SHOULD WIZARD HIT MOMMY? BY JOHN UPDIKE
STORY:
In the story, ‘Should Wizard hit mommy’, the writer, John Updike examines the issues of parenting and the flaws that inadvertently creep in. The adult tendency to quell the questioning mind of a child and also the intrusion of the beliefs held by adults to represent the only valid viewpoint, are areas that find mention in this simple yet powerful story.
Jo, the four year old daughter of Jack, has been subjected to a bedtime story telling by her father ever since she was two years of age. As the story has a slight variation of a basic talk. It follows a simple unchanging plot in which the various characters all bear the name of Roger and the ending is predictable. Jack prides himself on what he thinks of as his ingenuity, and is especially proud his ability to enact the role of the old wizard, an integral part of each story, changing his voice so much better when Jo was smaller and would go to sleep sooner. He things of her two year old brother, Bobby, peacefully asleep and is almost pleased that Jo has requested that the character for the night’s story should be Roger Skunk, a new character. His creativity is momentarily stirred and he embarks on his story, though following the same basic plot that has been used each night, for each story and each character for the past two years.
The story of the smelly Skunk who smelt so bad that he did not have any friends follows the same course except that in mentioning this fact, Jack is reminded of his own childhood and its humiliations and begins to feel that he is actually telling Jo something that is true and thus is no hurry to go any faster. When Jo interrupts, he is irritated by her and is even more so when she asks whether magic spells are real. He is reminded that of late she has been asking many questions. This wonderful evidence of Jo’s inquisitive progressing mind and intellect completely escapes Jack, so intent on getting on with the story s planned by him. His answers to her questions are short and peremptory and he fails to notice that her question about whether the old wizard could die might be assign of an inner fear. He continues with the story and so uninvolved is he in the story that Jo has t remind him that he has referred to Roger Skunk as Roger Fish.
In comes as a rude shock to Jack to discover that though Jo is exhibiting the desired response to each fragment of the story, the response is insincere and even reminds him of his wife pretending pleasure at a cocktail party. As the story that Jack is narrating comes to an end, he notices that Jo is expecting it to end this way and this annoys him for some inexplicable reasons. He cannot bear it when women take things for granted and he decided to continue with the story giving it a twist. In his story the wizard could die might be sign of an inner fear. HE continues with the story and so uninvolved is he in the story that Ho has to remind him that he has referred to Roger Skunk as Roger Fish.
It comes as a rude shock to Jack to discover that though Jo is exhibiting the desired response to each fragment of the story, the response is insincere and even reminds him of his wife pretending pleasure at a cocktail party. As the story that Jack is narrating comes to an end, he notices that Jo is expecting it to end this way and this annoys him for some inexplicable reason. He cannot bear it when women take things for granted and he decides to continue with the story giving it a twist, In his story the wizard has changed Skunk so that he smelt of roses but mother Skunk disapproved of this and hit the wizard with her umbrella making him change Skunk back to his old stinking self.
The end of the story does not appeal to Jo who wants the wizard to hit mommy, but Jack tells her that mommy knows what is best for her child. It is evident that the story violates Jo’s sense of fairness for why should Roger Skunk not smell of roses and thus have more friends? It is also apparent that in a way Jo’s authority, for do not adults knows best! Jack feels threatened by Jo’s attitude and when he finds that she is restless after he has come downstairs, he uses the ultimate weapon of adult authority does she want him to spank her, he asks.
Jack finds his wife painting the chair downstairs. She is expecting their third child and is wearing his shirt ever her maternity dress. He notices that half the chair is still the old dirty colour while the other half is the colour of ivory. HE finds himself caught somewhere in an ugly middle position. This is perhaps and indication of the confusion that Jo’s questioning has caused. The idea is not only shocking but also quite unacceptable to him. The reader does get the distinct impression that Jack is not used to his authority being questioned by anyone and least of all a little child. He finds it hard to come to terms with the fact that Ho no longer accepts what he says and is not afraid to assert her opinion. The fact that she insist on his changing the ending of the story the following night also indicated that she has lost faith in adult wisdom and has a mind of her won, something that Hack cannot understand or accept.
