How Does Russell Present Linda Over the Course of the Play?

How does Russell present Linda over the course of the play?

Linda is an important character in the musical “Blood Brothers” because she is the character that bridges the gap between Mickey and Edward. She remains close to both boys even when they change and grow apart. As a child, Russell presents Linda as a fun-loving tomboy who enjoys playing with the boys and who has the confidence to stand up to Sammy, who is sometimes seen as a bit of a bully.

It is immediately clear that Linda is a tomboy. When the children sing their song “It’s just a game”, we are told in a stage direction that Linda “takes the gun and fires”, showing that she is happy to play in violent typically boyish games. We also learn that she has a soft-spot for Mickey, even when they are seven years old. During the above song, the other children gang up on Mickey and Linda tells them to “Leave him alone.” The imperative “Leave” in her dialogue suggests that she is confident and feels strongly about defending him. This confidence can also be seen in the way that she stands up to Sammy, telling him that “I’ll tell my mother why all her ciggies always disappear when you’re in her house.” The fact that she is happy to threaten Sammy, shows a strength in her character as she stands up to him more than we ever see Mickey standing up to him.

Linda is shown to be a very caring child. When Mickey has ‘died’ in the game, he becomes upset, saying that he doesn’t want to die. Linda tries to console him and reassure him. She tells him that everyone dies and when he does, he will go to heaven “like your twinny did was when he was a baby”. This is a very mature thing for a young girl to say, suggesting that Linda is an intelligent child, who, like Mickey becomes a victim of her class and poor education.

Russell also shows Linda to have a spirited and rebellious side. She is the main instigator of the throwing stones through windows scene. She suggests “Let’s throw some stones through the window” and tells Edwardthat “I’m not scared”. At this point, we also see how she likes to tease, taunting Edward with “Eddie’s scared”. At this point, it is clear that her main attachment is to Mickey and not Edward.

As the play progresses and Linda grows up, Russell shows that many of her characteristics remain the same. For example, when Sammy pulls a knife of the bus conductor, she is immediately aware that Sammy is likely to draw Mickey into the situation. As she did when he was a child, she stands up to Sammy, saying “He’s staying her.” when Sammy tries to get Mickey to leave the bus with him. The fact she makes this clear statement shows her confidence in standing up to Sammy. Similarly, she tells Mickey, “you stay where you are Mickey, you’ve done nothing.” The use of the imperative “stay”, foreshadows how she is in control and this shows how Linda tends to be the one to make decisions and take control in her relationship with Mickey when they are adult. Another trait that she shows when she is a teenager, is her teasing side, teasing Mickey about how he doesn’t return her affections, saying things like “Oh Mickey be gentle, be gentle”, knowing that it will annoy him. However, Russell has made it clear that Linda is fond of Mickey from a very young age and when she is a teenager, she explicitly tells him “I love you” and persists with this, even when he does not return her affection. The audience are perhaps not surprised when she finally loses patience with him, saying “I’m off” and “You get on my bleedin’ nerves”. The use of a swear word in her dialogue emphasises her frustration with Mickey.

When Linda is an adult, Russell presents her as a parallel to Mrs Johnstone. Like her mother-in-law, Linda is a very young, unmarried bride and when Mickey is in prison, she is a single mother. She has had to become very responsible very young. The narrator reminds us of her sorry plight saying “She’s washed a million dishes, she’s always making tea.” This use of exaggeration reminds us of Mrs Johnstone who when she was 25, “looked like 52”. Russell creates sympathy for Linda at this stage of the play, as she desperately tries to encourage Mickey to come off anti-depressants. She tells him “I get depressed but I don’t take those” The word “those” suggests that she hates the tablets so much that she cannot even name them.

When Linda turns to Edward for help, Russell makes it clear that she does not want to have to do this. When explaining to Mrs Johnstone that she has found help, she will not admit from who, - “It’s aright…I…someone I know…” The use of ellipsis in her dialogue highlights how she does not want to tell Mrs Johnstone the truth. The only point we are less likely to feel any sympathy for Linda is when she first starts her affair with Edward: “Suddenly they kiss”, however, some audience members may feel that she deserves someone to look after her as Mickey does not seem to be able to. However, Linda knows that she has done wrong and when she hears that a man is running around the town with s gun, her response is “Mickey?...Eddie?...Town Hall…” The two questions and the use of ellipsis suggests that she is frantic with worry yet is able to predict exactly what Mickey is planning, since she is part of the reason he has gone ‘mad’.

Overall, Linda is presented as a likeable character who helps to bring the children’s scenes to life, adding another character to interact with the twins and to stand up to Sammy. The fact that her life ends up so similar to Mrs Johnstone’s, suggests that Russell feels that being born into the working class in Liverpool at the time, meant that there were no more positive avenues available.