Blood Brothers - The Narrator's Role

The Narrator as a Dramatic Device

  • The Narrator's primary purpose is a dramatic device.
  • Opens the play and reveals the ending: "Did you hear of the Johnstone twins?… An' did you never hear how the Johnstones died?"
  • Pre-empts the end, offering insight into the play's theme: a modern tragedy.
  • Knowing the outcome allows the audience to focus on the why and how, enhancing dramatic tension and creating dramatic irony.
  • Highlights the theme of fate, as the characters' destinies are unchangeable.
  • Provides insight into characters like Mrs. Johnstone, challenging the initial perception of her being heartless ("stone in place of her heart").

The Narrator's Didactic Purpose

  • Beyond practical commentary, the Narrator emphasizes Russell's message in this didactic play.
  • Achieves this through multi-roling, direct communication, clothing, and stage placement.
  • Embodies social injustice and the social ills of Britain.
  • The Narrator's physical placement is specific: positioned above the characters, looking down.
  • Creates an ominous, God-like presence, reinforcing the idea of fate constantly watching over the characters.
  • Dark clothing enhances the sombre mood, foreshadowing the twins' deaths.
  • Reminds the audience that "the devil's got [their] number," emphasizing the characters' haunting past and future.
  • The Narrator reminds the characters the consequences of their actions.
  • Lines like "happy are you content at last?" and "did you think you were free at last?" serve as reminders that consequences are unavoidable: "no one gets off without a price being paid."
  • References to the devil escalate: from "got your number" to "knocking at your door," signaling imminent deaths.
  • Presents the Narrator as mocking and unsympathetic, judging their superstition: "ain't no point clutching at your rosary," hinting at the futility of superstition against fate.

Foreboding Fate and Sympathy for the Children

  • The Narrator appears more sympathetic towards the children than their mothers.
  • Imagery in the Act 2 summer sequence illustrates this.
  • Images like "broken bottles" and "oil in the water" underscore the children's inevitable fate.
  • The Narrator shows compassion towards them.
  • The line "who dare tell the lambs in spring, what the later seasons will bring?" uses "lambs" to symbolize innocence and naivety, emphasizing their powerlessness.
  • Tender vocabulary: "You're innocent, immoral, you're just fifteen."
  • "There's a girl inside the woman" (referring to Linda) evokes pity.
  • Presents the children as blameless victims of an unjust society.

Illuminating Social Injustice through Multi-Roling

  • The Narrator takes on multiple roles, including:
    • Milkman: "no money, no milk" demonstrates the lack of support and compassionless attitudes towards the working class.
    • Teacher: Juxtaposes standards between working-class and middle-class schools.
      • Edward's school: destined for "Oxbridge," professional gown.
      • Mickey's school: low standards, teacher asks, "how the hell do you hope to get a job?", implying education is just a means to employment.
      • The teacher looks unprofessional, with a tie askew, shirt untucked and dishevelled.
  • Highlights social inequality between the working and middle classes.

Understanding the Characters

  • The Narrator reveals characters' inner thoughts and fears.
    • Mrs. Lyons: "there's gypsies in the wood…they're gonna take you're baby away" communicates her paranoia.
    • The noun "gypsies" used as a form of social prejudice, reveals her anxiety towards Edward and Mickey's relationship.
  • Encourages sympathy for Linda:
    • Presents her as a "girl" powerless to the hardships of the working class.
    • Stage direction: Linda "weighted down with shopping bags" symbolizes domestic drudgery.
    • Signifies her transition from a "lamb in spring" to a burdened adult.

Conclusion

  • The Narrator is a complex character with both dramatic and didactic functions.
  • Invites the audience to question whether superstition or social class is to blame.
  • The Narrator articulates Russell's didactic message about the destructive nature of social inequality.