'Blood brothers' - Study the contrasts that Willy Russell sets up in the musical and write about different life styles and life chances that Eddie and Mickey have.

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“Blood Brothers’ is a play that could be played like a tennis match with every scene showing first the working class situation and then the middle class side of it. The only way I allowed myself to do that was in the scene,if I only did it once, it would be very effective” Willy Russell

study the contrasts that Willy Russell sets up in the musical and write about different life styles and life chances that Eddie and Mickey have.

The play ‘Blood Brothers’ was written by Willy Russell who really show the contrast between class in this play. The main difference in this play is class because right from the start to the end the class effects the two boys in every way. This class difference is shown by the way that their parents treat them, the contrast in the language that they use, where and how they live, compare their education, compare the way police treat them, compare the work that they do, and also contrasts in the power they have.

        All of these are main parts of the play the effect of class is contrasting all through their lives, like Eddie and Mickey have been separated at birth, one to a wealthy family and one has gone to a working class struggling family. Eddie has gone to the wealthy family and Mickey has gone to the working class family.

        Willy shows the first major part this is how their parents treat them by the way they speak to them. Like for example Mickey’s mother says to Mickey “just shut up, you never mind, You don’t go near there”. This shows that working class get treated with less respect.

Also Eddie is shown with a lot more love than Mickey, this is not because Mrs. Lyons loves Eddie more, its because she is feeling guilty when she shouts at him. It’s her own guilty conscious. Sometimes she is strict towards Eddie and she feels guilty about it because he is not her own son but it could be the class effecting her love for Eddie. Mrs. Lyons sometimes shouts at Eddie and then freaks out. Like for instant she is slightly out of control and this quote also shows that she is trying to keep him to herself, and not let anybody else take him away from her, and trying to keep Eddie away from Mickey because she wants him to have a good education and good life. “ You see… You see why I don’t want you mixing with boys like that filth, you learn filth and you behave like that, like them and I wont have it you’re my son mine you wont… you wont…” she sees he is scared and almost crying, she gently pulls him to her and cradles him “ oh my son…my son…”

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        Another way their parents treat them is by their names. where Eddie his mum calls him by his full name Edward, how ever on the other hand Mickey is called by a nickname which is Mickey. This shows the contrast of the two mothers. The difference of language used by Eddie and Mickey stands out a lot. This is because obviously, class is a major factor in both of their lives and it effects their use of language. Mickey is from a working class family where he has grown up using slang. “You know like when they ask you what ...

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