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Characters
The protagonist of the story, Jack is a married man living with his pregnant wife Clare, their four-year-old daughter Jo, and their two-year-old son, Bobby. Uninspired by and disillusioned with the responsibilities of family life, Jack uses the stale ritual of telling his daughter a bedtime story to avoid helping his wife re-paint their living room to prepare for the arrival of their third child. A talented storyteller, Jack takes pride in creating engrossing stories for Jo even though he is quickly running out of fresh ideas. Each story concerns an animal named Roger who has a problem that is solved by the story’s end. Much like Jack’s life, the stories follow a strict and unchallenging pattern and contain hallmarks of domesticity: each story begins with Roger at home with his mother and end with his father’s return from work on the train each night for supper. In telling the stories, Jack is able to indulge his gift for creating suspense and his love of language, even when the references go over Jo’s head. Jack crafts Roger Skunk in his own image: a skunk who is isolated from other animals much like Jack was as a young boy. Roger is lonely because of his smell, which he is ultimately unable to change out of a sense of duty to his mother. Though Jo is unaware, Jack is channeling his frustration in his marriage into the story, and becomes increasingly upset when Jo contradicts him, as it reminds him of Clare. Ultimately, Jack is unable to tell a story that engrosses Jo, who is furious that Roger Skunk must keep his original foul smell. Jo insists that Jack tell her a story in which Roger’s mother is physically punished for contributing to Roger’s isolation and unhappiness. Jack is shocked to see Jo’s animosity towards the mother figure in the story because it reflects his own animosity towards Clare and their life together: a life in which Jack feels increasingly trapped and has come to resent Clare not as his partner in the struggle, but as his principle tormenter.
Jack Quotes in Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
The Should Wizard Hit Mommy? quotes below are all either spoken by Jack or refer to Jack. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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“Should Wizard Hit Mommy?” Quotes
The little girl (not so little anymore; the bumps her feet made under the covers were halfway down the bed, their big double bed that they let her be in for naps and when she was sick) had at last arranged herself, and from the way her fat face deep in the pillow shone in the sunlight sifting through the drawn shades, it did not seem fantastic that something magic would occur, and she would take her nap like an infant of two.
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As Jo settles in for her naptime story, her father Jack notices that she is getting much taller. As she ages, Jo has not only become less prone to taking naps, but also increasingly disenchanted with the story of Roger Creature that her father continues to tell her. Jack is consistently preoccupied with pointing out evidence of Jo’s physical growth as a reminder that, unlike her two-year-old brother who is happily asleep, Jo is growing into a young woman who will soon have ideas and opinions that Jack does not have control over. This will mean an extension of the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offici
Sitting on the bed beside her, Jack felt the covers tug as her legs switched tensely. He was pleased with this moment—he was telling her something true, something she must know—and had no wish to hurry on. But downstairs a chair scraped, and he realized he must get down to help Clare paint the living room woodwork.
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Jack is content when Jo seems uncomfortable during the Roger Skunk story. As a storyteller, Jack relishes the ability to impact his young daughter, controlling what she views as “true” and all that she “must know.” Jack values his control over Jo’s worldview because he feels so little control in his own life, especially since he is in a marriage in which he views his wife to be constantly undermining him. In addition, by forcing Jo to face an unpleasant reality, Jack believes himself to be teaching her a life lesson about facing the same kinds of unpleasant realities that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occ
“Are magic spells real?” This was a new phase, just this last month, a reality phase. When he told her spiders eat bugs, she turned to her mother and asked, “Do they really?” and when Clare told her God was in the sky and all around them, she turned to her father, and insisted, with a sly yet eager smile, “Is He really?”
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When Jack explains to Jo that the Wizard performs a magic spell on Roger Skunk to make his bad smell disappear, Jo immediately questions the validity of his statement. Jo’s “reality phase” is a natural part of growing up, but for Jack, her questioning is unwelcome. First of all, Jack views Jo’s constant questions as attempts to undermine his knowledge and (in the case of the story) narrative ability. Jack views story time as one of the few moments in which he is not consistently contradicted, but Jo’s inquisitiveness signals that this may be coming to an end. In addition, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officii
The wizard's voice was one of Jack's own favorite 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.
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Despite insisting that he finds the story time ritual to be tiring and unpleasant, Jack still relishes certain aspects of the process, especially doing impressions of some of the characters for Jo. In describing the delight he finds in doing the Wizard’s voice, Jack indicates that he uses story time as a personal escape as much as a way to get his daughter to go to sleep. For Jack, it is a time to indulge his inner childhood innocence and take pride in crafting a story that is dynamic and engaging for Jo in the process. In addition, the observation Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati
He paused as a rapt expression widened out from his daughter's nostrils, forcing her eyebrows up and her lower lip down in a wide noiseless grin, an expression in which Jack was startled to recognize his wife feigning pleasure at cocktail parties.
