Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 3

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Analysis: Mickey and Linda's Struggles

Although there is brief happiness during Mickey and Linda's wedding, this is quickly overshadowed by Mickey's unemployment.

Mickey's economic position

Mickey’s demise happens extremely quickly, illustrating just how easy it is for people in unstable economic positions to fall on hard times.

Mr. Lyons' coldheartedness

Meanwhile, the managing director, Mr. Lyons, is presented as a shameless capitalist who feels no guilt in destroying the lives of his employees.

Mickey as an adult

The comments of Mickey’s former colleagues confirm to the audience that Mickey’s relatively carefree teenage years are now long behind him.

Analysis: Mickey and Edward's Differences During the Christmas Holidays

By the Christmas holidays it is very evident that Mickey and Edward now lead very different lives. Mickey is depressed due to his unemployment. Whilst Edward is still immature and has not had to grow up yet.

Differences in maturity

The gap in wealth between the two men has finally grown to be so great that their friendship is no longer sustainable, at least in the eyes of Mickey, who can’t bear to hear about how much fun Edward is having at university.
Mickey’s statement that his and Edward’s brotherhood was just “kids’ stuff” is ironic because the audience are well aware by this point that the bond between Mickey and Edward is far deeper than that.

Russell's use of parallels

The parallel interactions (between Edward and Linda, and Mickey and Sammy) are interesting because we see Mickey, because of desperation, agreeing to a plan which could potentially destroy his life.

The consequences of Edward's feelings for Linda

The interaction that is happening simultaneously between Edward and Linda provides further evidence of just how far apart Edward has grown from the other two during his time at university.
Edward's confession of love for Linda could be seen as his own betrayal of Mickey: Edward could be acting out of anger over what Mickey said to him about their brotherhood being childish.

Analysis: Impact of the Robbery

The robbery is a disaster and leads to Mickey going into prison. Linda and Mickey's relationship is strained by Mickey's imprisonment.

Linda's attempts to stop Mickey

Linda’s reaction here foreshadows that Mickey’s plan to earn some quick money by assisting his brother, Sammy, is not going to end well.

Differences between Sammy and Mickey

The robbery links strongly to the theme of nature vs. nurture because, despite being brought up in the same circumstances, Sammy is cruel and fearless, while Mickey is sensitive and, deep down, a good-natured person.
The Narrator reminds the audience about how the characters used to play with toy guns with children so that we can see how this innocent play has grown into deadly violence.

The comparison between Marilyn Monroe and Mickey

The symbol of Marilyn Monroe reappears here, this time to represent the downfall of Mickey and his struggles with mental health.
Most audience members will know about the tragic end met by Marilyn Monroe, and will therefore be able to see what is going to become of Mickey.