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Blood brothers -_revision
- 1. Copyright © 2009englishteaching.co.uk Blood Brothers Revision
- 2. Themes Class divide Family Growing up Superstition and Fate Hopes and Dreams Nature versus Nurture Love and Marriage Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 3. Characters Mrs Johnstone Mickey Other children including Sammy and Donna-Marie Linda Mrs Lyons Mr Lyons Edward Lyons Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk Narrator Chorus to play minor roles such as Miss Jones
- 4. Motifs Marilyn Monroe Guns -toy and real The idea of games Dancing Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 5. Techniques Parallel scenesto bring out class differences Use of key episodes to give a flavour of life, since play covers a long period of time Use of songs Use of motifs Narrator and chorus Flashback – starts with final scene Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 6. Language The workingclass characters speak in Liverpool dialect, which makes them sound natural, warm and likeable. The middle class characters speak in standard English, with Received Pronunciation. This is a cause of humour when the boys first meet. Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 7. The Role ofthe Narrator Comments on the action Tells the story and involves the audience Links episodes together Warns of danger by appearing on stage at crucial times Points out themes Asks audience questions Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 8. What do thesongs add to the Play? Link scenes and draw parallels Remind the audience of key themes Link the two halves of the play by using some of the same words / tunes, such as ‘Easy Terms’ Mood and atmosphere Humour and pathos Fill in parts of the plot Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 9. The tragic outcomeis inevitable from the very start. Discuss. Theme of Superstition and Fate Starting with final scene Continual warnings from the narrator The Marilyn Monroe motif The gun motif Nurture – Johnstone family are in trouble from the start. E.g. Sammy’s behaviour and Mrs Johnstone’s fears for Mickey Class divide Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 10. To what extentdo you feel sympathy for Mrs Johnstone? At the start, very little: ‘a stone in place of a heart’, but gradually, as the story unfolds, we feel much more: Husband walks out leaving her with little money Mrs Lyons pushes her into it She does it ‘for the best’ She’s a loving mother to all her children She stays cheerful and makes the best of things But do we also feel she could have controlled her children better, been harder on them? Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 11. What does thisplay have to say about class? The class divide is unfair Russell shows that two people with identical DNA can be so different in what they achieve because working class people were denied the chances to develop Russell poses the question: ‘could it be what we, the English, have come to know as class?’ Money can’t buy love but it can buy power. Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk
- 12. Now you try… What has this play to say about mother / child relationships? How is the theme of love presented? You may consider family love, romantic love and married love. How far do you think Russell presents the working class characters in a more favourable light than the middle class characters? Canyouthinkofanyotherquestions? Copyright © 2009 englishteaching.co.uk