Roger Skunk’s mother is the wizard’s antagonist, and a representation for Jack of familial duty. Roger’s mother refuses to allow Roger to change his skunk scent—even though smelling like roses makes him more popular—offering the explanation that he no longer smells like he is supposed to. Her ultimate victory over the wizard, who eventually restores Roger’s original skunk smell, suggests a victory of familial obligation over the freedom to follow one’s own desires without regard for others. For Jo, who, at four-years-old, cannot think of anything more important than fitting in, Roger Skunk’s mother is therefore the villain of the story.
Roger’s Mother Quotes in Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
The Should Wizard Hit Mommy? quotes below are all either spoken by Roger’s Mother or refer to Roger’s Mother. 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:
).
Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Random House edition of Should Wizard Hit Mommy? published in 1962.
“Should Wizard Hit Mommy?”
Quotes
“That was a stupid mommy.”
Related Characters:
Jo (speaker), Roger’s Mother (speaker)
Related Symbols:
Roger’s Smell
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Roger’s Mother Character Timeline in Should Wizard Hit Mommy?
The timeline below shows where the character Roger’s Mother appears in Should Wizard Hit Mommy?. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
“Should Wizard Hit Mommy?”
...wrench in his classic story. Jack tells Jo that when Roger gets home to his mother, she is repulsed by his scent and demands that he go back to the wizard...
(full context)
...story. She demands that the wizard refuse to change Roger back and instead hit his mother on the head himself. Sensing her agitation, Jack explains that the wizard did in fact...
(full context)
Jo says, “That was a stupid mommy” for making Roger change his scent back. With “rare emphasis,” surprising even himself, Jack asserts...
(full context)
...explains that she wants a story the next day in which the wizard hits Roger’s mother on the head instead of the other way around. Unsettled, Jack explains that the point...
(full context)