Mother's Day Revision Class 11 English

Class XI English – Mock Test

Chapter: Mother’s Day – J.B. Priestley

25 Short-Answer Questions

SECTION A – SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Who is Mrs Annie Pearson?

Answer:

Mrs Annie Pearson is the mother and wife in the Pearson family. She is a simple, hardworking and caring woman who is taken for granted by her family. Her husband and children expect her to do all the household work without appreciating her.

Q2. Why is Mrs Pearson unhappy with her family?

Answer:

Mrs Pearson is unhappy because her husband and children treat her like a servant. They expect her to cook, clean and serve them but do not show her proper respect or affection.

Q3. Who is Mrs Fitzgerald?

Answer:

Mrs Fitzgerald is Mrs Pearson’s neighbour and friend. She is confident, bold and practical. She helps Mrs Pearson understand that she must demand respect from her family.

Q4. What is unusual about Mrs Fitzgerald?

Answer:

Mrs Fitzgerald is interested in supernatural and mysterious practices. She knows a spell through which she can exchange personalities with Mrs Pearson. This transformation becomes central to the play.

Q5. Why does Mrs Fitzgerald decide to help Mrs Pearson?

Answer:

Mrs Fitzgerald sees that Mrs Pearson is being exploited by her family. She wants to teach Mrs Pearson to stand up for herself and make her husband and children respect her.

Q6. How does Mrs Fitzgerald describe the Pearson family?

Answer:

She considers the Pearson family selfish and inconsiderate. According to her, George, Doris and Cyril take Mrs Pearson's services for granted and behave as if she exists only to serve them.

Q7. Why does Mrs Fitzgerald exchange personalities with Mrs Pearson?

Answer:

Mrs Fitzgerald exchanges personalities with Mrs Pearson to give the timid woman confidence. She wants the family to experience a completely different Mrs Pearson who refuses to tolerate their selfish behaviour.

Q8. What happens when Doris enters the house?

Answer:

Doris expects her mother to prepare tea for her. However, Mrs Pearson, under Mrs Fitzgerald's personality, refuses to serve her and tells her that she can make her own tea.

Q9. How does Mrs Pearson treat Doris differently?

Answer:

She speaks firmly to Doris instead of pampering her. She tells Doris that she is old enough to take care of herself and should not expect her mother to serve her all the time.

Q10. Why is Cyril surprised by his mother?

Answer:

Cyril is surprised because his mother refuses to obey his usual demands. She speaks confidently and tells him that he can prepare his own tea instead of expecting her to serve him.

Q11. What does Mrs Pearson say about working on Sundays?

Answer:

Mrs Pearson makes it clear that Sunday should be her day of rest. She refuses to spend the entire day working for her family while everyone else relaxes.

Q12. Why does Mrs Pearson tell Cyril that she is not his servant?

Answer:

She wants Cyril to understand that being his mother does not mean she must serve him constantly. She believes that family members should share responsibilities and respect one another.

Q13. How does Mrs Pearson shock George Pearson?

Answer:

She shocks George by speaking very directly to him and refusing to behave like the obedient wife he is accustomed to. She also criticises his behaviour and makes him realise that he has been taking her for granted.

Q14. Why does George think highly of himself?

Answer:

George considers himself respectable and important. However, Mrs Pearson points out that he is actually treated as a rather ordinary person at work and that his family has been unnecessarily flattering him.

Q15. What does Mrs Pearson reveal about George's behaviour?

Answer:

She reveals that George spends much of his time at the club while expecting his wife to manage the household. She also makes him realise that he has not appreciated her work and sacrifices.

Q16. How does Mrs Pearson make George feel embarrassed?

Answer:

She openly discusses his habits and shortcomings instead of silently accepting them. Her frankness makes George uncomfortable because he is not accustomed to hearing such criticism from his wife.

Q17. Who is George Pearson?

Answer:

George Pearson is Mrs Pearson's husband. He is respectable but selfish and insensitive towards his wife. He expects her to perform household duties without considering her feelings.

Q18. Who is Doris Pearson?

Answer:

Doris is Mrs Pearson's daughter. She is young and self-centred. She expects her mother to prepare food and do things for her without appreciating her mother's efforts.

Q19. Who is Cyril Pearson?

Answer:

Cyril is Mrs Pearson's son. Like Doris, he takes his mother's services for granted. He expects her to prepare food and attend to his needs.

