The boy comes home

(One act-play written by Alan Alexander Milne)

 

This one act-play is a lesson for the degree programmes. 

Here is a plan for three-hour face-to-face teaching and another three-hour homework. 

Following are the objectives:

a)    Students comprehend the script of the play to find out the events, conflict and dramatic moment.

b)    They analyse the characterisation, theme, message and the components of one act-play.

c)     They write an essay on the theme of generation gap reflected in the story.

 

Materials required for the classes:

a)    Computer  and LCD projector

b)    Text book or script of the play – print

c)     Settings and properties, if any of the portion of the script is to be staged.

 

Day one (one hour)

This one act-play is written by A.A. Milne.

Please mind the pronunciation of Milne, (Mil)

 

This is a one act-play, which means, it has only one act, instead of multiple acts like the traditional drama.

But one act-plays may have two or three scenes, without changing the original setting (location).

Because, all the events are happening on the same floor or same space.

 

Here we have the script of a one act-play for reading and analysing the theme.

If you like, you may perform the play in the classroom or present at least one scene on the stage.

(Video of the play is available on different sites, utilise that)

With a thorough reading of the play you may understand the events and characters.   

(5 mts)

Silent reading of the script is time consuming.

Read it as a home work.

(Students open up the pages in the text book)

What I can do now is to encourage you to read the script with some help.

 

The script begins with the title of the play.

Immediately after the title, you see a list of characters, here in the present one act-play, there are five characters:

Uncle James

Aunt Emily

Philip

Mary, and

Mrs. Higgins.

 

Philip and Uncle James are the central characters in the play.

Emily is the wife of Uncle James, i.e. Philip’s aunt.

Mary is the parlour maid, and Mrs. Higgins is the cook.         (5 mts)

 

Next we read the stage directions.

In this play, stage directions have been shown in italics.

 

What is meant by stage directions?

Stage direction means, detailing of the script about:  costume, properties, movement and facial expression of the characters, BGM (back ground music), and arrangements and settings to denote time and environment.

With every scene, there are relevant stage directions in different slots.   (10 mts)

Next comes dialogue or conversation of each character, according to the context.

In broader sense, self-talk of the character is also considered as the dialogue.

Usually, the dialogues are rote learned by the actors to be reproduced on the stage.

So there are four components visible on the script of a drama;

a)    Title

b)    List of characters

c)     Stage directions

d)    Dialogue

Yes, these are the components that any reader can physically verify through a survey of the script.

But there are certain other components underpinned with the script by the playwright;

a)    Commotion

b)    Message

c)     Whether comedy or tragedy?                                             

Commotion means the turbulent or highly emotional moment.

Message here means, the advice of the playwright to the audience, direct or indirect.

Comedy means, light and humorous drama with a happy ending. Tragedy means, a drama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance; excites terror or pity.

In the introduction of the lesson, it has been clearly stated that the play is a comedy.

                                                                                    (30 mts)

Now try to read the script of the one act-play.

When you read, mind that you are reading the script to find out answers to the following questions.

Take down the questions in your note book, I am dictating one by one:

a)    What are the events of the play?

b)    How does the events represent the theme ‘generation gap’?

c)     What is the most turbulent situation?

d)    What is the message?

e)    Where lies the comedy of the play?

 

Come to the class tomorrow with your own written answers.    (15 mts)

 

Day two (one hour)

Did you find answers to the questions that I gave yesterday?

(Here, there is random presentation of the answers)

Teacher consolidates the responses.

a)    There are certain events, like:

·       Conversation between Philip and Aunt Emily on Philip’s late coming for breakfast

·       Mary, the parlour maid and Mrs Higgins intervene in Philip’s late coming for breakfast

·       Emily says to Philip that Uncle James is waiting for him to talk with

·       Emily pleads that  Uncle James shall take a soft corner towards Philip

·       Philip goes into his room to take a late breakfast

·       Uncle James glides into a slumber (sleep)

·       In the slumber, Uncle James has a dream-like experience

·       In the dream Uncle degrades Philip’s military experience

·       Philip says he likes to be an architect

·       Uncle says the need of Philip to entering jam production business

·       Uncle James continues ridiculing Philip on war front experiences

·       Uncle James seems adamant to his own stand of the power of his purse

·       Philip takes out pistol from the pocket

·       Philip explains his war front actions against the Germans

·       Uncle wonders at the attempt of Philip to shoot at him

·       Uncle James realises the fury of Philip and withdraws tactfully

·       When comes to the real world after the dream, Uncle asks about Philip’s further plan of career

·       Philip says he won’t accept any job that demands discipline and regularity

·       Philip may accept any job in British Museum, because he likes a tension free life in London’s day-to-day life

·       Uncle James has an eye again to invite Philip to family business

·       Philip reminds James of the pistol that he keeps with him.

·       Philip looks around and leaves the scene with a thought, whether the attempt with the pistol was a dream or not.      (25 mts)

 

How does the events represent the theme?

That was my second question yesterday.

Have you any answer for that question.

Means, whether the events balance with the theme of ‘generation gap.’

Sparks of disagreement on generation gap is obvious with the encounter with Mrs Higgins also.

