Blood Brothers Themes: Social Class, Inequality & Superstition for GCSE

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Harry - Knowunity

23/05/2023

English Literature

Blood Brothers: Key quotes, themes & info

Subjects

English Literature

Literature

Boy meets boy

Blood Brothers Themes: Social Class, Inequality & Superstition for GCSE

Blood Brothers is a powerful exploration of social class, fate, and family relationships in 1980s Britain, examining how societal divisions shape the lives of twin brothers separated at birth.

Key aspects:

Explores themes of social class inequality through the contrasting lives of Mickey and Edward
Demonstrates the role of superstition and fate in driving the narrative
Examines character development through class-based experiences
Highlights the impact of education and opportunity on life outcomes
Shows how violence and desperation emerge from social inequality

23/05/2023

BLOOD BROTHERS - EXAM INTRODUCTION
Within your examination, you will be asked two questions, where
you are to only answer one of the questio

Blood Brothers - Themes: Social Class & Inequality

Social class inequality is a central theme in Blood Brothers, reflecting the socioeconomic divides in 1980s Britain:

Mickey and his family represent the struggling working class affected by high unemployment
Edward and the Lyons family embody the thriving middle class

Quote: "You don't understand anythin', do ye? I don't wear a hat that I could tilt at the world." - Mickey

This quote highlights the vast differences in Mickey and Edward's life experiences and opportunities despite being twins.

Highlight: Willy Russell challenges Margaret Thatcher's belief that hard work alone leads to success, showing how social class limits prospects.

The play explores how social class shapes the twins' lives through:

Differences in childhood experiences
Contrasting education and job opportunities
Divergent adult lives and relationships

Example: Edward's privileged upbringing allows him to pursue higher education, while Mickey struggles to find stable employment.

View

Blood Brothers - Themes: Superstition & Fate

Superstition and fate play significant roles in Blood Brothers, intertwining with the theme of social class:

Mrs Johnstone is highly superstitious, believing in omens and luck
Mrs Lyons manipulates Mrs Johnstone's beliefs to keep the twins apart
The Narrator reinforces the idea of an inescapable fate throughout the play

Quote: "Y' know the devil's got your number / Y' know he's gonna find y'" - Narrator

Russell questions whether superstition and fate truly determine the twins' futures or if social class is the more powerful force.

Highlight: The play challenges audiences to consider if the tragic ending is due to superstition or societal inequalities.

View

Blood Brothers - Themes: Violence

Violence permeates Blood Brothers, escalating as the play progresses:

Working-class children are exposed to violence from a young age
Characters turn to violence when they feel powerless or lose control
The play culminates in the tragic, violent deaths of Mickey and Edward

Quote: "But you know that if you cross your fingers / And if you count from one to ten / You can get up off the ground again / It doesn't matter / The whole thing's just a game."

This quote from the Narrator ironically contrasts the innocence of childhood games with the real-world violence that shapes the characters' lives.

Examples of violence in the play:

Sammy involving Mickey in armed robbery
Mrs Lyons becoming violent towards Mrs Johnstone
Mickey accidentally shooting Edward in the final scene

Highlight: Violence in Blood Brothers often reflects characters' lack of control over their circumstances, particularly for working-class individuals.

View

Blood Brothers - Characters: Mickey

Mickey is a complex character who embodies the struggles of the working class:

Friendly: Initially open and welcoming to Edward

Quote: "See this means that we're blood brothers, an' that we always have to stand by each other."
Uneducated: Uses slang and swear words, unfamiliar with formal language

Quote: "Yeh. Yeh, I know loads of words like that. Y'know like the 'F' word."
Frustrated: Becomes angry when he loses his job and can't provide for his family

Quote: "That was kids' stuff, Eddie. Didn't anyone tell y? But I suppose you still are a kid, aren't ye?"
Bitter: Resents the differences between his life and Edward's by the end of the play

Quote: "Well, how come you got everything... an' I got nothin'?"

