How We Kept Mother's Day - STEPHEN LEACOCK - Literary Reader 6 chapter 3

Story Summary

This story is about a family who decides to celebrate Mother's Day for the first time. They want to make it a special day for their mother by giving her a break from her usual chores and showing her how much they appreciate her.

The family plans a big day, including a special dinner and a picnic. The idea is that the mother won't have to do any work and can relax and enjoy herself. But things don't go as planned. Instead of resting, the mother ends up doing more work than usual.

She wakes up early to prepare food and get everything ready. During the picnic, she continues to work hard, carrying baskets, setting up the picnic, and cleaning up afterward. The rest of the family has fun and relaxes, not realizing that their mother is still working.

At the end of the day, the mother is very tired, but she pretends to be happy and thankful for the special day. The family feels proud of themselves for celebrating Mother's Day, not noticing that their mother didn't get the break they promised her.

Themes and Messages

Funny and Ironic: The story is funny because the family thinks they are doing something nice, but in reality, they make their mother work even more. This is what we call irony – when something happens that is the opposite of what you expect.

Real Meaning of Celebrations: The story teaches us that celebrations should be about truly appreciating someone, not just following traditions or doing what everyone else does.

Role of Mothers: It also reminds us how much work mothers do every day and how important it is to give them real rest and appreciation.

Conclusion

Stephen Leacock's "How We Kept Mother's Day" is a humorous story that helps us understand the importance of genuinely caring for and appreciating our mothers. It encourages us to think about how we can truly make special days meaningful for those we love.

LET'S INFER

1. At the end of the story, Mother says that it has been 'the most wonderful day in her life'. Was it really so?
   
   ANSWER:
   No, it was not really the most wonderful day for her. Mother said this to make her family happy, even though she worked harder than usual and didn't get to rest.
   
   
2. What reasons do the following characters give for not staying at home on Mother's Day:
   
   ANSWER:
   a. Father: He wanted to go out to a restaurant for a special meal.
   b. Anna and Mary: They wanted to go on a picnic and enjoy the nice weather.
   c. Will and the narrator: They wanted to take a drive and have fun.
   
   Which of these reasons appears the most convincing to you?
   
   ANSWER:
   None of the reasons are very convincing because they all wanted to do what they enjoyed, not thinking about what would make Mother happy.
   
   
3. Does any member of the family do anything worthwhile for Mother on Mother's Day?
   
   ANSWER:
   No, none of the family members did anything truly worthwhile for Mother. Instead of helping her rest, they made her work even more.
   
   
4. Do you agree that this story is wonderfully funny? Which bit do you think is the funniest?
   
   ANSWER:
   Yes, the story is funny. The funniest part is when the family congratulates themselves for giving Mother a wonderful day, not realizing she did all the work.
   
   
5. Beneath the humour, is the story saying something serious to us? (Think, for example, about Mother's attitude to her work and her family.)
   
   ANSWER:
   Yes, the story is saying something serious. It shows us that we should truly appreciate our mothers and give them real breaks, not just pretend to. It also highlights how much work mothers do for their families.

LET'S DISCUSS

1. Someone said, 'God couldn't be everywhere, so he created mothers.' What can we do to honour and thank our mothers?
   
   

   ANSWER:

   • To honor and thank our mothers, we can help them with chores, spend quality time with them, show appreciation through kind words and actions, give them thoughtful gifts, and make sure they have time to relax.

2. Does Mother in the story expect to receive any gift or treat on Mother's Day? Is she any different from our own mothers?
   
   

   ANSWER:

   • No, Mother in the story does not expect to receive any gift or treat. She is happy to do things for her family and does not expect anything in return, just like many of our own mothers who also work hard and do not ask for much in return.