How does Russell present the characters of Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons to the audience? by Katherine Elizabeth Humphrey https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542 en-us 2019-03-08 04:18:41 UTC 2019-03-28 04:10:58 UTC hello@padlet.com Maleeha https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079293 Russell presents the characters of Mrs.Johnstone and Mrs.Lyons as two struggling women haunted by the act of giving up their children. Both of them have daily struggles in their lives; but their main struggle is becoming tortured by regret and guilt. This is evident when Mrs.Johnstone says: " What's gone before will be concealed." and Mrs.Lyons says: "‘Don’t say that! You are my son! mine!" Both Mrs.Johnstone and Mrs.Lyons are constantly frightened that their children will meet each other. They both carry the baggage of the past, and are consumed with guilt and regret. Mrs.Johnstone is always regretting her actions. She feels lugubrious at giving her son away and also by being hoodwinked by Mrs.Lyons machiavellian mind and ideas. This is highlighted when Mrs.Johnstone meets Edward for the first time. Yet again, she uses a song to highlight her deep feelings for her lost child, and wonders if she will ever see him again. Though she couldn’t support her children, she was terribly distressed at giving a child of her own to someone who doesn’t even let her see him everyday. Mrs.Lyons manipulative mind had made Mrs.Johnstone doubtful. It could also be argued that she didn’t want her son to meet his twin, as she could feel even more remorseful upon seeing her lost child. Alternatively, Mrs.Lyons is filled with regret at not taking the baby, but not telling anyone about it. She is not shown expressing her guilt, but she is shown as a woman who feels threatened if anyone slightly doubted her relations with her son. She always feels panic-stricken at the mention of Mrs.Johnstone or Mickey. 
This is perceptible when Mrs.Lyons keeps reminding Edward that he is her son and no one else’s. She is constantly threatened  by the truth and does her best to hide the truth. She scolds Edward for playing with working class people, she scolds him for playing with Mickey and she lies to him and tells him she’s ill. In order to hide one truth- that haunts her forever, Mrs.Lyons tells several lies and sets several restrictions for her son. The same can be said for Mrs.Johnstone, who forbids Edward to come near the house, though half-heartedly.
]]> 2019-03-22 05:08:19 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079293 Fatimah https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079304 Near the beginning of the musical, Mrs Johnstone is presented as a deeply superstitious person. This is evident in the line: "“MRS. JOHNSTONE: Oh God, Mrs. Lyons, never put new shoes on a table…You never know what’ll happen.
MRS. LYONS: Oh…you mean your superstitious?
MRS. JOHNSTONE: No, but you never put new shoes on a table.” Throughout the play superstition is presented as a symbol. At the beginning of the musical, it was Mrs Johnstone who was into superstition however the roles reversed when Mrs Lyons becomes superstitious when Mr Lyons puts shoes on the table. The language used in this is very forced and surprised due to her reaction, “Oh God,” suggests that she is taken aback by the fact that she put new shoes on the table. However, shoes can represent the fact that they’re identical so if one goes missing then it may never be found again. This refers to Edward and Mickey, when one of them goes away but still are reunited. On the other hand towards the end both shoes go missing this refers to Mickey and Edward being deceased.

