Objectives

• Analyse how Friel's division of Gar into Public and Private selves constructs a dramatic representation of psychological conflict and fractured identity.
• Explain how silence, stage direction, and withheld dialogue function as dramatic language in the relationship between Gar and S.B. O'Donnell.
• Evaluate how the failed connections with Master Boyle, Kate Doogan, and the Boys in Episodes One and Two dramatise the theme of loneliness and stagnation.
• Interpret the blue-boat memory in Episode Three as a symbol of irrecoverable tenderness and analyse how Friel uses it to complicate the theme of exile.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical essay that argues a clear thesis about how Friel presents the tension between freedom and loneliness across the whole play.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Two Gars, One Stage: Identity and the Public/Private Split

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Sure! Here’s a humanized version of your request:

   Without looking at the play, write two sentences: one that you would say out loud if a teacher asked, "How are you?" and another that reflects your true feelings but remains unspoken. Keep both sentences handy; you'll need them in sixty seconds.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the opening stage directions and Private Gar's first extended speech in Episode One — where he begins with, "Screwballs, I'm going to Philadelphia." In this moment, Private mocks S.B.'s silence by ventriloquizing him. It's important to note that the stage direction 'Private is never seen or heard by the other characters' serves not just as a theatrical device but as a structural argument: it suggests that personal thoughts in Ballybeg have no public expression. Show students how Private's register—sardonic, lyrical, and desperate—contrasts sharply with Public's register, which is monosyllabic and deferential. These two ways of speaking represent two conflicting aspects of the same self, highlighting that the humor in Private's voice is deeply intertwined with its underlying tragedy.

   Independent task

   Using the do-now sentences as a starting point, students will write a PEEL paragraph that explores how Friel employs the Public/Private theatrical device in Episode One to depict identity as fractured instead of unified. They need to include at least two quotations from Private Gar's opening speeches, including the 'Screwballs' address, and discuss what each quotation reveals about the disconnect between social performance and inner truth. The paragraph should be 150–200 words long and must begin with a strong analytical claim, avoiding any plot summary.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, state what the Public/Private split allows Friel to show that a conventional single-character monologue could not achieve — be specific about what is gained theatrically.

2. Lesson 2: The Language of Silence: S.B., Gar, and What Cannot Be Said

   60 min · ch. 1, 3

   Do now

   Rewritten Text: The stage direction in Episode One's kitchen scene describes S.B. as a big man with a prominent face and a sluggish demeanor, suggesting he may have a formidable presence. As Gar approaches, we can expect their conversation to be filled with tension and possibly confrontational, given S.B.'s imposing nature.

   Summary of Changes:

   • Reworded the description of S.B. for a more natural flow.
   • Adjusted the prediction about the conversation to include more specific emotional tone.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the supper scene in Episode One, focusing on the exchange where S.B. and Gar sit at the table, discussing only the weather and the shop accounts. Explore how Friel employs ellipsis, stage silence, and the bathos of mundane conversation—like "Going to be a nice day tomorrow, they say"—to convey a dramatic language of repression. Highlight how Private Gar's interjections ("Say something! Say something!") don't so much disrupt the silence as reveal it to the audience. The scene's tragedy lies not in a lack of feeling from either character, but in their inability to find a way to express it.

   Independent task

   Students will write a comparative paragraph of 150–200 words analyzing how Friel depicts the relationship between Gar and S.B. in the supper scene of Episode One and the moment in Episode Three when S.B. sits alone after Gar has left. They should include quotes from both episodes, identify at least one technique in each (such as stage direction, ellipsis, or Private Gar's commentary), and argue whether the relationship reflects mutual indifference or a love that has lost its ability to communicate. The paragraph must start with a debatable claim.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining why Friel gives Private Gar the line 'Say something! Say something!' rather than having Public Gar actually speak — what does this staging choice reveal about the nature of emotional paralysis in the play?

3. Lesson 3: Stagnation and False Exits: Boyle, Kate, and the Boys

   60 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   Read the short passage in Episode Two where Ned, Joe, and Tom arrive and dive straight into a chat about a football match and a girl named Mary Doogan. Without peeking ahead, jot down two sentences: what do you think Gar is likely to feel during this conversation, and what do you think he will actually say?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Master Boyle's visit in Episode One, focusing on his speech about the 'buggers in Dublin' who failed to recognize his talent, and Private Gar's response — 'O God, the aul cod' — followed immediately by a moment of genuine, unguarded affection. Illustrate how Friel uses Boyle as a dark mirror for Gar: both are men whose inner lives are richer than Ballybeg can accommodate, and both risk being trapped in their failures. Highlight how the comedy of Boyle's pomposity and the pathos of his loneliness coexist in the same speech, revealing what this duality tells us about the village's impact on its inhabitants.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write two connected PEEL paragraphs — one focusing on Master Boyle's visit in Episode One and the other on the Boys' visit in Episode Two. The aim is to argue that both scenes depict failed connection as a sign of Ballybeg's stagnation rather than a reflection of individual weakness. Each paragraph should include at least one quotation and identify a specific dramatic technique (such as dramatic irony, bathos, Private Gar's commentary, or stage direction). Both paragraphs should conclude with a linking sentence that summarizes what the two scenes together reveal about the potential for meaningful community within the play.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain how the scene with the Boys in Episode Two makes Gar's decision to leave feel both necessary and hollow — use one specific moment from the scene to support your answer.

