The Women in Willy Russell's Plays

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The Women in Willy Russell's Plays

I have studied three of Willy Russell's plays these are Blood

Brothers, Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine. The women in Willy

Russell's plays are strong characters and they all know what they want

in life. In the three plays I will be comparing and contrasting Mrs

Lyons and Mrs Johnston from blood brothers, Rita from Educating Rita

and Shirley from Shirley Valentine. The three plays are set in

Liverpool this could be because Willy Russell is from Liverpool.

The characters have high hopes and ambitions and want to achieve

something in life. Mrs Lyons main ambition is to have a child of her

own but unluckily, she and her husband are unable to have children.

This leads her to become more and desperate to have a child. So when

Mrs Johnston finds out that she is expecting twins she can't afford to

look after two more children. Mrs Lyons persuades her to give one of

the children to her. Eventually, when Mrs Lyons actually gets the

child she becomes paranoid and overprotective because she is afraid

that Eddie will find out that he is not her child. Or Mrs Johnston

will tell Eddie that he is her child and belongs to her. Mrs Lyons

becomes obsessed with the situation and moves away from Mrs Johnston.

Unfortunately, for Mrs Lyons, Mrs Johnston wants a fresh start and is

re-housed to the same place.

Mrs Johnston's ambition is to provide for her children and to have a

life without debt. However hard Mrs Johnston tries to provide a good

life for her children she is stopped by numerous bills and her

children getting into trouble with the police for example, Sam goes

down for robbing. So, when Mrs Lyons gives Mrs Johnston a chance to

supply a good life for one of the twins she takes it. One of the

agreements is that Mrs Johnston can see the child whenever she pleases

but when she is sacked, she realizes it is an idealistic promise. Mrs

Johnston is unable to do anything about the circumstances.

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