Should Wizard hit Mommy
By - John Updike
By - John Updike
The story "Should Wizard Hit Mommy?" is written by John Updike. It presents a clash between a child’s innocence and an adult’s practical view of life. The story is told through Jack, a father who often tells bedtime stories to his daughter, Jo.
Jack creates a character called Roger, usually a small animal like Roger Skunk or Roger Fish. Roger always faces a problem and goes to a wise owl for advice. The owl usually sends him to a wizard, who solves the problem with some magic, and in the end Roger returns home happily. These stories usually have a happy ending.
In this particular story, Jo requests a tale about Roger Skunk. Roger Skunk smells very bad, and because of his foul smell, other animals refuse to play with him. Feeling sad and lonely, he seeks help from the wise owl, who sends him to the wizard. The wizard changes his smell into that of roses. Now all the animals like him and play with him happily.
However, when Roger Skunk returns home, his mother becomes angry. She dislikes the smell of roses and wants her son to smell the way he naturally does. She takes him back to the wizard and forces the wizard to change Roger Skunk back to his original smell. Roger Skunk obeys his mother, though he feels sad because his friends may not like him again.
At this point, Jo expects the story to end with Roger Skunk keeping the rose smell and living happily. But Jack insists that the mother was right, because parents know what is best for their children. Jo strongly disagrees and even suggests that the wizard should hit the mother. She argues that Roger Skunk should have been allowed to keep the rose smell, as it made him accepted and happy among friends.
This difference in opinion reflects two perspectives:
The child’s view (Jo): Happiness lies in being socially accepted and liked by friends.
The adult’s view (Jack): Parents know better, and children must obey them even if they don’t understand immediately.
The story ends with Jo being unsatisfied and upset, showing the gap between a child’s imagination and an adult’s rigid view of life.
Important Points for Exam:
* Story written by John Updike.
* Father Jack tells bedtime stories to his daughter Jo.
* Roger Skunk smells bad; wizard changes it to rose smell.
* Mother disapproves and makes wizard change it back.
* Conflict: Jo wants happy ending, Jack defends mother’s authority.
* Theme: Conflict between child’s innocence/imagination and adult’s practical wisdom.
यह कहानी जॉन अपडाइक द्वारा लिखी गई है। यह कहानी एक बच्चे की मासूमियत और एक वयस्क के व्यावहारिक दृष्टिकोण के बीच मतभेद को दर्शाती है। कहानी जैक नामक पिता और उसकी बेटी जो के बीच के संवाद के माध्यम से बताई गई है।
जैक अक्सर अपनी बेटी को सोने से पहले कहानियाँ सुनाता है। वह 'रोजर' नामक एक पात्र की कहानियाँ बनाता है। रोजर आमतौर पर किसी समस्या का सामना करता है और सलाह के लिए बुद्धिमान उल्लू के पास जाता है। उल्लू उसे किसी जादूगर के पास भेजता है, जो उसकी समस्या हल कर देता है, और अंत में रोजर खुश होकर घर लौटता है।
इस कहानी में जो चाहती है कि जैक रोजर स्कंक की कहानी सुनाए। रोजर स्कंक बदबूदार होता है, इसलिए अन्य जानवर उसके साथ नहीं खेलते। दुखी होकर वह बुद्धिमान उल्लू के पास जाता है। उल्लू उसे जादूगर के पास भेजता है। जादूगर उसकी बदबू को गुलाब की खुशबू में बदल देता है। अब सभी जानवर उसे पसंद करते हैं और उसके साथ खेलते हैं।
लेकिन जब रोजर घर लौटता है, उसकी माँ को यह पसंद नहीं आता। उसे अपनी प्राकृतिक बदबू ही अच्छी लगती है। वह रोजर को जादूगर के पास वापस भेज देती है और जादूगर से उसकी खुशबू पहले जैसी करवा देती है। रोजर माँ की बात मान लेता है, लेकिन दुखी होता है क्योंकि अब उसके दोस्त शायद उसे पसंद न करें।
जो चाहती है कि कहानी का अंत रोजर की खुशबू वाली खुशियों के साथ हो। लेकिन जैक कहता है कि माँ सही हैं, क्योंकि माता-पिता अपने बच्चों के लिए सबसे अच्छा जानते हैं। जो इस बात से असहमत होती है और कहती है कि जादूगर को माँ को मार देना चाहिए। वह मानती है कि रोजर को गुलाब की खुशबू रखने की अनुमति मिलनी चाहिए थी।
इस कहानी में दो दृष्टिकोण दिखाए गए हैं:
बच्चे का दृष्टिकोण (जो): खुशी दोस्तों द्वारा पसंद किए जाने में है।
वयस्क का दृष्टिकोण (जैक): माता-पिता जानते हैं, बच्चों को उनकी बात माननी चाहिए।
कहानी का अंत जो की असंतुष्टि और दुख के साथ होता है, जो बच्चे की कल्पना और वयस्क के कठोर दृष्टिकोण के बीच का अंतर दर्शाता है।
परीक्षा के लिए महत्वपूर्ण बिंदु:
