Portrayal of Two Mothers in Blood Brothers

Portrayal of Two Mothers in Blood Brothers Compare how Willy Russell portrays the two mothers in â€Å"Blood Brothers†. Blood Brothers is a popular play by Willy Russell. It was written and first performed in 1981. The play tells of twin brothers, separated at birth, with one kept in a low-class family and the other is adopted into a wealthy family. The characters of Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons, the mothers, are total opposites. Mrs Johnston is a struggling, single mother of seven, with another two on the way, whereas Mrs Lyons is a privileged, yet childless, married woman. When we are first introduced to Mrs Johnston, she is a single mother ever since her husband left her for a younger woman. She is a low–class Liverpudlian, who is extremely hardworking. Mrs Johnston is described as a woman in her thirties, but looks sixty, because of the stress of work and her children. Mrs Johnston stutters at times, when shes under pressure, like when Mrs Lyons is persuading her to give away one of the twins, â€Å"Erm, well I think its the†¦ but, Mrs Lyons, what†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Act 1 Scene 5. Mrs Johnston is shown as unsure and pressured into something she doesnt want to do. The reader may find it disturbing, since not many mothers give away their children to their employers. Mrs Johnston realises what Mrs Lyons is talking about, but is still confused over the whole situation. When she talks, ellipses are used to show that she pauses in her dialogue, because she is uncertain about the consequences to what she is about to do, â€Å"At er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Act 1 Scene 5. She is hesitating because she is in doubt and hasnt really decided. Mrs Johnston is lost for words and cant think of anything to say. Mrs Johnston is a superstitious lady, even though she denies it. The reader can see this in a scene between her and Mrs Lyons, â€Å"Mrs Lyons: [Twigging, laughing] Oh, you mean its superstition. Youre superstitious are you? The Mother: No. But you never put new shoes on a table.† Act 1 Scene 3. When Mrs Lyons laid shoes on the table, Mrs Johnston panicked. Mrs Lyons uses Mrs Johnstons belief of superstition against her when trying to keep her ‘son, Edward, one of the twins. Mrs Lyons contrasts really strongly against Mrs Johnston. At first, Mrs Lyons is shown as a bright person in her thirties, unlike the stressed Mrs Johnston who is the same age. Mrs Lyons is an upper middle-class woman. She is also a very patronising woman, who is forceful and pressurising. Mrs Lyons uses negative views about extra children so that Mrs Johnston will have to give away one of the twins to her. She doesnt do this in an aggressive way, but in a dangerously sweet manner, â€Å"Mrs Lyons: Already youre being threatened by the Welfare. With two more how will you avoid some of them being put into care? Surely, surely, Mrs Johnston, its better to give one child to me than to have some of them taken into care! If hes with me youll still be able to see him each day as you come into work.† Act 1 Scene 5. She gives Mrs Johnston reasons to give up a child. Mrs Lyons is shown to be self-centred, â€Å"My husband is due back tomorrow! I must have my baby now.† Act 1 Scene 6. She doesnt care about Mrs Johnstons feelings, Mrs Lyons only wants the baby because if Mr Lyons returns and doesnt see it, he will know that his wife was lying. Mrs Lyons is willing to take a child away from its mother, so that she can save her own skin. Mrs Lyons is a very sly and devious woman, as she uses superstition against Mrs Johnston, so that she can keep one of the twins, after Mrs Johnston tries to take him back, â€Å"Mrs Lyons: †¦ You know what they say about twins secretly parted, dont you? The Mother: [Terrified] What, what? Mrs Lyons: They say†¦ they say that if either twin learns he was one of a pair they shall both die immediately! It means, Mrs Johnston, that these brothers shall grow up unaware of the others existence. They shall be raised apart, and never, never ever told what was once the truth. You wont tell anyone, Mrs Johnston, because if you do you shall kill them!