blood brothers essay

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GCSE: Blood Brothers

• English Literature
• Willy Russell
• Blood Brothers

"And do we blame superstition for what came to pass? Or could it be what we, the English, have came to know as class?" Which do you think is more responsible for the deaths of Mickey and Edward in Willy Russell's Blood Brothers.

Sam Plackett "And do we blame superstition for what came to pass? Or could it be what we, the English, have came to know as class?" Which do you think is more responsible for the deaths of Mickey and Edward? Blood Brothers is a play set in Liverpool, Willy Russell wrote it in 1983. Willy Russell has wrote plays based in Liverpool because this is where he was brought up as a kid in a working class family, Blood Brothers relates to this and aspects of class that he would have experienced when he lived there. Willy Russell grew up just outside Liverpool, he left school when he was only 15 to become a hairdresser, it was in his early twenties when he decided to go back to school and take his O levels. His plays were about everyday circumstances and his portrayal of life then. In this essay I intend to find out the reason for Mickey and Edward's deaths, whether it was superstition or class, I will evaluate both of the possible causes and how they are used within the play, then I will have to make a conclusion to which side of the argument proves to be the correct one. The main sources of superstition revolve around Mrs Johnstone because she is the character who believes that when certain things happen consequences will unfold due to this. Willy Russell points these superstitious events out to the audience, by using one of the characters to mention this or a song will be used

• Word count: 2330
• Level: GCSE
• Subject: English

"Blood Brothers" is set in Liverpool in the early eighties.

"Blood Brothers" is set in Liverpool in the early eighties. The play follows the life of two main characters: Eddie Lyons and Mickey Johnstone. The play has proved extremely popular with audiences of all ages. In this essay I aim to consider all the dramatic qualities of the play and how Willy Russell uses them to promote the dramatic effectiveness of the play. In "Blood Brothers" the characters fall into two stereotypical groups: the working class Johnstones and their associates, and the middle class Lyons. It seems ironic that although the Johnstone family live on the breadline they start off cheerfully, compared to the Lyons who never seem content. This makes the audience what is wrong in the lives of both families and created dramatic tension. The main characters, Eddie and Mickey are people that we can relate to: we feel pathos with them as they face the trials and tribulations of life. Russell uses pathos to involve the audience so they feel pity when Mickey loses his job, fear at the end of the play when the shooting scene takes place, and experience childhood joy when Eddie and Mickey share jokes. Humour, in its various forms, plays a large part in æBlood BrothersÆ. It keeps the audience interested and balances out the conflict and sadness in the play. Throughout the play we experience different types of humour such as the use of a pun when Mickey and Eddie are

• Word count: 892

"Blood Brothers", a play by Willy Russell, was set in the late sixties/early seventies and was written in 1981

DRAFT COPY OF BLOOD BROTHERS ESSAY "Blood Brothers", a play by Willy Russell, was set in the late sixties/early seventies and was written in 1981. It is a Liverpudlian West Side Story about twin brothers being separated at birth because their mother cannot afford to keep them. She gives one of them away to a wealthy woman who longs for a child. The two children grow up as friends in very different environments, not bothered about the old tale about a curse that states that if twins are separated at birth, they will die if brought back together during their lives. But a quarrel between the two boys soon brings trouble. Russell uses the play, including the scene that I am going to be focusing on, to put across views about 20th century society and to show the importance of class and life in Liverpool in the late sixties and early seventies. He also highlights the importance of environment and the way society, at the time, regarded single mothers. Single mothers were thought of as lower class characters that have many children born of different fathers. At the time that "Blood Brothers" was set, politics would've been really bad. The government probably wouldn't have cared or been bothered about the poor living conditions that some of the weaker families were living in. This would've had a large effect on those weaker families, such as the Johnstones, because of lack of money

• Word count: 1713

> "Well how come you got everything...and I got nothing". This quote by Mickey highlights the relationship between class and opportunity which is what this essay is going to be focusing on. Willy Russell is a modern playwright but throughout history these themes have appeared in literature, for example world war one often revels the fact that men of a more lower class were sent to the front line whereas men from a wealthy class made all the decisions. The playwright uses a number of techniques to make the message accessible to the audience. Some of these include dramatic devices, language and the overall content of the play. The relationship between class and opportunity is that the opportunities you receive is based upon the class you are represented by. > Blood Brothers is a powerful illustration of how divisions in social class can affect the opportunity an individual has in life. It is a tragic musical written by the fantastic writer Willy Russell. Mrs Johnstone, a lonely woman whose husband has abandoned her and a houseful of mouths to feed, learns she is expecting AGAIN, however what she doesn't learn till later on is that she is having twins which adds to the life problems that her life comes to struggle with. She works for Mrs Lyons who is desperate for kid s but isn't able to have any her self, when she finds out about Mrs Johnstone's pregnancy she uses it to her

