Blood Brothers - Mrs Johnstone

Question 1

Mrs Johnstone Introduction -

Answer 1

In Blood Brothers, Willey Russell presents Mrs. Johnstone as a character whose superstition makes her vulnerable to the manipulation of MrsLyons. Russell’s presentation of Mrs. Johnstone as an innocent, conventional working-class citizen is ultimately a critique of social injustice in Thatcherite Britain.

Question 2

Key Quotes -

Answer 2

Shoes upon the table - Superstition
Deal upon the bible

No money, no milk
I’m starvin - contrasts Mrs Lyons ‘it’s a pity its too big’

Question 3

Mrs Johnstone - 1st paragraph

Answer 3

Russell presents Mrs Johnstone as a vehicle to explore the theme of superstition. In Act 1, Mrs Johnstone’s superstition is explored in the insistence that ‘shoes must ‘never’ be ‘put on the table’. Mrs Johnstone’s superstitious comment depicts her as an irrational individual due to her limited education opportunities, which furthermore contrasts the privileged upbringing that Mrs Lyons had during post-war British society. Mrs Johnstone’s absence of educational opportunity is eventually exploited by Mrs Lyons and suppressed her freedom of choice in order to make a ‘deal upon the Bible’. Ultimately, Mrs Johnstone being manipulated leads to a dire unfolding of events, which ultimately leads to the tragic death of the Johnstone twins.

Question 4

Mrs Johnstone - 2nd paragraph

Answer 4

Willey Russell uses Mrs Johnstone as a tool in order to critique the social injustice in Thatcherite Britain. The Winter of Discontent was the period between November 1978 and February 1979, in which widespread mining strikes were caused by workers’ demands for pay rises greater than the limits. The social deprivation in Thatcherite Britain is shown through the play ‘Blood Brothers’, where Mrs Johnstone ( a mother to several children) is shown to be socially deprived through her inability to pay for milk, as the milkman states:’No money, no milk’ and how her child cannot ‘sleep’ due to an insufficient amount of food’. Ultimately, Mrs Johnstone is used as a vehicle to remind the contemporary audience of the effects of the Winter of Discontent and to show the dire consequences for working-class citizens such as Mrs Johnstone.

Question 5

Mrs Johnstone - 3rd paragraph

Answer 5

Furthermore, Russell further expresses the injustice between the 2 separate class barriers through Mrs Johnstone and the character of the policeman. The policeman were working class themselves and were used as tools by the government to crowd control working class members. Russell critiques on how the policeman that supposedly represents order and justice in Thatcherite Britain, were instead biased towards upper class members and unlawful towards working-class citizens. The juxtaposition between the nonchalance attitude of the policeman coveted towards Mrs Jonstone and the respectful tone towards Mr Lyons emphasises the social injustice in Thatcherite Britain. His strident tone of Mickey committing a ‘serious crime’, reinfroces him as being a tool to control the crowd, whereas his respectful tone of Edward committing a ‘silly prank’ further reinforces his biased view.

Question 6

Mrs Johnstone - Conclusion

Answer 6

Ultimately, Willey Russell uses Mrs Johnstone as a catalyst to a series of dire events that ultimately led to the tragic death of the Johnstone twins. Perhaps, Russell’s uses the play ‘Blood Brothers’ as a critique of Thatcherite Britain, that led to widespread mining strikes and a downfall in the economy.