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When Jack recites the Wizard’s magic spell to Jo, he is shocked to notice that her expression of excitement and apprehension looks just like Clare’s when she is pretending to be interested at social functions. This observation suggests that, as Jo ages, Jack is having a harder time distinguishing between the two women in his life. As a result, Jack’s immense anger and resentment towards his wife colors everything he does and makes it impossible for him to view Jo’s behavior (despite its innocence) as anything other than pointedly antagonistic. This generally antagonistic attitude towards Jo and Clare illustrates Jack’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas
Jack didn't like women when they took anything for granted; he liked them apprehensive, hanging on his words.
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When Jo begins to fidget during his story, Jack takes it as a sign that she is losing interest, assuming that she already knows how the story will end. Though Jo’s loss of interest is merely the hallmark of a small child, Jack views it as a tactic designed to undermine his authority. His observation that he liked women to be “apprehensive” around him suggests a deep resentment towards (and even hatred for) women. For Jack, making women uncomfortable is the best way that he believes he can maintain control over them. Coupled with his pleasure at seeing Jo uncomfortable Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum volup
“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.
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In an effort to regain control over the narrative (and to make Jo apprehensive again), Jack changes the structure of his Roger story. He explains to Jo that Roger’s mother was angry when he returned and no longer smelled like a skunk was supposed to. The revision has the desired effect. Jo is stunned, unable to understand why Roger’s mother would not want her son to be happy and accepted by his peers. By changing the story, Jack wants to once again teach her a grownup lesson: that sometimes one must prioritize their duty to their family over their individual Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti
“Tomorrow, I want you to tell me the story that that wizard took that magic wand and hit that mommy”—her plump arms chopped fiercely—“right over the head.”
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When Jack explains to Jo that the Wizard heeded Roger’s mother’s wishes and returned Roger to his unpleasant scent, Jo issues Jack an ultimatum, asking for a follow-up story the next day in which the Wizard refuses the order and instead hits Roger’s mother. By presenting her father with this ultimatum, Jo alters the rules of her relationship with Jack by proving that she not only has full capacity to understand and refute his ideas, but also the ability to tell a new and better story herself. Therefore, as Jack is no longer able to exert total control over story Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta i
The woodwork, a cage of moldings and rails and baseboards all around them, was half old tan and half new ivory and he felt caught in an ugly middle position, and though he as well felt his wife's presence in the cage with him, he did not want to speak with her, work with her, touch her, anything.
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When Jack is finished telling Jo her story, he is finally able to come downstairs and help his wife. When he arrives, however, he is immediately too fatigued and disheartened from story time to help her, and just sits watching her work instead. Looking at the living room around him, which is in the process of changing color, Jack notes that he is stuck in an emotional limbo, between the present reality of a life that he finds unfulfilling and the future promise of a new child and more responsibilities tying him down. Without the medium of the Roger Skunk Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint
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Jack Character Timeline in Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
The timeline below shows where the character Jack appears in Should Wizard Hit Mommy?. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
“Should Wizard Hit Mommy?”
Every evening and before her Saturday naps, Jack tells his daughter Jo a bedtime story. The ritual has been going on since Jo...
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Jack is especially tired of the story time ritual because he has run out of ideas...
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Jo explains that she wants the story to be about Roger Skunk today, which leads Jack to assume that she must be talking about skunks in school. Having a new animal...
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Jo is upset over Roger Skunk’s problem, and she begs Jack (and Roger) to go see the Owl for advice. Jack is pleased that the story...
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Jack continues the story. He explains that Roger goes to the owl and asks him for...
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Jack concedes to Jo, telling her that Roger does indeed pay a visit to the wizard....
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Jack continues the story, explaining that Roger Skunk journeyed through the woods to visit the wizard’s...
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...run away from him because he smells. The wizard invites Roger inside his dusty home. Jack notes that the wizard’s house is very messy because he is a very old man...
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Jack explains that Roger decided he wanted to smell like roses and that the wizard did...
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Jack explains that the wizard asks Roger for four pennies as payment for the spell. However,...
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Jack attempts to speed the story up. He explains that Roger returned to his friends who...
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In an effort to regain Jo’s attention, Jack throws a wrench in his classic story. Jack tells Jo that when Roger gets home...
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Jo senses a flaw in Jack’s story: if Roger smells like a skunk again then he will continue to make the...
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...stupid mommy” for making Roger change his scent back. With “rare emphasis,” surprising even himself, Jack asserts that it was not stupid. He thinks that Jo notices the severity of his...
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Before Jack can leave, Jo stops him and explains that she wants a story the next day...
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Jack does not give Jo a definitive answer, and he goes downstairs to finally help Clare...
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Jack notices that the wood is half its old tan color and half a new white...
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