Mother's Day By J.B Priestley: Introduction , Characterisation and Simplified Story

 

Introduction 

This play brings out the miserable condition of mothers in most homes. A mother works from morning till night to satisfy the needs of her husband and children. She cleans, sweeps, washes and cooks but she gets no reward or praise for her labour. She works like a machine throughout the day but they never realize that she, too, is a human being and needs rest. Do we ever think of it? If we don’t, we need to be chastised in some way. This is what this play is all about.

Characterization 

Mrs. Annie Pearson – wife of George Pearson, a loving wife and mother, fond of her husband and children, does her best to keep them happy, simple-hearted, gentle to a fault, too weak to protest, works day and night – no rest, submissive. She was a pleasant woman but felt nervous at times. Her excessive love and care have spoiled her own family and she has lost her self-confidence in the way to fulfill her family’s wishes. Now she wishes to take a stand of her own and earn respect and work for her feelings. She does feel that her husband and children are thoughtless. Mrs. Fitzgerald feels strongly that the woman should be the mistress of her own house. She should be the boss of her family. She should refuse to be led by the nose. She is very intelligent also. She knows how to cure people of their waywardness. She also helps Mrs. Pearson to control her husband and children.

George Pearson -Mr. George Pearson is Mrs. Pearson’s spoilt husband. He is about fifty years old. He is fundamentally decent but solemn, self-important, pompous, heavy, and slow-moving type man. He is an indifferent husband. He is predominantly focused on his own comfort, ease, and happiness. He is also like his spoilt daughter, Doris, and son, Cyril. He spends most of his free time at the club hanging around with his friends playing snooker. Quite ironically his friends make fun of him calling him Pompy-ompy Pearson because they think you’re so slow and pompous. He is shocked at his wife’s defiant behavior. He is unable to understand how his erstwhile docile wife became so critical and strict with him. Mrs. Fitzgerald’s soul in Mrs. Pearson’s body succeeds in bringing him back on track. At the end we find him a changed husband who starts caring for his wife.    

Doris Pearson -daughter of George Pearson, a spoilt girl of around 20, the elder. She is already into an affair with a young boy, named Charlie Spence.

Cyril – Son of George Pearson, a spoilt child.

Mrs. Fitzgerald –a neighbour of Mrs. Annie Pearson, a bold, talented, strong, liberated, dominating and aggressive woman, knows some magic, drinks, smokes and plays cards, lives life on her own terms.She was a lady with strong determination and helped Annie to stand and earn respect from her husband and children. She tries and succeeds in revamping the characters of her family.

Simplified Story 

1. The two neighbours, Mrs Annie Pearson and Mrs Fitzgerald discuss Annie’s problems.
2. Mrs Fitzgerald suggests Annie to be the boss in her house and not to meet everyone’s demand.
3. Annie agrees that her children should treat her properly.
4. Mrs Fitzgerald points out that the children and husband should not be allowed to treat her as a servant; she also has the right to enjoy herself.
5. Mrs Fitzgerald suggests that they should temporarily exchange their personalities by using a magic spell she had learnt in the East.
6. A transformation takes place and the personality of Mrs Fitzgerald shifts into the body of Mrs Annie Pearson and vice-versa.
7. Mrs Fitzgerald, now in the body of Annie, stays at Annie’s house and sends her (in Mrs Fitzgerald’s body) to Mrs Fitzgerald’s house.
8. When Doris, daughter of Annie, a pretty girl, aged 20 years, enters the house, she observes her mother playing cards and smoking, which horrifies her.
9. Her mother, refuses to make tea for her or iron her yellow silk dress. Doris is surprised at her mother’s behaviour.
10. After some time, Cyril, Mrs Annie’s Pearson’s son gets the same treatment when he enquires about his clothes being put out as he has to go again in the evening.
11. Annie continues drinking and both her daughter and son are shocked. They presume that something is certainly wrong with their mother.
12. Annie tells them that they are so engrossed in their own activities that they hardly care for her. She also informs them of her intention of not doing any household work on Saturday and Sunday.
13. Mr George Pearson, Annie’s husband, comes and finds his daughter crying. He also gets shocked at his wife’s drinking and totally disapproves it.
14. George is enlightened by Annie that he was a laughing stock in his social circle. She tells him that people call him Pompyompy Pearson. George goes out in anger.
15. When Cyril objects to his mother about behaving badly with his father, he is criticised by his mother.
16. Now the real Mrs Annie Pearson in the body of Mrs Fitzgerald returns. George appears and complains about what was happening in his house to Mrs Fitzgerald.
17. Mrs Fitzgerald asks George and Doris to leave her and Annie alone for some time, promising that everything was going to be right.
18. When alone, Mrs Fitzgerald (at present Annie) chants some magic words and again their personalities get back in their bodies.
19. After this shock treatment, Annie’s family starts giving her more respect and attention. They also pay attention to her likes and dislikes.