I am here on an islandCome from Away · 2021 — Chapter 14 of 22 · 2'55" · B1
A Mother Waits and Tells Jokes, Explained: there for me
A mother stranded in Gander keeps calling to find her firefighter son, leaving messages until the machine is full. Unable to reach him, she does the one thing she can: "But I do know a few jokes." The joke that follows is silly, and it is also how she holds on.
What happens
Hannah is stuck in Gander while her son Kevin, a firefighter, is missing in New York. She leaves message after message and cannot stop thinking that she should be there searching for him. Knowing there is nothing she can do, she decides to tell a joke, the same way her son always made her laugh.
Listen for
tour of dutyday offthere for meno more room
00:00 / 02:55Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
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Phrase of the scene
there for me
supportive when needed
汉娜说儿子 He's always there for me，总讲笑话逗她开心。
He's always there for me when things go wrong.
Also in this scene
- tour of duty
一段服役期；轮值任期
- day off
a day you do not work
- no more room
no space left
Everything marked in this scene
30 notes across 42 lines
liaison
I am here on an islandAny news?I am his mother I'm far away, stuck hereFine, I'll hold again.I should be down there And checking the hospitals Putting up signs, doing somethingshould
I should be down there And checking the hospitals Putting up signs, doing somethingI am telling you, listen My son, he takes risksHe's not missing He's helping or hurtpresent continuous
He's not missing He's helping or hurtHe'll get out of thisYes, I'll keep trying And, yes, here's the numberI should be there When it's over and done When he comes through the door And says, "I'm home, Mom"I should be there When it's over and done When he comes through the door And says, "I'm home, Mom"I should be there for my son But instead I am hereI am here She leaves message after message for her sonno space left
until there's no more room on his answering machine.until-clause
until there's no more room on his answering machine.a day you do not work
They said it was Kev's day off.liaison
They said it was Kev's day off.He's always there for me, trying to make me laugh.participle phrase
He's always there for me, trying to make me laugh.I know there's nothing I can do to help.But I do know a few jokes.There was this sailor who was stationed in the South Pacific, far away from his wife, who he'd just married.He said, "We're gonna be apart for a long time,flap
He said, "We're gonna be apart for a long time,So finally he comes home from his tour of dutyand he says to his wife, "I can't wait to get you into bed."And she says, "First, let's see how well you play that accordion."A Mother Waits and Tells Jokes, explained
What's really going on
The scene is about helplessness and what people do inside it. Hannah can only call and wait, saying that "I know there's nothing I can do to help.", and the line she keeps returning to — "I should be there for my son But instead I am here" — turns the whole town into a place she should not be. Her answer is not despair but a joke, because jokes are how her son loves her and how she can still reach him from far away. "But I do know a few jokes." is both a small act of love and a survival tactic, and when someone calls it a stupid joke and asks for another, the scene shows that sharing it worked. Grief and laughter sit in the same seat here.
Theme
ParenthoodA mother cannot be with her endangered son, and she fills the distance with the jokes he taught her to love.
Death & griefWaiting for news, she holds fear at bay the only way she can, by making other people laugh.
Listen for
- on an island — liaison
- day off — liaison
- apart for — flap
I am here on an islandA line from her call home: stranded on Newfoundland, she can only say where she is, not what she fears.
I should be there for my son But instead I am hereThe central contradiction of the scene: her place is with her son, and the crisis has put her a continent away.
I know there's nothing I can do to help.Her clear-eyed admission of helplessness, before she finds the one thing she still can offer.
But I do know a few jokes.The turn from despair to action: if she cannot help, she can at least do what her son always did for others.
That was a really stupid joke.The listener's verdict, which is also thanks; the joke was meant to land exactly this way.
Questions about this scene
Why can't Hannah get hold of her son?
Her son Kevin is a firefighter in New York, and she is stranded in Canada with the phone lines jammed. She can only leave messages and wait for word.
What is Hannah afraid has happened?
She believes he is not simply missing. As a firefighter who takes risks, he is probably helping somewhere or has been hurt, which is why she cannot relax.
Why does she tell a joke?
Because it is the one thing she can still do. Jokes connect her to her son, who always made her laugh, and they give the waiting some purpose.
What does "there for me" mean in this scene?
It means always present when someone needs you. She says her son is always there for her, which is why his absence is so hard.
How does the scene mix sadness and comedy?
The wait is painful, but it ends with a silly joke. The film lets both feelings share the same moment, because that mix is how people survive.
Come from Away · 22 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 15a moment of silenceA Gas Station Falls Silent
Chapter 1a lay of the landGander Learns of the Emergency
Chapter 2shaking like a leafPlanes Land Unexpectedly in Gander
Chapter 3a state of emergencyGander Declares a State of Emergency
Chapter 4for the love of GodA Town Gathers Supplies
Chapter 5rumors start flyingPassengers Stuck on Planes for 28 Hours
Chapter 6make no mistakeWaiting on the Plane for News
Chapter 7left over fromPassengers Disembark into the Dark
Chapter 8hear a pin dropGander Finds Translators and Animals
Chapter 9speak the same languageLocals Drive Passengers to the Camp
Chapter 10to the ends of the earthGander Academy Becomes a Shelter
Chapter 11suit yourselfStranded Passengers Wait for News
Chapter 12make small talkGander Locals Take In the Passengers
Chapter 13praise be to GodThe Gayest Town in Newfoundland
Watching · Chapter 14there for meA Mother Waits and Tells Jokes
Chapter 15a moment of silenceA Gas Station Falls Silent
Chapter 16jump at one's own shadowA Fight Breaks Out in the Hallway
Chapter 17take the plungeThe Screech-In Ceremony
Chapter 18Don't be a strangerGander Says Goodbye to the Visitors
Chapter 19take seriouslyA Muslim Passenger Is Searched
Chapter 20seize the momentDiane and Nick at the Lookout
Chapter 21ground zeroThe Aftermath Back Home
Chapter 22a big breakGander Remembers the Plane PeopleChapter 14 of 22 · about 29 min to go