English lit blood brothers

• Mrs. Jonstone is a judged character as the narrator says “ the mother so cruel there’s a stone in her heart” this shows how she’s looked down upon due to her class and having lots of kids. The narrator says this quote to explain she’s so cruel to give a child away but she wouldn’t have been able to look after him anyway
• what is a quote that shows Mrs. Jonson is optimistic?

  “ oh, bright new day we’re moving away”

  “ we’ll live like kings, like bright young things”
• Mrs. Johnson is superstitious and easily manipulated the quote “never put new shoes on the table… you never know what will happen” shows superstition. It’s foreshadowing (suggest) that’s something bad will happen right from the start of the show. This lets Mrs Lyons take advantage of her for being superstitious. The quote “you swore on the bible” also shows how Mrs Lyons takes advantage of her.
• Why does Mrs. Johnson always feel guilty? What’s the quote to support this?

  She feels guilty about giving Edward away, although she knows she wouldn’t have been able to care for him. A quote that supports this is “ you’re always gonna know what was done… You sold your son”
• Mrs Johnstone is poor and vulnerable as she says “ they say I should put them into care”. This illustrates that her job as a cleaner doesn’t pay enough to give her kids a great life as she’s been threatened for them to be taken into care. When her kids say “ I’m starving and there’s nothing in” this shows that she can’t feed them properly as she isn’t earning enough.
• What is a quote showing Mrs. Johnstone is ashamed? Use what you know about the context to support this.

  The writer illustrates Mrs. Johnstone as feeling ashamed. The use of personification in the quote “ no reputation following me” shows how she feels like she can have a fresh start. This also shows how she’s aware of her family reputation and is ashamed of it.
• A quote that shows Mrs Johnson has been discriminated against is “ there’ll be no more bloody warnings from now on”. This shows how the police treat her and mickey when they commit the crime is different to how they treat Edward and Mrs. Lyons. this shows social injustice as she is a working class woman
• Frustration is shown in the play as Mrs. Johnstone says “ I know I shouldn’t… I’ve spent my whole bleeding life knowing I shouldn’t” repetition of the word shouldn’t highlights the fact she knows that she shouldn’t of done it but she is frustrated with poverty. It illustrates how Mrs Johnstone is so careless with her money and debts.
• What is the first key thing that opens the play?

  the play opens to Mrs. Johnstone who is a single and struggling mother. She has lots of children and lots of mouths to feed. She discovers that she’s pregnant with twins but can’t afford the current amount so don’t know how she’s gonna handle it.
• Who is Mrs. Lyons?

  Mrs. Lyons is Mrs. Johnstones boss. She a middle class woman. Her husband is financially stable. Mrs. Lyons really wants a child but can’t so she persuades Mrs Johnstone to give her one of her sons.
• How does Mrs. Lyons convince her husband that she’s pregnant?

  She lies to her husband as he’s working away so convinces him that she got pregnant but didn’t want to worry him so didn’t tell him
• Why does Mrs. Lyons fire Mrs. Johnstone?

  She doesn’t like how she’s fussing over Edward instead of working
• At what age do Mickey and Edward meet and become friends with Linda?

  Age 7
• What happened when Mickey Edward and Linda got in trouble with the police?

  Mrs Lyons hated that Edward got in trouble for throwing stones at windows so they moved house. Mrs Lyons and Edward get away with it a lot easier as the police are a lot more harsh with Mickey and Mrs. Johnstone due to their working class.
• When Mickey, Linda and Edward become friends again in there teens is there still a difference in their education?

  Yes, there is still a massive difference in their education. Linda and mickey are poorly educated whereas Edward goes to university.
• Linda Falls pregnant and Mickey marries her. Due to the Margaret Thatcher era, Mickey gets a factory job but then loses it.
• Unemployment was linked to crime. During the time that Mickey was unemployed, Mickey committed a crime with Sammy and they both got sent to prison.
• While in jail, what happened to Mickey?

  He took pills and got addicted to them. Linda then found an emotional disconnection with her and Mickey.
• What happened when Mickey left prison?

  Mickey got a new job and Linda and Edward have an affair that Mickey then discovers
• The pace of the play, then speeds up and Mickey gets Sammy’s gun and finds Edward at the Townhall and threatens to kill him.
• Who reveals to Mickey and Edward their twins?

