"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the Queen of France, then the Dauphiness, at Versailles..."
This is Public's repeated statement representing Gar's attachment to the past and desire to have known his mother. This quote was originally said by Edmund Burke on the occasion of Queen Mary Antoinette's death in the late 18th century. It is unclear exactly why Gar says this as a way of remembering his mother, but it becomes a compulsive refrain throughout the play, a reminder of the past and a way of clearing his head when he is overwhelmed with sad thoughts.
"And when you think of a bugger like that, you want to get down on your knees and thank God for aul Screwballs"
Private says this in Episode 2, referring to the fact that he detests Senator Doogan, who is a snobby upper-class man who turns down his nose at Gar. He dislikes Doogan so much that it even makes him grateful for his father, S.B., even though S.B. is exceedingly quiet and unaffectionate.
"Philadelphia, here I come, right back where I started from..."
Gar sings this song at the beginning of the play to express his excitement about moving to Philadelphia. As the play progresses, we learn that he is somewhat ambivalent about the move, but the song serves as a method for bolstering himself and preparing for what is to come. He sings it recklessly while running through his childhood home, flamboyantly broadcasting a public desire to get out of Ballybeg as soon as possible.
"Screwballs, say something! Say something, father"!
Early on in the play, Gar laments the fact that his father is not more forthcoming or expressive. As he sits with his father at the kitchen table, Public does not say anything, but Private says this line to express his deep disappointment in S.B.'s tight-lipped reserve. While Gar cannot bring himself to actually ask his father to speak up, his Private self openly begs for it.
"Just because he doesn't say much doesn't mean that he hasn't feelings like the rest of us."
Madge says this as a way of comforting Gar about the fact that his father is so resistant to open communication. She tries to remind Gar that S.B. still has emotions and feelings, even if he isn't very good at expressing them. With this line, we see that, as the housekeeper, Madge acts as a kind of feminine intermediary between father and son.
"Kate is our only child, Gareth, and her happiness is all that is important."
Kate's father, Doogan, says this Gar as a kind of half-hearted invitation for him to ask him for Kate's hand in marriage. He suggests that as much as he would like for Kate to marry Francis, his top priority is Kate's happiness. In this line, he alludes to the fact that he believes Kate would be happy with Gar, trying to give the reluctant Gar an opening.
"Now, even though you refuse to acknowledge the fact, Screwballs, I'm leaving you forever. I'm going to Philadelphia, to work in an hotel. And you know why I'm going, Screwballs, don't you. Because I'm 25, and you treat me as if I were 5—I can't order even a dozen loaves without getting your permission. Because you pay me less than you pay Madge."
As Public and S.B. sit at the kitchen table, Private gives this explanation for why Gar is leaving Ireland. He suggests that the reason Gar is leaving is that he is not treated with enough respect and he does not have enough autonomy within the shop.
"Only that the mammy planted sycamore trees last year, and she says I can't go till they're tall enough to shelter the house."
When Gar asks his young friend Joe why he doesn't come to America also, Joe says this. He tells him that he has made a promise to his mother that he will stay at home for awhile. This contrasts with Gar's experience, as Gar has no mother to urge him to stay home with his family.
"I've stuck around this hole far too long. I'm telling you: it's a bloody quagmire, a backwater, a dead-end! And everybody in it goes crazy sooner of later! Everybody!"
When Kate comes to say goodbye to Gar, he goes on a tangent about how awful Ballybeg is. With this line, he completely belittles the town in which they grew up and in which Kate will stay. He becomes nasty about it, suggesting that it is ludicrous to stay, even though he knows that Kate is planning to stay there.
"...between us at that moment there was this great happiness, this great joy—you must have felt it too—it was so much richer than a content—it was a great, great happiness, and active, bubbling joy—although nothing was being said—just the two of us fishing on a lake on a showery day—and young as I was I felt, I knew, that this was precious, and your hat was soft on the top of my ears—I can feel it—and I shrank down into your coat—and then, then for no reason at all except that you were happy too, you began to sing..."
While Public is saying a rosary with S.B. and Madge, Private remembers a particularly happy day he shared with his father, fishing in a rowboat. He recounts all the details and wants to know if S.B. remembers it too.