The writer brings into focus the impatience and insensitivity that adults display in their dealing with children and the intolerance they exhibit if they feel that their authority is being questioned. HE also high lights the adult habit of imposing their opinion on children and that of discouraging any queries. So caught up are adults in the web of life that the lose their sense of perception which is so sharp in children. Also, the adult viewpoint is most often colored by the intrusive hues of their various experience in life.
NCERT QUESTIONS
1.What is the moral issue that the story raises ?
Ans.Although "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" reads like a typical bed time story elders tell little children, it does raise a moral question - Should parents always decide what is best for their children and should children always obey their parents unquestioningly ?
Roger Skunk is a very obedient child but he feels very sad and upset because he smells so awful that nobody wants to befriend him and play with him. One day he gets a change to get his bad smell replaced with the smell of roses. He feels excited about the change for everyone likes his new smell and readily agrees to play with him. However Roger's mother does not like the change. For her, Roger was better off with his original smell. So, she makes the wizard restore Skunk's original smell. Roger meekly accepts his mother's decision and other children get used to Roger's awful smell and don’t complain about in any more.
But the narrow world view of the little girl, Jo likes to spell out the slogan of equality for all. She believes in the axiom "Tit for Tat". She feels that mother is wrong in getting her son's original smell back and wants her to be spanked by the wizard for her mistake. Her father, who has modeled Skunk's story on his own story, strongly defends the mother Skunk's decision.
Thus, the author through this story raises a moral question of how much authority parents should exercise in teaching their children what is wrong, what is right, what they should do and what not. Since, there is no single correct answer to the question, he leaves it for the readers to answer it on the basis of their beliefs, cultures and values.
2.Why is an adult's perspective on life different from that of a child's ?
Ans.As the child grows into maturity his perspective and vision of life change gradually. A child views things at superficial and sensory level but a grown up's vision is realistic, reflective, philosophical and even psychological. Viewed from the study of the story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" Jo, a child of four, like most children of her age, prefers to live in dreams and fantasies. She is hostile by nature and would like to wreak vengeance on Skunk's mother and wants the wizard to retaliate.
She is annoyed because the father refuses to accept her suggestion. The father has a mature perspective and sees beyond the surface and explores the philosophical and moralistic aspect of the entire situation. The wizard had unwittingly interfered with nature and had thus done a great deal of harm and deserved to be punished. According to him the punishment meted out to the wizard is well merited and retaliation is out of the question.
Thus the story makes it clear that the perspective of a child and that of an adult is totally different.
3.. How does Jo want the story to end any why?
Suggested Answer / Value Points- Jo feels thrilled to hear stories from her father - themes were the extension of childhood memories - Jo does not like the end of the story of Roger Skunk, where the Skunk’s mother hit wizard to restore the natural smell instead of the rose fragrance. She cannot understand the harm that one encounters for opposing nature – she is happy to see Roger Skunks has found many friends - she does not want Roger Skunk to lose his playmates. She also cannot bear the injustice done to the wizard and wants him to hit the mother.
4.Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother?
: Jack firmly believes that mothers can’t err and deserve unchallenged and unconditioned obedience for they know what is right for their children. Wizards can be hit but never the mothers; hence; his insistence that the wizard was hit . Moveover , mother was justified in her belief that what is natural is not disgraceful and one should never give up one’s individuality. The another reason was that Jack, while narrating the story, unknowingly got emotionally connected with the character of the protagonist and his mother. He pictured his own mother in place of Roger Skunk’s mother and thus could not imagine his own mother being hit by anyone. Jo also understood that his father was defending his own mother.
5..What makes Jack feel caught in an ugly middle position ?
Answer : Jack is a loving father and a caring husband. The day the story happens , Jack is supposed to help his wife paint the household furniture and bric-a-brac. However , he cannot do so because, he has to tell his daughter a story before the Saturday nap.