• Word count: 815

Blood Brothers interview with Willy Russell

Mr. Russell, welcome to our program, Writers' Question Time. Could you briefly tell us what your play is about? Thank you for inviting me to the show. "Blood Brothers" is about the story of twin brothers separated at birth. The twins' working-class mother - Mrs. Johnston - is too poor to keep both twins, so gives one to her very rich employer Mrs. Lyons, who cannot have children of her own. Mrs. Johnston is extremely superstitious, and Mrs. Lyons discovers this early on when Mrs. Johnston finds shoes on the table. Mrs. Lyons takes advantage of this, and tells Mrs. Johnston 'that if either twin learns he was one of a pair they shall both die immediately!' Until the twins are about eight years of age, Mrs. Lyons and Mrs. Johnston have no problem keeping their secret shut away. They then find that the twins have met, and have become very good friends without realising they are related to each other. Mrs. Lyons persuades her husband to move the family away from the city to the countryside. Later in the play, Mrs. Johnston and her children get moved from the slums, closer to the house of Mrs Lyons. As the twins discover each other once again, Mrs. Lyons' mental health begins to deteriorate, and paranoia starts to kick in. With Mrs. Johnston, anxious as ever that her secret will slip out, the general mood of the play becomes more sinister, and the ending is tragic. Mr. Russell,

• Word count: 2740

Who is to blame for the tragic deaths of the twins in Willy Russell's 'Blood Brothers'?

Who is to blame for the tragic deaths of the twins in Willy Russell's 'Blood Brothers'? Blood Brothers, a story of twins separated at birth, growing up in completely different environments, but with the same genetic composition, "never knowing that they shared one name, 'till the day they died, when a mother cried, my own dear sons lie slain", is a compelling story of which we will discuss in detail, of who is to blame for their tragic deaths. There are many character in 'Blood Brothers', which can be blamed for the tragic deaths; Mrs.Lyons, the rich, devious woman, Mrs.Johnstone, the under-privileged mother of eight, Sammy, Mickey's brother and his influence, and even superstition and fate. First of all, we will discuss the case of Mrs.Lyons, a vindictive, manipulative woman who has a caring side to her, for the desperation of the love for a child. Indeed she did start all of this deception, by offering to take one of Mrs. Johnstone's baby's and lying to Mrs.Johnstone that she could see her child everyday. She also lied to her husband that the child was theirs and not an adopted baby (as Mr.Lyons hated the fact of adopting children). Mrs.Lyons decided to take it upon herself to have the child as her own, "He need never guess" was her response to Mrs.Johnstone, about the deceit...could this be the story of the twins' deaths; being cruelly separated at birth by Mrs.Lyons, not

• Word count: 2139

The Function of the Narrator in Blood Brothers

The Function of the Narrator in Blood Brothers The narrator's role in 'Blood Brothers' is quite unusual. The convention of the narrator in most plays is such that they are usually brought on to introduce the next part of the play and then move offstage and the play continues. However, in Blood Brothers the narrator is a physical character and is on stage all of the time. At the beginning of the play the narrator says, "So did y' hear the story of the Johnstone twins?" This indicates that he is the storyteller. His presence at every scene thereafter shows that he is telling us about that part of the story. The narrator is on stage all the time, watching the characters and often lurking in the background, and this makes him seem a sinister and threatening character, which contrasts with other plays where the narrator is usually neutral. Also, as the narrator already knows the end of the story and is telling it back to the audience he can also suggest what is going to happen in the future which has a disquieting effect. Although the narrator knows what is eventually going to happen he doesn't try and prevent it in any way and even seems to be pushing the characters into performing their actions. The narrator speaks in rhyming couplets, which is akin to the supernatural characters used by Shakespeare; this would link with his prophetic knowledge and his cold presence around

• Word count: 1225

Blood Brothers - The Narrator

To what extent do you think the Narrator is presented as a moral guardian or a figure of doom in the play? Give reasons for your opinions. Throughout the play of Blood Brothers I think that the Narrator is presented as a moral guardian. It could be argued that he is a figure of doom because of his actions, but I disagree with this statement because I see him in a different light and I feel that Willy Russell wants his audience to look beyond his actions and see the positive reasons why he delivers bad news. I believe that the Narrator makes his actions obvious and that Willy Russell has made sure that his audience see him as evil straight away because of he says and does. But I think that Willy Russell is hoping that his audience look deeper and don't judge him based on his outward thoughts and sayings. I feel that there is something hidden underneath all the bad forebodings which he gives. There is something else to him and I think this is why I can see him as a moral guardian. From the opening of Act one he sets the scene. 'He steps forward and starts to recite the prologue to his audience. In this soliloquy he tells 'the story of the Johnstone twins...how one was kept and one was given away...never knowing that they shared one name, till the day they died.' This soliloquy is very effective in the fact that it allows the Narrator to prepare the audience for the

• Word count: 2281

What is the importance of the narrator in blood brothers?