4. Lesson 4: The Blue Boat: Memory, Tenderness, and the Irrecoverable Past

   60 min · ch. 3

   Do now

   Without looking at the text, write down a memory from your life that you’re a bit unsure about — a moment that feels significant yet hazy. In one sentence, share why it still holds value, even if it’s not entirely accurate.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the blue-boat passage in Episode Three, where Private Gar reflects on that afternoon at Lough na Cloc Cor when S.B. wore a navy-blue shirt and sang 'all the time' — and then questions whether it actually happened. Pay special attention to Gar's line: 'Even now I'm not sure. But it doesn't matter. It's there.' Illustrate how Friel uses the uncertainty of memory not to diminish the moment but to enhance it: the emotional truth of the memory stands apart from its factual accuracy. Discuss how this passage reshapes the father-son relationship in hindsight — S.B.'s silence is not a sign of coldness but rather a manifestation of grief — and how it transforms Gar's departure from a moment of liberation into something irreversible.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a 200–250 word analytical paragraph that explores how Friel uses the blue-boat memory in Episode Three to deepen the play's portrayal of exile. They must include a quote from Private Gar's line, 'Even now I'm not sure. But it doesn't matter. It's there,' along with at least one other moment from the same passage. Additionally, they need to discuss how the uncertainty reflected in the memory's language — through its conditional verbs and self-questioning — supports the play's argument about how the past shapes identity. The paragraph needs to go beyond merely describing the events; it should present a clear argument about the meaning of the passage.

   Exit ticket

   Write one full sentence explaining why Friel places the blue-boat memory in Episode Three rather than earlier in the play — what is the dramatic effect of its timing, and what would be lost if it appeared in Episode One?

5. Lesson 5: Freedom or a Different Loneliness? Writing the Whole-Play Argument

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   Re-read Madge's final speech in Episode Three — 'I'll tell you something, Mister: if he had the chance again, he'd do the same thing' — and write two sentences: one agreeing with Madge, pointing to the moment when he dismisses the consequences of his actions, and one disagreeing, referencing how he shows remorse in the scene where he confronts his past mistakes.

   Teacher input

   Model the construction of a whole-play thesis around the question, "How does Friel present the tension between freedom and loneliness in Philadelphia, Here I Come?" Start by illustrating on the board how to transform a weak thesis, like "Friel shows that Gar is lonely," into a stronger, more arguable statement such as "Friel presents Philadelphia not as freedom but as a geographical relocation of the same interior silence that defines Ballybeg, suggesting that emigration cannot resolve a crisis of self-expression." Next, demonstrate how the closing stage directions of Episode Three—where both Public and Private Gar stand in silence before the bus—can be used to connect the conclusion back to the opening theatrical device, thereby creating a cohesive argument.

   Independent task

   Write a comprehensive analytical essay of 500–600 words addressing the question: 'How does Friel use the relationship between Public Gar and Private Gar to explore the theme of loneliness throughout all three episodes of Philadelphia, Here I Come?' Your essay should include: a clear, arguable thesis in your introductory paragraph; one paragraph discussing the Public/Private split in Episode One and what it reveals about identity and social performance; one paragraph examining the silence in the father-son relationship during Episodes One and Three, incorporating at least two quotations; one paragraph analyzing the failed connections with Boyle or the Boys in Episode Two; and a concluding paragraph that revisits the blue-boat memory in Episode Three, arguing whether the play concludes with hope, despair, or intentional ambiguity. You must include a minimum of five quotations from the three episodes and identify at least three dramatic techniques using their proper terms.

   Exit ticket

   Read back your thesis sentence and write one further sentence explaining what a reader who disagreed with your thesis might argue — then write a third sentence explaining why your thesis is still the stronger interpretation of the evidence in the play.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can articulate the theatrical function of the Public/Private split beyond plot description — looking for the word 'interiority' or an equivalent concept.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket: checks whether students understand that Friel's staging of Private Gar's commentary is itself a dramatic technique, not merely a narrative device — looking for reference to the audience's privileged position.
• Lesson 3 independent task: checks whether students can sustain a comparative argument across two scenes without collapsing into scene-by-scene description — looking for the linking sentence that draws a cross-scene conclusion.
• Lesson 4 exit ticket: checks whether students understand dramatic timing and can explain the structural function of the blue-boat memory in Episode Three — looking for reference to retrospective reframing of the father–son relationship.
• Lesson 5 thesis sentence reviewed mid-lesson: checks whether the opening argument is debatable and text-specific before students write the full essay — looking for a claim that names Friel's technique, not just his subject.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view or cultural experience requires distinguishing what is directly stated from what is really meant.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about a literary text and supports it with evidence and commentary.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including how they contribute to meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how characters are developed and how they contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how an author's structural choices create effects and contribute to overall meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; students should be able to maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response, using textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with particular attention to form, structure and language.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Engaging with the text: demonstrate understanding of the text's content, context, and the author's choices of form, structure, and language.
• Criterion B — Understanding the writer's choices: analyse how the writer's use of literary features and techniques creates meaning and effect.
• Criterion C — Thinking critically: develop and sustain a well-reasoned argument supported by relevant evidence from the text.