Mrs Johnston is the mother of twins their names were Michael and Edward. Russell has made her working class, which means she doesn’t have enough money. She gave her son away because she needed the money a quote to show how she feels about this is: ‘’ Don’t tell me. Don’t tell me which one. Just take him’’. This shows that Mrs Johnston does care about the twins because she doesn’t want to know which one Mrs Lyons took. Mrs Johnston is to blame because if you love your child you would never give them up even for money. Willy Russell makes us think this because she is made a tragic figure.
Mrs Lyons is middle class. Russell portrays her as being snobbish. A quote which shows her personality is ‘’ They say… They say that if either twin learns he was one of a pair they shall both die immediately!’’. This shows us she is manipulative by getting everything her way. She adopts Edward because she can’t have any children. She wants him to be well educated. Problems start to arise when Edward meets Michael. A quote which shows how she feels about Michael is ‘’ I’ve told you never to go where that boy lives’’. This shows Mrs Lyons is scared that Edward
Will know Michael is his real brother and go and live with Mrs Johnston. In drama when a character wants something but the opposite happens, it is called an ironic twist. An example of an ironic twist is when Mrs Lyons moved to the countryside and then a couple of years later Mrs Johnston moved right next to them like before. Later in the play Mrs Lyons becomes paranoid. In the final scene she shoots Michael and Edward. She is to blame for the tragedy because she is responsible for separating the twins.
Edward, Michael and Linda know each other because they are all friends. When Michael and Edward became blood brothers they promised to look after each other. However, what is ironic is that as they grow older things go wrong between Michael and Edward because Edward wants to help Michael out but Michael refuses. A quote which shows their difference of opinions is:
Edward: ‘’ There are other jobs you could do here. Better jobs… It could be arranged ’’
Michael: ‘’ Listen! This job stinks. Right stinks! But it’s my job. I got this job… I wasn’t given it! ’’
Linda is involved because she is married to Michael but went out with Edward so Michael got very angry. In the end both Michael and Edward were dead as Mrs Lyons shot them. Willy Russell shows us that Edward and Michael deaths could not have been avoided because it was fate and we know tragedies end in death.
In conclusion, the tragedy occurs because Mrs Lyons tries to separated Edward and Michael. As they got older problems happen as she tries to break their relationship and this leads to the death of Edward and Michael. The moral of this story is blood is thicker then water. This is because Edward tried to save Michael but it only led to both of them dying.