He thinks that he will finish the story quickly and then go downstairs to help his wife Clare paint. Unfortunately for him that is not to be. The story takes a rather long time, for his daughter who is now four, interrupts it on several occasions and asks him several questions and even corrects him a couple of times. Moreover , she does not like the ending of the story – she wants her father to end the story in a way that the wizard spanks the mother on her head for wanting to change her son’s smell back to the awful one. Although Jack does not like the ending and would rather stick to the original ending ,he knows that Jo will have her way the next day and make him introduce the ending suggested by her.
Although the story Jack has been worrying about his wife Clare who is six months pregnant and who is busy painting downstairs and desperately needs him .Jack is thus face to face with an ‘ugly middle position ‘ where he fails on all fronts and is neither able to make his four year old daughter sleep nor is able to help his wife in painting. Clare, who has finished quite a lot of work , complains that he has taken too long to tell the story. Jack suddenly experiences a mood swing. Tired, bored and dejected , he feels like doing nothing. He feels trapped in a rut of life along with his wife .He has no desire to speak to her , work with her or touch her . Perhaps , Jo’s innocent question has opened up his childhood wounds of hurt and humiliation.
SHORT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1.Father has felt empty after two years of story telling to Jo. What idea do you form about his skill in the art of story telling ?
Ans. It would be wrong to say that Jo's father is a bad story teller. In fact, with all his histrionics, sound effects and gestures, he is quite effective in the art. His only problem is that his stories lack variety and he ends up telling the same old story again and again with slight variation here and there. He feels empty because he has been telling stories for over two years now and has quite naturally run short of ideas.
2.Do you think the father in the story is, more or less, an alter ego of the author, as far as the childhood is concerned?
Ans.John Updike's childhood was tortured by 'psoriasis' and stammering and he had to suffer humiliation and ridicule at the hands of his classmates on account of this. Like him, Jo's father too recalls certain moments of 'humiliation of his own childhood. ''Thus the father more or less, was an alter ego of the author.''
3. How was Jo affected by Jack's story telling ?
Ans.Jo would be immensely engrossed in the story. She liked the way her father used to tell story particularly his dramatization of it, through gestures and changing voices. She also liked the predictable way the story would unfold for it allowed her to make guesses, draw conclusions and ask questions. The whole world of the story would come alive before her and she would twitch and turn in excitement as the story progressed.
4. This was a new phase, just this last month.
'What new phase is referred to here in the story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy"?
Ans.Children's physical and mental growth is very speedy. Earlier Jo used to accept father's word about magic etc, but now she has started having apprehensions about such spells. She has become more inquisitive and less credulous.
5.Why does the wizard instruct the Skunk to "Hurry up"?
Ans.The wizard asks Skunk to hurry up because he is used to living alone and does not like company for a long time and secondly he was keen to have his full payment for the task performed. Another reason can be that he could not stand Skunk's smell for long.
6. After the Skunk started smelling of roses Jo "thought the story was all over." Why did she think so ?
Ans.Viewed from a child's angle, Skunk's smelling of roses is a befitting ending for the story, because first, Skunk's long standing desire has been fulfilled and secondly he is able to do what is dearest to his heart-play with other woodland creatures.
7.Why in your opinion is the smell of roses obnoxious for the Skunk mother or How did Skunk's mother react to his new smell ?
Ans.Nature keeps its own balance and has its own way. The Skunk's smell is obnoxious for other creatures, but certainly not for other Skunks. Skunks are born with this particular smell and any deviation is violation of Nature. So the mother Skunk does not like the rose smell of Roger Skunk.. She believes that what is natural is not disgraceful.
8. The Skunk accepts Mom's order like a tame lamb and follows her to the wizard without demur, but Jo chooses to differ from her father with regard to changing the rose smell. How would you account for this difference in attitude between the two ?
Ans. Roger Skunk as a character symbolizes Jack's own personality as a child. He loved and obeyed his mother very much. She in turn taught him courage and self-regard in dealing with his hurt and humiliation on account of his psoriasis and stammering. Thus, Skunk is as unquestioningly obedient as Jack himself was. Jo on the other hand is a happy-go-lucky child of four who has no upset and humiliation to deal with. She is naturally inquisitive and is curious to know more and more. It is not surprising that she is full of questions. The attitudes of both Skunk and Jo are shaped by their life experience.
