CBSE Class 12 English Should Wizard hit Mommy (John Updike) VBQs

Question. “Daddy.”
“What?”
“Roger Skunk. You said Roger Fish.”
“Yes. Skunk.”
The above dialogue shows Jo to be _________ and her father to be ________.
Choose the correct option to complete the following sentence.
a) confused; exhausted
b) rude; careless
c) vigilant; hasty
d) disrespectful; disinterested

Answer : C

Question. “Jack didn’t like women when they took anything for granted; he liked them apprehensive, hanging on his words.”
Choose the option with the correct reference to the textual statement given above.
a) The way Jo was looking out of the window as if she was not interested annoyed Jack.
b) The way Clare was shifting the furniture downstairs was irksome to Jack.
c) The way Jack was not able to make Jo sleep on time was making him restless.
d) The way the skunk’s mommy in the story didn’t listen to his son, irritated Jack.

Answer : A

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

“Over the crick, and there will be the wizard’s house.” And that’s the way Roger Skunk went, and pretty soon he came to a little white house, and he rapped on the door.” Jack rapped on the window sill, and under the covers Jo’s tall figure clenched in an infantile thrill. “And then a tiny little old man came out, with a long white beard and a pointed blue hat, and said, “Eh? Whatzis? Whatcher want? You smell awful.” The wizard’s voice was one of Jack’s own favourite effects; he did it by scrunching up his face and somehow whining through his eyes, which felt for the interval rheumy. He felt being an old man suited him.

Question. Pick the option that suitably decodes the wizard’s message when he says “Eh? Whatzis? Whatcher want?”.
a) What is this? What can you want?
b) What’s this? What do you want?
c) Who? What can I do?
d) Who are you? What you want? 

Answer : B

Question. What was Jo’s reaction to Jack’s knock on the window?
a) She stiffened in anticipation of something thrilling.
b) She held on to the covers tightly and compressed her lips.
c) She relaxed, knowing that her father was around to protect her.
d) She instantly responded in the voice of another character.

Answer : A

Question. Choose the option that tells the location of the wizard’s house when Jack says “over the crick”.

a) Option 1
b) Option 2
c) Option 3
d) Option 4

Answer : C

Question. Select the option that tells you about Jack being a great storyteller.
1. Jack knew the right way to the wizard’s house as if he had been there.
2. Jack was commendable at giving his story realistic details.
3. Jack’s delivery of speech with sound effects was remarkable.
4. Jack looked like a really old man as if he was the wizard.
a) 1, 2
b) 2, 3
c) 3, 4
d) 1, 4

Answer : B

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:

“All right. He said, ‘But Mommy, all the other little animals run away,’ and she said, ‘I don’t care. You smelled the way a little skunk should have and I’m going to take you right back to that wizard,’ and she took an umbrella and went back with Roger Skunk and hit that wizard right over the head.” “No,” Jo said, and put her hand out to touch his lips, yet even in her agitation did not quite dare to stop the source of truth. Inspiration came to her. “Then the wizard hit her on the head and did not change that little skunk back.”

Question. Choose the option that appropriately shows a quote giving away the message Roger’s mommy wanted to give Roger.

a) Quote 1
b) Quote 2
c) Quote 3
d) Quote 4

Answer : A

Question. Pick the option listing the reason Jo wanted to change her father’s narrative.
a) Jo was getting bored of her father controlling the entire narrative.
b) Jo thought of the skunk’s mother as a villain for not letting him make friends.
c) Jo was interrupting her father’s narrative just to annoy him and have fun.
d) Jo liked the wizard more and so she took pity on him for getting beaten.

Answer : B

Question. Roger Skunk’s mommy was ________ and ________ when she got to know the truth about her son’s aromatic body. Choose the option to fill in the blank correctly.
1. vexed
2. dissatisfied
3. hostile
4. disheartened
a) 1, 2
b) 2, 3
c) 3, 4
d) 1, 4

Answer : D

Question. Choose the correct option with respect to the statements given below.
Statement 1: Jo was adding bits to the story created by her own imagination.
Statement 2: Jack was tired and felt relaxed since he didn’t have to complete the whole story.
a) Statement 1 can be inferred from the extract but Statement 2 cannot be.
b) Statement 1 is cannot be inferred from the extract but Statement 2 can be.
c) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 can be inferred.
d) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 cannot be inferred.

Answer : A

More Important Questions For CBSE Class 12 English VBQs Should Wizard hit Mommy (John Updike)

Short Answer Type Questions :

Question. How did the wizard help Roger Skunk ?
Answer : Roger Skunk told the wizard his problem that all the little animals ran away from him because he smelled very bad. The wizard agreed to help him. He took a magic wand in his
hand and asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to smell like. Roger Skunk thought for a while, then said he wanted to smell like roses. The wizard used a magic spell. Suddenly, the wizard’s house was full of the smell of roses.

Question. How does Jo want the story to end ?
Answer : Jo wants the wizard to hit mommy on her head and refuse to change Skunk’s smell of roses as then he would be accepted by his friends happily. Jo wanted a happy ending.

