BLOOD BROTHERS: CLASS

L.O: TO ANALYSE THE THEME OF SOCIAL CLASS AND

EVALUATE RUSSELL’S PURPOSE

CLASS• Shapes many of the characters and events in the play.• In this country, class effects how people are able to live their lives and the

situations they are in. • In ‘Blood Brothers' Mrs Johnstone lives in a poor end of Liverpool, struggling to

bring up eight children on her own; she was forced to give one away to keep the others clothed and fed.• Mrs Lyons, whom she works for, lives in a large house, very comfortably in a

nice part of Liverpool. She wants children but is unable to have any, even though she is rich.

WORKING CLASS•The Johnstone family and Linda represent the working classes.• Typically these people would hold low paid unskilled jobs such as working

in factories.• Silting of the river in Liverpool throughout the 20th century had a

negative impact on industry and led to unemployment.•With the recession of the late 1970s and 80s came a further reduction in

this type of work and many link this period to the death of the traditional working class.

MIDDLE CLASS•Represented by the Lyons family•Managers and professionals.•Comfortably off, the middle classes were less effected by the recession. •Often these families could afford to send their children to public schools

and so offer them far better opportunities for their future lives.•The middle classes are those holding the power within society, factory

owners, businessmen and significantly those in government.

PLANNING TASK

•Work together to address the points for your section – Remember you need to be exploring the characters and themes (AO1); finding quotations to back up your points (AO2) and linking your ideas to context (AO3)

20 minutes

GROUP ONE•Mrs Johnstone • ‘Marilyn Monroe’ – the first version of the song where she

describes her problems.• ‘My child’ and the pact with Mrs Lyons – what do we learn about

the contrast between the classes here?• ‘Easy terms’ what this song tells us about life for working class

mothers.

GROUP TWO•Mickey and Eddie being reunited at 7 – how they have already been

shaped into very different people by their nurture in different social classes.• The policeman’s treatment of the pair and their parents and how

this highlights the injustices within the class system.• ‘My friend’: dramatic irony in this song and the things they admire

about each other.

GROUP THREE • ‘Bright new day’ and ‘Marilyn Monroe 2’– how the families

rehousing by the council changes life for the Johnstone family. Does it get better or are they still trapped in poverty?

•Contrasts in the educational experiences of the two boys – how does this highlight the different futures already mapped out for the two boys.

GROUP FOUR •Reunited aged 14: how Mickey and Eddie have been changed by

a further 7 years apart living in different social classes.• ‘That Guy’• ‘Summer sequence’• ‘I’m not saying a word’• The parting – why does Russell separate the boys at 18 – how

does this link to their social class?

GROUP FIVE• ‘One day in October’ In what way is history repeating itself with

Linda and Mickey? What does this suggest about class?• Take a letter Miss Jones’ How does this song portray the middle

classes? How does the audience feel about Mr Lyons?• The robbery and ‘Marilyn Monroe 3’ How does class influence the

events in this part of the play?

GROUP SIX• ‘Light romance’ how is the relationship between Eddie and Linda

doomed by their social class? What is the significance between the links between Mrs Johnstone and Linda here? What is Russell suggesting about life for working class women?• The narrator’s final address to the audience: Why does he use direct

address and interrogative sentence moods? What is the significance of the rhyming of ‘pass’ and ‘class’ why is Russell highlighting these words?

CONSOLIDATE

•Each group to feedback their findings – Take notes to help you plan your assessment response.