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1. MOTHER’S DAY
By J.B.Priestley
John Joseph
PGT English
JNV Pathanamthitta

2. 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
Major Works
• The Good Companions (1929)
• Angel Pavement (1930)
• Dangerous Corner (1932)
• Mother's Day (1950)

3. What is a play ?

4. • 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.
What is a play ?

5. Common Terms
• Characters: They portray the feelings, conflicts etc. of a
person
• Theme: The main thread of the story, or the message it
conveys.
• Plot: Plot comprises exposition, a rising action as well as
a falling action, climax and resolution.
• Scene: Drama consists of different situations, taking
place at different places. Each time or place is portrayed
in different scenes.

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

7. 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.

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

9. 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

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

11. • 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.
Neighbours

12. • Mrs. Fitzgerald is a good fortune
teller. She had learnt it from the
East.
• She advises Mrs. Pearson to be
bold.
• She asks her not to be the servant
of the family, as she is worth
more.
“Mistress of the house rather than a slave”

13. 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

14. • 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…”
Changing places-Changing bodies

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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

20. “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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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