Blood Brothers Characters

Mrs Johnstone
1. Naturally Maternal
  1. generous character
  2. knows what is right and wrong
  3. because of her circumstance, it makes it difficult for her to be a straightforward 'good' person.
    1. has 7 children by her mid-twenties
      1. could hint at religious attitudes to contraception
  4. finds it hard to discipline
  5. refuses Mrs Lyons bribe
    1. does agree under extreme pressure
  6. largely unselfish
    1. wanted what was best for Edward
2. Lack of Education
  1. does not seem bothered when Micky is suspended from school.
  2. does not value it
  3. lead to belief of superstition?
3. Lively
  1. love of dancing
  2. happy go lucky
4. Poor
  1. struggles to care for children
    1. why she gives Edward away
  2. had to sacrifice any youthful enjoyment
  3. old before her time
5. often makes rash decisions
  1. buying from the catalogue
  2. does not concern herself of how things came to be and is generally accepting
Mickey
1. Friendly
  1. in act one
  2. happy child
2. feels like a cast-off in comparison to sammy
  1. looks up to sammy
  2. finds it hard to say no to him
  3. eventually leads him to crime
3. shy about his emotions
  1. takes years to ask Linda out on a date
  2. finds it hard to tell Linda he loves her
  3. becomes more withdrawn once unemployed
4. not well educated
  1. doesn't show any interest
  2. more interested in getting a job
5. great relationship with edward
  1. gives Micky a chance to shine and escapes oppression he feels from Sammy
  2. likes his generosity
  3. enjoys showing him new things
Mrs Lyons
1. lonely housewife
  1. cold character
  2. finds it difficult to be affectionate
  3. unable to have children
2. wealthy but dependant
  1. doesn't work or do housework
    1. makes her disliked
    2. hires Mrs Johnson to do so
  2. presented as inconsiderate and pampered
3. self-centred
  1. uses others for her own gain
    1. tricks Mrs Johnson into believing in a false superstition
  2. cruelly discards Mrs Johnson after she has Edward
  3. manipulative
4. overprotective mother
  1. always anxious about Edward
    1. keeps him in the house or garden
  2. tries to keep him away from Mickey
    1. doesn't want him 'mixing with boys like that'
5. overcome by anxieties and superstitions
  1. later in the play
  2. due to excessive loneliness
  3. loveless life
  4. becomes unreasonable and mad
    1. attacks Mrs Johnstone
Edward
1. friendly and generous
  1. naively offers Mickey sweets to impress him
  2. unselfishly tries to get Micky to tell Linda he loves her
  3. joins in with Mickey and Linda
2. middle class
  1. educated at private school
  2. feels restricted
    1. one of the reasons he plays with Mickey
      1. sign of rebellion?
  3. he loves Mickeys bad language, behaviour and liveliness
3. impulsive and rash charater
  1. he rashly mocks the police man in the first act
  2. has an affair with Linda in the second act
  3. doesn't think to deeply of actions
    1. because he actions do not usually have consequnces due to his social class
4. lacks compassion
  1. does not sympathise with mickeys plight
  2. tells mickey to use his dole money to live like a Bohemian
  3. arranges a job for Mickey but in secret
Linda
1. naturally kind and compassionate
  1. comes to Mickey's aid
    1. when he is suspended from school
    2. when he is mocked by others
2. feisty and humerous
  1. leads the way in jokes
  2. plays tricks on the policeman
3. strong-willed and protective
  1. tries to protect Micky
  2. tries to convince Micky to get rid of his drugs
4. is poor
  1. lack of education and money hints that she has no real chance of happiness
  2. asks Edward for financial help in Act 2
    1. has an affair with him
      1. is she untrustworthy or is she just escaping her circumstances?
The Narrator
1. made a character
  1. presented as a real character by Russel
  2. acts like the Greek 'Chorus' from an ancient tragedy
    1. explains key actions
2. helps audience stay detached
  1. reminds the audience that is a story
  2. focusing on the message and moral
3. reveals the plot
  1. says the brothers die during the prologue
    1. the audience knows the story so detaches itself from the plot and focuses on the themes

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Blood Brothers Characters

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	Created by Lauren Saxon over 9 years ago