mrs Johnstone

Introduction

Mrs. Johnstone, the central character in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers, is a loving yet struggling mother trapped by poverty.

Her deep love for her children, Mickey and Eddie, drives her to make the heart-wrenching decision to give one of them away, hoping for a better life.

Despite her best efforts, Mrs. Johnstone is powerless against the forces of class and fate, and her character embodies themes of maternal sacrifice, social inequality, and the tragic consequences of a rigid class system. 

“an did y never hear of mother so cruel, theres a stone in place of her heart” 

Mrs Johnstone is describe in a negative light at the start of the play

QUOTE: Here the metaphor ‘Stone in place of her heart’ suggests she is cold hearted and hard   woman. 

Also, the lexis ‘cruel’ reinforces how she is a mean woman. 

This impression changes as the play develops and she comes across as being quite the opposite. 

ZOOM: The use of “an” instead of “and,” and “y” instead of “you,” suggests a character who is speaking in a vernacular way — possibly working-class “did y never hear of mother so cruel” 

This is a rhetorical question, implying that the cruelty of this mother is so extreme it should be legendary or widely known. 

It conveys shock, anger, and disbelief at such maternal coldness — a powerful emotional appeal

‘they said the bride was lovelier than Marilyn Monroe’ 

’Me husband he’d walked out  on me a month or two ago’

Oftern compard to Marilyn Monroe

QUOTE: This creates a sense of foreboding because Marilyn Monroe is tragic figure and the fact, she is compared to her creates a sense of foreboding that something bad will happen to her.

ZOOM:  “they said”  The use of reported speech (“they said”) distances the speaker from the statement — it’s not their own opinion, but what others supposedly said.

she is a disater waiting to happen

Mrs Johnstone is clearly, lower working class and is on the bread line. Her speech clearly indicates that she belongs to this class.

Here the way in which she uses ‘me’ instead of the possessive pronoun ‘my’ posits how she doesn’t speak in Standard English Vocabulary.

“walked out on me” is a very directunpoetic way to describe abandonment. 

There’s no metaphor or euphemism — it’s raw, real, and matter-of-fact 

That plainness makes the emotional hit even stronger — it sounds like someone who's still stunned, or emotionally numb 

“ Oh my God Mrs Lyons you never put new shoes on the table…. You never know what’ll happen”. 

Mrs Johnstone is a superstitious woman, and her superstitions drive her actions.  This is seen when Mrs Johnstone is affected by the fact that Mrs Lyons has put new shoes on the table.  

QUOTE: Here Mrs Johnstone is abiding by the superstition that something bad will happen if you put new shoes on the table. “Oh my God” 

ZOOM:The exclamation at the start indicates shock, surprise, or even concern. It suggests the speaker is reacting strongly to something perceived as a mistake or a violation of a serious cultural belief. 

It implies a sense of urgency or danger in the speaker’s response. 

This could reflect an emotional reaction to an event or situation, hinting at heightened stakes or fear. 

Conculison

Mrs. Johnstone’s tragic fate in Blood Brothers underscores the impact of class and social circumstances.

Her sacrifices for her children evoke deep empathy from the audience, highlighting the harsh realities of poverty and the powerlessness of individuals caught in its grip.

By the end, the audience is left reflecting on the devastating effects of fate and societal inequality.