Discuss the way Willy Russell represents the injustice of the class system in 'Blood Brothers'

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Discuss the way in which Willy Russell represents the injustice of the class system in ‘Blood Brothers’

In the ‘Blood Brothers’ play, Willy Russell uses an episodic structure to dramatise his social message about the inequalities of the class system. Russell demonstrates that success in life isn’t determined by the innate qualities, but by the social class you are born into. ‘Blood Brothers’ is set over a number of decades, and supports Russell’s theory of the class divide in that the class you are born into determines your life chances. The audience can see the wide class divide and the damaging effects of the class system through two main character relationships: Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons and also Mickey and Eddie.

        

During the play, the audience can see the dissimilarity between the two mothers. From the narrator’s opening ballad, the audience are encouraged to develop a negative impression of, ‘That women, with a stone in place of a heart’, Mrs Johnston, the working class mother. Before she even appears on stage. The metaphor ‘stone’ suggests that she’s the opposite of what society and the middle class audience expect, and it implies that she is cold hearted – this could be a sign that she thinks of her children as a weight. ‘Stone’, also gives the impression that because she is on benefits she is a ‘burden on society’.  

This pessimistic impression is challenged when Mrs Johnston comes onto the stage and starts telling the audience about her life, and how Mr Johnson tried to woo her when they first met with romantic clichés. ‘My skin as soft as snow’. Mr Johnston also compares her to Marilyn Munroe, ‘he told me I was sexier than Marilyn Munroe’ this suggests that Mrs Johnston was really beautiful when she was younger, however, because she had a harsh life she looked old before her time, ‘by the time I was twenty-five, I looked like forty-two’ thus resulting in her husband leaving her ‘with seven hungry mouths to feed’ this suggests that Mrs Johnston’s home is like a birds nest: overcrowded with children who are hungry and dependant on her.  This imagery makes the audience sympathise with her.

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Russell challenges the stereotypical representations of the two classes to show the injustice of the class system by juxtaposing the two mothers: Mrs Lyons is a cold controlling woman. ‘I’ll take the one with…’ Mrs Lyons acts like the baby is an object that can be bought and sold. ‘But I’ve.. How the..’ ‘But, Mrs Lyons, what…?’ the ellipsis show that Mrs Johnston is confused, what's more it shows the control that Mrs Lyons has over Mrs Johnston by cutting of her sentences and not letting Mrs Johnston voice her opinions. In contrast Mrs Johnston is shown as hard-working ‘I’m due ...

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