Blood Brothers - Themes Flashcards
Class
The division between the working class and the middle class. At the end of the play, the narrator suggests that ‘class’ could be blamed for what ‘came to pass.’ Mr and Mrs Lyons have a large house and employ a cleaner whereas Mickey. Uses dialect, slang and swear words. Edward’s reference to the dictionary and Mickey’s ignorance of it.
Nature Vs Nurture
Nature — characteristics inherited from birth parents
Nurture — the action of raising or caring for offspring with youngsters being defined by his they are brought up.
Both Mickey and Edward share the same mother but differences exist in them because of the way in which they are brought up. E.g. one swears and one uses a dictionary.
Parents and Children
Mrs Johnstone allows her children freedom — ‘Nymphomanic Nights and Swedish Au Pairs’, excuses Sammy burning down the school. Edward’s thinks Mrs Johnstone is fabulous.
Mrs Lyons is stricter and more controlling — e.g. attempting To confine Edward’s okay to the garden.
Mrs Johnstone laughs about Mickey’s interest in girls.
Mrs Lyons teaches Edward to waltz while he complains that he never meets any girls.
Mrs Johnstone imposes some rules — not allowing Mickey to go to the baths like Sammy.
Growing Up
Both Mickey and Edward play games with guns, get in trouble with the police, they are both suspended from school, watch a pornographic film, agonise over girls, go to the beach and the fair, and are disrespectful to the police officer.
However, this changes when Edward goes to university and Linda becomes pregnant. Mickey has had to grow up fast whereas Edward has little responsibility.
Fate and Supersition
Shoes upon the table, superstition as a form of manipulation, to show Mickey’s enduring influence over Edward (Edward upset to see a magpie because Mickey said it brings sorrow), ti show Mrs Lyons’ mental fragility — at the start of the play she laughs at Mrs Johnstone’s superstition At the end of Act One, she herself ‘sweeps’ a pair of shoes from a table, the narrators references to the devil.
Social class
Willy Russell shows how class affects how we live out life and the opportunities life offers. The play is an allegory. A political message about class and divide it makes, the inequality in the class system.
Thatcherism privatisation, closing down of the factories, coal mines, ship building, unemployment, drug/alcohol abuse, financial hardship
Mrs Johnstone has 8 children, single parent, working class / Mrs Lyons living in luxury “if my child was raised in a palace like this one, he wouldn’t have to worry…”
Teachers: like the policeman, a trusted member of society but Russell utilises these roles to show the difference in education between the social class of Mickey and Edward
Superstition and fate
Mrs Johnstone: “New shoes on the table, take them off” — foreshadowing the future
Narrator: “shoes open the table, a joker in the pack, the salts been spilled and a looking glass cracked, there’s one lone magpie overhead” … “gypsies in the wood … the devils got your number”
Mrs Johnstone and Narrator “I’m not superstitions “The mother said” “I’m not superstitious” “The mother said”
Mrs Johnstone’s superstitions give Mrs Lyons power over her
Narrator “… the devils got your number”
Violence
“catapult, spit in your eye from 20 yards, gun fights, cowboys, gun” -Act 1. As the play progresses, so does the violence.
Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons scene. Mrs Lyons “lunges at Mrs Johnstone with a knife.’ Most violence revolves around Sammy, it starts as games but escalates, to the shooting in the bus and the end scene.
Violence is used to show lack of control and feelings of weakness from the characters, none of the violence is planned or premeditated. Violence is all reactions to the situations and heightened emotions, especially Mrs Lyons and Mickey.
Nature v Nurture
nature = how you are born, your genes and your parents
Nurture = How you are brought up, the environment you live in, your class
Throughout the play we see the contrast of opportunities (nurture) and the similarities shared (nature)
Eg.
The boys meet and naturally become friends (fate)
The ay naturally drawn to each other (nature of twins)
Nurturing is complete contrast, rich/poor and the direction is sends the life however they are both decent, kind and caring.
Positive opportunities (Edward: university, employment, parties and money) opposed to…
Negative opportunities (Mickey: crime, unemployment, de
Nature v Nurture
nature = how you are born, your genes and your parents
Nurture = How you are brought up, the environment you live in, your class
Throughout the play we see the contrast of opportunities (nurture) and the similarities shared (nature)
Eg.
The boys meet and naturally become friends (fate)
The ay naturally drawn to each other (nature of twins)
Nurturing is complete contrast, rich/poor and the direction is sends the life however they are both decent, kind and caring.
Positive opportunities (Edward: university, employment, parties and money) opposed to…
Negative opportunities (Mickey: crime, unemployment, de
Friendship
Friendship of growing up, becoming blood brothers, the bond of friendship
The differences in the upbringing in act 1 seems to serve as stability and support that the other needs
As they grow older the jealousy develops due top the nurture benefits of Edward and the relationship between Linda and Mickey
Friendship is flawed due to the separation of the boys as babies. The different upbringing has caused fractures in their friendship.
