Madge is a mother figure
who understands his real
needs. Through her he has
learned everything he
knows about his mother.
She is genuinely sorry he
is leaving and shows a
strong concern for his
welfare, for example we
can see how she sacrifices
herself in order that he
can get a cup of tea on the
plane.
Gar & S.B
Gar is unable to communicate with his father.
This is one of the main reasons why he wants to
emigrate to Philadelphia. Neither Gar nor his
father has come to terms with the past. Gar and
his father are similar. They are both afraid to
express themselves emotionally and are almost
embarrassed in one another’s company. They are
afraid to face their own limitations and
acknowledge them. Both characters yearn to be
loved and understood and tragically their one
attempt in the play backfires. Gar attempts at
the conclusion to relive the day when he went
fishing with his father as a young boy on Lough
na Cloc Cor. However, his father has no
recollection of that day. Shortly after this incident
we listen to S.B.’s animated reminiscences of the
past when he brought Gar to school on his first
day in his “wee sailor suit”. Both characters find
no difficulty in communicating their real needs to
Madge. The tragedy of this play is that the
conclusion shows no difference in the situation.
Gar goes
Gar & Kate
Setting
Ballybeg Ireland
Small community social,
cultural and political issues
to the Irish situation
Religion
movement is limited and
few possibilities
The female characters
are also subject to the
limitations of this type
of society.
Plot
Centres on a young
Irishman, Gar O’Donnell,
on the eve of his
departure for
Philadelphia.
Gar is presented to
us as two individual
characters, played by
two different actors,
representing his
Public and Private
selves.
Public Gar is the man
who is seen and who
interacts with the
other characters in the
play.
Public Gar is the man
who is seen and who
interacts with the other
characters in the play.
Private Gar represents
Gar’s inner thoughts and
feelings and he can
interact only with Public
Gar.
As the evening unfolds and
through a series of flashbacks,
memories and present action, we
learn of his conflicting feelings
about leaving Ballybeg, which
represents for him both that
which he detests and that which
he loves. Dysfunctional
relationship with his father is
another reason Gar wants to
escape from ballybeg and his
irish heritage