Blood brothers-Context

Willy Russell
1. Left school-15
  1. No qualifications
    1. Went back to uni - became teacher
2. Liverpudlian
3. Born 1947
4. Working class
5. Wrote songs and plays
  1. enjoyed popular musics eg the beatles
Social Context
1. Book completed in 1981
  1. 2 years after Thatcher became PM
    Annotations:
    - Conservative
    1. Believed Britains Manufacturing industry= uncompetitive
      1. Weak employers
      2. Overly strong trades union
        Reduced their power
        privatised publicly owned companies
        Closed uncompetitive mines
2. Liverpool
  1. Economic downturn
    1. Unemployment soared
    2. Famous docks ran down
      1. Poverty
    3. Crime levels increased
    4. Housing allowed to deteriorate
    5. illegal drugs use increased
      1. Mickeys situation
Political context
1. Success for hard workers
  Annotations:
  - One of Thatcher's main political beliefs
  1. In BB this is contradicted
    Annotations:
    - Russell shows how it is upbringing and class that is important
  2. Despite Mickeys hard work/good attitude has nothing
    Annotations:
    - (basis of the trajedy)
Cultural context
1. Marilyn Monroe
  1. Extremely famous/idea woman etc
    1. Reality different-on anti depressants
      Annotations:
      - died of overdose
  2. Referred to throughout the play
    Annotations:
    - different points in her life and her public image
    1. Mrs J loves her public image
    2. Mickey hooked on anti depressants like her
2. Pop Culture
  1. 1950's pop flourished
    1. Even poor people had money for it
      Annotations:
      - e.g. Mikey
  2. Escapism
    1. Mrs J with dancing
    2. The boys with the cowboy games
      Annotations:
      - influenced by films
    3. Mr J likes Mrs J for Marilyn looks

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Blood brothers-Context

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	Created by umber_k almost 9 years ago