Question. Give an example to show that Jo was a sensitive child.
Answer : Jo was a very sensitive child because she was upset that Roger Skunk had no friends. She also expressed her unhappiness when Skunk’s mother hit wizard for giving him the
smell of roses. 

Question. Why does Jo call the Skunk’s mommy stupid ? 
                                             OR
Why did Jo want Roger Skunk’s mother to be punished for ? 
Answer : o, being a child, considers Skunk’s mother to be stupid as she spanked the wizard for giving Skunk the smell of roses. Jo wants Skunk to get back the smell of roses and his mother to be punished as she thinks his mother to be insensitive, cruel and unfair.

Question. Why did Roger Skunk go to the owl ? What advice did he get ? 
                                                      OR
Why did Roger Skunk visit the owl ? What did the owl advise him ?
Answer : Roger Skunk visited the wise owl to get some wise idea for help. The owl advised him to go to the wizard. 

Question. What is mother Skunk’s role in the story ?
Answer : Mother Skunk’s role in the story is to convince the reader about the narrator’s belief that we should never disobey our parents as they know what is best for us. Mother Skunk told
Roger never to forget his distinct identity.

Question. Why did Roger Skunk go to see the owl ?
Answer : Roger Skunk was an animal who was avoided by his friends due to his bad smell. So he went to see the old owl, expecting that he might help him with the problem.

Question. How was the Skunk’s story different from the other stories narrated by Jack ?
Answer : Roger Skunk’s story was different from the other stories narrated by Jack because in all the other stories, the family lived happily after meeting the wizard. But in Skunk’s case, his mother was not satisfied with the change that the wizard had brought in him with his magic wand and she took him back to the wizard to get his usual smell back. Another difference was that Jo liked all the stories but she got a little upset after hearing this story and insisted that her father should change the story and tell that the wizard took a stick and hit the mommy.

Question. Why does Jo want Wizard to hit Mommy ?
                                         OR
What did Jo want the wizard to do when Mommy Skunk approached him ?
                                                         OR
Why did Jo insist that her father should tell her the story with a different ending ?
                                        OR
How does Jo want the story to end and why ?
Answer : Jo wanted the story to end with the wizard hitting Roger’s mommy with his magic wand for not understanding Roger’s feelings. The wizard should punish the mother. She wanted to dream of a magical and beautiful world devoid of ugliness and stink. She wants the baby Skunk to smell good, so that he can play with other animals. She doesn’t want Roger to feel sad and lonely for no fault of his.

Question. Why did Roger Skunk go in search of the wizard ?
Answer : Roger Skunk went in search of the wizard because everyone made fun of him as he emanated a bad smell. He was very upset about this as he wanted to play with the other little animals. He met the owl who advised him to go to the wizard who would help him and give him a pleasant smell. 

Question. What was Roger Skunk’s problem ? What did he do to solve it ? 
Answer : Jo was not happy with the ending of the story narrated by her father. She wanted her, father to tell her the same story the next day but with a changed ending in which the wizard
would hit the mommy and give back the smell to Roger. She wanted the story in this manner because she could not bear the thought of Roger Skunk’s friends not playing with him. But her father, Jack was angry with Jo for interfering in his story. He refused to change the ending. In fact, he wanted her to learn to respect parents and their decisions.

Question. What was the basic plot of each story told by Jack ?
Answer : The basic plot of each story narrated by Jack was that a small animal, usually named Roger, with some problem went to the wise owl and the owl advised him to go to the wizard,
who solved Roger’s problem. 

Question. How are Jack’s views on life different from those of Jo ? 
Answer : Jack being a parent thought that the mother knew what was best for Roger Skunk, while Jo thought that Roger Skunk should also have a say in how he wished to smell. Since,
he now smelled bad again, he would lose all his friends.

Question. Why did Roger Skunk want to change ?
Answer : Roger Skunk used to smell very bad. Because of this, no animal would play with him and he had no friends. He, thus, wanted to change his smell. 

Question. What do you think is a better ending of Roger Skunk’s story, Jo’s or her father’s ? Why ?
Answer : I think that her father’s ending is better. It is because one should be proud of one’s originality and not be ashamed of it. Our friends should also accept us the way we are rather than changing our basic characteristics and qualities. Keeping this in mind, Roger Skunk’s mommy was right in getting him with the way he was earlier. 

Question. Having got rid of his stink, what problem did Roger Skunk face ? 
Answer : Having got rid of his stink, Roger skunk now had his mother’s wrath to face. When she found out Roger smelt of roses, she scolded him badly. Mommy skunk told Roger to embrace himself as he was born and be happy with it. She dragged Roger skunk back to the wizard and forced the latter to give Roger his original stink back.

