Social Class
English Lit: AQA GCSE Blood Brothers, topic 4.6.1
Different Experiences of Class in Blood Brothers
Purpose of the characters
- The four main characters, Mrs. Johnstone, Mrs. Lyons, Mickey and Edward, can be seen to represent different social stereotypes, and Russell uses these characters to present his own views on social class.
How Edward and Mickey talk
- Even when Mickey and Edward first meet, there are some very noticeable differences in their class.
- While Edward speaks in standard English (Sammy calls him “friggin’ poshy”), Mickey’s language is full of slang and swear words and he has a Liverpudlian accent.
- "Mickey... if our Sammy gives y’ a sweet he’s usually weed on it first."
- "Edward: (exploding in giggles) Oh, that sounds like super fun." (Act One).
Experiences of education
- Different experiences of education becomes clear as Mickey doesn't know what a dictionary is:
- "Edward: Fantastic. When I get home I’ll look it up in the dictionary."
- "Mickey: In the what?" (Act One).
- As the boys grow up, the different educational opportunities available to them because of their social class become even clearer. Edward is sent to a private boarding school, while Mickey goes to the local secondary modern.
Money
- Money is, of course, a large part of class, and there is a stark contrast between the Johnstones, who can’t afford to pay the milkman, and the Lyons’, who live in “that big house on the hill” (Act Two) and can afford to employ a cleaner.
Opportunities due to Social Class in Blood Brothers
What Russell is really drawing our attention to is the lack of opportunities available to Mickey as he reaches adulthood, compared to the abundance of opportunities available to Edward.
Mickey's vulnerability
- Mickey ends up working in a factory which he does not enjoy at all:
- “I hate that soddin’ place.” (Act Two)
- Mickey’s time at the factory is short-lived, however, as he is soon made redundant during an economic downturn.
- With Linda pregnant, he soon resorts to crime and ultimately ends up in prison where he suffers from mental health problems and is never able to get his life back on track.
The function of Mickey
- Russell uses the character of Mickey to show us just how vulnerable the working class are, and that the poorest in society are often mistreated by the mostly uncaring and ignorant middle classes.
Edward's opportunities
- Edward, meanwhile, graduates from university and becomes “Councillor Eddie Lyons” (Act Two), a prominent and upstanding member of the community.
- Although he does try to help Mickey and Linda by securing them a place to live and a job for Mickey when he leaves prison, Mickey’s pride means he struggles to accept this charity.
Society favours the rich
- A good example of society’s bias towards the middle classes is seen in Act One, where the children have gotten into trouble for throwing stones through windows.
- The Policeman first visits Mrs. Johnstone and tells her that “there’ll be no more bloody warnings from now on” (Act One), before visiting Mr. Lyons and respectfully advising him that Edward shouldn’t “mix with the likes of them in the future” (Act One).
Mrs. Lyon's snobbery
- Mrs. Lyons’ character is a good example of the disdain shown towards the working classes by those who are more privileged.
- When Edward calls his mother a “fuckoff”, having learnt the word from Mickey, she is shocked at the “filth” he has learnt from “horrible” (Act One) children like Mickey.
Test yourself on Social Class
What do the four main characters (Mrs. Johnstone, Mrs. Lyons, Mickey and Edward) represent?
“I hate that soddin’ place.” : what is Mickey describing?
Why does Mickey struggle to accept the charity offered by Edward after he is released from prison?