]]> 2019-03-22 05:08:29 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079304 Li Yang https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079388 In the play, the staging was such that Mrs Lyons had a majestic room with a bright room but Mrs Johnstone only had a door. | The noun 'door' opens and closes which highlights Mrs Johnstone's characteristics on the other hand a 'door' could be pushed and pulled which resembles Mrs Lyons. One could argue that Mrs Johnstone was an open door when she gave Edward to Mrs Lyons but as the play unravels she starts closing herself towards the community outside which invokes a sense of regret and fear of being judged as she is already divorced she has naturalised a reputation of disobedience. Whereas Mrs Lyons is cunning and pushes Mr Johnstone into giving up her baby but she is motivated by her isolation to commit to this crime which she later on metiones after Mrs Johnstone wants the baby backThis metaphoric symbol mimics the similarity between both Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons. Additionally, both Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons move out of their old houses to a new one because they are still haunted by their actions which illustrates explicitly to the audience how old doors close and new ones open. Russell's intentions was to connote how even two social classes juxtapose yet their feelings are so alike and they both have the same approach to this crime they have committed.]]> 2019-03-22 05:10:13 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079388 Rhu Ming https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079395 What Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons did could have been described as a horrible sin as they broke the law and let the twins (Eddie and Mickey) grow up in a lie, not knowing that they were twins. The juxtaposition between how 'In the name of Jesus the thing was done' and the sin they committed further exemplifies the severity of the sin. This could perhaps be a link to religion and foreshadow the death of Eddie and Mickey as Jesus was known for having died and was a martyr. It could suggest that Eddie and Mickey were unknowing martyrs who, from the audience's perspective, have died to illustrate that social class doesn't affect people's moral standing (meaning that those of a higher social class aren't necessarily better than those of a lower social class).]]> 2019-03-22 05:10:27 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079395 Russell has used language, to define social class, and separate the two ’kinds’. He has pursued this through the character of the policeman. In description, the policeman’s behaviour towards Mrs Johnstone, was quite harsh and abrupt. “No more bloody warnings” This evidence can be associated with social class, because as we can see, the policeman’s behaviour struck a sudden change when he arrived at Mrs Lyons house. “Not sure I’d let him mix with the likes of them in the future.” Here we can already notice the policeman implying social class in his dialogue. This dialogue can prove, that you stay the same on the social ladder, if you’re born poor, you die poor, and if you’re born rich, you stay rich. https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079396 2019-03-22 05:10:28 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079396 Ruby https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079413 Mr Johnstone is shown as being deeply superstitious, originally a juxtaposition to Mrs Lyons's rational, no nonsense attitude.
"Oh... you mean your superstitious?"
"No, but you never put new shoes on the table"
During their conversation you see that Mrs Lyons clearly doesn't take the shoes on the table seriously. From the second quote, it could be inferred that mrs Johnstone doesn't acknowledge her superstitions, as she probably sees them as normal considering she lives and always has lived in a working class society.
Their differences in class could be blamed for Mrs Johnstone's superstitious attitude and Mrs Lyons's rational one. As the play progresses we see Mrs Lyons's attitude change, this could be a representation of their worlds, because of their sons, colliding.]]> 2019-03-22 05:10:36 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079413 Sid https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079452 I find it ironic that Mrs Johnstone is referred as Marilyn Monroe because, she had a failed marriage and she is irresistible to men simultaneously, she is a struggling mother. However Mrs Lyons is that kind of person who stops Mrs Johnstone  to progress. "Surely, surely, Mrs Johnstone its better to give one child to me rather than some of them taken into care. If he's with me I'll shall make sure that he will visit you". In this quote, it might be indicating that Mrs Lyons is using a particular persuasive language to give up one child to her. Over here Mrs Lyons is using a particular persuasive language at the same time she is being quite self centred here. She doesn't care about Mrs Johnstone's feeling's furthermore Mrs Lyons is willing to take a child away from it's mother.]]> 2019-03-22 05:11:18 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079452 Justin https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079524 In Blood Brothers, throughout the play, Mrs Johnstone is presented as the complete oposite to Mrs Lyons. The phrase "By the time I was 25, I looked like 42." We can see that Mrs Johnstone has cracked under the constant pressure and stress of having 7 children. Whereas Mrs Lyons, who is the same age, seems to be very happy and joyful. Furthermore, Mrs Lyons doesn't care one bit about Mrs Johnstone's feelings. She just wants a baby so when Mr Lyons returns from his trip, he will have a son and not be disappointed with his wife. Not having a child would have surely brought a lot of shame to the family because in those days, women were expected to carry on the family line. Especially in a Middle Class environment.   Contrasting this, Mrs Johnstone cares about other peoples lives and feelings. We know this from the fact that she gives Eddie away. She nows she can't provide for him and give him the best life possible. So, she gives him to Mrs Lyons. By also stating "If he's with me, you'll still be able to see him each day as you come to work." By telling Mrs Johnstone this, she is giving her a reason to give the baby instead of just demanding she give it. She uses Mrs Johnstone's caring and compassionate nature and exploits it for her own benefit. 

