Should Wizard Hit Mommy Summary in English and Hindi Pdf. Should Wizard Hit Mommy is written by John Updike.
Learncram.com has provided Should Wizard Hit Mommy extra questions and answers pdf, Should Wizard Hit Mommy theme, class 12 english Should Wizard Hit Mommy summary in hindi, important question and answers, lesson plan, class 12 ncert solutions.
Students can also check the English Summary to revise with them during exam preparation.
Should Wizard Hit Mommy Summary in English by John Updike
Should Wizard Hit Mommy by John Updike About the Author
John Hoyer Updike (18 March 1932 – 27 January 2009) was an American novelist, poet, short story writer and art and literary critic. His most famous work is his ‘Rabbit Series’. His fiction is focused on the concerns, passions and sufferings of the average American.
He is considered as one of the greatest American writers of his time. Updike had a style which is rich and unusual and sometimes arcane vocabulary is conveyed through the eyes of “a wry intelligent authorial voice”. He described the physical world in a realist tradition.
| Author Name | John Updike |
| Born | 18 March 1932, Reading, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Died | 27 January 2009, Danvers, Massachusetts, United States |
| Children | Elizabeth Updike Cobblah, Miranda Margaret Updike |
| Awards | National Book Award for Fiction, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction |
| Nationality | American |
Should Wizard Hit Mommy Theme
The story deals with certain moral issues and the adult complexes that clash with childish innocence. Father Jack tells stories to his daughter Jo, influenced by his own childhood experiences, failures and complexes. On the other hand, his daughter lives in her own world of fantasy and doesn’t want to come out of it.
She feels the pain of being rejected by the playmates when Roger Skunk is rejected due to his bad smell. The story highlights the point that the children also have their egos, identities, views and attitude. The ending of the story highlights the fact that the children must understand that one must accept one’s identity and gracefully accept the way we are created by God.
Should Wizard Hit Mommy Summary in English
The story begins when Jack is telling stories to his four-year-old daughter Jo to put her to sleep on Saturday evenings. All these stories are made up by him. This started two years ago. Every story is a variation of the same tale and it starts with the same Roger Animal. He would go to the wise owl to get his problems solved. The owl will direct him to the wizard who would do magic and solve his problems and demand money in return. Roger would be short of money and go to a well as directed by the wizard and get the money from there and would pay him off. He would be happy to have his problems solved and play with his friends happily. His father would return by train and the family would have a delicious dinner.
That day, Jo wants it to be a Roger Skunk’s story who smells very bad and that is why no other animal wants to play with him. They will tease him saying ‘Stinky Skunk’. Roger would cry. At this point Jo starts feeling connected with the character and she also starts crying. Jo insists on sending Roger Skunk to the owl. This reaction of Jo surprises her father and he realises the changes in the growing child. Finally, the owl directs Roger Skunk to the wizard and he gets the smell of roses. A happy Skunk runs into the woods. All the animals gather around Skunk and they all play games.
When Skunk reaches home, his mother is annoyed, and doesn’t like the smell. She. takes him back to the wizard and hits him on the head and orders him to restore Skunk’s earlier smell. Jo doesn’t like this. She is angry at the behaviour of Roger’s mother. She wants the wizard to hit Roger’s mommy. But her father disagrees and defends Skunk’s mother saying mothers are always right. But Jo is adamant and angry. Jo argues with her father but he exerts his authority as the storyteller and doesn’t change it. So finally Roger Skunk comes back home with his mommy. Gradually other animals get used to his smell and start playing with him.
Jo disagrees and refuses to sleep. She wants another story in which mommy is hit. But Jack refuses and threatens and orders her to sleep. He is in a dilemma because he knows that his pregnant wife is working downstairs all alone and he must help her. He feels trapped and uneasy, caught in a difficult situation.
Character Sketch of Jack in Should Wizard Hit Mommy
Jack (The father): Jack, like any loving father, tells stories to his daughter Jo every day to put her to sleep. As he is not very creative and imaginative, he keeps one basic storyline. While telling the story, he tries to dramatise and modulates his voice to bring the effect. He himself didn’t have a very happy childhood. At times, his own childhood experiences, complexes, miseries and humiliations are brought out in his stories.
He is a caring husband who shares the household work with his wife. At the same time, he seems to be a chauvinist who does not want to be taken for granted by women and doesn’t want to bow even before his small daughter. When the story fails to convince his daughter, he uses coercive methods to stick to his point of view. He is not able to understand a child’s psychology and exposes the child to the harsh realities of the world at a tender age.
Character Sketch of Jo or Joanne in Should Wizard Hit Mommy
Joanne (The Daughter): Joanne or Jo is a smart, pampered, loved but sensitive child. Like any other child of four years, she is fond of stories. She is innocent and loves the happy ending stories. She lives in her imaginary world of fairies, magic wands, miracles, etc. and is not prepared for any harsh reality of life. She feels pain for Roger Skunk when he is rejected by his friends. Fun, games and peer appreciation mean much to her.
She is very logical and argumentative. She has her own mind and cannot accept that mothers can be so cruel as to hurt their children. When she is not able to persuade him to change the ending of the story, she urges her father to tell her another story.
Jo, like a young smart kid, is full of questions. She is learning new things every day in the school and is very inquisitive. It gives her maturity. She is brave enough not to accept something that she doesn’t believe in.