9. Why did Jo not approve of Skunk's mother scolding him for his new smell ?
Ans.Jo was very happy to hear that Skunk had got rid of his awful smell and had been accepted by the woodland creatures. She did not like Skunk's mother scolding him for his new smell because Jo thought it was a pleasant smell and the one that had won Skunk so many friends. Skunk's mother, she thought, was wrong in scolding him for his new smell.
10. What is the underlying idea behind the wizard's taking the beating and tamely changing the rose smell?
Ans.By making the wizard take his beating by Skunk's mother quietly, Jack and through him the author wishes to bring home the idea that mothers are always right and that we should accept what is natural. The wizard also sees the point and tamely changes Skunk's rose smell into his original Skunk smell.
OTHER QUESTIONS
1.What was the regular routine of Jack in the evening and for saturdays?(p-49 , 1st para)
2.Which animal did Jo suggest for the story that day? Why?(skunk , must have heard about skunks at nursery school)
3.Do you think Jack and Jo could identify with Roger skunk as a victim of the hatred of other creatures?
(Jack brought the story to life when he narrated the tale remembering certain humiliations of his own childhood. The corners of Jo’s mouth drooped down and her lower lip bent forward. A tear flowed along the side of the nose. This shows that even Jo could identify with Roger skunk.)
4.Which two opposite forces acted on Jack while he was telling Jo the story? (p-49 , last para)
5.What was the cause of Roger Skunk’s sadness?(p-50 ,4th para, Mr Owl)
6.Why did Roger Skunk go in search of the wizard?(SP)
(-Every body made fun of Roger Skunk because he gave out a bad smell.
- he was upset about this
-He met the old owl who advised him to go to the wizard, which would help
him and give him a pleasant smell.)
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :
1.Why does Jo want the wizard to hit mommy? Justify your answer on the basis of the story.
2.Describe Roger Skunk’s trouble and what did he do to get rid of.
In the story, ‘Should Wizard hit mommy’, the writer, John Updike examines the issues of parenting and the flaws that inadvertently creep in. The adult tendency to quell the questioning mind of a child and also the intrusion of the beliefs held by adults to represent the only valid viewpoint, are areas that find mention in this simple yet powerful story.
Jo, the four year old daughter of Jack, has been subjected to a bedtime story telling by her father ever since she was two years of age. As the story has a slight variation of a basic talk. It follows a simple unchanging plot in which the various characters all bear the name of Roger and the ending is predictable. Jack prides himself on what he thinks of as his ingenuity, and is especially proud his ability to enact the role of the old wizard, an integral part of each story, changing his voice so much better when Jo was smaller and would go to sleep sooner. He things of her two year old brother, Bobby, peacefully asleep and is almost pleased that Jo has requested that the character for the night’s story should be Roger Skunk, a new character. His creativity is momentarily stirred and he embarks on his story, though following the same basic plot that has been used each night, for each story and each character for the past two years.
The story of the smelly Skunk who smelt so bad that he did not have any friends follows the same course except that in mentioning this fact, Jack is reminded of his own childhood and its humiliations and begins to feel that he is actually telling Jo something that is true and thus is no hurry to go any faster. When Jo interrupts, he is irritated by her and is even more so when she asks whether magic spells are real. He is reminded that of late she has been asking many questions. This wonderful evidence of Jo’s inquisitive progressing mind and intellect completely escapes Jack, so intent on getting on with the story s planned by him. His answers to her questions are short and peremptory and he fails to notice that her question about whether the old wizard could die might be assign of an inner fear. He continues with the story and so uninvolved is he in the story that Jo has t remind him that he has referred to Roger Skunk as Roger Fish.