]]> 2019-03-22 05:12:05 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079524 amber :(: amber_hoh https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079601 my padlet got removed  so i have to rewrite it again :(

Despite the many contrasts, there is one thing that they both have in common: they both are haunted by the act of a mother giving up her child. Although Mrs Lyons is satisfied that she finally has one of Mrs Johnstone's twins, later on we receive subtle hints that Mrs Lyons is remorseful of the sacrilegious act she has committed to. We can see this from later in the play when Mr Lyons puts the shoes on the table. At first Mrs Lyons is not superstitious and she thinks that it's ridiculous, yet after she has made the agreement, she tells Mr Lyons to take the shoes off immediately. One could argue that Mrs Lyons is snobbish and selfish, but in my opinion I think that Mrs Lyons also has a sense of kindness. I think this because she knows the consequences of the superstition and she wants to love and care for Edward as if he's her biological son, and this is why she tells Mr Lyons to take the shoes off the table. I think she shares the sense of kindness with Mrs Johnstone despite the fact that she gave up her son. Even though she was reluctant, I think she gave Edward to Mrs Lyons partly because she wanted him to be raised and brought up in a wealthy, clean environment. Even though she knows Mickey's life wouldn't be the same as Edward's, she still decides to give one of her twins up so that at least one of them would have a good life. Mrs Johnstone only wants the best for her child and this is why I think she has decided to give Edward away to Mrs Lyons.
]]> 2019-03-22 05:13:08 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079601 Aidan https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079624 Mrs. Johnstone is presented as a direct opposite to Mrs. Lyons.
At first, Mrs. Lyons is shown as a bright and joyful wife in her thirties, unlike Mrs. Johnstone who has cracked under the stress and pressure of having seven children. Mrs. Lyons doesn’t care about Mrs. Johnstone’s feelings. She just wants the baby so that when Mr. Lyons returns, he will have a son and not be disappointed or mad at Mrs. Lyons. Contrasting this, Mrs. Johnstone cares about other people's feelings and lives. We know this from the fact that she gives away Eddie. She knows she can’t take care of him so she gives him to someone who can.
]]> 2019-03-22 05:13:25 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079624 Kayla https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079672 Russel contrasts Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons by suggesting that Mrs Johnstone has a good heart and Mrs Lyons is infertile and manipulative: "Since the baby has arrived, she has ignored most of her work,” and in regards to Mrs Johnstone and her good nature: "Are y'..are y' that desperate to have a baby?" Mrs Lyons, verbalising her "grievances" to Mr Lyons, deceitfully lies that Mrs Johnstone has "ignored most of her work," and subsequently demands that she be fired. Mr Lyons, with minute reluctance, allows this. Mrs Lyons has essentially 'pawned' or exploited Mrs Johnstone for personal gain: once Mrs Johnstone has handed over Edward,Mrs Lyons no longer needs her and cruelly discards of her, illuminating her character- in which Machiavellianism is inundated. Machiavellianism or manipulativeness has a negative connotation of desperation.Potentially, as was typical of the 1960s, Mrs Lyons' feminine identity is inextricably tied to fertility, womanhood means little more than motherhood, a woman's worth measured by her ability to procreate-ergo, this is why Mrs Lyons is desperate and as a result manipulative.Here, the reader could infer that this  challenges the notion that a so-called "maternal instinct" is an evolutionary instinct, rather than a form of reversible , learned behaviour.On the other hand, Mrs Johnstone is presented as kind, good-natured and maternal: she steadfastly priorities the emotional states of others over herself and reluctantly gives up her own flesh and blood for this.Suffice it to say, she is particularly empathetic and good-natured. In regards to language, the line "Are y'...are y' that desperate to have a baby?" uttered by Mrs Johnstone suggests Mrs Johnstone's reluctance to concede. Moreover, the moment critical decision harks back to the twins' forthcoming violent deaths and presents an air of dramatic irony, a terrible foreshadowing of what is to come.