* लेखक: जॉन अपडाइक
* पात्र: जैक (पिता), जो (बेटी), रोजर स्कंक
* रोजर की बदबू गुलाब की खुशबू में बदलती है।
* माँ असहमत और रोजर को उसकी मूल बदबू में बदलवाती है।
* मुख्य विषय: बच्चे की मासूमियत और वयस्क का व्यावहारिक दृष्टिकोण।
1. Who is the main storyteller in the chapter?
a) Jo
b) Jack ✅
c) Roger Skunk
d) The Wizard
2. What problem does Roger Skunk face in the story?
a) He cannot find food
b) He smells bad, so animals avoid him ✅
c) He is lost in the forest
d) He cannot talk
3. Who does Roger Skunk consult for advice?
a) The Wizard
b) His mother
c) The wise owl ✅
d) Jo
4. What change does the wizard make to Roger Skunk?
a) He makes him fly
b) He gives him the smell of roses ✅
c) He gives him magical powers
d) He changes him into a rabbit
5. Why does Roger Skunk’s mother disapprove of the wizard’s magic?
a) She thinks it is dangerous
b) She wants him to smell naturally ✅
c) She wants him to go to school
d) She does not like the wizard
6. How does Jo react to the story’s ending?
a) She is satisfied
b) She suggests the wizard should hit the mother ✅
c) She agrees with Jack
d) She wants Roger Skunk to disappear
7. What does Jack represent in the story?
a) Childhood innocence
b) Parental authority and practical wisdom ✅
c) Magical thinking
d) Peer pressure
8. Which theme is highlighted in this story?
a) Adventure and courage
b) Conflict between child’s imagination and adult practicality ✅
c) Magic and fantasy
d) Friendship and loyalty
9. What lesson does Jo want from the story?
a) Obedience to parents is most important
b) Happiness comes from being liked and accepted ✅
c) Magic solves all problems
d) Animals are better than humans
10. How does Roger Skunk feel after returning to his original smell?
a) Happy and content
b) Sad and worried about losing friends ✅
c) Angry at his mother
d) Excited to meet new animals
Q.1 Who is Jo ? How does she respond to her father's story - telling ?
Ans : In the chapter 'Should Wizard hit Mommy' Jo is Jack's daughter. She is nearly four years old. Her father tells her stories daily in the evening and saturday naps. One saturday nap he tells a story about a Roger skunk who smells very bad. During the story - telling by her father, she asked many questions.
Q.2 What possible plot line could the story continue with ?
Ans : The story continue with a small creature named Roger because Jack has been telling stories to her daughter for two years. Therefore, he makes story by changing of the basic story. In this present story it was Roger Skunk who smells very bad.
Q.3 What do you think was Jo's problem ?
Ans : Jo's problem was that she could not understand why a mommy would want to compromise her child's happiness just to suit her own self. In her opinion, the Skunk's mother was wrong in whatever she did.
Q.4 What is the moral issue that the story raises ?
Ans : In the story 'Should Wizard hit Mommy' the writer wants to tell us that the moral values of children vary with ours. Ugliness and hatred have no place in their idealised world. The story raises a moral question 'Should Wizard hit Mommy' ? Jo wanted he must.But, Jack says that it will be wrong because a mommy is always right and she should be respected and loved.
Q.5 How does Jo want the story to end and why ?
Ans : In the story 'Should Wizard hit Mommy' Jo wants the wizard to hit mommy because she has hit the wizard's head with her umbrella and then, wizard restores Roger Skunk's bad smell. Jo wants Roger Skunk to smell like roses and to make friends.
Q.6 Why does Jack insist that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother ?
Ans : Jack insists that it was the wizard that was hit and not the mother because he wants Jo to realize that whatever parents do for their children is for their good. Therefore, he says Jo that it will be wrong to mommy by wizard because a mommy is always right. She should be respected and loved.
Q.7 Why is an adult's perspective on life different from that of a child's ?
Ans : An adult's perspective on life different from that of a child's because there are the difference between their experiences and exposure to the world around them. The moral values of children vary with ours. Ugliness and hatred have no place in their idealised world.
Q.1 What is the theme of the story 'Should Wizard hit Mommy' ?
Or
Give the character sketch of Jack.
Or
Give the character sketch of Jo.
Ans : Introduction : The present question has been taken from the chapter 'Should Wizard hit Mommy' written by John Updike. In this story the writer tells that the moral values of children vary with ours. Ugliness and hatred has no place in their idealised world. This story is about Roger Skunk.
About the story : In this story the writer told that Jack was a young man. Clare was his wife and Jo was his daughter. Jo was nearly four years old. His little boy was bobby. Jack told his daughter stories which was made by him. One saturday nap he told his daughter a story about Roger Skunk. His main problem was that he smelled very bad. Due to this reason other animal did not like his company and ran away from him. He felt very shame. He went to an old wise owl for a solution of his problem and wise owl advised him to go to the wizard. Wizard resolved his problem. Now, he smelled like roses. After that, other animals played with him. But, when he went hes home, his mother got very angry with him. He said that it was the wizard who had made him smell like roses. She went wizard's house with him. She hit his head with her umbrella. then wizard restored his bad smell.
Conclusion : This story raises a moral question at this point Should Wizard hit Mommy ? Jo wanted he must. But, Jack said that it would be wrong because a mommy is always right. She should be respected and loved.