† Act 1 Scene 8. Mrs Lyons is being dramatic, but she knows that Mrs Johnston is convinced, because she saw how Mrs Johnston overreacted when she put shoes on the table. Mrs Lyons is very manipulative, but she conceals it very well. This superstition ends up backfiring on Mrs Lyons because Mrs Johnston soon forgets about it, but it continues to haunt Mrs Lyons decades later. She becomes paranoid and obsessive, believing that Mrs Johnston is following her to tell Edward the truth. This shows the reader that the superstition affects her instead of Mrs Johnston, the person it was intended for. When she is trying to convince Mrs Johnston to give away a twin, all she mentions is the materialistic advantages of her lifestyle, â€Å"The Mother: †¦ Hed be able to play on those lawns wouldnt he? And have his own room and†¦ Mrs Lyons: If he grew up here†¦ as our son†¦ He could have everything.† Act 1 Scene 5. Although she agrees with everything Mrs Johnston says, Mrs Lyons never mentions if she would love the child as if it was hers. The reader could think that Mrs Lyons could give him everything apart from love. The stage directions are in the text because Blood Brothers is a play. They are there because the dialogue doesnt describe how the characters are reacting or what the scenery is like. The stage direction gives the reader an idea of what is happening, without giving too much away, â€Å"The Mother: [Terrified] What, what?† Act 1 Scene 8. If the stage directions werent given, the reader wouldnt know how Mrs Johnston said it. She could have been curious or confused about the situation. The stage directions help with the readers imagination and interpretation of Blood Brothers. The Narrator is also a very good dramatic device. He acts as a shadow of the other character. The Narrator is there as a reminder of Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons agreement. The other characters dont acknowledge him which shows he is of a ghostly nature. The Narrator raises suspicion and builds up tension between the characters. He has no emotion and talks of the Devil, â€Å"Theres no use clutching at your rosary The Devils in the backyard, he can see Through the gaps in the curtains he sees it all, Theres no use hiding in the hall. When he raps at the knocker then he knows youre in; No you wont, no youll never get away from him No you wont, no youll never get away from him.† Act 2 Scene 1. The Narrator is trying to tell Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons that their pact wont work, because the truth will be known. He uses repetition and rhyme, so that his lines are more catchy and memorable. The Narrator is a creepy and disturbing character because he knows the future and talks about the Devil, which makes him God-like and all seeing. He is a neutral character because he doesnt choose sides and we dont know anything about him, other than he knows the fate of each character. The Narrator also represents superstition because he is there throughout the play, reminding the reader of the lie Mrs Lyons told. The dialogue of the two families is very diverse. Mrs Johnston uses ‘common English and Mrs Lyons uses ‘standard English. Mrs Johnston uses ‘common English in her dialect and many slang terms throughout the play, â€Å"Oh its, its smashing thank you, Mrs Lyons.† Act 1 Scene 3. This shows that she wasnt brought up in a rich family or she wasnt properly educated. Mrs Lyons uses ‘standard English in her language, since she is quite wealthy and possibly well educated. Instead of calling her son Eddie, she calls him Edward, â€Å"Edward! Edward its time for bed.† Act 2 Scene 3. Childhood is very prominent in the play. The reader can see a difference in the twins upbringing. Eddie seems to have grown up very fast because at the age of seven, he is already very polite and well spoken. His parents have influenced him because he is like a miniature adult. The reader can see that Mrs Lyons was very overprotective when she brought Eddie up, because he is already familiar with things like dictionaries at such a young age, â€Å"Eddie: In the dictionary. Dont you know what a dictionary is?† Act 2 Scene 2. Eddie speaks like he has used a dictionary a lot, whereas Mickey doesnt know what one is, but agrees to make himself look smarter. In contrast, Mickey is more wild and untamed. He plays childhood games, like mounted Police and Indians, and runs around with a toy gun. Mrs Johnston probably let him do whatever he wanted, because she had his other siblings to look after as well. This is something that Eddie never did, â€Å"Were playing mounted Police, and Indians. Im a Mountie. Mam, Mam, you know this morning weve wiped out three thousand Indians.