Philadelphia，Here I Come

Philadelphia, Here I Come

This play is a great success by Brian Friel, which a notable element of the play is the fact that Gar is portrayed by two actors, one playing his Public Self and the other playing his Private Self. This allows the audience to see more of the main character, and many stories enfold through this interior monologue.

This tragicomedy mainly brings about the main theme of the lack of connection and expression of emotions of the father and the son. Both of them love each other deeply; the son remembering the event that his father gave him a blue coat and helped him put it on fifteen years ago; the father telling that Gar preferred to worked in the shop then to go to school at the age of ten. The validity of these two events, however, cannot be verified, and is most likely that it never happened. The father and the son found it very difficult to communicate openly about their feelings for each other, as though they “embarrassed” one another, perhaps this is due to the conservatism of Ireland during that time (this is further proven by the fact that they say rosary every night).

Another main theme is the loss of opportunities. Gar loses his opportunity of proposing to his dear loved Kate Doogan, and Master Boyle loses his opportunity of marrying Gar’s mother. These elements heightens a tragic and melancholy feelings, which also gives a lesson about seizing  opportunities when it comes.

The last theme that stands out for me is the difficulty of migration. Gar shows great reluctance of change, as he struggles for many times of whether or not to go to the United States. Even at the very end of the play, he questions why that he wants to leave. The uncertainty of future could be scary and overwhelming for many, and Gar would have to learn to cope with it.