What is the importance of the narrator in Blood Brothers? One of the most compulsory characters in Willy Russell's 1983 play Blood Brothers is the narrator. He is the main dramatic device and is critical for the audience. He makes the plot constantly flow and explains loose ends throughout the story. As well as being the narrator he plays various minor roles. He sings many songs, which show characters' emotions, and introduce and develop important themes. The narrator's main focus is to explain the story and what's happening. After long sections of speech he will briefly explain what's just happened, in case the actions don't make it clear. He also makes sure you fully understand the story. One example is just after Mickey shoots someone. The gun goes off and straight after the narrator says, "There's a man lies bleeding on a garage floor." This explains someone has just been shot and because you don't see it, you might not have known it had happened without him. He appears to be very omniscient by dropping hints about things that are going to happen in the future. This is one of the many devices he uses, to reveal the plot. The narrator plays many small roles in Blood Brothers as well as being the main character. Some examples are the milkman, Mrs Johnstone's ex husband, the policeman, the gynaecologist and the judge. All of these roles seem to bring negativity and bad

• Word count: 938

The German Job

The German Job By Tom Prendergast I could tell he was aiming bottom left. I just knew by the way he was standing nervously, waiting for the whistle. Putting the shiny white ball on the perfectly marked spot, stepping slowly back, lining up the crucial shot. Everyone silent. Ten other players hoping their schoolboy dreams would come true. Seventy six thousand fans from around the world packed into the Olympiastadion Berlin waiting anxiously for one single kick. Tens of millions watching carefully from houses, pubs and streets and then there was us, ten rows up, right behind the goal with a perfect view of the fear in the taker's eyes, ready to jump up in joy or drop in despair and after coming all this way we needed something special. All that long, hard labour, all of those brainless, dangerous risks and the bits of luck we had along the way, but to get so close to our dream only to be crushed and by the worst possible team, but........... wait, I better tell you how we got here first. My name is Jonathan Francis, also know as John, Jono, Frankie, Francy, Franny, King Kong - don't ask, but most people call me Johnny. I've always had this dream, since I was little enough to kick a ball, to go to a World Cup Final and see England win against the Germans in the final - for obvious reasons, but I always knew that it wasn't going to be very likely with it always being

• Word count: 2727
• Fewer than 1000 73
• 1000-1999 112
• 2000-2999 39

Teacher Reviews

Peer reviews.

• 1 or more reviews 4

Blood Brothers

By willy russell, blood brothers essay questions.

How does money affect Mrs. Johnstone at the beginning of the play?

Mrs. Johnstone's lack of financial resources forces her to give up one of her twins. She cannot support two more children on a single income and needs the money from Mrs. Lyons to make ends meet. She agrees to Mrs. Lyons' deal because she has no other recourse. However, this ends up being a tragic error, as she wants to keep the twins together and is heartbroken by the loss of her son.

What role does violence play in Sammy's storyline?

Sammy's storyline highlights how an early penchant for bullying and childish violence later leads Sammy to a life of crime. Sammy's offenses get progressively worse as he goes from taking sweets from his brother and stealing money to later pulling a knife on a bus driver and murdering a man during a robbery. The musical shows that because his actions are essentially unchecked, he graduates to increasingly disturbing crimes.

What is Mrs. Lyons' character arc in the musical?

Mrs. Lyons goes from being a lonely housewife to a figure of menace and cruelty. Early in the play, she wants a child but physically cannot have one. She strikes a deal with Mrs. Johnstone to take one of her twins, thinking this will magically resolve her problems. Unfortunately, she remains jealous of Mrs. Johnstone's connection to Eddie and feels that he will never truly see her as his mother. This jealousy makes her increasingly angry and paranoid, causing her to fire Mrs. Johnstone and, later, attempt to kill her. Her story ends with her goading Mickey into attacking Eddie, resulting in both of their deaths.

What is the significance of the musical's title?