The reactions of Uncle James towards Philip were words of disagreement and debate on generation gap.

While Uncle James speaks about the lowliness of war front experiences, Philip becomes irritated and disturbed.

To defend his stand, Philip explains more and more adventures that he had involved in war front.

Moreover, while Uncle James demands Philip’s involvement in jam production business and need of a disciplined life, Philip expresses his disagreement strongly.

Philip’s encounter with Uncle James shows the width of the gulf in their thoughts, including the future plans.                     (10 mts)

 

What is the most turbulent moment of the play?

(Teacher invites responses to the question)

Teacher consolidates the opinions of the students.       (10 mts)

 

I feel the moment that Philip takes out the pistol is the most turbulent moment for the audience.

Uncle James or the spectators of the play don’t expect such a movement from Philip.

This is the dramatic moment, or this is the real twist.

It was the real jerk pulling moment in the flow of events.

Thereafter, Uncle James pleads, soothes or cajoles Philip.

This urging of Uncle James is very clear in the last scene.

 

 

First day I asked you one more question, what is the comedy of the play?

Or where lies the comedy?

Before I say my answer you may scribble your answer in two or three sentences.

(They write the answer in the note book)      

              

(Their responses are consolidated)

Yes, there is a happy ending of the play.

As the characters release tension, so as the audience. (15 mts)

 

 

Day three (one hour)

From the discussions of the first two days you understood, the events, characters, theme, story, and climax of the one act-play, didn’t you?

When we come to the third day of our discussion, there are certain analyses to be completed.

 

How far the playwright is successful in bringing about the theme - ‘generation gap’?

How much score do you give to the author for his attempt?

(Students give their score and justify the score through their own explanation)    

(15 mts)

 

Yes, the playwright could successfully depict the theme ‘generation gap’ through the events, characterisation and dialogue of the play.

Philip’s severe disagreement is with Uncle James.

Can you enlist the issues on which Uncle James involves in dispute with Philip?

(After the attempt of the students, teacher presents her own list)

 

Points of disputes are: a)    Punctuality and regularity in daily life (late breakfast) b)    Opting a profession after Philip’s discharge from the military service c)     Belittling the war front adventures of Philip d)    Uncle James compels Philip to entering into the family business of production of jam e)    The string of control of Philip’s wealth is with Uncle James

 

On the above five points there were mutual expressions of views.

On another hand the play might be considered as a theatre of conflicts between the so called maturity of the older generation and immaturity of the younger generation.

How do you look at the above statement?

What are the criteria for one’s maturity?

Does Uncle James represent maturity in his words and visions?

Do the responses of Philip show that he has not yet reached maturity?

At last, we understand that Uncle James comes to amicable decisions.

What conclusion do you reach from the last event of the play?

 

Yes, there is no room for anxiety of the elders about the future of the youths.

The youths have their own vision and ambition about their education and to developing their own career.

It is better to free them to choose their way by their own.

Here, it is relevant to remember Robert Frost who wrote very clearly the same issue of his own life in the short poem ‘the road not taken’.

Try to read that poem.   (15 mts)

 

Look, Philip wishes to select his career as an architect or any job in British Museum.

He is goal oriented.

But he is not at all ready to involving in the family business of jam production.  (5 mts)

 

It seems the play had been written in the post-world war I period, i.e. after 1918.

There are references about war front experiences of Philip throughout the play.

Philip says about his days in France and another experience of fighting Germans.

The reason is clear, his own country Britain was an ally of France and an enemy of Germany in World War I.

This type of reality has been shared in the play, only because of the real experience of the author in World War I.

To the great extent the events of the play represent the biography of the playwright.

But here is another important question.

As a signalling officer who served the British force, what is his current attitude towards war front experiences?        (10 mts)

 

As the final, there is one more question.

What are the messages of ‘the boy comes home’ to the readers or audience?

I mean, there are more than two messages.

Message is something the reader or the spectator derives individually from the play.

 

(Students scribble the messages that they feel, in their note book)

(They present the messages one-by one, to which teacher responds encouragingly)

Yes, the play gives some messages:

a)    Generation gap

b)    Post-war frustration of the European society

c)     Need of mutual respect

There can be other messages too.

Among the above three, I think the need for mutual respect seems most relevant than any other.

As a member of the family, or of the society one gets respect only when she/he respects others.

Respect is a two way traffic in the social life.

In the story, Uncle James behaves disrespectfully to Philip.

Uncle James seems strict and authoritarian.

At every utterance of Uncle, the nephew loses his own temperament.

At last he takes out his pistol, seeing which Uncle James becomes panic.

 

(Opening the page of the text book, teacher points out)

Here is a question for writing an essay.

‘The boy comes home is an example of how the younger generation resists the oppressive disposition of the older generation.’ Discuss.

Do it as a home task.

But plan the essay now.

How many paragraphs will you write as the answer?

What will you write in the introductory paragraph?

How many paragraphs are to be developed for the essay?

What are the events to show the oppressive nature of the older generation?

What will be the content of each paragraph?

What will be the last paragraph?

Show me the plan now.                                                 (20 mts)