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6: Mother’s Day: One –Act Play

1)Put your foot down once an’ for all, an’ be the mistress of your own house and the
boss of your own family.

Introduction: These lines are taken from the satirical, humorous one act play ‘Mother’s
Day’ written by J.B. Priestley.

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Context: The writer writes these words showing how the members of a family often take
a mother for granted expecting her to do all the domestic chores without any complaint.

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These are the words spoken by Mrs.Fitz gerald a neighbour encouraging Mrs. Pearson to
protest against her children and husband and to achieve her rights as a mother.

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Explanation: Mrs. Pearson is a calm, docile lady. She has been taken for granted by her

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husband and children. Knowing this, her neighbor Mrs.Fitz gerald wishes to help her and
teach them a lesson. By using magic she succeeds in doing so. She encourages her not to

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yield but be strong and aggressive to be the rightful mistress of her own house and the
boss of her own family. They get their bodies changed to achieve this target.
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Comment: Mrs.Fitz gerald with her power of magic succeeds in teaching the members of
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family a lesson though the play seems to be scientifically impossible.

2)We change places. Or-really-bodies. You look like me. I look like you.
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Introduction: These lines are taken from the satirical, humorous one act play ‘Mother’s
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Day’ written by J.B. Priestley.

Context: The writer writes these words showing how the members of a family often take
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a mother for granted expecting her to do all the domestic chores without any complaint.
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These are the words spoken by Mrs.Fitz gerald a neighbour encouraging Mrs. Pearson to
protest against her children and husband and to achieve her rights as a mother.
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Explanation: Knowing about the plight of Mrs. Pearson, Mrs. Fitz Gerald gets ready to
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help her with her magical powers. They have changed their bodies but retained their
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personalities. Thus, after the magic spell is chanted Mrs. Fitz Gerald resembles Mrs.
Pearson physically but retains her own strong, aggressive and determined personality.
Similarly, Mrs. Pearson takes on the appearance of Mrs. Fitz Gerald retaining her own
mild and docile personality.

Comment: The magical powers of Mrs. Fitz Gerald work well and attain a selfless moral
goal.

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3)I put in twice the hours you do, and get no wages nor thanks for it.

Introduction: These lines are taken from the satirical, humorous one act play ‘Mother’s
Day’ written by J.B. Priestley.

Context: The writer writes these words showing how the members of a family often take
a mother for granted expecting her to do all the domestic chores without any complaint.
These are the words spoken by Mrs. Fitz Gerald a neighbour encouraging Mrs. Pearson to

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protest against her children and husband and to achieve her rights as a mother.

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Explanation: Doris and Cyril are the children of Mrs. Pearson. Daughter Doris comes
home and orders her mother to iron her clothes and get tea. To her surprise, Mrs. Pearson
bluntly refuses to serve her daughter asking her to do her own work herself. She further

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says that she works twice the hours her children work but gets neither salary nor even

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thanks. They are ungrateful and unrealising. Doris is taken aback by her mother’s words.

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Comment: Doris does not know that she is speaking to Mrs. Fitz Gerald in the
appearance of Mrs.Pearson.
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4) Just give ‘em a look—a tone of voice—now an’ again to suggest you might be
tough with ‘em if you wanted to be—an’ it ought to work.
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Introduction: These lines are taken from the satirical, humorous one act play ‘Mother’s
Day’ written by J.B. Priestley.
hi

Context: The writer writes these words showing how the members of a family often take
ks

a mother for granted expecting her to do all the domestic chores without any complaint.
These are the words spoken by Mrs. Fitz Gerald a neighbour encouraging Mrs. Pearson to
a

protest against her children and husband and to achieve her rights as a mother.
.s

Explanation: With the power of magic Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Fitz Gerald get their
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bodies changed. The point is to teach Doris, Cyril and Mr. Pearson a lesson as they take
her drudgery for granted. After a brief, blatant and aggressive behaviuor with her children
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against their orders, Mrs. Pearson succeeds in getting their gratitude. Mrs. Fitz Gerald
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tells Mrs. Pearson that she must now and then be cruel only to be kind to her children.
She must pretend to be angry and violent in order to make them understand their
responsibility, they should know how to respect a mother and admire her selfless service.

Comment: A mother should make it clear to her children that she would not tolerate
disrespect and carelessness in minding their responsibility. If she fails in being a little bit
cruel and aggressive only to be kind, she would be treated shabbily by the family.

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