† Act 2 Scene 1. A gun is mentioned throughout the play. At first, a harmless air gun is used a toy. This symbolises the fate of the twins. The child versions think its just a toy used to vandalise, but as they grow up, real guns are used. At the end of the play, when Mickey feels that Eddie has taken everything away from him, he produces an authentic looking gun. Even then it isnt real. The child and the adult Mickey thinks of guns as a relic of power. When Mrs Lyons moves to the countryside, she orders that poplars be planted, so that the council estate cant be seen. The poplars are a barrier between Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnston. Mrs Lyons wants sever all ties with the Johnston family, but they manage to move to the countryside as well. Superstition plays a big part in Blood Brothers. With the Narrator as a constant reminder, the reader sees that Mrs Lyons superstition affects every character in the play. Mrs Lyons is most affected. Simple things that a mother would tell a child would be nonsense to her, but knowing that Mrs Johnston is superstitious helped her get a child. At that point, superstition was an advantage to her. But when she faces the reality of what she has done, Mrs Lyons becomes deluded. The idea of motherhood and surrogacy is also present. Mrs Johnston and Mrs Lyons raise their sons very differently. Mrs Johnston lets Mickey be carefree and wild, but he isnt allowed to play near the ‘big houses in the park. Mrs Lyons raises Eddie the way she desires, but he finds his way back to his biological family. She becomes insane because of Eddies bonds with his real family. This reveals her real personality, compulsive and aggressive. Surrogacy is shown as a bad thing in Blood Brothers, because Mrs Johnston was reluctant to give away her child. Mrs Lyons manipulative personality is seen here, in her desperation to have a child, as she forces Mrs Johnston to give away her son. Blood brothers are also one of the themes mentioned. It started off as a childs alliance to his friend, but carries on until adulthood. The twins do forget about it at times in their life, but it keeps returning. The one who came up with the idea, Mickey, is the one who ends up dismissing it. He thinks nothing of it any more, â€Å"Eddie: [Pause] I thought†¦ I thought we always stuck together. I thought we were†¦ blood brothers. Mickey: That was kids stuff, Eddie, didnt anyone tell you? [Pause. Mickey looking at him. An ironic snort] But I suppose you still are a kid, arent you?† Act 4 Scene 2. Social class and division is also mentioned. Whilst Mickey and Eddie overcome that boundary, their mothers havent. Mrs Johnston is treated very badly because of her low-class status. When Mickey is in trouble with the police, the Policewoman is very patronising and shows Mrs Johnston no respect, â€Å"[to Mrs Johnston] And he was about to commit a serious crime, love, a serious crime. Now do you understand that? [The Mother nods] You dont want to end up in court again do you? Eh? [Shakes her head] Because thats whats going to happen if I have any more trouble from one of yours†¦ † Act 2 Scene 7. The Policewoman uses a threatening tone and rhetorical questions, such as ‘Eh? She also uses repetition because she thinks that Mrs Johnston is poorly educated and inferior to her. Since Eddie was also there at the time, the Policewoman paid a visit to his house too, â€Å"As I say, it was more if a prank really, Mrs Lyons. Id just dock his pocket money if I was you. But one thing I would say, and excuse me if Im interfering, but Id not let him mix with the likes of them in the future. Make sure he keeps with his own kind, Mrs Lyons, not running round with them at the other end†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Act 2 Scene 7. The Policewoman is more polite to Mrs Lyons. She refers to the incident as a crime to Mrs Johnston, but tells Mrs Lyons it was a prank. She doesnt use repetition with Mrs Lyons. She is inside Mrs Lyons house because Mrs Lyons is a respected woman and if the neighbours saw, people would talk. The Policewoman is very two-faced, treating one mother better because of her status. The town, where the characters live, is separated. The reader can see a definite social division. There is the wealthy ‘in the big houses near the park and the workers in the council estate.

