Blood Brothers was written in the early 1980’s but is set sometime between the 1960’s and 1980’s. There was a strong class divide in Britain at this time and although the characters in the play are fictional, they are used to show this class divide. The story is about twin brothers, one of whom Edward is secretly given away at birth. Edward is raised in a middle class family with Mrs Lyons and his twin (Mickey) is raised by their working class mother; Mrs Johnstone.
The play really begins with the ending. The Narrator’s opening speech tells the basic story of the play. His speech takes the form of the prologue, meaning the audience knows how the story ends before it begins, suggesting that the story is not going to have a happy ending. The …show more content…
She conforms to the working class stereotype and she lives in social housing and looks older than she is. This is shown in the song when she sings “by the time I was twenty five, I looked forty two.” Mrs Johnstone’s story makes the audience feel sympathy for her – her husband has ‘walked out’ on her, leaving her with seven children to look after and another on the way. When the milkman and the doctor first appear in the play - one asking for money and the other dropping a bombshell that Mrs Johnstone is expecting twins, the audience may feel sorrow for Mrs Johnstone as life has dealt her another blow and this is not what she had planned. Willy Russell shows the audience how Mrs Johnstone’s situation is getting even worse. Mrs Johnstone introduces Marilyn Monroe representing a perfect and glamourous lifestyle but also happiness that doesn’t last. However, Mrs Johnstone remains hopeful and this makes her a more sympathetic …show more content…
At first, Mrs Lyons is shown as a bright person in her thirties, unlike the stressed Mrs Johnstone who is the same age. Mrs Lyons is an upper middle-class woman. She is also a very patronising woman, who is forceful and pressurising. By the way that Mrs Lyons talks it is easy to tell that she comes from a wealthier background. “Silver trays to take meals on.” When the characters first meet in the play the class divide is obvious. Mrs Johnstone arrives at Mrs Lyons house with a brush; dusters and a mop bucket where as Mrs Lyons has a parcel containing new shoes. Early in the play Willy Russell is already making the audience wonder about class difference. When Mrs Lyons first sings about wishing that she had a child the audience may feel empathy for her but these feelings may turn to anger once she bullies Mrs Johnstone into giving one of the babies to her. “How can you possibly avoid some of them being put into care?” Later when Mrs Lyons comes to take one of the babies “I must have my baby, you swore on the bible….” This shows Mrs Lyons as manipulative and how she uses other people’s weaknesses to her advantage. She uses rhetorical questions to make her argument sound reasonable and very
The play really begins with the ending. The Narrator’s opening speech tells the basic story of the play. His speech takes the form of the prologue, meaning the audience knows how the story ends before it begins, suggesting that the story is not going to have a happy ending. The …show more content…
She conforms to the working class stereotype and she lives in social housing and looks older than she is. This is shown in the song when she sings “by the time I was twenty five, I looked forty two.” Mrs Johnstone’s story makes the audience feel sympathy for her – her husband has ‘walked out’ on her, leaving her with seven children to look after and another on the way. When the milkman and the doctor first appear in the play - one asking for money and the other dropping a bombshell that Mrs Johnstone is expecting twins, the audience may feel sorrow for Mrs Johnstone as life has dealt her another blow and this is not what she had planned. Willy Russell shows the audience how Mrs Johnstone’s situation is getting even worse. Mrs Johnstone introduces Marilyn Monroe representing a perfect and glamourous lifestyle but also happiness that doesn’t last. However, Mrs Johnstone remains hopeful and this makes her a more sympathetic …show more content…
At first, Mrs Lyons is shown as a bright person in her thirties, unlike the stressed Mrs Johnstone who is the same age. Mrs Lyons is an upper middle-class woman. She is also a very patronising woman, who is forceful and pressurising. By the way that Mrs Lyons talks it is easy to tell that she comes from a wealthier background. “Silver trays to take meals on.” When the characters first meet in the play the class divide is obvious. Mrs Johnstone arrives at Mrs Lyons house with a brush; dusters and a mop bucket where as Mrs Lyons has a parcel containing new shoes. Early in the play Willy Russell is already making the audience wonder about class difference. When Mrs Lyons first sings about wishing that she had a child the audience may feel empathy for her but these feelings may turn to anger once she bullies Mrs Johnstone into giving one of the babies to her. “How can you possibly avoid some of them being put into care?” Later when Mrs Lyons comes to take one of the babies “I must have my baby, you swore on the bible….” This shows Mrs Lyons as manipulative and how she uses other people’s weaknesses to her advantage. She uses rhetorical questions to make her argument sound reasonable and very