]]> 2019-03-22 05:14:16 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079672 Marsya https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079737 In Blood Brothers, Russell portrays the two mothers as very different yet similar in certain ways. One(Mrs Johnstone) is of the working class while the other(Mrs Lyons) is of the middle class.  “And he was about to commit a serious crime, love. . . you don't want to end up in court again, do y’ ”. This articulates how the police is much harsher and serious towards the Mrs Johnstone as she and her children are of working class. The policeman even mentions her past problems and her once having to go to court because of those problems. On the other hand, the police speaks to the Mr Lyons in a softer tone, playing out what had happened as a 'joke' and a 'prank'. This is clearly done as the Lyons' family is of the middle class and so they are clearly rich. The policeman would definitely feel more intimidated and would be afraid to say that Edward had been the one that made the crime. Furthermore, the policeman speaks in a threatening voice towards Mrs Johnstone, to warn her about what may happen if any more problems come out from her family. In contrast, Mr Lyons was spoken with respect and calmness. In conclusion, the difference in social class is very well presented between the two mothers. ]]> 2019-03-22 05:15:23 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079737 :) https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079749 Mrs Lyons is portrayed as a manipulative, devious and self-centred employer. This is explicitly demonstrated when she tells Mrs Johnstone, "Already, you're being threatened by the Welfare people." At the start of the play, Mrs Lyons is depicted as a bright person in her thirties, unlike the stressed Mrs Johnstone who is the same age. She is also a very patronising woman, who is forceful and pressurising. Mrs Lyons doesn't manipulate Mrs Johnstone in an intimidating or aggressive manner, but in a dangerously sweet manner. However, since Mrs Johnstone is indecisive and skeptical, it was harder for Mrs Lyons to persuade her. As seconds go by, she becomes more pressurising by bringing up the oblivious term "welfare" because she knows that Mrs Johnstone is afraid of the welfare threatening her. Russell once again highlights Mrs Lyons' cunning and machiavellian personality when she states "My husband is due back tomorrow! I must have my baby now." In this line, Mrs Lyons is trying to get Mrs Johnstone to give her baby away with the way she speaks. Mrs Lyons uses the modal verb "must" to depict how urgent and frustrated she is because Mrs Johnstone has yet been persuaded. Not only does Mrs Lyons use the time phrase "now" to emphasise her urgency, but also to accentuate her desperation and instancy. Furthermore, the epizeuxis of the possessive pronoun "my" could perhaps reflect her isolation compared to the community. In the 1960s, woman in the middle class were envisioned to fulfill the identity tied to fertility, sexuality. However, ]]> 2019-03-22 05:15:34 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079749 Denise https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079752 Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons can be said to be similar in some way. Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons are both haunted by the act and are tortured by guilt and regret, thus the song 'Shoes on the Table' repeats throughout the play as a reminder of their sin. As we go further into the play, we can see that the both of them are unable to live normal lives; tormented by the sin they had committed. This is evident when Mrs Johnstone is surprised when Mickey introduces Edward as his 'blood brother'. She tells Mickey in a strict voice to stay inside the house, suggesting that she is afraid that Mickey has found out the truth. She is terrified because of the jinx Mrs Lyons makes up; ("if either twin learns that he was once a pair, they shall both immediately die") causing Mrs Johnstone to be paranoid. Mrs Lyon's anxiety is clear throughout the play. This is evident when she fires Mrs Johnstone, moves house to avoid any interaction of the Johnstones and Edward happening, and Mrs Lyons even goes to the extent of threatening Mrs Johnstones with a knife to move away from them. In conclusion, the two mothers are trying to protect their sons from the self-fulfilling they had brought upon themselves; only to cause them to destroy their sons.]]> 2019-03-22 05:15:38 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344079752 sar sarah_omar https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344081967  Throughout the play of Blood Brothers, there is an on going contrast of social class between Mr Johnstone and Mrs Lyons. For instance, Mr Johnstone is portrayed with a lack of education whereas on the other hand, Mrs Lyons is depicted as an archetype of an educated, wealthy upper-class. “He’d have all his own toys and a garden to play in.” may suggest this. Furthermore, in the song ‘My Child’, Mrs Lyons draws attention to all the things she would be able to give one of the twins that she would end up taking, that Mrs Johnstone could not possibly be able to provide. At the start of the play, Mrs Johnstone says “By the time I was 25, I looked like 42, with seven hungry mouths to feed and one more nearly due”. This suggests that Mrs Johnstone has seven other children before Mickey. From what Mrs Lyons had said, “He’d have all his own toys and a garden to play in”, the verb ‘own’ indicates that perhaps Mrs Johnstone is not doing so well with raising her seven other children by providing what is necessary.

