Blood Brother - Mickey
How does Russell present Edward in ‘Blood Brothers’?
During the play, Russell presents Edward in many different ways throughout his life, showing the contrasts that he shares with Mickey – even though they are carbon copies of one another. There are many different points in ‘Blood Brothers’ where Edward is presented in a different way, from his childhood, to school life and then when he is reunited with Mickey after university. Russell does present him as ‘soft’, especially in his child hood, although he personally becomes a stronger person as he advances through education and manhood. He eventually has the strength to later have a relationship with Linda – at the time, Mickey’s wife and rock.
As a child, Edward lived a sheltered life in his mansion home, with Mr and Mrs Lyons, where he was allowed no access to a real 1970s life in Liverpool, nor access to children of his local area. Mrs Lyons protected his son from the lower class people of the area, until Edward met Mickey for the first time. It is evident within this scene that Mickey was not suited to the environment he was in, as he had manners and addressed Mickey with respect – unlike Mickey Johnstone, who refused to call Edward by his real name, but instead ‘Eddie’. We also learn Edward’s ill-understanding about swear words, even though Mickey, the same age, knew words such as the ‘F-word’. Even though Edward was mature, he still laughed at the word, so he still had not lost some of his expected child-like features. Russell does this to show the effect that home life has on somebody, Edward is presented a mature, well postured young boy as he has had a wealthy up-bringing, where he was sheltered of all bad things. Whereas, Mickey was presented as an obnoxious and immature boy, as he had a less protective child hood.
For the whole of his school life, Edward attended a boarding school, paid by his father, where he was absent of ‘family’ life – even though the family that he would have shared this time
During the play, Russell presents Edward in many different ways throughout his life, showing the contrasts that he shares with Mickey – even though they are carbon copies of one another. There are many different points in ‘Blood Brothers’ where Edward is presented in a different way, from his childhood, to school life and then when he is reunited with Mickey after university. Russell does present him as ‘soft’, especially in his child hood, although he personally becomes a stronger person as he advances through education and manhood. He eventually has the strength to later have a relationship with Linda – at the time, Mickey’s wife and rock.
As a child, Edward lived a sheltered life in his mansion home, with Mr and Mrs Lyons, where he was allowed no access to a real 1970s life in Liverpool, nor access to children of his local area. Mrs Lyons protected his son from the lower class people of the area, until Edward met Mickey for the first time. It is evident within this scene that Mickey was not suited to the environment he was in, as he had manners and addressed Mickey with respect – unlike Mickey Johnstone, who refused to call Edward by his real name, but instead ‘Eddie’. We also learn Edward’s ill-understanding about swear words, even though Mickey, the same age, knew words such as the ‘F-word’. Even though Edward was mature, he still laughed at the word, so he still had not lost some of his expected child-like features. Russell does this to show the effect that home life has on somebody, Edward is presented a mature, well postured young boy as he has had a wealthy up-bringing, where he was sheltered of all bad things. Whereas, Mickey was presented as an obnoxious and immature boy, as he had a less protective child hood.
For the whole of his school life, Edward attended a boarding school, paid by his father, where he was absent of ‘family’ life – even though the family that he would have shared this time