The musical's title refers to the superstition that if twins separated at birth meet, they will cause each others' deaths. It also carries a double meaning in the events of the story. Mickey and Eddie make a pact to become "blood brothers," as they share a birthday, but are unaware of the fact that they are literally brothers related by blood. In this way, they are blood brothers in two senses of the word.

Why is Mickey enraged when his mother reveals the truth about Eddie?

Mickey becomes furious when his mother reveals that she gave up Eddie to the Lyons family. He is upset because he imagines what his life could have been. He thinks that if he had been the one given up, he could have been free of legal and financial problems. He is upset because his life has been ruined by violence, imprisonment, and prescription drug addiction. The idea that he could have been spared his fate causes him to fully break down.

Blood Brothers Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Blood Brothers is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Study Guide for Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers study guide contains a biography of Willy Russell, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Blood Brothers
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‘Blood Brothers’ by John Wickham Analysis

A Reading of the Short Story

This story is about two brothers Paul and Benjy. Both brothers can be considered to be ‘Blood Brothers’ because they are thirteen year old twins. Despite the fact that Paul and Benjy are twins; they both display different personality traits. Paul is an introvert who loves nature and he loves to contemplate about life. Whereas, Benjy is Paul’s polar opposite. This further reinforces that although both boys are genetically related that is where the commonality ends.  Benjy is an extrovert who is very carefree and fun loving. However, Paul thinks his brother believes he is superior and as a result he grows to hate him. Paul is conflicted about his feelings because deep down he wants Benjy to be his friend and confidant. The story ends with Paul attacking Benjy. Benjy is surprised and confused because he did not know or understand why Paul reacted in this way.

• Paul is an introvert.
• He is artistic and he paints pictures
• He loves nature.
• He is also very reflective. He contemplates nature as well as his feeling towards his brother.
• He dislikes Benjy’s ability to accomplish simple tasks quickly.
• He resents Benjy because he reminds him of his own short comings.
• He envies Benjy and his envy turns to hate.
• He thought Benjy feels he is superior to him.
• He is an extrovert and carefree
• He is confident.
• He is a typical boy, very active, adventurous and always exploring.
• He is ignorant to his brother’s disdain for him.
• He felt he is superior to Paul.
• He mocks Paul.
• He is an old shoe maker in the village. Both boys go to visit him.

Narrative Point of View:

• Third Person Narrative

Setting:  The story takes place in an unnamed village. 

Conflict:   Paul envies Benjy carefree personality as a result of this he grew to hate Benjy.  This hate resulted n him attacking his brother.

• Love and family relationships
• Childhood Experiences
• Appearance vs Reality

28 thoughts on “‘Blood Brothers’ by John Wickham Analysis”

this help me a lot

It really did

Same cause I have been doing this topic in class from last week

This helped me a lot

Thank you for your feedback.

Thanks for your feedback Gisseli!!!!

this is not helpful at all . where is the summary the techniques background information and the mood .these would be helpful too u knw

this is not helpful. where is the story? where is the Summary?

Hi William,

You can find the story in the World of Prose. We do not include these stories on our sit for copyright reasons.

Watch the video and you’ll know all of the story by listening to the person who is reading it and the summary is the overview of the story. I hope that this was helpful to you,(William).

What is the rising action and climax

I want a whole summary about what actually happen in the story

give the full summary of blood brothers with paul and benjy

Y’all should do a skit and the script ….it will help others a lot

What is d conflict of this story?

The conflict is paul attacked benjy because his envy grew until it turned to hatred towards benjy, but then when paul realized that benjy felt fear just like him. He decided not to make a finishing blow. So in the end, Paul did not kill benjy but he almost did.

This really helpful thanks a lot

you guys could state what is benjy fear

In the end of the short story, Paul attacked Bengy in the Shoemaker’s Shop with an awl, a screwdriver like tool. After Bengy begged Paul to play outside with him while Paul sat inside the shop. Bengy came closer to Paul and touched his shoulder. This almost triggered Paul and he turned around with the awl and held it above Bengy but soon noticed that Bengy was scared. This left Paul content as he walked home because he realized “happy in the discovery that his brother also knew fear.”

Thanks alot for the help may god bless u

The name that you’re using states the truth.

This website was really helpful because it made me understand the story ‘Blood Brothers’ by John Wickham better. So thank you for creating this website.

How did either brother deal with the conflict ?

rising action

Can you describe the setting a bit more?

What are the literary devices

The fact that Paul envied benjy carefree personality as a result Paul grew to hate benjy

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Nature vs. Nurture

Nurture in blood brothers.

