. THE BOY COMES HOME-(DRAMA-Summary) - A .A. Miln

A A Milne (1882 – 1956) is a well-known English playwright, novelist and essayist of the 

1930s and 40s. He started as a journalist and gained popularity as writer of light comic essays for 

Punch. Mr. Pim Passes By(1919) and The Dover Road (1921) are among his important plays.

The play “The Boy Comes Home” is a light comedy. It throws light on the generation gap. 

The old generation thinks that the young generation is immature just like a school boy. It should 

obey the old generation. In fact, the young generation is mature and it can take the right decisions. 

Philip is a young man of 23. He lives with Uncle James, who is his patron. He has returned 

after four years of war. On the very first morning he comes for breakfast at ten. Uncle James 

keeps a strict discipline in the house. According to his orders breakfast is served at eight. Philip 

has a row with Mrs. Higgins because of this. She threatens to leave the job if she is asked to 

prepare breakfast at ten. Philip handles her in a very clear and clever way. 

 The first conflict between Philip and Uncle James is that Philip does not like his uncle’s 

authoritative attitude and his strict discipline in the house. When we read the play “The Boy 

Comes Home” carefully, we find the authoritative attitude of Uncle James. He treats Philip as an 

inexperienced schoolboy. He thinks that he will decide everything for Philip. He wants to use his 

authority as a patron. Aunt Emily asks him to let Philip decide his career. But he wanted Philip to 

be clear of his decision. Philip wanted the money left by his father to learn a profession. Uncle 

James does not want to give him the money till he is 25. Philip does not like this attitude. Uncle 

James tells Philip that he will use the power of purse if he does not submit to his orders. Then 

Philip uses the power of revolver and bomb. He frightens Uncle James to death and he is now 

ready to do what Philip wanted. 

Uncle James waits for Philip to ask him to join his jam business. However just before 

Philip’s entry into the room, he dozes off. In his dream, he meets with Philip. He orders him to 

join the jam business. Philip also wants to learn some profession. Uncle James thinks that he is

just like a schoolboy as he cannot choose a career for himself. The dream sequence has great 

importance in the play “The Boy Comes Home” for a number of reasons. The first and the most 

important reason is that in normal life, it looks very awkward and immoral for a nephew to aim a 

revolver at his uncle and to make him kneel down and beg for his life. So the writer has used a 

dream sequence to present this awkward and immoral situation. He makes the reader believe that 

all this has happened in a dream and it should not be taken seriously. Secondly the dream 

sequence ends the conflict between Philip and Uncle James. We see that after his dream Uncle 

James is a new man. Now there exists no conflict between them. He is now a reasonable man. 

Now he understands the problems of the young generation. Thirdly the dream sequence is a 

source of comedy. 

To prove that he is mature, Philip relates his experience at Somme. Somme was the battle 

front, where Philip’s company would launch an attack the next day. They were in a trench. The 

Germans knew about them. Therefore, they were firing. The company commander wanted to 

move from that place. He consulted his C. O. The C. O. ordered them to stay there and wait until 

the next day. Later, the Germans killed the company commander. After his death, Philip became 

the new company commander. He knew something about scouting too. Therefore he found 

another trench. They had lost about half the company by that time. Now Philip had three options. 

First, he might stay there and wait until the next day. Second, he might move to another trench 

against orders. Third, he might go back himself and explain the situation to the C. O. It was a very 

difficult situation. Lives of many soldiers depended on his decision. He moved the company to the 

other trench. Then he went back to the C. O. and told him that he had moved. After that he went 

back to the company again. 

The war has greatly affected Philip’s personality. The words spoken by Aunt Emily are 

very important and meaningful. She says to Uncle James, “Well, I think that Philip’s four years 

out there have made him more of a man, he doesn’t seem somehow like a boy who can be told 

what to do. I’m sure they have taught him something.” She further says, “You’ll find him 

different”. Before going to the war Philip was an inexperienced boy. Now he is a grown up man. 

Before going to the war, he used to do what he was asked to do. Now he makes his own decisions 

and nobody can dictate to him. The army has taught him something. He is different now. He has 

learned how to handle people. He has also learned to use power against power. Uncle James 

threatens to use the power of purse, but suddenly Philip takes out a revolver and levels at him. 

Uncle James tells him it is not fair to settle arguments by force. 

In the meanwhile, Uncle James wakes up. He is now a changed man. When Philip actually 

comes to talk to him, he is rather confused and repeats the same things that he had said in his 

dream. Philip at once agrees to join the jam business. Uncle James is not sure about his dream. At 

the end of the play, Uncle James’ condition creates a lot of comedy when he laughs with a forced 

heartiness. The relief expressed by Philip about the ending of war brings home the idea that war 

makes everyone miserable. The soldiers, the common people and others suffer equally. No one 

desires war.