Imagery
English Lit: AQA GCSE Blood Brothers, topic 5.4.1
Imagery in Blood Brothers
Imagery is where a writer uses language to create a visual image in the minds of the audience.
Russell's use of imagery
- There is limited imagery in the play because the characters mainly talk in a very realistic way.
- Many of them are working class and, as such, have a very straight-to-the-point way of communicating with one another.
The Narrator and imagery
- The exception to this, however, is the Narrator.
- Russell has made the Narrator use imagery frequently during his appearances.
- This clearly sets him apart from the rest of the characters.
- The audience is able to understand that he is an outsider to the story, observing and commenting from the sidelines, and not directly involved in the action.
The devil
- The Narrator frequently alludes to (references) “the devil”. This creates a clear image of impending doom, and serves as a reminder to the audience that the play will have an inevitable tragic ending.
Debt
- The Narrator also makes a number of references to debt, for example, through his appearance as the Milkman demanding payment for unsettled bills.
- These references are actually intended as metaphors for the greatest debt of all: the price that Mrs. Johnstone must pay for agreeing to give Mrs. Lyons one of her children.
The beach
- During the scene where we see Mickey, Edward and Linda’s carefree teenage years, the Narrator describes a trip to the beach where the characters “don’t even notice the broken bottles in the sand.” (Act Two).
- This visual image is actually a metaphor, telling us that the teenagers are unable to notice the dangers that lie in their path, and are therefore unaware of the disastrous fate that awaits them.
Test yourself on Imagery
Which character uses imagery frequently?