Q20. What is the main problem in the Pearson family?

Answer:

The main problem is the lack of mutual respect. Mrs Pearson works constantly for the family, while her husband and children behave selfishly and fail to appreciate her contribution.

Q21. What change takes place in Mrs Pearson?

Answer:

Mrs Pearson changes from a timid and submissive woman into a confident and assertive person. She learns to express her feelings and demand respect from her family.

Q22. Why does Mrs Fitzgerald tell Mrs Pearson to be firm?

Answer:

Mrs Fitzgerald knows that kindness without self-respect can encourage others to exploit a person. She therefore advises Mrs Pearson to be firm so that her family learns to value her.

Q23. What does the title Mother’s Day suggest?

Answer:

The title suggests that mothers deserve love, respect and appreciation, not merely service. The play also humorously shows that a mother should not allow her family to treat her like a servant.

Q24. What is the message of the play?

Answer:

The play teaches that family relationships should be based on love, equality and mutual respect. It also encourages people, especially those who are taken for granted, to stand up for themselves.

Q25. How does the play end?

Answer:

Mrs Fitzgerald and Mrs Pearson restore their original personalities. Mrs Pearson is now more confident and plans to maintain the lessons she has learnt. The family begins to realise that they must treat her with greater respect.

SECTION B – EXTRACT-BASED QUESTIONS

Extract 1

Mrs Fitzgerald advises Mrs Pearson that she has spent too much of her life doing everything for her family. She tells her that her husband and children have become accustomed to being served and that they will never change unless she changes her behaviour first.

Questions

1. Who gives this advice to Mrs Pearson?

Answer: Mrs Fitzgerald.

2. What is Mrs Pearson's main problem?

Answer: Her family takes her for granted and expects her to serve them constantly.

3. What change does Mrs Fitzgerald want in Mrs Pearson?

Answer: She wants Mrs Pearson to become confident and assertive.

4. What is the central idea of this passage?

Answer: A person must stand up for herself and demand respect.

Extract 2

Doris expects her mother to prepare tea for her. Instead, Mrs Pearson refuses to serve her and tells her that she is old enough to make her own tea. Doris becomes shocked because she has never seen her mother behave so firmly.

Questions

1. Who is Doris?

Answer: Doris is Mrs Pearson's daughter.

2. Why is Doris shocked?

Answer: She is shocked because her mother refuses to obey her usual demands.

3. What does Mrs Pearson ask Doris to do?

Answer: She asks Doris to make her own tea.

4. What does this incident reveal about Doris?

Answer: It reveals that Doris is dependent on and takes her mother for granted.

Extract 3

George enters the house expecting the usual attention from his wife. Instead, Mrs Pearson speaks frankly about his behaviour. She reminds him that while he enjoys himself outside the home, she spends much of her time working for the family.

Questions

1. Who is George?

Answer: George is Mrs Pearson's husband.

2. How does Mrs Pearson behave towards George?

Answer: She behaves confidently and speaks frankly to him.

3. What does Mrs Pearson criticise George for?

Answer: She criticises him for taking her work and services for granted.

4. What does George realise?

Answer: He realises that his wife has been unhappy and that he has not appreciated her properly.

Extract 4

After the unusual events of the evening, Mrs Pearson understands that she must not return completely to her old submissive ways. Her family has learnt that she deserves consideration, and she has learnt that she must also value herself.

Questions

1. What has Mrs Pearson learnt?

Answer: She has learnt to value herself and demand respect.

2. What has the family learnt?

Answer: The family has learnt that Mrs Pearson should not be taken for granted.

3. What quality does Mrs Pearson develop?

Answer: She develops confidence and assertiveness.

4. What is the final message of the play?

Answer: Family members should treat one another with love, equality and mutual respect.

⭐ Important Exam Points

Author: J.B. Priestley

Genre: One-act play / social comedy

Main characters: Mrs Pearson, Mrs Fitzgerald, George, Doris and Cyril

Central issue: A mother being taken for granted by her family

Major theme: Self-respect and equality in family relationships

Mrs Pearson: Initially timid → finally confident

Mrs Fitzgerald: Bold, practical and supportive

George: Mrs Pearson's husband

Doris & Cyril: Self-centred children

Main message: Love in a family must be accompanied by respect and consideration.