Financial aid Essay

REGISTRATION ?THERE IS A COMPULSORY FIRST YEAR SEMINAR THAT ALL FIRST YEAR STUDENTS MUST ATTEND PRIOR to the date of registration. The first year seminar dates will be communicated to you during November 2014. Failing to attend the first year seminar may lead to your space being allocated to another applicant. ?YOUR DATE OF REGISTRATION WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO YOU DURING NOVEMBER 2014. YOU need to register before or on the specified registration date. If you miss this specific registration date, your study space can no longer be guaranteed as we may then  allocate the space to another applicant. Registration dates can also be found on the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za from December 2014 onwards. NATIONAL BENCHMARK TESTS You are required to complete the National Benchmark Test. For more information please go to http://nbt. ac. za or contact the NBT Call Centre at 021 650 3523. FEES Information on tuition and other fees due for 2015 will be available during November 2014. Please visit the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za for more information. BURSARIES Academic merit bursaries are awarded on the grounds of exceptional grade 12 results. Please visit the UJ website at www. uj. ac. za for more information. NSFAS (NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME) The closing date for the NSFAS loan applications is 1 October 2014 and all enquiries in this regard can be made to nsfas@uj. ac. za RESIDENCE Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the residences. If you applied for admission to a residence, you will receive a separate letter in this regard. AGREEMENT AND INDEMNITY  ?YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE, SIGN AND SUBMIT A FORMAL AGREEMENT (INCLUDING AN exemption and indemnity) with the University when you register. ?IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, A PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST SIGN THE REQUIRED FORM. ?YOU WILL BE REGISTERED ON THE STRICT UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE Student Charter rules and the Academic Regulations of the University of Johannesburg and of the faculty. ? YOU UNDERTAKE TO PAY THE PRESCRIBED FEES AND ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE BOUND BY THE provisions of the formal agreement. Sincerely, Student Enrolment Centre 011 559 4555.

How does Charlotte Bronte build up tension?

Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre in 1847. Throughout this novel Bronte criticises and challenges some views and believes that she experienced herself within the injustice of the Victorian society. In this essay I am going to use chapter 23 to show how tension is built up in terms of language, feelings and symbols. Firstly, I'm going to include a brief summery of the plot and at the same time highlight the main characters I'll be working with. Secondly, I will include the history of the time the book was written in and comment on how it links with the story. Finally, I am going to point out and explain the many different techniques Bronte uses to build up tension. Jane Eyre opens with the narrator, the adult Jane Eyre recalling her childhood experiences growing up as an orphan at Gateshead, the home of her unfriendly aunt, and her children. Jane is always wrongly punished, she was even sent away to Lowwood charity school where pupils are treated appallingly. There she passes six years as a student, then two as a teacher. After that Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield, owned by Mr. Rochester. Jane falls in love with her master and Rochester asks Jane to marry him, she agreed. On the day of their marriage Jane discovers that Rochester is already married, she then refuses to be Rochester's mistress and leaves Thornfield. Later she becomes a teacher at a new local school; she also meets her three cousins. St John [her cousin] proposes marriage to Jane; however she refuses as she still loves Rochester. Finally, she returns to her master to find out that he has been maimed and blinded when his first wife burned down Thornfield and killed her self. The novel ends with Rochester's marriage to Jane and a description of the happy life ahead of them. The main characters I'll be mentioning in this essay are Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. The heroine and narrator of the novel, Jane is an intelligent, honest, plain-featured young girl forced to compete with oppression, inequality, and hardship. She has also developed a sense of right and wrong from an early age. Despite being naive and innocent she is still able to look after her self and became very independent. On the other hand, Edward Rochester is a passionate man with a dark secret that provides much of the novel's suspense. He was a very unhappy man when we first met him, however his pure love for Jane eventually changes him back to the man he was. By the end of the book his blinded and crippled state was used to metaphors his loss of arrogance and pride. Charlotte Bronte is attacking the social injustices that were present in the nineteenth century. She successfully does this and clearly portrays what life was like at the time the book is set. Today, men and women are treated equally, which was certainly not the case in the nineteenth