  Mrs. Johnstone reveals to them that their twins the police arrived and Mickey accidentally killed Edward police then kill Mickey.
• Why is Mrs. Lyons described as cunning?

  Because she makes Mrs Johnstone feel bad about Edward and uses her superstition against her
• mrs. Lyons is described as manipulative. The use of the quote “(laughing) oh… you mean you’re superstitious” makes a reader lose respect for her as the action laughing is showing she’s looking down on Mrs. Johnstone and she can be easily manipulated as she superstitious.
• At the start of the play when Mrs Lyons says “we’ve been trying for such a long time now” and “ I’ve dreamed of all the places I would take him” How would this make a reader feel?

  This will make a reader feel sympathetic towards her at the beginning of the show, but soon later we lose the sympathy for her
• How is Mrs. Lyons represented as irrational and controlling?

  Mrs. Lyons is represented as irrational and controlling when she says to Mrs. Johnstone “ if he needs picking up, I shall pick him up alright?” This Shows her attitude towards the lower class and towards Mrs. Johnstone.
• Mrs. Lyons Is illustrated as wealthy and classist. This is shown when she says “I’m talking about thousands if you want it“. This shows her class and that shes wealthy by being able to pay a lot. She uses her wealth to manipulate mrs Johnstone to let her have Edward. The quote “mixing with boys like that” also supports the argument that she’s wealthy as this shows how she Looks down on the working class and she doesn’t want Edward to play with Mickey or any other working class children. This also makes mrs Lyon’s want to move and tells her husband they need to.
• What quote and reasoning shows that Mrs Lyon’s is paranoid?

  The quote “wherever I go you’ll be Just behind me“ shows that mrs Lyon’s is paranoid as she doesnt want the truth to come out. This is because she hides so many lies not just to mr Lyon’s but to Edward and Mrs Johnstone to. She is extremely irritated that they have just moved house to try and get away from Mrs Johnstone and her family but them Mrs Johnstone has now moved house as well closer to mrs Lyon’s.
• Mickey is represented as struggling. The use of repetition of the word nothin’ in the quote “ but, but after three months of nothin the same answer everywhere, nothin Nothin Down for y‘ crawl back to that job for half the pay and double the hours. Just… Just making up boxes it was.” Reinforces how empty and meaningless he feels due to being unable to support his family. The words “Crawl back” suggests he’s willing to do anything to escape his current situation even go back to his old job which he hated.
• The quote “ I know loads of words like that… like the F word” illustrates he’s a working class child and left his own devices by his mum. This shows that Mickey is less educated as he swears a lot and uses slang.
• What’s a quote showing Mick was loyal?

  We’re brothers and we always have to stand by each other
• Mickey is shown as resentful. This is represented through the quote “ well no one was looking I grew up. A you didn’t Because you didn’t need to.” This shows that working class children had to grow more quickly as their parents weren’t over there to look after them. Further on in the play when Mickey says “ how come you got everything an I got nothing” he realises Edward has a much better life than him and now he even has Linda as well
• What’s a quote to support the fact that Edward is well educated?

  When he says to Mickey “Don’t you know what a dictionary is?”

  When he jokes saying “ we have been undergoing a remarkable celluloid experience”
• “ He’s a friggin poshy” or “ I’ve got money plenty of it” tells us that Edward is a middle-class. How does it tell us this?


  Language and attitude suggest a desire to appear wealthy, which is common in the middle class. Illustrates how he has a good job meaning he earns a lot which is the opposite of Mickey as Mickey never had enough money in life.
• Edward is described as secure as he says “ why is a job so important?” “ if I couldn’t get a job, I’d just say sod it”. This shows that Edwards life is planned nicely and he has a luxury of going to university that he gets to look forward to. He doesn’t understand about getting a job so early as Mickey has to worry about that and earning money.
• In what way is Edward described as confident and assertive?


  Edward is confident and assertive which is shown through the quote. “You should not take my locket.” This is when in school he refuses to give up to the locket and stands up to what he wants
• What are the five key themes?

  Social class, superstition and fate, violent nature vs nurture, violence and friendship
• violence is used to show lack of control and feelings of weakness from the characters. None of the violence is planned or premediated. violence is all reactions to the situations and heightened emotions (especially Mrs lyons and Mickey)
• Name one quote that shows superstition?

  “New shoes on the table, take them off” this is sent by Mrs. Johnstone. This is foreshadowing the future that something bad will happen.