In his play Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Brian Friel uses the entire plot to develop and present the dramatic relationship between Madge Mulheren and Gareth O «Donnell. Fairly quickly, Friel makes it obvious to the audience that Madge serves as a surrogate mother and mentor to Gareth, whose mother died soon after his birth. Madge plays a unique role because she takes care of the O'Donnell family's daily household chores, as well as leading the family in devotional practices. Although she is a servant by definition, Madge is connected to her family on a deep level. The most crucial role that Friel gives to the character of Madge is to mitigate the broken bond between father and son. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The relationship between Madge and Gareth is first introduced to the audience in the opening scene. Here, the audience is given an insight into the unique level of intimacy the two share. Regardless of the fact that Madge is essentially a servant to Gar, Madge is treated as a friend. As she prepares tea for Gar, the two share a dance and Gar begins to tickle her while "screaming for mercy". This immediate and boisterous play is very indicative of the comfort level between the two. It is in this opening scene that the audience is introduced to the fact that Madge also plays a mother figure to Gar. Madge senses that Gar is distressed when he has to talk about his father. Immediately, Madge begins to comfort Gar, telling him that Sai Baba is "really losing a treasure!" Brian Friel further develops this maternal characterization of Madge when she continues to console Gar by informing him that although SB “doesn't talk much,” “it doesn't mean he [SB] doesn't have feelings like the rest of us. " Here, Madge suggests that both she and Sai Baba care deeply about Gar. Because of the dialogue the two share, the audience understands that, from Gar's perspective, Madge is the figure in whom Gar seeks comfort. Gar shares his feelings about his father with Madge and, interestingly, this is one of the few instances in the play where Gar is seen sharing his emotions out loud as "audience". his father, begins to speak rather vulgarly and privately, referring to his father as "nuts". This is a pattern of insults that is seen throughout the play, and is not just limited to his father, in fact Gar even calls out. her supposedly "ignorant louts" friends, however, is the only character in the play towards whom Gar does not express negative thoughts, furthermore, he refrains from calling her negative names father in this scene, begins to vent his frustration on Madge. This shows as he begins to speak more violently "I'll be damned if I'm going to talk to him first." Although Gar begins to speak in a more dramatic and violent manner, Madge simply remains calm and continues making tea. Another way Madge conveys her care for Gar early in the show is when she informs him a multitude of times to make sure his “shirts are well aired” before putting them on. Madge repeats versions of this phrase three times .Through this simple sentence, Friel shows that Madge has a tendency to go above and beyond the call of duty. Washing Gar's clothes is part of her job, but taking care of his smell illustrates the immense level of care Madge has for Gar. .Another way Brian Friel dramatically presents the relationship between Madge and Gareth is through Gar's reliance on Madge to learn about his mother.