century. Women, in the nineteenth century were treated as if they were inferior to men, ‘Seating himself in an armchair, he intimated by a gesture that I was to approach and stand before himi. At that time also, very few occupations were open to those who had to support themselves. Marriage was too seen to be the only desirable goal for women, and was taken very seriously as a financial or a business deal. Poor girls such as Jane had very few options open to them apart from using their education as a source of strength. Social status was very important in the nineteenth century. Class divisions were far more fixed and pronounced than they are today. In the novel, Jane is very conscious that, socially, she is inferior to many of those with whom she associates in spite of being a ‘lady'. At that time, money only can determine where anyone can fit on the social ladder. Therefore, the theme of respect being earned and not deserved due to one's bank balance is important in this novel. In this novel Bronte uses many ways to build up tension particularly in chapter 23. The most recurring and effective method is her use of ‘Pathetic Fallacy', which is the use of natural description to convey inner feelings or the status of the character. For example, in chapter 23 she uses a lovely night for the proposal to echo and reinforce Jane's happiness â€Å"the nightingale's song was then the only voice of the hour†. In contrast, Bronte uses a â€Å"heavy shower† in chapter 37 to convey Jane's pain and sorrow at seeing her master and loved one in that state. Yet, charlotte Bronte used the sudden change in weather at the end of chapter 23 to signify that Jane and Rochester's union is not right. One of the numerous ways in which Bronte builds up tension is her use of hints and clues which relates to things happening later in the novel. In the quote â€Å"the great horse-chestnut at the bottom of the orchard had been struck by lightning in the night, and half of it split away† Bronte used the chestnut tree which symbolises Jane and Rochester's future union in marriage separated into two by a bolt of lightening- a symbol of either God's unhappiness about Rochester's deed or Bertha coming between them- to hint to us that something is going to stop the couple from getting married later on. I think that this is very effective way to build up apprehension as the reader will wonder what kind of thing is going to break the great love between them; hence it is a good way to keep people reading until they find out. Later on in chapter 37 Mr. Rochester is comparing himself with the â€Å"the old lightening-struck chestnut tree† which reminds the reader that what happened was exactly as foreshadowed in chapter 23. The way Bronte uses questions to convey the status of power in both chapter 23 and 37 builds up a great deal of apprehension for the reader. In chapter 23 Rochester is asking Jane many questions he very well know their answers, â€Å"you must have become in some degree attached to house? † and â€Å"we have been good friends, Jane; have we not? † These questions and many others show clearly that Mr. Rochester is using his powerful position as Jane's employer to tease her, and since she is dependent on him for her living she can't by any mean treat him in the same way he treats her. This would draw the readers into the story by setting up expectations of what will happen later on, as they know that Jane had always refused to be dominated and that resulted in angry outbursts against people trying to control her. In the early chapters she returned the same bad treatment back to her cruel cousin. And in chapter 6, we see that again when she says: â€Å"when we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard†, this shows Jane's strong believe in standing up to oppression and undeserved cruelty, which is what is happening again in chapter 23. During their conversation, Rochester tells Jane she'll soon need to leave Thornfield forever because he's finally decided to marry Blanche Ingram. Teasingly Rochester also tells her of a governess position, undertaking the education of the five daughters of Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall of Bitternutt Lodge in Ireland, â€Å"indeed I have already, through my future mother-in-law, hearted of a place that I think will suit you†¦.. you'll like Ireland , I think: they're such warm-hearted people there, they say† . Here you can notice that Rochester is torturing Jane with the idea of marrying another. However, I personally think that his behavior could be interpreted in a different way; since Rochester is a proud man he forced Jane into confessing her real feelings in order to be sure that his suspicions are correct, still I think there are many other ways to do so which are not as unkind. Mr. Rochester tells Jane that he feels as though they are connected by a â€Å"cord of communion. † Jane sobs-â€Å"for I could repress what I endured no longer,† she tells us, â€Å"I was obliged to yield. Jane confesses her love for Rochester, and to her surprise, he proposes marriage. Yet she believes that Rochester may be still playing with her feelings, that he may see her as an automaton, â€Å"a machine without feelings†; because she is â€Å"poor, obscure, plain, and little,† he may mistakenly think she is also â€Å"soulless and heartless. † At this point, she speaks to him beyond