Philadelphia, Here I Come! Essay Questions

Describe why the dissolution of Kate and Gar's relationship is so devastating.

Kate and Gar are very much in love, but they come from different economic backgrounds. While Kate is the daughter of a senator, and is used to a certain amount of economic security, Gar has no higher education and works for his father at a small general shop. They dream of a future together, but Gar worries that he is not good enough for Kate. When he goes to Kate's house to ask her father for Kate's hand in marriage, his rival for Kate's hand is already there. After Senator Doogan extols the virtues of Gar's rival, Gar is completely intimidated. Doogan even tells Gar that he will support Kate in whatever her decision is, but Gar is too demoralized to ask for her hand, and leaves abruptly. The fact that he could have proposed, but did not, makes the breakup all the more sad.

What is the significance of Gar's mother in the play?

As we learn early on, Gar lost his mother when he was very young, before he could even know her. The fact that he never met his mother has left a huge mark on his consciousness, and his thoughts frequently turn to her and what she must have been like. In the absence of a maternal force in his life, Gar feels very adrift, left with only his quiet and emotionless father. His private self reflects this deep sense of unrest—his desire for company and connection and possibility after living his whole life under his father's roof. However, the loss of his mother also gives Gar a sense that he has unfinished business in Ireland, a sense that he will never quite be able to escape his deep desire for maternal guidance.

Explain the theme of private vs. public in Philadelphia Here I Come.

Friel uses the character of Gar, and his two sides, to explore the theme of private vs. public in Philadelphia Here I Come. Two different actors portray the same man. One represents his public-facing side, the side that everyone else sees. Another represents his unconscious side, and is much more emotional, outrageous, and lively than Public Gar. In using two actors to play the same character, Friel shows us that people contain many different facets to their personality, and are not always what they appear to be. The theme of public feelings and private feelings comes up with other characters, such as S.B., who can barely bring himself to acknowledge the fact that his son is leaving for America soon. Friel examines the ways that people—particularly men who have been raised according to a certain ethic, prizing stoicism and seriousness—do not know how to express what they really feel, and are held back by their inhibitions, and by the censors placed on them by society.

Why does Gar get upset after his friends leave the house?

Gar is already somewhat disappointed by the fact that his friends are unable to say anything substantive about the fact that he is leaving Ireland for good. However, after Ned gives him a belt and Joe alludes to his departure, Gar feels a little better about the situation. Then, just as Joe goes to leave, he accidentally reveals that the only reason they came over to begin with was that Madge asked them to, which upsets Gar. Suddenly, he realizes that his friends were not even planning to give him a proper farewell, and he is upset that they do not care about him at all.

How does the play end?

The play ends on a very ambiguous note. On the morning of Gar's departure for Philadelphia, he finds himself disappointed with his farewells to the people he loves in Ireland and unsure of whether or not he has made the right decision. While he resents his friends and his father for not being more loving towards him and he is heartbroken about the loss of his beloved Kate, Gar cannot help but wonder if he is making the right decision. As a flashback to the initial decision suggests, his choice was strongly influenced by his Aunt Lizzy, who all but begged him to come live with her in Philadelphia. Gar finds himself at a crossroads, unsure of whether to stay or go, and dissatisfied with either option. Thus, the play ends on a kind of dramatic precipice, an unresolved note. Gar's decision is ultimately left up to the imagination of the audience.