MOTHER’S DAY��By J.B.Priestley�

John Joseph

PGT English

JNV Pathanamthitta

J.B.Priestley

• Full Name: John Boynton Priestley
• 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984
• English novelist, playwright, screenwriter
• Priestley served in the British army during the First World War

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Major Works

• The Good Companions (1929)
• Angel Pavement (1930)
• Dangerous Corner (1932)
• Mother's Day (1950)

What is a play ?

• A play is a work of drama
• Dialogue between characters
• Intended for theatrical performance
• The writer of a play is a playwright
• Genres: Comedy, Farce, Satirical, Tragedy etc.

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What is a play ?

Common Terms

• Characters: They portray the feelings, conflicts etc. of a person

• Theme: The main thread of the story, or the message it conveys.

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• Plot: Plot comprises exposition, a rising action as well as a falling action, climax and resolution.

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• Scene: Drama consists of different situations, taking place at different places. Each time or place is portrayed in different scenes.

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Characters

• Mrs. Annie Pearson: Wife/Mother
• George Pearson: Husband/Father
• Doris Pearson: Daughter
• Cyril Pearson: Son
• Mrs. Fitzgerald: Neighbour

Mrs. Pearson

• Pleasant but worried looking woman in her forties.
• Light, flurried sort of tone with a touch of suburban cockney.

George Pearson

• About fifty
• Decent but solemn
• Self-important & pompous
• He is a heavy, slow moving type.
• He likes drinking.

Mrs. Fitzgerald

• Older & heavier
• Strong and sinister personality
• She smokes.
• Deep voice with Irish tone.
• Next-door neighbour

Doris

• Daughter
• Very careless
• Commands service instead of request.
• In relationship with Charlie Spence.

Cyril Pearson

• Son
• Commands service instead of request.
• Never helps mother

The action takes place in the living-room of the Pearsons’ Comfortably furnished Suburban semi detached Villa in a London suburb.

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• Conversation between the 2 ladies
• To have a person to share their worries
• Mothers carry the burden of family, with none to share
• Gossiping
• What are the topics they might talk ?

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• Contrasting voices
• Voices based on their personality
• Is it possible to guess the personality by their voice ?
• Not only visual appearance, even voice can be used to define a character

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Neighbours�

• Most often neighbours discuss their family matter.
• Good neighbour offer a helping hand of support
• The friendship between neighbours are diminishing now a days
• What are the traits of a good neighbour ?
• Growing up in a good/bad neighbourhood and its effect on children.

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• Mrs. Fitzgerald is a good fortune teller. She had learnt it from the East.

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• She advises Mrs. Pearson to be bold.

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• She asks her not to be the servant of the family, as she is worth more.

“Mistress of the house rather than a slave”

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What is happening at the Pearson’s

• They are a pleasant family from outside
• All members take Mrs. Pearson for granted
• Mrs. Pearson carries all the burden
• Nobody even checks her welfare
• She is not helped by anybody in her hardship
• She doesn’t want any unpleasantness in the family
• She remains quiet about her worries

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• Mrs. Fitzgerald has tricks up her sleeve
• She learnt these from The East
• Once the spell is chanted, a body exchange take place through magic.
• Mrs. Pearson becomes Mrs. Fitzgerald in appearance and vice versa
• The chant: “Arshtatta dum-arshitatta lam-arshitatta lamdumbona…”

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Changing places-Changing bodies

The element of Magic

• The magical spell and changing of bodies are a fantasy
• Even now, lot of people believe in magic and superstitions.
• Here, the magic is used for the purpose of improving Mrs. Pearson’s miserable life
• This dramatic transformation should be a feast to the eyes when the skit is performed.
• The author wishes to show us, when a single person in a family changes their personality abruptly, what all things happen.

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After the Magic Spell

Mrs. Pearson

• Strong & sinister
• Authoritative
• Confident
• Commanding nature
• Has a plan about what she must do

Mrs. Fitzgerald

• Soft and gentle
• Polite
• Nervous
• Servant nature
• Does not know what she must do

The new Mrs. Pearson

• Smoking and laying cards on the table
• Daughter Doris is shocked
• Doris demands tea and mother snaps, quite unusual.
• Doris’ usual commands are not accepted by her mother.
• Mrs. Pearson’s sharp reactions leave Doris surprised

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The new Mrs. Pearson

• She says bad remarks on Charlie Spence, Doris’ boyfriend
• Doris becomes sad and dejected
• Same happens for Cyril who enters the scene
• Cyril too, is shocked by the change of behavior of his mother.
• Mrs. Pearson is drinking stout and starts blabbering about the inefficiency of Doris and Cyril.
• She says her children doesn’t have maturity of their age.

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The new Mrs. Pearson

• The next to face Mrs. Pearson’s wrath: Mr. George Pearson
• He is shocked too.
• Mrs. Pearson comments on her husband’s drinking and warns that she too can do the same
• She conveys her honest remarks about her husband, which he didn’t know earlier
• People used to call him Pompy-Ompy

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“You never understand our jokes, Mum”

• In modern family, there are always issues between mother and children
• Children tend to see their mother as unprogressive and old
• The statement said by Doris is what happens in real life.
• Think about what happens in your home.
• The age of adolescence is a phase of change for children
• Mother’s guidance and sermons may seem to annoy children
• Doris and Cyril are perfect examples of how you should not behave with your mother.
• Husband and children also have duties to perform in a family
• Not all burden should be on the mother.

Issues in Modern Family

• Lack of respect between each other
• Taking mother for granted
• Not taking part in household chores.
• Lack of sharing responsibilities
• Lack of effective and open communication
• Focus on gadgets and other media
• Undue rely on friend circle.
• Lack of family reunion

In the end

• Mrs. Fitzgerald and Mrs. Pearson undo the magic and reverse the body exchange.
• Things are back to normal with some changes
• The Pearson family realises the importance of Mrs. Pearson
• They repent on their behaviour towards her
• The family cluster around and they live happily ever-after

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Moral

• Role of mother is paramount
• She is not the servant of the family
• She is the light, mentor and soul of the family
• “My Mother is a walking miracle”
• Sharing responsibilities lead to peace and harmony in a family

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