Blood Brothers

Willy Russell uses the contrast of characters to show the major difference in social class in the play Blood Brothers. Mrs Johnstone was the first character introduced to us in the play. In 'Blood Brothers ' Mrs Johnstone lives in a poor end of Liverpool, struggling to bring up eight children on her own and is forced to give one away to keep the others clothed and fed well enough, whereas 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, unlike Mrs Johnstone. Mrs Johnstone is portrayed as a stereotypical working class mother. In the introductory song, Russell uses Mrs Johnstone to create this stereotype. "We got married at the Registry an ' then we had a 'do” Mentioning the Registry, Russell is trying to show that working class people are unable to fund a wedding in a church. Also, using the term 'do ' Russell is exemplifying the language that people of a working class background use, unlike somebody of upper class who would probably use the term 'wedding reception. ' However, Mrs Johnstone proves she is aspiring to be Upper Class when Russell uses her opinions of an upper class lifestyle. “We all had curly salmon sandwiches.” Mrs Johnstone, like all stereotypical working class people thinks that salmon sandwiches make them look as if they were upper class. Also, the reference to the “curl” of the sandwiches implies that they have been made and were prepared much earlier, which once again conveys their social class. Also, on the wedding theme, “An’ how the ale did flow”, this shows how poorly these people’s expectations are. At a stereotypical wedding, people drink wine, or Champagne, but because of lack of money, and the rush to get married due to the pregnancy of Mrs Johnstone, the guests drink ale. Also, this suggests that all the friends at the wedding reception, or “do” are working class people.
Another theme that emphasises