Long Answer Type Questions :

Question. Why did Jo feel that the Skunk’s mommy was stupid ? 
                                       OR
Why does Jo want that the wizard should hit the mommy? Does her stand reflect a child’s perspective on life ? What is your choice ?
Answer : Children look at this world from a perspective which is different from that of an adult. Their perspective on life reflects their fantasy and innocence. Jo considers little Roger Skunk the hero of the story. She has a deep sympathy for Roger Skunk. Her expressions while listening to the story of poor Roger reflect her feelings. Roger faced segregation. His bad smell kept all little animals away from him. The little Skunk stood alone and wept. When the wizard made Roger smell of roses, he was happy. Other little animals were now attracted towards him. They played and danced with Roger who smelled like roses now.
Jo’s main anger is against the “stupid mommy” of Roger Skunk. It was she who forced the wizard to make Roger Skunk smell very bad again. The hero of the story is always a role model for children. The tender-hearted Jo is shocked at the attitude of that ‘stupid mommy’. She wants that Roger’s mommy must be punished. The wizard must hit on her head hard with his magic wand. Children think like stories and always want happy endings whereas adults know that in real life, there may not be always a happy ending.

Question. A child’s standpoint invariably is different from that of an adult. Justify the statement with reference to the story, ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy’.
                                                                                                                  OR
An adult’s perspective is different from that of a child. Why ? Answer with reference to the story ‘‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy.’’
Answer : Roger Skunk was awful smelling. No one wanted to come close to him. Therefore, he went to a wizard to make him smell sweet. The wizard made him smell like roses. Roger Skunk’s mother did not like that and asked the wizard to make him the way he was. The wizard did the same. When the child heard this, she did not like the way her father had ended the story. She wanted Roger Skunk to be very sweet smelling and the mother to be punished. This shows that the opinion of adults and children differ.
The world of a child is quite different from that of an adult. It is a world of fantasy and wonder. There is no place for ugliness in their world. An adult’s perspective is different from that of a child’s because the adult has experience of life. On the other hand, the child’s mind is not developed. The child is curious and inquisitive about things around him. The child’s imaginary power is exemplary. He wants to get more and more knowledge about the things described to him. It is the duty of the adult to mould the behaviour of a child. Adults should give them the knowledge that things are not as they are seen. There is a difference of perspective regarding life between the two only because of mature and immature minds. 

Question. How does Jo show her independent thinking in the story, ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy’ ?
                                           OR
How did Jo want the Roger Skunk story to end ? Why ?
Answer : The world of children is quite different from that of adults. Their world is a dreamy and magical world. It is a world of fantasy and romance. There is no place for ugliness and stink in their world. Roger Skunk is the hero of the story. Jo never wanted her hero to be so ugly and stinky. It offends her fairness and justice. Therefore, Jo disapproves of Jack’s ending of
the story of Roger Skunk. She wants her father, Jack, to tell the same story in a different way. The wizard must take his magic wand and hit Roger’s mommy hard for not understanding Roger’s feelings. Little Jo wants ‘that stupid mommy’ to be punished. Her crime is that she went to the wizard and compelled him to make her son smell bad again. Jo wants him to smell nice so that he can play with other little animals. She doesn’t want Roger to feel sad and lonely for no fault of his. 

Question. At the end of the storytelling session, why does Jack consider himself ‘caught in an ugly middle position’ ?
Answer : Jack was ‘caught in an ugly middle position’ because he was caught between two difficult situations. He was unable to escape the harsh realities of life rather he tried to habituate himself to the prevailing situation. He had to manage his family with two children, his daughter Jo and his son Bobby. And hence, Jack was entangled between two worlds. The first
world belonged to Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel or Roger Chipmunk where he is telling the story of a wise owl and the Wizard with a magic wand. The world upstairs consists of his children. Jo had raised a question about whether the Wizard should hit the mommy Skunk or not. Jack was unable to satisfy her as he was very cautious about the downside world where his wife Clare was painting. The house was not well kept and the household items were scattered. They were expecting a baby and he was supposed to go and help her as she was working hard to make both the ends meet. In this way, Jack was caught in an ugly middle position between the romantic world and the real world upstairs-downstairs.

Question. How did Jack end the Roger Skunk story ? How and why did Jo want to change it ? 
Answer : According to Jack’s ending of the story, Roger ’s mother hit the wizard with an umbrella. He, then, acts as she wishes and Roger Skunk starts smelling bad again. Jo wants the ending of the story to be the other way. She wants the wizard to hit on the head of the ‘stupid mommy’. She wants the wizard to refuse to make Roger smell bad again.
Children look at this world from a different perspective. They look at people and things quite differently than the way adults do. Their perspective on life reflects simplicity and
innocence. Jo has deep sympathy for Roger Skunk. Roger’s bad smell kept all the little animals away from him. The little Skunk stood alone and wept. The wizard made Roger smell of roses. He was happy. Other little animals were now attracted towards him. They now played and danced with him.
Jo’s main anger is against the “stupid mommy” of Roger Skunk. It was she who forced the wizard to make Roger Skunk smell very bad again. The hero of the story is always a role model for children. The tender-hearted Jo is shocked at the attitude of that ‘stupid’ mommy. She wants Roger’s mommy to be punished. The wizard must hit on her head hard with his magic wand.

Question. The same situation can be viewed through two different perspectives. How does ‘‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy ?’’ establish this point through the views of Jack and Jo ?
Answer : As the child grows into maturity, his perspective and vision of life change gradually. A child views things at a 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 her 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. According to her father the wizard had unwillingly 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 wellmerited 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.