Highlight: Mickey's character arc demonstrates how social inequality can shape a person's life trajectory and outlook.

View

Blood Brothers - Characters: Edward

Edward represents the privileged middle class in Blood Brothers:

Warm: Forms a quick connection with Mrs Johnstone despite class differences

Quote: "I thought you didn't like me. I thought you weren't very nice. But I think you're smashing."
Kind: Willing to share his possessions with his new friend Mickey

Quote: "Yes, of course. Take as many as you want."
Thoughtless: Often unaware of the realities of working-class life

Quote: "So you're not working. Why is it so important?"
Educated: Uses formal language and has access to educational resources

Example: Edward mentions looking up words in a dictionary, highlighting his privileged access to education.

Highlight: Edward's character serves as a foil to Mickey, emphasizing the impact of social class on personal development and opportunities.

View

Characters: Edward

Edward's privileged upbringing shapes his character and worldview.

Quote: "So you're not working. Why is it so important?"

Highlight: Despite his kind nature, Edward's privileged background prevents him from truly understanding Mickey's struggles.

Example: His willingness to share sweets demonstrates his generous nature but also his taken-for-granted wealth.

View

Characters: Mrs Johnstone

Mrs Johnstone represents resilience in the face of working-class hardship.

Quote: "By the time that I was twenty five, I looked like forty two"

Highlight: Her character develops from struggling young mother to a more mature, self-sufficient woman.

Example: Her rejection of money later in the play shows her growth and changed priorities.

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Subjects

English Literature

Literature

Boy meets boy

Blood Brothers Themes: Social Class, Inequality & Superstition for GCSE

Harry - Knowunity

@revisewithharry

2,825 Followers

Blood Brothers is a powerful exploration of social class, fate, and family relationships in 1980s Britain, examining how societal divisions shape the lives of twin brothers separated at birth.

Key aspects:

Explores themes of social class inequality through the contrasting lives of Mickey and Edward
Demonstrates the role of superstition and fate in driving the narrative
Examines character development through class-based experiences
Highlights the impact of education and opportunity on life outcomes
Shows how violence and desperation emerge from social inequality

...

23/05/2023

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10/11

English Literature

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Blood Brothers - Themes: Social Class & Inequality

Social class inequality is a central theme in Blood Brothers, reflecting the socioeconomic divides in 1980s Britain:

Mickey and his family represent the struggling working class affected by high unemployment
Edward and the Lyons family embody the thriving middle class

Quote: "You don't understand anythin', do ye? I don't wear a hat that I could tilt at the world." - Mickey

This quote highlights the vast differences in Mickey and Edward's life experiences and opportunities despite being twins.

Highlight: Willy Russell challenges Margaret Thatcher's belief that hard work alone leads to success, showing how social class limits prospects.

The play explores how social class shapes the twins' lives through:

Differences in childhood experiences
Contrasting education and job opportunities
Divergent adult lives and relationships

Example: Edward's privileged upbringing allows him to pursue higher education, while Mickey struggles to find stable employment.

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Blood Brothers - Themes: Superstition & Fate

Superstition and fate play significant roles in Blood Brothers, intertwining with the theme of social class:

Mrs Johnstone is highly superstitious, believing in omens and luck
Mrs Lyons manipulates Mrs Johnstone's beliefs to keep the twins apart
The Narrator reinforces the idea of an inescapable fate throughout the play

Quote: "Y' know the devil's got your number / Y' know he's gonna find y'" - Narrator

Russell questions whether superstition and fate truly determine the twins' futures or if social class is the more powerful force.

Highlight: The play challenges audiences to consider if the tragic ending is due to superstition or societal inequalities.

Sign up to see the content. It's free!

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By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Blood Brothers - Themes: Violence

Violence permeates Blood Brothers, escalating as the play progresses:

Working-class children are exposed to violence from a young age
Characters turn to violence when they feel powerless or lose control
The play culminates in the tragic, violent deaths of Mickey and Edward

Quote: "But you know that if you cross your fingers / And if you count from one to ten / You can get up off the ground again / It doesn't matter / The whole thing's just a game."