In comes as a rude shock to Jack to discover that though Jo is exhibiting the desired response to each fragment of the story, the response is insincere and even reminds him of his wife pretending pleasure at a cocktail party. As the story that Jack is narrating comes to an end, he notices that Jo is expecting it to end this way and this annoys him for some inexplicable reasons. He cannot bear it when women take things for granted and he decided to continue with the story giving it a twist. In his story the wizard could die might be sign of an inner fear. HE continues with the story and so uninvolved is he in the story that Ho has to remind him that he has referred to Roger Skunk as Roger Fish.
It comes as a rude shock to Jack to discover that though Jo is exhibiting the desired response to each fragment of the story, the response is insincere and even reminds him of his wife pretending pleasure at a cocktail party. As the story that Jack is narrating comes to an end, he notices that Jo is expecting it to end this way and this annoys him for some inexplicable reason. He cannot bear it when women take things for granted and he decides to continue with the story giving it a twist, In his story the wizard has changed Skunk so that he smelt of roses but mother Skunk disapproved of this and hit the wizard with her umbrella making him change Skunk back to his old stinking self.
The end of the story does not appeal to Jo who wants the wizard to hit mommy, but Jack tells her that mommy knows what is best for her child. It is evident that the story violates Jo’s sense of fairness for why should Roger Skunk not smell of roses and thus have more friends? It is also apparent that in a way Jo’s authority, for do not adults knows best! Jack feels threatened by Jo’s attitude and when he finds that she is restless after he has come downstairs, he uses the ultimate weapon of adult authority does she want him to spank her, he asks.
Jack finds his wife painting the chair downstairs. She is expecting their third child and is wearing his shirt ever her maternity dress. He notices that half the chair is still the old dirty colour while the other half is the colour of ivory. HE finds himself caught somewhere in an ugly middle position. This is perhaps and indication of the confusion that Jo’s questioning has caused. The idea is not only shocking but also quite unacceptable to him. The reader does get the distinct impression that Jack is not used to his authority being questioned by anyone and least of all a little child. He finds it hard to come to terms with the fact that Ho no longer accepts what he says and is not afraid to assert her opinion. The fact that she insist on his changing the ending of the story the following night also indicated that she has lost faith in adult wisdom and has a mind of her won, something that Hack cannot understand or accept.
The writer brings into focus the impatience and insensitivity that adults display in their dealing with children and the intolerance they exhibit if they feel that their authority is being questioned. HE also high lights the adult habit of imposing their opinion on children and that of discouraging any queries. So caught up are adults in the web of life that the lose their sense of perception which is so sharp in children. Also, the adult viewpoint is most often colored by the intrusive hues of their various experience in life.
NCERT QUESTIONS
1.What is the moral issue that the story raises ?
Ans.Although "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" reads like a typical bed time story elders tell little children, it does raise a moral question - Should parents always decide what is best for their children and should children always obey their parents unquestioningly ?
Roger Skunk is a very obedient child but he feels very sad and upset because he smells so awful that nobody wants to befriend him and play with him. One day he gets a change to get his bad smell replaced with the smell of roses. He feels excited about the change for everyone likes his new smell and readily agrees to play with him. However Roger's mother does not like the change. For her, Roger was better off with his original smell. So, she makes the wizard restore Skunk's original smell. Roger meekly accepts his mother's decision and other children get used to Roger's awful smell and don’t complain about in any more.
But the narrow world view of the little girl, Jo likes to spell out the slogan of equality for all. She believes in the axiom "Tit for Tat". She feels that mother is wrong in getting her son's original smell back and wants her to be spanked by the wizard for her mistake. Her father, who has modeled Skunk's story on his own story, strongly defends the mother Skunk's decision.
Thus, the author through this story raises a moral question of how much authority parents should exercise in teaching their children what is wrong, what is right, what they should do and what not. Since, there is no single correct answer to the question, he leaves it for the readers to answer it on the basis of their beliefs, cultures and values.
2.Why is an adult's perspective on life different from that of a child's ?
Ans.As the child grows into maturity his perspective and vision of life change gradually. A child views things at superficial and sensory level but a grown up's vision is realistic, reflective, philosophical and even psychological. Viewed from the study of the story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" Jo, a child of four, like most children of her age, prefers to live in dreams and fantasies. She is hostile by nature and would like to wreak vengeance on Skunk's mother and wants the wizard to retaliate.
