Class 12 English Notes Chapter 5 (Should Wizard hit Mommy) – Vistas Book

Detailed Notes with MCQs of Chapter 5 of Vistas, "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" by John Updike. This story delves into complex themes beneath a seemingly simple narrative structure, making it important for your exam preparation. Pay close attention to the nuances.

Detailed Notes: Should Wizard Hit Mommy?

1. Author and Context:

• Author: John Updike, a prominent American novelist, poet, and critic known for his detailed exploration of suburban American life, relationships, and psychological complexities.
• Context: The story explores the dynamics of parenting, the clash between adult perspectives shaped by experience and child perspectives rooted in innocence and simple morality, and the art of storytelling itself.

2. Narrative Structure:

• Story-within-a-story: The main narrative frame involves Jack telling a bedtime story to his four-year-old daughter, Jo (Joanne). The inner story is the tale of Roger Skunk.
• Framing Narrative: Focuses on Jack, Jo, and their interaction during the storytelling session. It also subtly reveals aspects of Jack's own life, weariness, and marital relationship with his wife, Clare (who is downstairs painting).
• Inner Narrative: The story Jack invents about Roger Skunk, who smells bad, seeks help from a wizard, gets his smell changed to roses, faces his mother's disapproval, and is changed back.

3. Characters:

• Jack (Father): The storyteller. He feels weary, possibly trapped in his adult responsibilities ("caught in an ugly middle position"). He uses storytelling as a routine to put Jo to sleep but also, perhaps subconsciously, to impart his worldview. He defends the story's ending where Mommy Skunk is right.
• Jo (Joanne, Daughter): Four years old. Represents the child's perspective – innocent, logical within her own framework, and seeking simple justice and happy endings. She is increasingly engaged and critical of the story, especially the ending. Her insistence that the wizard should hit Mommy Skunk back forms the crux of the story's title and central dilemma.
• Clare (Mother/Wife): Physically present downstairs (painting woodwork) but largely absent from the direct interaction. She represents the weight of adult responsibilities and perhaps unresolved tensions in the marriage, hinted at by Jack's feelings.
• Roger Skunk (Story Character): The protagonist of the inner story. Initially suffers social isolation due to his bad smell. Represents the desire for acceptance and change.
• Mommy Skunk (Story Character): Represents parental authority, tradition, and the idea of accepting one's natural identity. She believes Roger should smell like a skunk and acts decisively based on this conviction.
• Wizard (Story Character): The facilitator of change. He grants Roger's wish but is ultimately subservient to Mommy Skunk's demand.
• Wise Old Owl (Story Character): A minor character who directs Roger to the Wizard, a common trope in Jack's stories.

4. Plot Summary:

• The Routine: Jack tells Jo a bedtime story, a variation of a tale he's been telling for two years, always featuring a creature named Roger.
• Roger Skunk's Problem: This time, Roger Skunk smells so bad that other animals won't play with him.
• Seeking Help: Roger consults the wise old owl, who sends him to the wizard.
• The Change: The wizard, after some magical theatrics ("Abracadabry..."), changes Roger's smell to roses for the price of seven pennies (Roger only has four, so the wizard tells him where to find the extra three).
• Temporary Happiness: Roger, smelling like roses, happily plays with the other animals.
• Mommy's Reaction: Roger goes home. His mother is furious that he doesn't smell like a skunk anymore. She believes it's unnatural.
• Reversal: Mommy Skunk drags Roger back to the wizard, hits the wizard on the head with her umbrella, and demands he change Roger back to his original smell. The wizard complies.
• The Original Ending: Roger returns home with his skunk smell. Eventually, the other animals get used to it and play with him anyway.
• Jo's Objection: Jo strongly disagrees with this ending. She feels Mommy Skunk was "stupid" and insists that the wizard should have hit Mommy back. She wants Jack to tell the story differently tomorrow.
• Jack's Stance: Jack defends Mommy Skunk's actions, stating that she knew what was right for Roger. He insists on the ending as told.
• The Ending: Jack goes downstairs to help Clare, feeling "caught in an ugly middle position," suggesting his own unresolved conflicts and the difficulty of navigating differing perspectives (Jo's vs. his, perhaps his vs. Clare's).