The question of nature vs. nurture is one of the key debates explored throughout the play. Essentially, how much of a person’s life comes from inherited genetics (nature), and how much is down to their upbringing (nurture)?

Edward's upbringing

• Edward Lyons grows up in a rich and well-connected household, and his parents have provided him with many opportunities to be successful.
• As a result, he goes on to study at university and becomes successful in local government as “Councillor Eddie Lyons” (Act Two).

Mickey's upbringing

• Mickey, on the other hand, grows up in desperate poverty.
• Although very loving towards him, his mother, Mrs. Johnstone, is unable to provide him with the same opportunities as Edward.
• Furthermore, he receives an inferior education and, from a young age, witnesses the criminality of his older brother, Sammy.

Mickey's opportunities

• “Mickey: Leave me alone will y’? I can’t cope with this. I’m not well.” (Act Two).

Nature in Blood Brothers

Edward's attraction to the Johnstone family

• Russell presents a key question as to why Edward is so drawn to the Johnstone family, while he seems not to be fully connected to his own.

Edward's relationship with Mrs. Lyons

• “If you loved me you’d let me go out with Mickey because he’s my best friend. I like him more than you.” (Act One).

Edward preferring Mrs. Johnstone

• Meanwhile, there are several occasions where Edward expresses his admiration for Mrs. Johnstone. He considers her to be “smashing” (Act One) and “fabulous” (Act Two).

Reasons for Edward preferring Mrs. Johnstone

• It could be that Edward finds his own home environment oppressive, and that he simply enjoys the freedom of the Johnstone household where children are allowed to express their feelings and behave in a way that Mrs. Lyons would consider to be indecent.
• Alternatively, however, Russell could be suggesting that Edward has a biological connection to the Johnstone family which is drawing him ever closer towards them.

Similarities between Mickey and Edward

• Both of the boys like swearing and using bad language.
• They both enjoy playing the same kinds of games, mostly involving toy guns, inspired by cowboy and gangster films of the time.
• Mickey and Edward both have strong feelings for Linda.
• Both of them are suspended from their schools, suggesting a natural tendency to rebel against authority.