She is annoyed because the father refuses to accept her suggestion. The father has a mature perspective and sees beyond the surface and explores the philosophical and moralistic aspect of the entire situation. The wizard had unwittingly interfered with nature and had thus done a great deal of harm and deserved to be punished. According to him the punishment meted out to the wizard is well merited and retaliation is out of the question.
Thus the story makes it clear that the perspective of a child and that of an adult is totally different.
3.. How does Jo want the story to end any why?
Suggested Answer / Value Points- Jo feels thrilled to hear stories from her father - themes were the extension of childhood memories - Jo does not like the end of the story of Roger Skunk, where the Skunk’s mother hit wizard to restore the natural smell instead of the rose fragrance. She cannot understand the harm that one encounters for opposing nature – she is happy to see Roger Skunks has found many friends - she does not want Roger Skunk to lose his playmates. She also cannot bear the injustice done to the wizard and wants him to hit the mother.
4.Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother?
: Jack firmly believes that mothers can’t err and deserve unchallenged and unconditioned obedience for they know what is right for their children. Wizards can be hit but never the mothers; hence; his insistence that the wizard was hit . Moveover , mother was justified in her belief that what is natural is not disgraceful and one should never give up one’s individuality. The another reason was that Jack, while narrating the story, unknowingly got emotionally connected with the character of the protagonist and his mother. He pictured his own mother in place of Roger Skunk’s mother and thus could not imagine his own mother being hit by anyone. Jo also understood that his father was defending his own mother.
5..What makes Jack feel caught in an ugly middle position ?
Answer : Jack is a loving father and a caring husband. The day the story happens , Jack is supposed to help his wife paint the household furniture and bric-a-brac. However , he cannot do so because, he has to tell his daughter a story before the Saturday nap.
He thinks that he will finish the story quickly and then go downstairs to help his wife Clare paint. Unfortunately for him that is not to be. The story takes a rather long time, for his daughter who is now four, interrupts it on several occasions and asks him several questions and even corrects him a couple of times. Moreover , she does not like the ending of the story – she wants her father to end the story in a way that the wizard spanks the mother on her head for wanting to change her son’s smell back to the awful one. Although Jack does not like the ending and would rather stick to the original ending ,he knows that Jo will have her way the next day and make him introduce the ending suggested by her.
Although the story Jack has been worrying about his wife Clare who is six months pregnant and who is busy painting downstairs and desperately needs him .Jack is thus face to face with an ‘ugly middle position ‘ where he fails on all fronts and is neither able to make his four year old daughter sleep nor is able to help his wife in painting. Clare, who has finished quite a lot of work , complains that he has taken too long to tell the story. Jack suddenly experiences a mood swing. Tired, bored and dejected , he feels like doing nothing. He feels trapped in a rut of life along with his wife .He has no desire to speak to her , work with her or touch her . Perhaps , Jo’s innocent question has opened up his childhood wounds of hurt and humiliation.
1.Father has felt empty after two years of story telling to Jo. What idea do you form about his skill in the art of story telling ?
Ans. It would be wrong to say that Jo's father is a bad story teller. In fact, with all his histrionics, sound effects and gestures, he is quite effective in the art. His only problem is that his stories lack variety and he ends up telling the same old story again and again with slight variation here and there. He feels empty because he has been telling stories for over two years now and has quite naturally run short of ideas.
2.Do you think the father in the story is, more or less, an alter ego of the author, as far as the childhood is concerned?
Ans.John Updike's childhood was tortured by 'psoriasis' and stammering and he had to suffer humiliation and ridicule at the hands of his classmates on account of this. Like him, Jo's father too recalls certain moments of 'humiliation of his own childhood. ''Thus the father more or less, was an alter ego of the author.''
3. How was Jo affected by Jack's story telling ?
Ans.Jo would be immensely engrossed in the story. She liked the way her father used to tell story particularly his dramatization of it, through gestures and changing voices. She also liked the predictable way the story would unfold for it allowed her to make guesses, draw conclusions and ask questions. The whole world of the story would come alive before her and she would twitch and turn in excitement as the story progressed.