5. Key Themes:

• Clash of Worldviews (Child vs. Adult): Jo sees the world in black and white (Mommy was wrong, wizard should punish her). Jack sees shades of grey, understanding the mother's perspective on identity and parental love, even if it seems harsh.
• Parental Authority vs. Child's Desire: Mommy Skunk imposes her will for what she believes is Roger's own good, overriding his desire for social acceptance through artificial change. Jack implicitly supports this parental authority.
• Individuality vs. Conformity: Should Roger change himself to fit in (smell of roses), or retain his natural identity (skunk smell), even if it leads to initial rejection? Mommy Skunk champions natural identity.
• Nature of Storytelling: Is the purpose to entertain, provide wish fulfillment (Jo's desired ending), or to reflect reality and impart morals (Jack's ending)? The story shows how personal experiences and biases shape the narrative.
• Reality vs. Fantasy: Jo wants the fantasy world of the story to conform to her sense of justice. Jack tries to ground it in a reality where parents make tough decisions and acceptance isn't always easy.
• Unresolved Adult Issues: Jack's weariness and feeling "caught in an ugly middle position" hint at underlying dissatisfaction or conflict in his own life and marriage.

6. Title Significance:

• "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" directly quotes Jo's moral outrage and her proposed resolution. It encapsulates the central conflict of the story – the questioning of parental actions and the clash between different moral perspectives. It leaves the question open, prompting the reader to consider the dilemma.

7. Important Points for Exams:

• Understand the motivations of Jack and Jo.
• Analyze the conflict between their perspectives on the story's ending.
• Be able to discuss the major themes, using examples from the text.
• Explain the significance of the story-within-a-story structure.
• Comment on the ambiguity of the ending and Jack's final emotional state.
• Relate Mommy Skunk's actions to themes of identity and parental love.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. What is the basic plot formula Jack uses for his bedtime stories?
   a) A creature has a problem, goes to a wise owl, then a wizard, solves the problem, and pays the wizard.
   b) A creature gets lost, finds its way home with the help of friends, and learns a lesson.
   c) A creature wants a new toy, asks its mother, and eventually gets it after doing chores.
   d) A creature goes on an adventure, faces danger, and is rescued by its parents.
   Answer: a)

2. Why did Roger Skunk initially want to change his smell?
   a) His mother told him to.
   b) He didn't like the smell himself.
   c) The other little animals wouldn't play with him.
   d) The wizard advised him to change it.
   Answer: c)

3. What smell did the wizard give Roger Skunk?
   a) Lavender
   b) Lilac
   c) Roses
   d) Jasmine
   Answer: c)

4. Why did Mommy Skunk get angry and take Roger back to the wizard?
   a) She thought the smell of roses was unpleasant.
   b) She believed a skunk should smell like a skunk, asserting his natural identity.
   c) The wizard had charged Roger too many pennies.
   d) She was allergic to roses.
   Answer: b)

5. What action did Mommy Skunk take when she confronted the wizard?
   a) She argued with him politely.
   b) She paid him extra money.
   c) She hit him on the head with her umbrella.
   d) She cast a counter-spell on him.
   Answer: c)

6. What is Jo's primary objection to the ending of the Roger Skunk story?
   a) She thinks Roger should have kept the rose smell forever.
   b) She feels the wizard was unfair to Roger.
   c) She believes Mommy Skunk was wrong/stupid and should have been punished by the wizard.
   d) She didn't like that the other animals eventually got used to Roger's smell.
   Answer: c)

7. The story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" primarily explores the theme of:
   a) The importance of magical solutions.
   b) The conflict between animal species.
   c) The clash between adult and child perspectives on morality and reality.
   d) The financial difficulties faced by wizards.
   Answer: c)

8. The phrase "caught in an ugly middle position" at the end of the story describes the feelings of:
   a) Roger Skunk
   b) Jo
   c) Clare
   d) Jack
   Answer: d)

9. The title "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" directly reflects:
   a) Jack's moral dilemma.
   b) The wizard's final decision.
   c) Jo's sense of justice and her proposed ending.
   d) Clare's opinion on Jack's story.
   Answer: c)

10. What does Jack's insistence on his ending for the Roger Skunk story suggest about his own views?
    a) He believes children should always obey wizards.
    b) He dislikes the smell of roses intensely.
    c) He values conformity above all else.
    d) He accepts the complexities of life, parental authority, and the importance of natural identity.
    Answer: d)

Study these notes carefully, focusing on the underlying conflicts and themes. Understanding the different perspectives is key to mastering this chapter. Good luck!