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Blood Brothers - Key Language GCSE
- DIDATIC: Writing that aims to
instruct, or preach, moral
messages
- 'Contextually, Russell is known to be a working
class Liverpudian. His experience of the effect
of class, social standing and wealth is reflected
into Mrs Johnstones' character. She is the
epitome of a struggling, working, single
mother. BLOOD BROTHERS, in a sense, can be
classed as didatic writing because Russell tries
to portray subtle morals and socialist ideals'
- CONTEXT
- POLITICAL CONTEXT
- Russell was an 'anti-thatcherist' when Margeret
Thatcher was still in position as a PM. One of her
main beliefs was 'Success for hard workers'. BLOOD
BROTHERS contradicts this by showing the audience
the effects of class and up-bringing in England
despite Thatchers' claims against it. Russell displays
this in Mickey, despite his hard work to find a job and
desperation to find work to support his wife, he
ended up being tempted by crime.
- The book was finished in 1981, two years
after Margeret Thatcher became MP.
- MARGERET THATCHER believed that Britians'
manufactoring industry was uncompetitive, many job
standards were tightened and cut to adjust to her
belief that the 'cream of the crop rises'.
- Russell was an 'anti-thatcherist' when Margeret
Thatcher was still in position as a PM. One of her
main beliefs was 'Success for hard workers'. BLOOD
BROTHERS contradicts this by showing the audience
the effects of class and up-bringing in England
despite Thatchers' claims against it. Russell displays
this in Mickey, despite his hard work to find a job and
desperation to find work to support his wife, he
ended up being tempted by crime.
- LIVERPOOL
- BLOOD BROTHERS is set in Liverpool, between the 1950s to the 1970s (although this was never explicitely stated.) There was an
economic downturn in Liverpool at this time, publicly owned companies were privatised, famous docks were ran down and the
government closed uncompetitive mines. The effect of this was that unemployment levels reached 25% in the 1980s, this was called
the THATCHER ERA and thousands of families were struggling with the effect of the job cuts.
- This has a link to the song 'Write A Letter Mrs Jones' in the last few acts. The scene
demonstrates the helplessness of working-class society when the job market rises, it shows
that it affects the whole of Liverpool, not just Mickey. Mickey is forced from his low-paid job
and he is tempted by the crime. This mirrors what happened in the THATCHER ERA when
crime rates increased and drug rate increased. Mental health and care of working class is
also touched upon when Mickey begins taking addictive pills with serious side-effects, it
shows how dangerous the effects of upbringing and social standing can be on working
individuals with complex lives.
- This has a link to the song 'Write A Letter Mrs Jones' in the last few acts. The scene
demonstrates the helplessness of working-class society when the job market rises, it shows
that it affects the whole of Liverpool, not just Mickey. Mickey is forced from his low-paid job
and he is tempted by the crime. This mirrors what happened in the THATCHER ERA when
crime rates increased and drug rate increased. Mental health and care of working class is
also touched upon when Mickey begins taking addictive pills with serious side-effects, it
shows how dangerous the effects of upbringing and social standing can be on working
individuals with complex lives.
- BLOOD BROTHERS is set in Liverpool, between the 1950s to the 1970s (although this was never explicitely stated.) There was an
economic downturn in Liverpool at this time, publicly owned companies were privatised, famous docks were ran down and the
government closed uncompetitive mines. The effect of this was that unemployment levels reached 25% in the 1980s, this was called
the THATCHER ERA and thousands of families were struggling with the effect of the job cuts.
- POP CULTURE
- MARILYN MONROE was a major public figure of the time, she was idolised by women
and men alike. 'He that I was sexier than Marilyn Monroe' shows how women were
constantly compared and how men had the advantage. This links to the theme of
societies expectations of gender.
- '-Like Marilyn Monroe' is a re-occuring leitmotif in the play, Marilyn Monroe was idolised
for her looks, just as Mrs J was. Monroe wasn't taken seriously if she tried to partake in
serious roles, the surface of her character was what was emphasised on the most. She
died of a drug overdose, taking addictive pills like Mickey.
- '-Like Marilyn Monroe' is a re-occuring leitmotif in the play, Marilyn Monroe was idolised
for her looks, just as Mrs J was. Monroe wasn't taken seriously if she tried to partake in
serious roles, the surface of her character was what was emphasised on the most. She
died of a drug overdose, taking addictive pills like Mickey.
- MARILYN MONROE was a major public figure of the time, she was idolised by women
and men alike. 'He that I was sexier than Marilyn Monroe' shows how women were
constantly compared and how men had the advantage. This links to the theme of
societies expectations of gender.
- POLITICAL CONTEXT
- CONTEXT
- 'Contextually, Russell is known to be a working
class Liverpudian. His experience of the effect
of class, social standing and wealth is reflected
into Mrs Johnstones' character. She is the
epitome of a struggling, working, single
mother. BLOOD BROTHERS, in a sense, can be
classed as didatic writing because Russell tries
to portray subtle morals and socialist ideals'
- ANTITHESIS: Two
opposite ideas
- 'Russell uses Mrs Lyons as the
social antithesis of Mrs
Johnstone'.