4. This was a new phase, just this last month.
'What new phase is referred to here in the story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy"?
Ans.Children's physical and mental growth is very speedy. Earlier Jo used to accept father's word about magic etc, but now she has started having apprehensions about such spells. She has become more inquisitive and less credulous.
5.Why does the wizard instruct the Skunk to "Hurry up"?
Ans.The wizard asks Skunk to hurry up because he is used to living alone and does not like company for a long time and secondly he was keen to have his full payment for the task performed. Another reason can be that he could not stand Skunk's smell for long.
6. After the Skunk started smelling of roses Jo "thought the story was all over." Why did she think so ?
Ans.Viewed from a child's angle, Skunk's smelling of roses is a befitting ending for the story, because first, Skunk's long standing desire has been fulfilled and secondly he is able to do what is dearest to his heart-play with other woodland creatures.
7.Why in your opinion is the smell of roses obnoxious for the Skunk mother or How did Skunk's mother react to his new smell ?
Ans.Nature keeps its own balance and has its own way. The Skunk's smell is obnoxious for other creatures, but certainly not for other Skunks. Skunks are born with this particular smell and any deviation is violation of Nature. So the mother Skunk does not like the rose smell of Roger Skunk.. She believes that what is natural is not disgraceful.
8. The Skunk accepts Mom's order like a tame lamb and follows her to the wizard without demur, but Jo chooses to differ from her father with regard to changing the rose smell. How would you account for this difference in attitude between the two ?
Ans. Roger Skunk as a character symbolizes Jack's own personality as a child. He loved and obeyed his mother very much. She in turn taught him courage and self-regard in dealing with his hurt and humiliation on account of his psoriasis and stammering. Thus, Skunk is as unquestioningly obedient as Jack himself was. Jo on the other hand is a happy-go-lucky child of four who has no upset and humiliation to deal with. She is naturally inquisitive and is curious to know more and more. It is not surprising that she is full of questions. The attitudes of both Skunk and Jo are shaped by their life experience.
9. Why did Jo not approve of Skunk's mother scolding him for his new smell ?
Ans.Jo was very happy to hear that Skunk had got rid of his awful smell and had been accepted by the woodland creatures. She did not like Skunk's mother scolding him for his new smell because Jo thought it was a pleasant smell and the one that had won Skunk so many friends. Skunk's mother, she thought, was wrong in scolding him for his new smell.
10. What is the underlying idea behind the wizard's taking the beating and tamely changing the rose smell?
Ans.By making the wizard take his beating by Skunk's mother quietly, Jack and through him the author wishes to bring home the idea that mothers are always right and that we should accept what is natural. The wizard also sees the point and tamely changes Skunk's rose smell into his original Skunk smell.
OTHER QUESTIONS
1.What was the regular routine of Jack in the evening and for saturdays?(p-49 , 1st para)
2.Which animal did Jo suggest for the story that day? Why?(skunk , must have heard about skunks at nursery school)
3.Do you think Jack and Jo could identify with Roger skunk as a victim of the hatred of other creatures?
(Jack brought the story to life when he narrated the tale remembering certain humiliations of his own childhood. The corners of Jo’s mouth drooped down and her lower lip bent forward. A tear flowed along the side of the nose. This shows that even Jo could identify with Roger skunk.)
4.Which two opposite forces acted on Jack while he was telling Jo the story? (p-49 , last para)
5.What was the cause of Roger Skunk’s sadness?(p-50 ,4th para, Mr Owl)
6.Why did Roger Skunk go in search of the wizard?(SP)
(-Every body made fun of Roger Skunk because he gave out a bad smell.
- he was upset about this
-He met the old owl who advised him to go to the wizard, which would help
him and give him a pleasant smell.)
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS :
1.Why does Jo want the wizard to hit mommy? Justify your answer on the basis of the story.
2.Describe Roger Skunk’s trouble and what did he do to get rid of.
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