Blood Brothers: Mrs Johnstone Character Analysis (AQA GCSE English Literature): Revision Note

Mrs Johnstone is a resilient, devoted single mother but is ultimately a victim of the socio-economic pressures and superstitions that contribute to the tragedy.

Mrs Johnstone character summary

Why is Mrs Johnstone important?

Mrs Johnstone is a symbol of working-class struggle, and represents the tragic consequences of economic and social disparity. Through her role as a mother and her moral choices, Willy Russell critiques class inequality and patriarchal society:

• The working-class experience: Mrs Johnstone’s money struggles and the stigma of single motherhood highlight the systemic issues faced by women in 20th-century England, while her employment as a cleaner for Mrs Lyons emphasises the economic divide between the two mothers

• A loving but flawed mother: Her decision to give Edward away reflects her desperation to give her child a better future. This sacrifice underscores her selflessness but also sets the stage for the tragedy

• A victim of superstition and societal judgment: Mrs Johnstone’s superstitious nature makes her susceptible to Mrs Lyons’ manipulation, while the Narrator’s warnings about fate reinforce the inevitability of her sons’ tragic end. These factors emphasise the lack of control that working-class people have over their own lives

Mrs Johnstone language analysis

Willy Russell portrays Mrs Johnstone through language that emphasises her warmth, resilience, and vulnerability. Key aspects include:

• Colloquial and relatable speech: Mrs Johnstone’s dialogue is filled with working-class colloquialisms, such as “Livin’ on the never-never”, which reflect her social background and economic struggles. This informal tone fosters audience sympathy and contrasts with Mrs Lyons’ formal language.

• Symbolism of Marilyn Monroe: Mrs Johnstone frequently references Marilyn Monroe, using the icon to reflect her own dreams and disappointments. Monroe’s tragic fate mirrors Mrs Johnstone’s struggles and foreshadows the play’s tragic events.

• Use of song to convey emotion: Russell uses musical soliloquies to give insight into Mrs Johnstone’s thoughts and feelings. Her songs, such as “A Bright New Day”, express her optimism and resilience while highlighting the challenges she faces.

Mrs Johnstone key quotes

Mrs Johnstone character development

Mrs Johnstone character interpretation

Discrimination against working-class single mothers

Mrs Johnstone can be seen as incredibly resilient in the face of systematic disadvantage: her strength is evident in her willingness to prioritise Edward’s potential future over her own desires and signifies her selfless nature and the depths of her maternal affection. When the Narrator, acting as a voice of the public, judges her as cruel and heartless for giving up her son, the audience recognises the views he expressed as evidence of the discrimination towards working-class mothers in Mrs Johnstone’s position. Her moral strength lies not in making perfect decisions but in making painful and necessary ones.

Mrs Johnstone blames herself for Mickey’s difficult circumstances despite their poverty not being her fault. She believes that, as a working-class single mother, his lack of opportunities in life is her fault: she tells him that “you’ve not had much of a life with me, have y’”, with her working-class status clearly evident through her colloquial language (which sharply contrasts with Mrs Lyons’ upper-class accent).

Russell uses the opposing figures of Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone to subvert class stereotypes. The two are foils  to one another, with Mrs Johnstone, the working-class mother, depicted as moral and Mrs Lyons, the middle-class mother, as immoral. It is arguably Mrs Lyons’ failures as a mother that lead to the tragic denouement.