Blood Brothers

Themes

Superstition/Bad Luck

• Superstition always present

• It is linked to fate – bad luck

• The role of the narrator (reminding us)

• You can never escape the past

• Working class are superstitious (Mrs J)

• Mrs Lyons becomes superstitious believing her own curse

Superstition - Evidence

Crops up all the way through:• Mrs Johnson: ‘New shoes on the table, take

them off…’• The Narrator: ‘A spider’s been killed/ Someone

broke the looking glass/ An the salt’s been spilled.’

• Mrs Johnstone: ‘Go home before the bogeyman gets you!’

• The children: If you cross your fingers and count from one to ten!

Superstition Evidence 2

It is linked to fate:

• The superstition is linked to the tragic course of events in the play– The children playing guns and crossing their

fingers links to the real killings later in the play– Mrs Lyons puts the shoes upon the table

shortly before she finds out Mrs Johnstone is pregnant with twins

Superstition Evidence 3

• The narrator always comes in with his ‘warnings’ at a time when an important event on the path of fate takes place

• Give 3 Examples

Superstition Evidence 4

You can never escape the past:

• There are numerous references about having to pay for what you have done in the past.– Find 3 Examples

Superstition Evidence 5

Working class are superstitious

• It mostly comes from Mrs Johnstone and the kids– Find 2 examples

Superstition Evidence 6

At first Mrs Lyons is not superstitious– Find example

Then she gives the curse– Find example

Then she starts to believe it– Find example