the â€Å"medium of custom, conventionalities,† even flesh, and her spirit addresses his spirit in a relationship of equality. Again, Jane creates equality by moving the relationship outside of the material world, and into the spiritual: At â€Å"God's feet,† they can stand side-by-side, rather than with Rochester leading, Jane following. This section of chapter 23 creates lots of tension for the reader as they will set up expectations as what reactions will Mr. Rochester make. Rochester convinces Jane that he only brought up marrying Blanche in order to arouse Jane's jealousy; when she reads the truth in his face she accepts his proposal. He then savagely declares that God has sanctioned their union, so he doesn't care what society thinks of the relationship. However, it is also important to note that nowhere in Jane Eyre are society's boundaries bent, Jane is Rochester's intellectual, but not his social, equal; Jane is also hesitant to marry Rochester because she senses that she would feel indebted to him for â€Å"condescending† to marry her. Ultimately, Jane is only able to marry Rochester as his equal because she has almost magically come into her own inheritance from her uncle. After achieving independence by finding a family in the Riverses and wealth in her inheritance, Jane is now free to return to Rochester to complete her triumph. Additionally, because Rochester has been blinded by the fire and has lost his manor house at the end of the novel, he became dependent upon Jane to be his â€Å"prop and guide. † it is clear now that Mr. Rochester has become weaker while Jane has grown in strength-Jane claims that they are equals, but it is obvious that she is more powerful than him. This can also be seen noticeably in the way she teases Rochester with her answers in chapter 37. â€Å"his appearance-I forgot the description you gave me of his appearance; – a sort of raw curate†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. To provoke him Jane answers:†St John dresses well. He is a handsome man: tall, fair, with blue eyes, and a Grecian profile. † This is very entertaining and apprehensive for the readers in the same time. The reader will feel happy that Jane is now powerful enough to return the same teasing Rochester did in chapter 23, but at the same time the reader will be wondering about the Rochester's reaction. However, Rochester welcomes Jane back with open arms, realising that he will never possess her the way he once wanted to, but that she, in fact, will end up possessing him. The opening of chapter 38 without a doubt will shock readers in the 19th century as well as readers nowadays. Jane says: â€Å"Reader, I married him†. This proves how powerful and controlling Jane has become; she did not say usual stereotypes like â€Å"we got married† or â€Å"he married me†, which illustrates that she did not only become more powerful financially but also on the gender bases. The fact that Jane is the narrator creates a huge amount of anxiety to the reader. This is because the reader will wonder where she is in the future and what happened to her. This as a result will make the reader more attached to the book to find out. To conclude, I think that Jane Eyre is an interesting book that will appeal to readers both now and in the 19th century as some of the injustices are still occurring today. Bronte used many techniques in this book to build up tension. For example she uses the method of ‘Pathetic Fallacy' as well as many symbols to create suspense. She also uses aspects from the history of her time like class boundaries, equality very effectively to make the reader more anxious. Another way in which Bronte creates tension is by using the shifts in power between Jane and Rochester.

American Dream or American Scream Essay - 1273 Words

America the beautiful. With its spacious skies and amber waves of grain. From one shining sea to another lies this relatively adolescent country. An â€Å"unestablished† land until very recently, the United States of America was adopted and cultured like one of Brangelina’s children. In crept the â€Å"American Dream†, laced with its fierce politics and even fiercer religious perspectives, simultaneously providing its citizens the fire and passion that drives all, if not many cultures. And, with such a rapid development of diversity in such a short amount of time, there arose a particular cohesiveness amongst families that surpassed all its rivals. Memories of sporting events, movie dates, and trips to Disneyland released charges of dopamine†¦show more content†¦One could say with conviction that the way a country regards its inhabitants; more importantly the care of its children, the equality of its women, as well as its interactions among fellow c ountrymen, is a direct reflection of the overall happiness of that country. There is positively no doubt that the children of the world represent the future. As blanket a statement as it may be, it is a completely different venture to actually empower the youth with the tools they will need as they progress further into adulthood. Here in the United States, I’d like to think we take good care of our children for the most part. We provide them with a public education that is funded by the government, which also funds an incredibly unbeatable military force. 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