Working through Class 7 English Notes Chapter 6 Say the Right Thing Summary in English simplifies the understanding of long chapters.
Class 7 English Say the Right Thing Summary
Say the Right Thing Summary in English
This humorous play centers around Mary, a young girl who is being coached by her mother, Mrs. Shaw, on how to act appropriately when hosting guests. Mrs. Shaw advises her daughter to always say the right thing at the right time, offering a set of simple but important guidelines on how to be polite and kind, ensuring that people feel welcome and comfortable. She teaches Mary to greet guests with “Good afternoon,” to make people laugh, to ask them to stay a little longer when they’re ready to leave, and to never say anything that could upset them.
As the scene progresses, guests-Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee-arrive, and despite her mother’s thorough coaching, Mary forgets everything she was taught, leading to a series of comical and awkward situations. For instance, she mistakenly refers to Mrs. Harding as a mother with children when Mrs.
Harding doesn’t have any. Mary also awkwardly remarks about à neighbor, Mr. Best, suggesting that he lives in trains and reads newspapers constantly, making an unflattering observation about his job as a banker. When Mary meets Mrs. Best, she makes an off-hand comment about her red coat and blue dress, which Mrs. Harding reveals she also wears, causing an uncomfortable silence.
Mary continues to make blunders as the conversation unfolds. She speaks critically about women who stay in bed and ask for a doctor’s help, not realizing that Mrs. Harding and Mrs. Lee have different habits. When discussing a dog she dislikes, she doesn’t realize that the dog in question, Towzer, belongs to Mrs. Harding. As if these social missteps weren’t enough, she criticizes Mr. Pomeroy for his love of horses and shooting, unknowingly insulting his lifestyle.
Despite these repeated awkward moments, Mary doesn’t realize the impact of her words until the end. When the guests prepare to leave, Mary, in a final moment of forgetfulness, tries to say the polite thing but mistakenly says, “Oh, must you stay? Can’t you go?” instead of asking them to stay longer. These unintentional embarrassing and offending words culminate in a hilarious and awkward moment, revealing Mary’s struggle to balance what she knows is polite with the reality of social interactions.
The play humorously portrays the contrast between Mary’s good intentions and her inability to follow through on the social guidance given to her by her mother. Through a series of miscommunications and awkward moments, it showcases the importance of knowing what to say in social settings and the comedic consequences of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Say the Right Thing Word Meanings
- Hilariously : in a very funny way
- Blunders : careless mistakes
- Embarrasses : makes (the guests) uncomfortable
- Wealthy : having a great deal of money
- Talkative : habit of talking too much