]]> 2019-03-22 05:48:43 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344081967 Ayden https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344517143 Mrs Lyons is seen as cunning and only acts within her own self-interests.“MRS. LYONS: They say…they say that if either twin learns that he once was a pair, that they shall both immediately die."Horrified by the fact that her son will love his real Mother, more than he loves her, Mrs Lyons uses her knowledge to lie to Mrs Johnstone, playing on her superstitions and ignorance. Mrs Lyons, understands the saying she has made up about "twins secretly parted" is fake. The audience may portray that the reason for her sceptical nature is due to her superior social class in relation to her counterpart Mrs Johnstone, who is show is part of working class.]]> 2019-03-24 03:47:34 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/344517143 Khalid https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345560945 Mrs Lyons is portrayed as very wealthy and she takes advantage of that to show off. "It's a pretty house isn't? It's a pity it's so big. I'm finding it rather large at present." This implies that she has a very large house and she thinks that it is ok to show off to someone who has a lower stature then you. The phrase "t's a pity it's so big" implies that she is trying to make Mrs Johnstone feel bad as she has lees money than Mrs Lyons. In conclusion Mrs Lyons is very selfish and she likes to show off to people who have less money than her.]]> 2019-03-27 06:43:09 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345560945 Anthony Eagle (22) https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345560977 Despite many things, Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons have a few things in common for example, they are both haunted by the act of a mother giving up her child, even though she is happy that she has her "own" child. This shows that she is desperate but I also think that she is a bit of a liar because she said that Mrs Johnstone would see "her" child whenever she wants 
and they both agreed to that but then Mrs Lyons moved houses and tried to separate Mickey and Edward but a few years later they moved together. So then Mrs Lyons tries to kill Mrs Johnstone which shows that she basically doesn't want Mrs Johnstone to be there with her or Mickey. 

The Author (Russell) also uses very strong language in the play to show the feelings of the characters such as Mrs Lyons getting angry so her voices gets louder and her facial expressions show her anger and then her body language supports that.]]> 2019-03-27 06:43:23 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345560977 Ethan ethan_ong_12345 https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345560986 In the play, Mrs Lyons is presented by Willy Russell as a wealthy and upper class person. "It's a pity, it's so big, I'm finding it rather large at present" What she says implies that  she thinks that her house is too big to her at the moment. People that are born into less fortunate society won't complain anything about their house because they are already thankful enough that they have a place to stay, but not for Mrs Lyons. We can use Mrs Johnstone as an example, she is a working class, and she doesn't complaint anything other than that she has a low-pay job, and despite the fact, how she complaint proves that her life isn't fulfilled. Even though she doesn't have much, but she still lives a happy life out of what she earns which is she makes more of it than Mrs Lyons. Mrs Lyons is again portrayed as a rather lonely person even though she is rich and in the upper class. ]]> 2019-03-27 06:43:28 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345560986 Batuhan batuhan_malmqvist https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345561191 Willy Russell portrays Mrs Lyons as an extremely manipulative person: "Give me one of them" and "Already you're being threatened by the welfare people. Mrs Johnstone, with two more children how can you possibly avoid some of them being put into care?" Mrs Lyons is manipulating Mrs Johnstone to give away one of her children by threatening her. The use of a Rhetorical question by Mrs Lyons really manipulated Mrs Johnstone as she as she is already having problems with the welfare, and this pregnancy can add more problems that she has to face.




]]> 2019-03-27 06:44:49 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345561191 Fawad https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345561244 In the musical Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons are presented mothers with very contrasting personalities. 
Willy Russell presents Mrs Johnstone to be deeply superstitious as in the play the conversation in between Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons proves when Mrs Johnstone says "New shoes on the table, take them OFF... Oh My God, Mrs Lyons, never put new shoes on the table... you never know what'll happen." 
This implies that how she goes in deep panic and truly believes in superstitions which even cause her to loose her mind and not know what is going on around her for a period of time. Superstition is immediately linked to the working class, because Mrs Johnstone is superstitious whereas Mrs Lyons isn’t being the higher 
Her language portrays how agitated she gets from placing shoes on the table thinking that something bad is destined to happen. She stresses on the words like "off", and uses expressions like "Oh my God" to convey how consequential the activity is.

On the other hand Mrs Lyons is portrayed as not superstitious but instead very manipulative by Russell as she uses Mrs Johnstone's weakness of being superstitious against her. 
Mrs Lyons says "They … they say that if either twin learns that he once was a pair, they shall both immediately die." to manipulate Mrs Johnstone to give up one of her sons as Mrs Lyons in infertile and can't have a baby but is really desperate to have one.
By doing this Mrs Lyons uses her knowledge that Mrs Johnstone is superstitious to ensure that she does not tell anyone about giving away one of the twins.



]]> 2019-03-27 06:45:09 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345561244 Wylie https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345561501 In the play Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons are both presented as mums that are both haunted by the thoughts and regrets of their actions. The moms are tortured by their sinful actions on a daily basis as you can see later in the story (Mrs Lyons tries to kill Mrs Johnstone with an ordinary kitchen knife and Mrs Johnstone gives Edward a locket with a picture of Mickey and herself). Mrs Johnstone is presented as a extremely gullible and superstitious woman who has a strong sense of right and wrong while Mrs Lyons is presented as an manipulative and selfish woman. Both of them are different in their own ways which makes them unique to the play. Both of them have their good sides and their bad sides, for instance they are both good and caring mothers who want the best for their kids. 

