Violence
Russell presents the prevalence of violence in young boys’ lives, both from men and women. The violence, at first, is playful and harmless fun. However, as the boys grow up the violence becomes deadly, suggesting its far-reaching power.
Knowledge and evidence:
- In the rising action of the play, the children play violent games, “killing” each other with pretend guns in the song “Kids’ Game”
- In the absence of his father or other adult male, Mickey’s admiration for his violent and troubled older brother, Sammy, shows Mickey’s lack of a good role model
- Edward is slapped by his mother, Mrs Lyons: this subverts the stereotype that violence is limited by social class or gender
- Mickey’s decision to become involved in a violent robbery due to his redundancy, leads to his arrest, thus linking crime with poverty
- The shocking tragedy at the end of the play culminates Russell’s commentary on violence
- Mickey’s desperate rage leads him to shoot his brother to death
- The police respond by shooting Mickey dead
What is Russell’s intention?
- The play’s structure develops the theme of violence in a way that challenges audiences of the time
- In the 1970s and 1980s, it was normal for children to play with pretend weapons; Russell suggests this may influence children into a violent mindset
- Russell makes connections between crime and poverty, suggesting that violence may result from inequalities in society