--- title: "Summary of The Mother of a Traitor" subject: "Communication English" chapter: 2 key: "semester_5/communication_english:summary-mother-of-a-traitor" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/summary-mother-of-a-traitor site: BCT Engineering --- # Summary of The Mother of a Traitor Communication English · Chapter 2: Extensive Reading - Asked in: 2068 Chaitra, 5 marks - Video: [Summary of Prose The Mother of a Traitor by Maxim Gorky/Summary of the mother of a traitor in hindi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc6FH6x76iw) — Nyi Shuruwat - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_5/communication_english/summary-mother-of-a-traitor - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_5/communication_english/chapter-2 ## Question Write a summary of the text "The mother of a Traitor". [The mother of a Traitor] ## Short answer Monna Marianna’s son betrays his city to its enemies. To save it, she goes to his camp, kills him as he sleeps, and then, after declaring her duty done, takes her own life. ## Answer Maxim Gorky's story "The Mother of a Traitor" is about Monna Marianna, an old woman whose son has betrayed his native city to its enemies. The city is under siege by an enemy force, and the people learn that its leader is their own countryman, the son of Monna Marianna. In fear and anger they turn against his mother. When she appears in the street, the people whisper "Is it she?" and "It is she", and they treat her with scorn and hatred. She walks among them proudly, without a word of defence. Monna Marianna is torn between her love as a mother and her duty to the city. She knows that her son will bring ruin and death to the people if he is not stopped. She decides that the safety of the city is more important than the life of her son. She goes out of the city to the enemy camp and meets him. He speaks proudly of his ambition and of destroying the city. That night, while he sleeps with his head on her knees, she stabs him to death with her own hand, freeing the city from its danger. The story ends with her sacrifice. She tells the enemy soldiers that as a citizen she has done what she could for her country, but as a mother she will stay with her son. Then she plunges the same knife into her own heart. She has saved her city at the cost of her son's life and her own. #### Theme The story shows that love of country can demand the hardest sacrifice. It condemns treason and praises courage, duty and moral strength, and it warns against judging a person by the crime of a relative. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Why do the people turn against Monna Marianna? A. She has stolen from the city B. The enemy force attacking the city is led by her son C. She refuses to speak to anyone D. She has joined the enemy herself Answer: B. Her son betrayed his native city, so the people blame his mother. (Key point: Situation) 2. How does Monna Marianna behave among the angry people? A. She walks proudly without a word of defence B. She begs for forgiveness C. She runs away D. She argues loudly with them Answer: A. She stays silent and proud. (Key point: Her reaction) 3. What does she decide? A. To join her son's army B. To leave the city forever C. To plead with the people D. That the safety of the city is more important than her son's life Answer: D. She resolves to stop her son despite her love. (Key point: Decision) 4. What does the story praise? A. Revenge on traitors' families B. Obedience to the enemy C. Courage, duty and moral strength, and love of country even at great sacrifice D. Personal feeling over duty Answer: C. It condemns treason and warns against judging a person by a relative's crime. (Key point: Theme) ## Related in Communication English - [The Mother of a Traitor: Monna Marinna](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Amonna-marinna-ideal-citizen-mother) — Communication English, chapter 2, asked 2× - [The Mother of a Traitor: mother's dilemma](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Amother-of-a-traitor-dilemma) — Communication English, chapter 2, asked 2× - [The Mother of a Traitor: "Is it she?"](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Ais-it-she-mother-of-traitor) — Communication English, chapter 2 - [Lessons from The Mother of a Traitor](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Alessons-from-mother-of-a-traitor) — Communication English, chapter 2 - [Why the mother killed her son](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Awhy-mother-kill-her-son) — Communication English, chapter 2, asked 2× - [Edit text: Arundhati Roy](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aedit-text-arundhati-roy) — Communication English, chapter 3