Mrs Lyons is a wealthy upper-class woman who seems to be rather unhappy with her lonely life and her decisions hence she is desperate for a kid to fill that empty hole in her heart. She is so desperate that she had to go to the extent of trying to murder someone to turn the situation to her favour. She takes advantage of Mrs Johnstone in the quote "But you swore on the bible" She knows that Mrs Johnstone is superstitious so she takes advantage of it and uses the bible to make her give one of her twins away. By using the bible Mrs Johnstone is tricked into thinking that there is no other option. She also tells Mrs Johnstone that if the twins meet they are destined to die and being the superstitious woman that Mrs J is she believes this and gives up on one of her kids.

Mrs Johnstone is a poor and gullible working-class woman who has more than 7 kids and has a happy life despite her lack of money and the loss of her husband. Mrs Johnstone is shown to be gullible in the quote "New shoes on the table, take them off". She believes that by putting brand new shoes on a "dirty" table you will bring bad luck and inconvenience. Her gullibility proves to be one of her fatal flaws as she ends up getting taken advantage of by Mrs Lyons and results in her giving away one of her twins. Another flaw of hers is her kind-heartedness. Her kind-heartedness is linked to her gullibility as her kind-heartedness is what allowed her to get taken advantage of. ]]> 2019-03-27 06:47:17 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345561501 Megan megan_tee https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345562648 Throughout the play,Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone are presented as to having many different personality traits.While Mrs Lyons is portrayed to be wealthy and in the upper class, she seems to be rather unhappy with her life as to being rather lonely and in other words, infertile.Based on quotes like "No, you'll tell nobody." and the fact that she seemingly will go to the extent of trying to kill someone, ,proves her desperation. Now as much as Mrs Johnstone is put into the working class, she rather leads a happy life.Despite the lack of money and the fact that her husband has walked out on her, she still has her children to be her support system, indicating that money isn't everything.The continuous theme of class systems plays a big role in the play as to being an actual modern problem and being a topic that is rather relatable.

]]> 2019-03-27 06:56:55 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345562648 Allyssa https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345563146 In Blood Brothers, Russell presents the mothers to have two different viewpoints. Mrs Lyons has more advantage than Mrs Johnstone as she (Mrs L) is a wealthy and upper-class person. The quote “Pardon?”, shows that she knows a higher quality language than Mrs Johnstone. This is because she was raised in a better environment than Mrs Johnstone. However, this does not show that she has better behaviour than Mrs Johnstone. Even though she came from a higher-class family, Mrs Johnstone still has a better behaviour than Mrs Lyons. Furthermore, if Mrs Johnstone would have used similar language to Mrs Lyons, it would be a down-graded use of language.

]]> 2019-03-27 07:00:23 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345563146 Zachary https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345563711 Willy Russell represents the difference in social class and how it can effect people's lives. The sentence "New shoes on the table, take them off". Mrs Johnstone is faithfully superstitious. In the conversation that they are having, Mrs Lyons is clearly more rational than Mrs Johnstone. Mrs Johnstone is more inclined to have faith in superstition due to her lack of education, wealth and the fact that she is part of the working class society. Russell highlights that those with a lower income may be more reliant on things that give them hope that they are in control of elements that fate will ultimately decide. Those with wealthier backgrounds may rely less on this as they more control over their lives are likely to be more educated and therefore have less belief that do not have groundings in scientific facts. ]]> 2019-03-27 07:04:22 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345563711 Sean https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345566554 Russell has used language, to define social class, and separate the two ’kinds’. He has pursued this through the character of the policeman. In description, the policeman’s behaviour towards Mrs Johnstone, was quite harsh and abrupt. “No more bloody warnings” This evidence can be associated with social class, because as we can see, the policeman’s behaviour struck a sudden change when he arrived at Mrs Lyons house. “Not sure I’d let him mix with the likes of them in the future.” Here we can already notice the policeman implying social class in his dialogue. This dialogue can prove, that you stay the same on the social ladder, if you’re born poor, you die poor, and if you’re born rich, you stay rich.]]> 2019-03-27 07:22:18 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345566554 https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345981423 2019-03-28 04:10:47 UTC https://padlet.com/katie_humphrey/uz6b5nv1p542/wish/345981423