Violence

• “Till the day they die when a mother cried my own dear son’s lie slain”. Narrator Act 1

  “You won’t tell anyone about this Mrs. Johnstone because if you do, you will kill them“ Mrs Lyon’s Act 1

  context:

  Narrator tells audience that the play ends in violence. Mrs L persuades Mrs J to keep a secret telling her she will be responsible for their death if the twins ever find out they were brothers.
• “Mrs Lyon’s has opened the knife drawer and has a lethal looking knife in her hand” Stage directions Act 2


  Context:

  These stage direction show Mrs L be becoming violent and active to Mrs L threatens Mrs J in her kitchen when she learns Mickey and Edward are still friends.
• “You can get up off the ground again it doesn’t matter the whole thing is just a game” The Narrator Act 1

  “I’m gonna get a real gun soon” Mickey Act 1

  Context:

  The narrator delivers these lines and act one when the children are playing a game on the street the narrow toes audiences that in these childhood games their children can get up after being shot as it is just pretend later Mickey tells the audience he’s going to get a real gun to impress his friends

  Analysis:

  Russell separates his play into two distinct acts to contract the difference between childhood and adulthood
• “You can get up off the ground again it doesn’t matter the whole thing is just a game” The Narrator Act 1

  “I’m gonna get a real gun soon” Mickey Act 1

  Analysis:

  in act one the audience are told that the children’s games are not real and the children will be able to get up after being shot. He suggests the games the children play can lead to attitudes which underplay real violence. Russell uses foreshadowing to hint that the real violence of act 2 when Mickey commits armed robbery and shoots Edward.
• “You can get up off the ground again it doesn’t matter the whole thing is just a game” The Narrator Act 1

  “I’m gonna get a real gun soon” Mickey Act 1


  Analysis:

  Russell shows the negative male of Mickey‘s childhood leads to violence. He looks up to his aggressive older brother, Sammy, and tries to impress his friends by telling them he wants a real gun. This links the innocence of childhood games to real violence. Russell criticises typical childhood games which involve pretend warfare. Russell‘s stage d‘s reference the children becoming “bored and genocide” when they stop the game.
• “Till the day they die when a mother cried my own dear son’s lie slain” Narrator Act 1

  “You won’t tell anyone about this Mrs Johnstone because if you do, you will kill them“ Mrs Lyon’s Act 1

  analysis:

  Introduce the theme of violence. Russell uses emotive imagery to show the grief of a mother crying to convey the tragic consequences of violence. The use of the word “slain” refers to murder this links the mothers to the murder. when Mrs Lyons suggests Mrs Johnstone will “kill them” if she does not abide by the superstition, Russell hints at their involvement in the murder
• “Mrs Lyon’s has opened the knife drawer and has a lethal looking knife in her hand” stage directions Act 2

  Analysis:

  The actions represent a silent pause in the scene create tension. Russell links violence with feelings of powerlessness and mental deterioration. Mrs L resorts to violence when she cannot control her situation. in the scene she is called a “mad woman” by the children. Mrs L slaps Edward when she feels unable to control him. Russell shows the middle class mother resorting to violence when powerless while Mrs J with challenges far greater remains calm throughout the play.