By What Means Does Willy Russell Engage Our Sympathy For Shirley In The Opening Part Of The Play?

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BLAL YASIN                                                              GCSE ENGLISH       YR 1001/05/07 By What Means Does Willy Russell Engage Our Sympathy For Shirley In The Opening Part Of The Play? In the opening part of the play feeling sympathy for Shirley is a regular occurrence expressed through loneliness, regret, unhappiness and humour. This only being a minority of the feelings Shirley feels.    We find Shirley to be a humorous and genile person looking for a more easyer and comfortable way of life.   We feel sympathy for Shirley when her sadness is expressed as insecurity. “Even though her name was changed to Bradshaw she was still Shirley Valentine.” This shows how she was changed
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into something she did not want to be and how she regrets marrying Joe. Shirley has an ability to make humour out of what may be at discomfort to her. Maybe the marriage to Joe is an example of this. Shirley’s life becomes jaded and boring, as her life seemed to go down hill after marrying Joe. “They say don’t they…I felt like that at twenty-five”. It seems as though Shirley was cheated out fifteen years in her life, which creates sympathy for Shirley. Shirley finds it hard to make friends and to socialize with others. “I haven’t known Jane ...

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