This document discusses a story called "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" by John Updike. It provides context about the author and outlines the plot of the story: 1) The story involves a father, Jack, telling his daughter Jo bedtime stories to help her fall asleep. One story is about a skunk named Roger who has a problem that he takes to the Wizard to solve. 2) In the story, Roger's smell is magically changed but his mother is unhappy and has the smell changed back, upsetting Jo. 3) The document analyzes themes like the conflict between a child and parent's perspectives as well as complex family relationships. It provides character sketches of Jack and Jo and

1. SHOULD WIZARD HIT
MOMMY?
Presented by:
Mr. B N KANTIKAR
(PGT ENGLISH)
J N V NORTH CANARA

2. OBJECTIVES
• To enable the pupils: to read English with ease and
understanding
• To infer the meanings from context
• Explore and evaluate features of character, plot , setting etc.
• Understand the writer’s attitude and bias
• To enable the learners to understand the generation gap, to
strengthen the family bonds enabling them to handle personal
choices and happiness
• To enable the learners to give a character sketch of father, child,
mother, owl and wizard
• To enable the learners develop their optimistic attitude towards
life amidst many struggles

3. A.
Explanations
of
word
Spell
1. Words spoken that
have charm and magical
power
2. A period of activity
or duty
3. A great attraction or
fascination
4. Have something as a
result
B.
Sentences
a. The wicket keeper
claimed a hattrick in his
last spell
b. The magician cast a
spell over the pond.
c. The failure of the
crops spelt disaster for
the peasants
d. She had him under
her spell with her
beauty
Under the table below ‘A’ meanings of the word ‘spell’ are
given. Match them with their usages under ‘B’
ACTIVITY WITH WORDS

4. MOTIVATIONAL SECTION
Newspaper clippings on fairy tales-

5. Fairy tales, bed time stories- Evergreen

6. PRE SUMMARY DISCUSSION

7. MAGIC
1. What do you think magic is ?
2. Do they really work ??
3. Wish fulfilment ?
4. Is it a means of escaping reality ??

8. BEDTIME STORIES
1. How many of you don’t like stories?
2. Who used to tell you more stories when
you were young?
3. Can you recollect favourite story of your
childhood?
4. Isn’t it the easy way of teaching moral
values and ethics to the children?

9. ROLE OF BEDTIME STORIES
• Enhanced communication skill
• Bonding with children
• Inculcation of morals and values
• Improved literacy skill of children
• Lower the stress level

10. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOHN UPDIKE (1932-2009)
John Hoyer Updike, was an American novelist, poet,
short story writer, art critic and literary critic.
He writes about the middle class life of American society
in 1950s.
Both of his literary works, Rabbit is rich (1982)
and Rabbit at rest (1990) were recognized with
the Pulitzer prize.
Updike published more than twenty novels, more than a
dozen short-story collections, as well as poetry, art and
literary criticism and children's books during his career.

11. CHARACTERS AND PLACES
• Jack ( Father): Father who narrates stories to put his
daughter to sleep
• Joanne (Jo): a four year old inquisitive daughter of Jack
• Bobby: A two year old son
• Clare: Wife of Jack, mother of two children and
expecting the third child
• Roger Skunk: Fond of company of friends
• Wise Owl: Directs Roger to the Wizard
• Wizard: Lives in a white house over the creek , solves
problems of Roger with his spell
• Parents of Roger Skunk

13. THEME
1. Conflict between child’s and parent’s
perspectives
2. Routine of everyday life
3. Boredom of everyday routine
4. Individuality to be respected

14. JACK’S STORY TELLING SESSION
Jack, the protagonist of the story
Put Joanne ( daughter) to sleep by narrating
story
Started practice 2 years ago
Character called Roger had problem
Now father feels his head empty
So followed same story line with slight variation

15. Animal called Roger- Roger fish, Roger
squirrel, Roger chipmunk, has unique problem
in each story.
Roger approached wise old owl,
Owl directed Roger to the Wizard for the
solution
Wizard cast magic spell and solved problem
Asked Roger for more money than he had.
Suggested where he could find extra pennies.
Roger seeks help of Owl and
Wizard

16. Roger pays extra money and run off to play
with friends
Later, he reached home in the evening
Had dinner with his family
Routine of story telling session getting
irksome
Jo no longer sleeping
Questioning father-
- ‘Are magic spells real?’
- ‘Do spiders eat bugs?’
- ‘Does God exist in the sky’
New phase of Jo

17. A NEW STORY of ROGER SKUNK
Animal stinking
Humiliated as-’Roger stinky
skunk’
Nobody played
Skunk felt bad and shed tears

18. Jo too had tears
Father felt thrilled at his story telling skills
Roger skunk goes to the wise old owl
Owl directed him to the wizard
Roger skunk’s request to the wizard
The foul smell has to be changed into smell of
ROSES
Wizard with his magic spell and the wand changed
the stinky smell of SKUNK to smell of roses
Wizard changes the smell of Roger
Skunk

19. “Abracadabry, hocus-poo
Roger Skunk, how do you
do,
Roses, boses, pull an ear,
Roger Skunk, you never
fear:
Bingo!”

