Notes: Summary of Mother's Day by J.B. Priest

This is the summary for the play entitled 'Mother's Day' by J.B. Priest. For me, it is an interesting play which depicts the day of reckoning of a mother. Together with the magical elements featured between the lines, it only makes this play to be more readable and delighted. Society often regards the housewives as 'not working' since they do not generate any monthly income. This is wrong because a housewives has no leave, works 24/7 and has to manage most of the things that happen in the house and the family. A wise man told me that when a woman got married, she put herself at the least.  So, appreciate your mother while can breath. Who knows what will happen in the next seconds.

Download the play here.

The Summary

This humorous and satirical depiction of a mother’s status in a family was written way back in 1950 and till date stands quite true in cases of house wives. Unless and until she fights back for her rights her contribution is not recognized in the family. The characters in this play are Mrs. Annie Pearson (the mother); husband Mr. George Pearson., son Cyril, daughter Doris and the neighbor Mrs. Fitzgerald. Mrs. Fitzgerald knows tarot card reading which she had learnt while she was living in the east with her husband. She finds out that Mrs. Pearson does not get the due respect she should get from her family and advices her to take strong steps to be the mistress of her own house . Though Mrs. Pearson doubted herself if she will be able to follow her advice. She didn’t want any unpleasantness in her house .More over she didn’t know when or how to put her point.Mrs Fitzgerald advised her to start that very day but Mrs. Pearson was reluctant as she won’t be able to keep her promise. 

Mrs. Fitzgerald had an excellent idea. As she had learnt many magic in the east, she can change place with Mrs. Pearson i.e.Mrs. Pearson will have Mrs. Fitzgerald‘s mind and vice versa. They both held hands and sat on the table quietly. Mrs. Fitzgerald enchanted some magic words and their minds got exchanged. After Mrs. Fitzgerald with Mrs. Pearson’s mind leaves for her house 

Doris arrives and sees s her mother smoking. She is shocked. She has an argument with her as now all of a sudden her mother is not ready to iron her dresses for the evening or prepare tea or even supper.Dorris was horrified at her mother’s attitude and runs away crying. After sometime Cyril appears from work and he too is flatly denied when he asks for tea. Cyril was alarmed and asks if she was feeling well or not? Then Mrs. Pearson takes out a bottle of stout and drinks. Both the siblings are astonished and start wondering if she has had a fall or hit her head. Now Mr. Person arrive and all three start complaining about tea not being ready as they had worked so hard for eight hours. to this Mrs. Pearson says that from that very moment she would also work for only eight hours a day and weekends off.Mr Pearson gets angry and get ready for club when Mrs. Pearson tell him that people at the club call him Pompy Ompy Pearson and laughs at him. He becomes very sad. 

Now Mrs. Fitzgerald with Mrs. Pearson’s mind enters the house and seeing everyone sad asks to leave Mrs. Pearson and her alone for a few minutes and may be everything will be all right. On being alone Mrs. Fitzgerald enchants some magic words and again their bodies get back their mind but now Mrs. Pearson‘s family give her more respect and considers her likes and dislikes also.

by Arushi Bahuguna