Philadelphia, Here I Come!
From ZuluNotes - Free Leaving Cert Notes
Contents |
Characters
Gar public - Gar that the other characters in the play see and hear, what he speaks out loud. Gar private- Gar that the audience can hear, expresses his thought through private. SB or Screwballs - Gars father who he has a troubled relationship with. Madge - the housekeeper, almost like a mother to Gar. Katie Doogan - Gars ex girlfriend who he intended to marry. Senator Doogan- Kates upperclass father who never approved of Gar, Gar chickened out of asking him for his daughters hand in mariage. Uncle Con and Auntie Liz- Gars aunt and uncle who he is going to America to live with. Canon - local priest who is friends with SB's father and goes round to play cards with
Writing the essay
opening paragraph - introduce three texts saying who they are writen or directed by. Refer to the three texts in each paragraph and have a different topic per paragraph stick to one theme for theme or issue e..g Father son relationship Draw similarities as well as contrasts
Theme or issue
What is it A theme is an important issue that is explored in the text eg war, family, loyalty, love, relationships.
Father son relationship
This text explores the troubled relationship between father and son. It is apparent from the beginning of the play that the relationship between Gar and his father is strained. It is the night before Gar departs for America and he is patently angry that his father has still not acknowledged that he is leaving. However, he puts on a show of indifference to hide his feelings of disappointment and hurt: 'whether he says goodbye or not, or whether h slips me a few miserable quid or not, it's a matter of total indifference to me Madge.
There is no meaningful communication between father and son. The conversations between the two are strained and stilted, revolving around trivial, mundane shop related issues such as rat traps and bags of flour. SB is uncommunicative and his life is governed by routine. He never says or does anything out of the ordinary. Private can predict SB's every word and action: 'perfectly trained, the most obedient father i have ever had'. While Gar is intensly frustrated by SB's behaviour he is himself apart of the problem. As Gar and SB eat together in the usual silence, Private makes an obsercation full of irony 'Thats what we were waiting for, complete informality, totalrelaxation between inmates. In reality father and son are both very ill at ease in each others company. Private sums up Gars reasons for leaving ballybeg @you know why im growing Screwballs, dont you. Because im twenty five and you treat me as if i were five. Because you pay me less than you pay Madge. But far worse than that Screwballs because we embarass one another' Gar longs for his father to make one unpredictable remark that might act as the spark for a meaningful conversation.
To the audience it is almost beyond belief that on the night before his only sons departure for America SB acts as if nothing of significance is happening. He tells the canon that there is 'not a thing happening'. Gars desire to disassociate himself from the cold, umemotional traits of the O'Donnells was one of the reasons he impulsively accepted Aunt Lizzy and Uncle Cons offer to go to America.
The text is set in a world where discussion of mens feelings was never emphasised, especially feelings of affection and love. The other male characters are similarly incapable of expressing affection on the night of Gars departure and decide to celebrate with a drink. Gar says 'To hell with all strong men' Gar is craving the attention and affection from his father even though he himself refuses to five it. This is not easily achieved in a world where men are embarassed when it comes to expressing personal feelings.
As the play develops we see that SB is actually troubled by his sons departure, which is more than he lets on to Gar. He reads the paper upside down as he stares as Gar and touches his coat. Sadly he is incapable of expressing it to Gar who just wants to know his father loves him and stop his from leaving.
As the play continues Gar becomes increasingly desperate to communicate with his father. 'Screwballs, say something'. However Gar finally attempts to communicate via a memory of him going fishing with his father on a lake. These were happy times when both enjoyed eachothers company. Gar hopes that sharing the memory will lead to some meaningful communictation however he becomes obsessed with trying to remember trivial things such as the colour of the boat and Gar is left bitterly disappointed. After gar goes to bed SB recalls a memory to Madge about when he took him to school in a little sailor outfit when the two of them were 'as happy as larks'. While they both care deeply for eachother they are both incapable of giving expression to these feelings. The problems of Father and son remian unresolved until the end of the play.
Cultural Context
What is it? The world in which the story takes place. The time and place the text is set in. attitudes to love, marriage and money in society. Influence of religion and racism Position of the text.
Key points
Set in 1950's Donegal. During this era women were treated as either an object of sex or a caregiver. The world in which Gar lived in lead him to refer to Kate as an 'aul bitch' rather than blaiming himself for the failure of their relationship. He fails to reveal his true feelings for her on the night she visits before her departure and hides his upset with the bravado of the boys.
The culture that surrounds Gar and his father lead them to be uncommunicative and they have a damaged relationship. Men at that time were not supposed to reveal their emotions and expected to be strong.
Class played a big role as senator doogan didnt want his daughter to marry a shop boy but a doctor whose father he went to college with. Gar also wants to escape restraints that Ballybeg, translated as small town has.