- 'Russell uses Mrs Lyons as the
social antithesis of Mrs
Johnstone'.
- EXPOSITION: The beginning of a play, when
characters are introduced.
- 'In Act One Scene One, the Narrator uses
violent exposition to introduce the tragic
theme of the play. E.g: The harsh, plosive
definitive words "slain".'
- 'In Act One Scene One, the Narrator uses
violent exposition to introduce the tragic
theme of the play. E.g: The harsh, plosive
definitive words "slain".'
- LEITMOTIF: A recurrent theme throughout a musical
or literary composition, associated with a particular
person, idea or situation.
- They/we/they 'went dancing' is sung exclusively by
Mrs Johnstone. This use of leitmotif makes the
audience associate Mrs Johnstone with this 'dancing'
concept. This could, perhaps, reflect the careless,
spontaneous behaviour that Russell portrays.
- They/we/they 'went dancing' is sung exclusively by
Mrs Johnstone. This use of leitmotif makes the
audience associate Mrs Johnstone with this 'dancing'
concept. This could, perhaps, reflect the careless,
spontaneous behaviour that Russell portrays.
- DENOUEMENT:
The conclusion of
a play
- 'The cyclical structure of the play makes the denouement of Blood Brothers clear to the audience. This use of dramatic irony
can be an example of Russell trying to subtly incorporate his socialist values. He makes the audience powerless by demonstrating
the conclusion of the play before the main events start. This incorporates and addresses the audience as a whole society. 'Then
bring her on and come judge for yourselves/ how she came to play this part'. Is designed to make the audience uncomfortable,
they see the effects of class, social ladders and wealth but are unable to stop the sequence of events that create a tragedy'.
- 'The cyclical structure of the play makes the denouement of Blood Brothers clear to the audience. This use of dramatic irony
can be an example of Russell trying to subtly incorporate his socialist values. He makes the audience powerless by demonstrating
the conclusion of the play before the main events start. This incorporates and addresses the audience as a whole society. 'Then
bring her on and come judge for yourselves/ how she came to play this part'. Is designed to make the audience uncomfortable,
they see the effects of class, social ladders and wealth but are unable to stop the sequence of events that create a tragedy'.
- THEMES
- HOW SOCIETY SHAPES YOU: As children, Mickey and Eddie weren't very different, this was stressed upon by Eddies' eagerness to be friends with
Mickey although Eddie was of a higher class. 'Do you wanna be my best friend?' shows how easily children accept one another without any
regard for class or social standing. There is a parallel link between the first scene, where Eddie gives Mickey a handful of sweets without
argument, to the last few scenes where Eddie gives Mickey and Linda an apartment. This shows that Eddie is always naturally higher socially than
Mickey, he is able to give things away easily. However, there is also syntactical parallelism in Mickey and Eddies upbringing. Mickey was raised by
Mrs Johnstone, whose been bribed and paid much money for by Mrs Lyons. Mrs Lyons raises Eddie and he tries to give money to Mickey. Both
the mother and the son (Mickey and Eddie) reject the money given to them by Eddie and Mrs Lyons. This shows how money can't help the faults
of society.
Nota:
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- SOCIAL DIVIDE: There is a unique parallelism within the theme of social division in Blood Brothers.
Russell portrays this through language devices in the beginning of Eddies and Mickeys' friendship in
Act One. When the children are caught throwing stones through a window, the Policeman reacts
differently towards their parents. With Mrs J he uses condescending terms. "Now, do you understand
that? You don't wanna end up in court again, do y'?" The rhetorical question is sharp and has a
serious nature, as shown through the reference of the justice system. 'Again' shows that Mrs J has had
issues with the law before, a stereotypical expectation of the working class people to make trouble.
Furthermore, when perceiving the colloquial nature of the language "do y'?" for example, this shows
the disrespect the policeman has for Mrs Johnstone, the working class woman, reinforcing this lack of
empathetic language towards the working class. The policeman is different with Mr Lyons, 'Harmless
prank"
- HOW SOCIETY SHAPES YOU: As children, Mickey and Eddie weren't very different, this was stressed upon by Eddies' eagerness to be friends with
Mickey although Eddie was of a higher class. 'Do you wanna be my best friend?' shows how easily children accept one another without any
regard for class or social standing. There is a parallel link between the first scene, where Eddie gives Mickey a handful of sweets without
argument, to the last few scenes where Eddie gives Mickey and Linda an apartment. This shows that Eddie is always naturally higher socially than
Mickey, he is able to give things away easily. However, there is also syntactical parallelism in Mickey and Eddies upbringing. Mickey was raised by
Mrs Johnstone, whose been bribed and paid much money for by Mrs Lyons. Mrs Lyons raises Eddie and he tries to give money to Mickey. Both
the mother and the son (Mickey and Eddie) reject the money given to them by Eddie and Mrs Lyons. This shows how money can't help the faults
of society.
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