and possesses a strong, bold, and dominating personality. She is a fortune-teller who smokes, drinks, and knows magic. She believes in dealing with selfish people strictly and is entirely unapologetic. It is Mrs. Fitzgerald’s aggressive nature that ultimately saves Mrs. Pearson, proving that sometimes tough love is necessary to command respect.
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