Discuss the Dramatic effect of role models in Blood Brothers. Willy Russell wrote blood brothers to purely entertain the youth of Liverpool

Mark Whittle

English Coursework

(Blood Brothers Assignment)

Discuss the Dramatic effect of role models in Blood Brothers.

Willy Russell wrote blood brothers to purely entertain the youth of Liverpool, at a time when it was hard to get the students full attention. This play appealed to the kids and entertained them, which lead to the success of the play. The play was preformed for the first time at Fazackerley High School in 1983 in Willy Russell’s hometown of Liverpool.

I understand that Willy Russell has purposely used many role models throughout the play however on studying the play I have decided on focus on ‘Sammy’ and ‘Linda’ in more detail. I have chosen these two particular characters because they play leading roles in Edwards and Mickey’s life and influencing the outcome of the play.

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Willy Russell purposely created the character Sammy for the play to use him as Mickey’s stereotypical older brother who Mickey would do anything to be like. Sammy is the most influential character in the play but this is for all the wrong reasons. Sammy could be seen as a bad role model for Mickey. As the play progresses Sammy is continually portrayed as an angry and sometimes violent character. The fact that Mickey has grown up without his father to look up to and learn from contributes to the effect Sammy has on Mickey’s life as his only male role model. Willy Russell Purposely leaves out Mr Johnson so that Sammy has to step into the role of the dominant male figure of the play, that then plays a vital role in the outcome of Mickey’s life. Mickey lives in a crowded household and with the absence of his father you would expect him to look up to his mother a great deal but she often neglects her duties as a mother. Mrs Johnson doesn’t really correct bad behaviour of her children and it could be said that she even neglects them and leaves them to do as they choose. When Mrs Johnson is disciplining her offspring she dose it very perfunctorily as if she if performing it as a duty but not because she cares that her children are misbehaving.

As a child Sammy used to take Mickey’s things and break them before returning them, but when he told his mother about this she replies, “it always happens to the youngest” in her usual manor as if she doesn’t care anyway. Growing up with a role model like this was bound to dramatically affect Mickey in later life. Sammy has never really accomplished anything worth admiring by Mickey but because of Mickey’s age he admires the childish and sometimes irresponsible things that Mickey does, which leads to Mickey’s greater admiration of his brother. The only time we see the true intensity of Mickey’s admiration for Sammy is when Willy Russell has him recite a poem about the great thing his older brother can do. Willy Russell’s choice to create such a malevolent character for Mickey’s greatest role model indicates he was aiming to make someone to lay the blame on for Mickey’s bad turnout in life.

Without Sammy, Mickey’s life could have been a lot different. It is quite ironic how Mickey’s greatest role model in the play contributed greatly to eventual downfall. Sammy asked Mickey to help him with the robbery. If his brother did not perform these acts as a child when Mickey looked up to him most he may of objected to this. The result in Mickey going along with Sammy on this robbery leads in Mickey’s imprisonment. Therefore the dramatic effect of the role model in Mickey’s life results in his imprisonment and eventually relying on medication everyday.