What message is Willy Russell trying to give in the play ‘Blood Brothers’
The play ‘Blood Brothers’ was originally published in the 1980s. This was a time where a recession came across Britain and many people were left out of work and on unemployment benefit or the ‘dole’ in the term the play uses.
‘Blood Brothers’ and Willy Russell highlights the unfairness of the class system and how the middle class looks down upon the working class also that the system surely effects them both but in different ways.
Even the idea that twins can become part of different classes because of money and there family is extremely unfair as you cannot choose what family you have so this can have a change on your education.
The working class may choose to look at superstition, as it is just as reasonable as the unfairness of the class system.
In the play ‘Blood Brothers’ there are two different classes used, the working class and the middle class. Mrs Johnstone symbolizes the working class. The stereotype of the working class is that they are poorly educated, hard working, confident. You can tell that Mrs Johnstone is poorly educated is because she is very superstitious for example ‘Don’t put new shoes on the table’ the quote shows that she believes putting new shoes on a table brings you bad luck this is superstition.
The Essay on Blood Brothers: Act One on Social Class
Look again at the extract on page 24 starting with “Do you want to come and play?” and ending with “now you say after me: ‘I will always defend my brother’.” With reference to the ways Russell presents the theme of social class in the extract and elsewhere in the novel in act one, show how far you agree that there is no escape from the effects of social class for the characters in the play. Willy ...
Mrs Lyons is the stereotype of the middle class. She has a big house ‘It’s a pretty house isn’t it? It’s a pity its so big’ her husband has an important job ‘on a business trip’ also Mrs Lyons also tells lies to many people including her husband for example ‘Ill tell him they were wrong, the doctors were wrong ,Im having a baby’ this is untrue. Mrs Lyons can control Mrs Johnstone by making up superstition as Mrs Johnstone believes them.
The idea of that class can control your life is very unreasonable as you can not to choose what class you are. Edward who is middle class goes on to university and gets a well paid job. Mickey on the other hand ends up in jail for robbery. So maybe the fact that Edward was brought up very well and uses Formal language helped him in life. Where as Mickey who spoke very colloquial made him lose his job and turn to crime.
Mrs Johnstone seems to mention the celebrity Marilyn Monroe quite often in the play. Marilyn Monroe was an attractive young women and Mrs Johnstone’s husband married her because she looked like her. At one time in the play she says ‘I hope Mickey will be O.K not like Marilyn Monroe’ this is because Marilyn Monroe died of drug abuse and she died just before her career began to take off. So Mrs Johnstone is hoping that Mickey doesn’t die young.
At the end of ‘Blood Brothers’ Mickey says ‘Why didn’t you give me away I could have been him’ this is where the class system comes in as it was a 50% chance that he was going to become A successful man and become rich. That the other was going to become a petty thief with nothing to live for. This also shows the unfairness of the class system is unfair that the idea of twins as identical as ‘two new pins’ can have a total different outcome to their life depending on which child was given away Mrs Johnstone gave away.
To conclude I believe that class is just as pointless as superstition and ‘Blood Brothers’ expresses this point very well and that Willy Russell is true how he shows how unfair it is. “And do we blame superstition for what came to pass? Or could it be what we, the English, have come to know as class?”
The Essay on Mrs Johnstone Mickey Edward Linda
... parent of 7 and expecting (Marilyn Monroe). Mrs. Johnstone has found a job cleaning house for Mrs. Lyons, anupper class woman. She learns she is ... and her other children (Marilyn Monroe 2). Mickey and Linda are suspended from school for being loud in class. We find that Linda, ... break, and Eddie offers money to the still unemployed Mickey. Mickey refuses, telling Edward to grow up and face miserable ...
