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Before he moves away from Liverpool, Edward receives a locket from Mrs. Johnstone with a picture of herself and Mickey in it. Although he doesn’t know that he possesses a picture of his mother and brother, Edward treasures the locket, even getting into trouble at his boarding school for refusing to remove it when ordered to do so by a teacher. On a narrative level, the locket symbolizes the bond that Edward feels with Mickey. On a deeper level, however, the locket illuminates the connection between Edward, Mickey, and Mrs. Johnstone—a connection which, despite Mrs. Lyons’ best efforts, cannot be severed. On the question of nature vs. nurture, the locket represents Russell leaning towards the side of nature, implying that although Edward has been separated from his blood relations, he still feels a deep and powerful connection to them.
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Edward’s Locket Symbol Timeline in Blood Brothers
The timeline below shows where the symbol Edward’s Locket appears in Blood Brothers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1
...why she can’t buy a house near his family’s. In response, Mrs. Johnstone removes a locket from her neck with a picture of Mickey and herself in it. She gives Edward...
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Act 2
Meanwhile, at Edward’s school, a teacher confronts Edward about his secret locket, ordering him to take it off because it’s not an appropriate accessory for a boy....
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...that her son has been suspended. In an effort to explain, he shows her the locket, which she looks at without opening, believing it to be from a girlfriend. Teasingly, she...
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...to the other room for the money, Mrs. Johnstone asks if Edward still has the locket she gave him. Edward replies that he does. Slyly, Mrs. Johnstone asks the boys what...
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