Blood Brothers Essay Questions

How does money affect Mrs. Johnstone at the beginning of the play?

Mrs. Johnstone's lack of financial resources forces her to give up one of her twins. She cannot support two more children on a single income and needs the money from Mrs. Lyons to make ends meet. She agrees to Mrs. Lyons' deal because she has no other recourse. However, this ends up being a tragic error, as she wants to keep the twins together and is heartbroken by the loss of her son.

What role does violence play in Sammy's storyline?

Sammy's storyline highlights how an early penchant for bullying and childish violence later leads Sammy to a life of crime. Sammy's offenses get progressively worse as he goes from taking sweets from his brother and stealing money to later pulling a knife on a bus driver and murdering a man during a robbery. The musical shows that because his actions are essentially unchecked, he graduates to increasingly disturbing crimes.

What is Mrs. Lyons' character arc in the musical?

Mrs. Lyons goes from being a lonely housewife to a figure of menace and cruelty. Early in the play, she wants a child but physically cannot have one. She strikes a deal with Mrs. Johnstone to take one of her twins, thinking this will magically resolve her problems. Unfortunately, she remains jealous of Mrs. Johnstone's connection to Eddie and feels that he will never truly see her as his mother. This jealousy makes her increasingly angry and paranoid, causing her to fire Mrs. Johnstone and, later, attempt to kill her. Her story ends with her goading Mickey into attacking Eddie, resulting in both of their deaths.

What is the significance of the musical's title?

The musical's title refers to the superstition that if twins separated at birth meet, they will cause each others' deaths. It also carries a double meaning in the events of the story. Mickey and Eddie make a pact to become "blood brothers," as they share a birthday, but are unaware of the fact that they are literally brothers related by blood. In this way, they are blood brothers in two senses of the word.

Why is Mickey enraged when his mother reveals the truth about Eddie?

Mickey becomes furious when his mother reveals that she gave up Eddie to the Lyons family. He is upset because he imagines what his life could have been. He thinks that if he had been the one given up, he could have been free of legal and financial problems. He is upset because his life has been ruined by violence, imprisonment, and prescription drug addiction. The idea that he could have been spared his fate causes him to fully break down.