Now It is Your Turn..
Read the following quotations from The Nanny Diaries carefully
This quotation below is a conversation between Mrs. X and the Nanny. Mrs. X is Grayer’s mother who often spends her time on shopping and having
treatments at a beauty salon. That selfishness makes her does not care about Grayer’s development. Further, Mrs. X also hands over all her responsibilities as a
mother to Annie, so that the Nanny is the only person who gives affection and care to Grayer.
I. Prepare and deliver your own impromptu speech by answering the
question below
After reading a quotation above, identify what the characteristics of
Grayer’s mother are. Discuss the answer among the group. Elaborate your answer by quoting sentences from the quotation to support your answer
“Hello What are those crumbs doing all over your face?” She spatulas him and turns to me. I see the room through her eyes. Pillows, blankets,
and wet towels all lying on the floor where I finally crashed when Grayer feel asleep at six this morning. “Grayer’s been pretty sick. We
were up late last night and –” “Well, he looks just fine now, except for those crumbs. Grayer goes in
the bathroom and wash your face so I can show you your present.” He turns to me with wide eyes and skips to the bedroom. I’m amazed he
can even set foot in there.” Yes, well, he has two more days to go, but his cough got really bad. I
tried to call you. She bristles. Well, Nanny, I think weve discussed where we prefer for Grayer to eat. You can go now, Ive got it covered.
I focus on smiling. Okay, Ill just go and get changed. Kraus McLaughlin 142
This quotation below is the Nanny’s recording that contains the criticisms of Mrs. X for being a terrible mother for Grayer, after Mrs. X fires Annie. It
shows that Annie is very dissapointed with the attitudes of Mrs. X as Grayer’s mother. Annie thinks that Mrs. X has something important to do more than any
other businesses which need her attentions, such as giving attentions to her son and managing her house more carefully.
II. Prepare and deliver your own impromptu speech by answering the
question below
After having analyzed the characteristics of a Grayer’s mother, what do you
think a role of a mother should be? Discuss the answer among the group “I really want to know-just where do you get the balls to ask a
perfect stranger to be a surrogate mother to your kid?” “And you don’t have a job What do you do all day? Are you
building a spaceship over there at the Parents League? Helping the mayor map out a new public transportation plan
from a secret room at Bendel’s? I know I thinking up a solution to the conflict in the Middle East from behind the
locked door of your bedroom” “Well, you keep right on plugging away there, lady-the world
can hardly wait to hear how your innovations are going to launch us right into the twenty-first century with a discovery
so fantastic that you can’t spare a moment to give your son a hug.”
I lean down and stare deeply into the bear’s eyes. “There’s been a lot of ‘confusion,’ so let me make this perfectly clear
for you: Raising your child is hard work Which you would know if you ever did it for more than five minutes at a time”
Kraus McLaughlin 303