1 Context & Author

1.1 Context

1.1.1 Setting

1.1.2 Political Background

1.1.3 Education & Work

1.1.4 Marilyn Monroe & Pop Culture

1.1.5 Family

1.2.1 Willy Russell

1.2.2 End of Topic Test - Context & Author

2.1 Act One

2.1.1 Overview: Introduction to Mrs Johnstone & Lyons

2.1.2 Analysis: Introduction to Mrs. Johnston and Lyons

2.1.3 Overview: The Birth of Mickey & Edward

2.1.4 Analysis: The Birth of Mickey & Edward

2.1.5 Overview: Mickey Playing at Home

2.1.6 Overview: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds

2.1.7 Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds

2.1.8 Overview: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds 2

2.1.9 Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Seven-year-olds 2

2.1.10 End of Topic Test - Act One

2.1.11 End of Topic Test - Act One 2

2.2 Act Two

2.2.1 Overview: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers

2.2.2 Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers

2.2.3 Overview: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 2

2.2.4 Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 2

2.2.5 Overview: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 3

2.2.6 Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Teenagers 3

2.2.7 Overview: Mickey & Edward as Adults

2.2.8 Analysis: Mickey & Edward as Adults

2.2.9 End of Topic Test - Act Two

2.2.10 End of Topic Test - Act Two 2

3 Characters

3.1.1 Mickey

3.1.2 Mickey as a Damaged Adult

3.2.1 Edward

3.2.2 Edward 2

3.2.3 End of Topic Test - Mickey & Edward

3.3.1 Linda

3.3.2 Linda 2

3.4 Mrs Johnstone

3.4.1 Mrs Johnstone

3.4.2 Mrs Johnstone 2

3.5 Mrs Lyons

3.5.1 Mrs Lyons

3.5.2 Mrs Lyons 2

3.5.3 End of Topic Test - Linda & Mothers

3.6 Mr Lyons

3.6.1 Mr Lyons

3.7.1 Sammy

3.8 The Narrator

3.8.1 The Narrator

3.9.1 Minor Characters

3.9.2 End of Topic Test - Other Characters

3.10 End of Topic Sessions

3.10.1 Grade 9 - Key Characters

4.1 Parents & Children

4.1.1 Parents & Children

4.2 Growing Up

4.2.1 Growing Up

4.3 Friendship & Brotherhood

4.3.1 Friendship & Brotherhood

4.3.2 End of Topic Test - Parents, Growing Up, Friends

4.4 Fate & Superstition

4.4.1 Fate & Superstition

4.5 Nature vs. Nurture

4.5.1 Nature vs. Nurture

4.6 Social Class

4.6.1 Social Class

4.6.2 End of Topic Test - Fate, Upbringing & Class

5 Literary Techniques

5.1 Structure

5.1.1 Structure

5.2 Tragedy

5.2.1 Tragedy

5.3 Dramatic Irony

5.3.1 Dramatic Irony

5.4 Imagery

5.4.1 Imagery

5.5 Character & Voice

5.5.1 Character

5.6 Music & Lyrics

5.6.1 Music & Lyrics

5.7 Accent & Dialect

5.7.1 Accent & Dialect

5.7.2 End of Topic Test - Literary Techniques

5.7.3 End of Topic Test - Literary Techniques 2

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Blood Brothers

Revision booklet on Blood Brothers

• blood-brothers-revision-notes.pdf

Revision and revision questions

'Blood Brothers' Exam Questions- plan them, and write them, using appropriate timings.

• blood brothers firefly exam questions.docx

This small booklet examines some key quotations for 'Blood Brothers'. Add these to your notes, or add more ideas to these quotes.

• Quote explosions - SS Blood Brothers.docx

Below is the audio of a lecture on some complex ideas related to 'Blood Brothers'. Use the presentation next to the audio to keep track of the ideas and quotations that are discussed. Be aware that most of the ideas discussed here are Level 8/9 concepts.

• Blood Brothers Aiming Higher Lecture - SS.pptx

Use these essay questions to practice essay planning (and indeed, writing).

• Blood Brothers Revision Essays.pptx 2mb

Example grade 4/5 response to a Blood Brother's question.

Blood Brothers

Willy russell, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions, mickey quotes in blood brothers.

So did y’hear the story of the Johnstone twins? As like each other as two new pins, Of one womb born, on the self same day, How one was kept and one given away? An’ did you never hear how the Johnstones died, Never knowing that they shared one name, Till the day they died…?

MRS. LYONS: You do know what they say about twins, secretly parted, don’t you? MRS. JOHNSTONE: What? What? MRS. LYONS: They say…they say that if either twin learns that he once was a pair, that they shall both immediately die. It means, Mrs. Johnstone, that these brothers shall grow up, unaware of the other’s existence. They shall be raised apart and never, ever told what was once the truth. You won’t tell anyone about this, Mrs. Johnstone, because if you do, you will kill them.

MICKEY: What’s your birthday? EDWARD: July the eighteenth. MICKEY: So is mine. EDWARD: Is it really? MICKEY: Ey, we were born on the same day…that means we can be blood brothers. Do you wanna be my blood brother, Eddie? EDWARD: Yes, please.

What…Linda…Linda…Don’t…Linda, I wanna kiss y’, an’ put me arms around y’ an’ kiss y’ and kiss y’ an even fornicate with y’ but I don’t know how to tell y’ because I’ve got pimples an’ me feet are too big an’ me bum sticks out an’…

EDWARD: I wish I was a bit like Wish that I could score a hit like And be just a little bit like That guy MICKEY: I wish that I could be like Just a little less like me Like the sort of guy I see, like That guy That guy.

And who’d dare tell the lambs in Spring, What fate the later seasons bring. Who’d tell the girl in the middle of the pair The price she’ll pay just for being there.

EDWARD: If I was him, if I was him That’s what I’d do. But I’m not saying a word I’m not saying I care Though I would like you to know That I’ not saying a word I’m not saying I care Though I would like you to know. But I’m not. LINDA: What? EDWARD: Mickey.

Take a letter, Miss Jones, Due to the world situation The shrinking pound, the global slump And the price of oil I’m afraid we must fire you, We no longer require you, It’s just another Sign of the times, Miss Jones, A most miserable sign of the times.

EDWARD: I thought, I thought we always stuck together. I thought we were…blood brothers. MICKEY: That was kids’ stuff, Eddie. Didn’t anyone tell y’? But I suppose you still are a kid, aren’t y’? EDWARD: I’m exactly the same age as you, Mickey. MICKEY: Yeh. But you’re still a kid. An’ I wish I could be as well Eddie, I wish I could still believe in all that blood brother stuff. But I can’t, because while no one was looking I grew up. An’ you didn’t, because you didn’t need to; an’ I don’t blame y’ for it Eddie. In your shoes I’d be the same, I’d still be able to be a kid. But I’m not in your shoes, I’m in these, lookin’ at you. An’ you make me sick, right? That was all just kids’ stuff, Eddie, an’ I don’t want to be reminded of it. Right? So just, just take yourself away. Go an’ see your friends an’ celebrate with them.

