Compare How Will Russell Portrays the Two Mothers in Blood Brothers. Account for the Different Reactions the Audience Will Have to the Two Women in Act 1.

The narrator introduces us to the mother, he says...’’The author of such cruelty,’ this tells us that mother had done terrible thing. Also Willy Russell uses mother to tell her past life through a song, she quotes,’ With seven hungry mouths to feed and one more nearly due’’ This shows us that mother has seven children and is expecting another baby, however she is poor, and cannot support then financially. This gives a strong impact to the audience; they feel sympathy and pity for the mother because of her awful situation or may judge her incapable for so many children.
As well as, when the narrator says,’ judge for yourselves,’’ Willy Russell is asking the audience to make their own decision and to have a personal opinion about the mother.
When the mother sings her song describing her past, she says,’ He said my eyes were deep blue pools, my skin soft as snow, he told me I was sexier than Marilyn Monroe.’’ This shows that the mother was a pretty, joyful woman, and had a male complementing her, which implies that she was in a relation ship with him. The audience’s swift reaction is that they feel happy for the mother and are pleased to see her in high spirits.
As a consequence, at the beginning of the play, Willy Russell expects his audience to feel miserable for the mother due to her tough life, and feel enraged towards her husband for leaving seven children behind without a father to look up too, and a woman heartbroken.
Mrs Lyons is introduced as a middle class housewife who comes from a rich background. Her personality seems lovely and she is shown as a very big hearted, understanding woman. We can tell this buy, when she greets Mother in a very pleasant way ‘’Hello, Mrs Johnston. How are you? How are you enjoying the job.’’ The audience responds positively to her on her first introduction in contrast to how they felt about Mrs Johnston.
As the play progresses, the audiences feelings towards the two women change. I do feel a bit angry at Mrs Johnston when...