Episode 5: FAQs
‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ FAQs are here to answer your every question!
‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ is a set text on the CCEA GCSE English Literature specification. Read on to get answers to all of the most frequently asked questions. If you have more, please comment below and I will add the answers to the list. Jump to the section you’re looking for using these links:
Plot FAQs
What is the play 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!' about?
‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ is Brian Friel’s breakthrough broadway hit which explores the thoughts and feelings of Gareth O’Donnell on the night before his departure for Philadelphia. Gar wants to leave Ballybeg, Co. Donegal for the bright lights and opportunities of big city America. The play weaves in and out of Gar’s goodbyes, showing memories of significant moments in his life, particularly those which have lead to his disillusionment with his home town and his life in Ireland.
Who are the main characters in 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!'?
Gar (Gareth) O’Donnell is the protagonist of the play, with his character split into two roles played by two actors, one acting the part of Public Gar, the Gar who speaks to others and interacts with those around him, and Private Gar, the unspoken thoughts of Gar.
S.B. O’Donnell is Gar’s father, owner of the local store, a widower and in his sixties.
Madge is the O’Donnell’s housekeeper, a woman in her sixties and a substitute mother to Gar.
Kate is Gar’s former girlfriend. Kate marries Dr Francis King despite wanting to marry Gar.
Other minor characters include Ned, Tom and Joe, Gar’s friends, Canon Mick O’Byrne and Master Boyle, Gar’s former teacher. Lizzie and Con Sweeney also appear in a memory: Lizzie is Gar’s aunt and Con is her husband.
Does Gar go to Philadelphia at the end of the play?
Friel leaves this question unanswered, so we don’t know! The audience is left on a cliff hanger, with both Public and Private Gar alone in his bedroom. Private asks himself “God, Boy, why do you have to leave? Why? Why?” and Public responds, “I don’t know. I – I – I don’t know.” followed by the curtain to end the performance.
Who does Kate marry in 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!'?
Kate marries Dr Francis King, the son of a long time friend of Kate’s father. Francis never appears on stage but he is mentioned a number of times in the play, for example when Kate brings Gar to her father to ask permission to marry her in Episode I, Francis is in another room of the house, visiting with Kate’s mother. Francis and Kate’s marriage is also a crucial moment in the play, but it happens off stage. Instead, the stage is filled with those not invited to or attending the wedding: Lizzie, Con, Madge and Gar.
Does Gar ask Kate to marry him?
Yes, Gar and Kate want to marry each other and have an agreement between them. They talk excitedly and affectionately about how happy they will be and how many children they will have. But when the crucial moment comes and Gar has to ask Kate’s father, Senator Doogan, for permission to marry his daughter, Gar backs out and leaves the house. In the end, Gar is too ashamed of his lowly income and upbringing to ask Senator Doogan, and he lacks the courage to follow through on his promise to Kate.
What age is Gar?
Gar is 25 years old in ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ on the night before he leaves for America.
Analysis FAQs
What genre is the play?
Philadelphia, Here I Come! is a tragicomedy.
What is the role of Private Gar?
Private Gar is a dramatic device to explain Gar’s thoughts and feelings to both himself and to the audience. One of Private’s most important impacts is in highlighting the anger and frustration Gar feels in the main relationships in his life: his relationship with his father, with Kate and even with his friends.
What are the themes of 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!'?
Love
Most obviously, we see love as a major theme through the relationship between Kate and Gar. Despite their commitment to each other, their relationship does not succeed, and the audience watches the consequences of that breakdown as Gar wants to be anywhere but Ballybeg. Love is also made evident through the actions of Madge, who clearly loves Gar, and he loves her. Their easy, playful relationship shows a friendship born out of long term care and affection. Despite his inability to say it, we can also see that S.B. loves Gar through the stage directions, for example the fact the S.B. cannot sleep, or his reaching out to touch Gar’s packed suitcase.
Communication
Gar struggles to communicate his feelings to his father, and S.B. likewise struggles to communicate anything significant to Gar. Gar also struggles to communicate to his friends and to Kate after she marries Francis King.
Social Class
Kate’s social class, as daughter of Senator Doogan, is well above that of Gar, the son of a local store owner. Friel makes it clear through the words of Doogan, that he wants to provide for Kate. Kate also shows her social class when she exclaims that she and Gar could not live off his salary at the store. And Gar reveals his painful awareness of his social status when Kate asks him to ask her father. He looks down at his trousers and shoes with shame.
Emigration
Gar’s desire to leave Ballybeg feeds into the wider context of Ireland in the 1950s/60s. Hundreds of thousands of young people left Ireland at this time, lured by the opportunities and freedoms offered by America, in contrast to the restrictive and limited opportunities in Ireland.
Memory
Gar’s last night in Ballybeg is structured around both the visits of various friends and acquaintances, and the memories of significant moments in his life, for example the evening Gar failed to ask Senator Doogan for Kate’s hand in marriage, and the visit of Lizzie and Madge. Memory is also explored through the falsification of memories, for example when the boys talk about their experiences with girls, and through the failure of some characters to remember, for example S.B. and the colour of the boat.
CCEA Exam FAQs
How long do I have to answer the question for 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!' in the CCEA English Literature Unit 2 Drama and Poetry exam?
The exam lasts two hours, so you should spend one hour (60 minutes) on the ‘Philadelphia, Here I Come!’ question, and 60 minutes on the poetry question. You can find more details on this examination in the specification by clicking here.
What do I need to include in my exam essay?
You need to meet the assessment objectives clearly throughout your essay. They are:
AO1: this is your own writing style and the sophistication and fluency of your writing. AO1 also requires you to make close, specific and well selected reference to the text (quotations). And lastly, AO1 needs you to form an argument. This means you have shaped your response into a clear interpretation and point of view which you are able to defend in the main body of your essay. Top AO1 marks also go to essays which have a nicely structured and well-organised response, with clear paragraphs, introduction and conclusion.
AO2: this is your analysis of the form (drama, stage play, set, structure, props, entrances and exits, stage directions, dramatic devices, etc), the structure (episode and scene division, memories, appearance and order of visitors to see Gar, structural elements such as rising action, climax, etc) and the language (colloquialisms, length of utterances, tone of voice, use of questions, similes, metaphors, etc).
AO4: this is your analysis of the play’s context. Check out this article which explores the play’s context in detail. Remember that you need to analyse the context, not just rewrite blocks of historical facts.
Where can I find out more about 'Philadelphia, Here I Come!'?