I didn’t sort anythin’ out Linda. Not a job, not a house, nothin’. It used to be just sweets an’ ciggies he gave me, because I had none of me own. Now it’s a job and a house. I’m not stupid, Linda. You sorted it out. You an’ Councilor Eddie Lyons.

There’s a man gone mad in the town tonight, He’s gonna shoot somebody down, There’s a man gone mad, lost his mind tonight … There’s a mad man running round and round. Now you know the devil’s got your number. He’s runnin’ right beside you, He’s screamin’ deep inside you, And someone said he’s callin’ your number up today.

MRS. JOHNSTONE: Mickey. Don’t shoot Eddie. He’s your brother. You had a twin brother. I couldn’t afford to keep both of you. His mother couldn’t have kids. I agreed to give one of you away! MICKEY: You. You! Why didn’t you give me away? I could have been…I could have been him!

And do we blame superstition for what came to pass? Or could it be what we, the English, have come to know as class?

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Episode 1: Walnut

A hole in sam’s floor sparks a crisis..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

Let me tell you a story about a hole —

a big, gaping black hole in the floor of my house upstairs from the time when I climbed up on a ladder to fix something in my daughter’s room. And underneath me, a floorboard cracked.

It opened up this freaky-looking chasm about the size of a burrito, but like, a big burrito, a burrito stuffed with pure darkness.

I’m honestly scared of this hole. And I was supposed to fix it before something bad happened, but I kept putting it off. And then something bad happened.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

What happened was our daughter’s hamster, Mango, escaped from her cage. And she didn’t just climb under a blanket or hide in a corner. She went down into the hole, into this yawning vortex of doom, which means she entered the secret, infinite maze of the inside of our very old house.

Now, Mango was a fat, little, golden floofball, not the kind of creature who would survive long without fresh water and food. We looked everywhere. Occasionally, we thought we heard rustling in a closet or under a dresser, and we’d shine our lights in there — nothing. 24 hours passed. 48 hours passed. We tried to go on with our normal routines, but we all felt sad and on edge. It was like the whole house had a toothache.

Finally, on the third day, we gave up. We just had to swallow hard and accept the fact that our sweet little Mango, who’d been our daughter’s 16th birthday present, who used to nibble fresh raspberries right out of our fingers — sweet little Mango had met her maker somewhere deep in the walls. And someday, there’d be a terrible smell, or some home improvement project would uncover her tiny, tragic skeleton.

However, when I say that we gave up on Mango, I should actually say that the humans in our house gave up on her. Because late on that third night, when the rest of us were all past hope, a different golden, floofy creature came to the rescue — our dog, Walnut.

Walnut is a completely ridiculous creature — a purebred, long-haired, miniature dachshund with thick, creamy fur like vanilla pudding and a tail so fancy, it should probably be on a tropical fish. He’s spoiled and lazy, and he spends most of his time staring lovingly into my eyes or napping in sunbeams.

But during the Mango crisis, while all the humans were busy grieving, Walnut suddenly took a break from his napping and became obsessed with a small patch of our living room wall. He just stood there, staring at it, pointing his long wiener dog snout and wiggling his nose.

At first, we ignored him. Because, to be honest, Walnut’s nose is probably too powerful for his own good, so he ends up fixated on the tiniest things. But he kept at it for hours. He looked at the wall from one side, then from the other side. He cocked his head and made little snorting noises until, finally, we got the hint.

I took out my tools and disassembled this ancient set of sliding doors in the wall to expose a dark cave.

We put an open peanut butter jar on the floor as bait. And we all held our breath. A few minutes later, out staggered Mango. She was filthy, covered with the grime of the centuries, probably starving and dehydrated. But she was alive.

She looked like she’d climbed out of her own grave, which, basically, she had. We picked her up and dusted her off and put her back in her cage. And we all showered Walnut with extra love and praise and snuggles and treats. And then he went back to sleep.

[WHIMSICAL MUSIC]

We humans tend to think of ourselves as superior, with our pants and our phones and our skyscrapers. But I believe — I have always believed — that animals are basically magic.

These creatures that are so obviously not us but that exist right alongside us — sleeping in our beds, munching grass on the side of the road, rattling their tails, fearing us, loving us, biting us — they enter worlds we never see. They sense things we can’t detect — like how Walnut, just by being Walnut, rescued Mango. In his lazy, snuffly way, he performed a resurrection.

In fact, Walnut himself came into our lives as a sort of resurrection. He was our second wiener dog, a very deliberate replacement of our first, whose name was Moby. I’m not going to say too much about Moby here because, to be very honest, I will start weeping so hard, it’ll ruin all of this nice audio equipment.