This quote from the Narrator ironically contrasts the innocence of childhood games with the real-world violence that shapes the characters' lives.

Examples of violence in the play:

Sammy involving Mickey in armed robbery
Mrs Lyons becoming violent towards Mrs Johnstone
Mickey accidentally shooting Edward in the final scene

Highlight: Violence in Blood Brothers often reflects characters' lack of control over their circumstances, particularly for working-class individuals.

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Blood Brothers - Characters: Mickey

Mickey is a complex character who embodies the struggles of the working class:

Friendly: Initially open and welcoming to Edward

Quote: "See this means that we're blood brothers, an' that we always have to stand by each other."
Uneducated: Uses slang and swear words, unfamiliar with formal language

Quote: "Yeh. Yeh, I know loads of words like that. Y'know like the 'F' word."
Frustrated: Becomes angry when he loses his job and can't provide for his family

Quote: "That was kids' stuff, Eddie. Didn't anyone tell y? But I suppose you still are a kid, aren't ye?"
Bitter: Resents the differences between his life and Edward's by the end of the play

Quote: "Well, how come you got everything... an' I got nothin'?"

Highlight: Mickey's character arc demonstrates how social inequality can shape a person's life trajectory and outlook.

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Blood Brothers - Characters: Edward

Edward represents the privileged middle class in Blood Brothers:

Warm: Forms a quick connection with Mrs Johnstone despite class differences

Quote: "I thought you didn't like me. I thought you weren't very nice. But I think you're smashing."
Kind: Willing to share his possessions with his new friend Mickey

Quote: "Yes, of course. Take as many as you want."
Thoughtless: Often unaware of the realities of working-class life

Quote: "So you're not working. Why is it so important?"
Educated: Uses formal language and has access to educational resources

Example: Edward mentions looking up words in a dictionary, highlighting his privileged access to education.

Highlight: Edward's character serves as a foil to Mickey, emphasizing the impact of social class on personal development and opportunities.

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Characters: Edward

Edward's privileged upbringing shapes his character and worldview.

Quote: "So you're not working. Why is it so important?"

Highlight: Despite his kind nature, Edward's privileged background prevents him from truly understanding Mickey's struggles.

Example: His willingness to share sweets demonstrates his generous nature but also his taken-for-granted wealth.

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Characters: Mrs Johnstone

Mrs Johnstone represents resilience in the face of working-class hardship.

Quote: "By the time that I was twenty five, I looked like forty two"

Highlight: Her character develops from struggling young mother to a more mature, self-sufficient woman.

Example: Her rejection of money later in the play shows her growth and changed priorities.

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Blood Brothers - Exam Introduction

The Blood Brothers exam typically includes two questions:

One focused on a specific character
One addressing a major theme

Recent exam topics have included:

Character questions on Mrs Johnstone, the Narrator, Mrs Lyons, and Linda
Thematic questions on education, society, friendship, money, and life experiences

Highlight: Always carefully plan your response before answering an exam question on Blood Brothers.

Example: The 2021 exam asked about Mrs Johnstone as a strong female character and the importance of education in the play.

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Knowunity is the #1 education app in five European countries

Knowunity has been named a featured story on Apple and has regularly topped the app store charts in the education category in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Join Knowunity today and help millions of students around the world.

Download in

Google Play

Download in

App Store

4.9+

Average app rating

20 M

Pupils love Knowunity

#1

In education app charts in 17 countries

950 K+

Students have uploaded notes

Still not convinced? See what other students are saying...

iOS User

I love this app so much, I also use it daily. I recommend Knowunity to everyone!!! I went from a D to an A with it :D

Philip, iOS User

The app is very simple and well designed. So far I have always found everything I was looking for :D

Lena, iOS user