20. Now the skunk played happily with other
creatures
And ran back to home in the evening
Mother skunk did not like the new smell
Asked the baby skunk to take back to the
wizard
She hit on the wizard’s head with
umbrella
And the wizard changed the little skunk
as before- very bad stinking smell
Mother skunk unhappy

21. Jo felt upset with the twist in the story
Jo raised issues with the story
Jack did not like this interruption and
sudden agitation
He was feeling bad as wife Clare was
alone doing work
Clare was six months pregnant
Jack scolded Jo for being interruptive
and continued with story
Jo’s Interruption of the story

22. The Roger Skunk and mother
Skunk reached home
Father Skunk too returned back
All together enjoyed the supper
Roger Skunk was in bed and
mother Skunk hugged him and
said he smelled like her little
baby Skunk and she loved him
very much.
Roger Skunk’s smell restored

23. Jo, disliked the end of the story
She calls the mother skunk- ‘that was a stupid
mommy!’
She wants the wizard to hit the mommy with
the magic wand, right over the head
Jack tried to explain the individuality of each
being and accepting it without hesitation
The other creatures too eventually accepted
skunk and played with him
But Jo, remained displeased
Jo’s reaction to the story

25. Jack made Jo sleep
Jo insists to end the story with mother being hit
by wizard
Jack came downstairs
Clare was painting the chair rail
Jack felt pity for his daughter Jo
Felt like caught in the ugly middle position
Jack felt distressed and didn’t feel inclined to do
anything
Jack’s ugly middle position

26. POST-SUMMARY DISCUSSION

27. CONFLICT BETWEEN CHILD’S AND PARENT’S
PERSPECTIVE
Jack’s perspective
1.Reality
2.Mature thinking
3.Accepting the individuality
4.Not necessary to be loved by
everyone
Jo’s way of understanding
1.Fantasy
2.Childish behaviour
3.Being flawless is accepted
4.Loved by everyone

28. COMPLEXITIES OF RELATIONSHIP
Father forces daughter to agree with him- even
though he knows that she is just four years old
Aggressive nature towards her daughter’s questions
Chauvinistic behavior towards his wife being
independent;
Trapped by his responsibilities
Boredom of everyday routine- life seems to be the
same plot line as the story, ugly middle position

29. NEITHER HUMILIATE NOR GET HUMILIATED
• Humiliation in teenage is a major cause of suicides
• Differences created in children out of colour
discrimination, physique etc. Must be eradicated
• Everyone is beautiful in their own way
• Flaws are everywhere- even in moon! So, just look at the
beauty!!
• Always speak up for yourself. Ask for help from parents
and teachers whenever required
• Respect and love your parents- they know you better and
always wish good for you

30. CHARACTER SKETCH OF JACK
A
Devoted
father
Not very
imaginative
Authoritarian-
he didn’t like
Jo’s questions,
said to spank
her, and warns
not to tell
stories anymore
Attached to
his mother-
the way he
defended Jo’s
dialogue-
‘that was a
stupid
mommy’
Chauvinistic-
aggressive; he
was an
attention
seeking
personality

31. CHARACTER SKETCH OF JOANNE (JO)
Intensely
curious
Sensitive-
dislikes
other
animals
shunning
Skunk
Strong willed-
has an opinion
of her own- ‘hit
the mommy
and not to
change the
smell back’
Growing
up
Likes
the
world of
fantasy
Very
Expressive
Innovative
- initiates
story of
Skunk
Attentive-
corrects
father’s
mistake

32. LITERARY STYLE
• Nested narration- story within the
story;
• Roger’s story says, moral of accepting
ones flaws as they are; and not being
hesitated for what we are.
• Jack’s story narration explains us
about the conflicts of ideas between
adult and child

33. HOMEWORK / ASSIGNMENT
1. Write an article in the newspaper
about the suitability of fairy tales and
bedtime stories in the development of
child’s personality.
2. Take a stance on the topic either for
or against and write a debate on,
‘Roger Skunk’s mom was not right in
changing the smell of baby Skunk’.