Mrs Johnstone

Question 1

“He told me I was sexier than Marilyn Monroe”

Answer 1

1 - “Monroe” sets a tone of fantasy and beauty – being young is an escape from her working-class hardships.

2 - Yet as she grows old, she is left with someone “who looked a bit like Maryln Monroe,” youth should be cherished

3 - alike to Monroe, they were let down by the harsh reality of the dream they were chasing – Mrs Johnstone giving away her son in hopes for a better life

4 - shows how women are objectified, and only seemed to be interesting due to their body, and not their personalities. Allows the male audience to question their morality on women - FOIL to Mrs Lyons - never questioned on her looks

Question 2

“You’ve not had much of a life with me, have y’?”

Answer 2

1 - Mrs Johnstone blames herself for the hardships her children had to face, and showcases how mothers may feel guilt and self-blame, as a working-class mother, that his lack of opportunities is her fault.

2 - Russel reminds the reader of her working-class status with her colloquial language in the same sentence, close syntactically, reminding reader that it is due to Mrs Johnstone CLASS that she feels this way.

3 - constraints of her class have robbed her children of opportunities, contradicts Thatcherian Ideology that success is achieved with effort.

Question 3

“Tell me its not true, say its just a story…”

Answer 3

1 - draws to the metatheatrical aspect of the play – it reminds the audience they watched a constructive narrative – it allows the audience to question how much of the tragedy is narrative

2 - her words may also be an accusation – a bitter hope that the story isnt real, because if it is, society is to blame for it – use of “story” it challenges the audiences role - is it just a story?

3 - physcological denial, they sympathise with the lower class - tragic ending for the audience to reflect