BA English One Act Play
THE BOY COMES HOME
A.A. Milne
Alan Alexander Milne was a famous comedy
writer. The Boy Comes Home’ was written by him at the end of the 1st
world war.
The play in question is light comedy which
tells us about the generations gaps. There are two main characters in the play; one
is uncle James who represents the old generation, the other is Philip who
represents the young generation. Uncle James is a bullying and rigid type of
man while Philip is a young boy with revolutionary ideas. The old generation
thinks that they are right all the time and they have the authority to impose
their will on the younger generation. But the younger generation with the
revolutionary ideas is not ready to be led by the nose by the old generation. This
contrast projects laughter in the course of the play and the reader is forced
to smile while going through the play.
Philip is the ward of Uncle James because his
father has died , Uncle James who is a very so called strict fellow wants to
impose his so- called rules and regulation on Philip, as he knows that Philip
is forced to comply with him. Uncle
James boasts that he has the purse string as regard to Philip. According to the
will, he cannot use his money until he reaches the age of 22 years.
Philip is unable to follow these strict rules
and regulations of his uncle and he wants to live of life of his own. He wants
to take the breakfast, lunch dinner whenever he wants. He wants to smoke cigarettes.
He does not want to join Uncle James s’ jam business. One day in the morning,
uncle James makes up his mind to make Philip understand to follow him if he
wants to live in this house. But while waiting for Philip, he sleeps. The play
progresses in the dream. Philip comes and Uncle James takes a severe attitude
against him. He uses the force of money against Philip. Philip also uses force
against force and takes out pistol and bomb from his coat pocket.
Seeing this, Uncle James becomes a wet cat and
agrees with Philip. When the dream ends, Philip comes in real. Uncle James very
politely asks him what he wants to do. Philip complies with the desires of his
uncle and is ready to join his business.
1.
Write
a note on the nature of conflict b/w Philip and James?
Points to remember:
1.
Allan Alexander Milne
was a famous comedy writer who wrote this play at the end of First World War
2.
This one act play
tells us about generation gap
3.
The older generation
cannot impose their decision on the younger generation by force
4.
The older generation
thinks that they are always right and they have full authority over the younger
generation
5.
The younger generation
is not ready to be led by the nose
6.
Uncle James, a so called
strict person under the costume of fake strictness wants to teach a lesson to
Philip
7.
Philip after serving
the army for four years ,is now in leisure mood
8.
He is not ready to
obey any command of Uncle James and goes on violating the rules and regulations
made by Uncle James.
9.
Uncle James sleeps
while waiting for Philip, in his dream he takes a severe attitude with Philip
10. Philip also uses force against force, he takes out pistol and bomb
from his coat pocket
11. Seeing this, Uncle James becomes a wet cat and agrees to Philip
arguments
12. When the dream is over, then real Philip comes and agrees to Uncle
James rules and regulations and he wants
to join his jam business