But basically, Moby was the greatest dog of my life and the most profound, nonhuman relationship I’ve ever had. I loved him so deeply that I became a vegetarian. My affection for this little dog radiated out to cover the whole rest of the animal kingdom. And I just thought that he and I would be together forever.

But, of course, that didn’t happen. When Moby turned 12, he got cancer and very suddenly died. And it was a complete shock. That first night in bed, I reached out for him, just pure muscle memory, and there was nothing there. And I broke down sobbing. At one point, I found myself petting a photograph of his face.

I was also full of rage. I wanted to burn down the universe. I either wanted Moby back, which I knew was impossible, or I wanted nothing, no dog ever again. Because life seemed to be some kind of scam, a little shell game in which every living thing secretly carried the pain of its own loss. And I was determined never to fall for it again.

This is when my wife, Sarah, went out and brought home Walnut.

[MELLOW MUSIC]

He was from the same breeder as Moby and, in fact, the same bloodline, a descendant of Moby’s father’s brother’s cousin or something. And Walnut was outrageously cute — big eyed, fuzzy, clumsy. Strangers gasped when they saw him in the street. Friends threatened to steal him. The rest of my family needed zero seconds to love Walnut completely.

But he was not Moby. He was a different color, with long fur instead of short. He didn’t cuddle in bed like Moby, didn’t walk on his leash like Moby. He didn’t make little huffing noises while he mashed his forehead into my chest. Also, Walnut barked at everything. And so, for a long time, I did not love him.

But, day by day. Walnut wore down my defenses. He molded himself to my habits, and I molded myself to his. And, eventually, I accepted him. Then, I started to love him. And today — it actually hurts me to say this — but I think I love Walnut as deeply as I loved Moby — differently, but as much — which means that I have fallen yet again, like a total sucker, for the stupid trick of life.

And, inevitably, terrible pain is on its way. Because Walnut just had a birthday. He turned 12, the age Moby was when he died. The hair on his face has turned white.

But the hair on my face has turned white too. I’m no longer soft and unsuspecting and naive — and not just because of Moby.

A few years ago, out of nowhere, my father got a horrible illness and died, right before the global pandemic that killed millions of other fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers. Every month now, there seems to be some new, terrifying report about the decline of the whole planet.

And so every morning, as I drink my coffee, I run my fingers through Walnut’s luscious fur, and I think about the fact that he will soon be gone. And then I think about the fact that I, too, will be gone, as will all the other living things on this planet that I’ve loved and admired. They’ll also be gone.

Because we will all eventually slip into that great cosmic hole in the floor. And there will be no Walnut to rescue us. And I have no idea what to do about that, except pet my dog, which feels very anchoring.

The truth is, we are all animals.

[UPLIFTING MUSIC]

We are born. We grow up. We grow hair. We age. Some of us produce other animals. And they are born. They grow up. They watch us lose our hair. Eventually, we all die. And we do all of this surrounded by millions of other creatures, human and nonhuman, who are each doing their version of the same thing. That trajectory is set — nothing we can do about it.

But instead of just feeling sad or trying to burn down the universe, I am choosing a different path. I’ve decided to go out into the world to have a series of encounters with other creatures, animals who do not live in my house, not to claim them or tame them but to do something much simpler — to just be near them, to look into their eyes and see what I can see —

Right there, right there. They’re all over. [GASP]

— while we’re all still here to see it.

They’re everywhere.

[ANIMAL SQUEAKING]

I’m going to get one. Wait, what happens if I put my fingers in that bottom cage?

He will probably bite you to the bone.

To the bone.

All righty, we got a loose parrot.

Did somebody pick it up?

Go to your stations.

Yeah, I think it went really close to my head. Is that your blood or its blood?

think it’s mine.

I guess what I’m asking is for you to improvise a song about rescuing pufflings. (SCREAM SINGING) Searching down in the darkness below for the puffins of my soul.

(IN SINGSONG VOICE) Something like that.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Sam Anderson. This is “Animal.”

[RELAXING MUSIC]

Oh yeah, there you go.

Look at him.

Also, I’ve still not fixed the hole in the floor.

• May 30, 2024   •   13:48 Episode 1: Walnut
• May 30, 2024   •   44:46 Episode 2: Puffins
• May 30, 2024   •   32:34 Episode 3: Manatees
• May 30, 2024   •   36:29 Episode 4: Ferrets
• May 30, 2024   •   34:42 Episode 5: Wolves
• May 30, 2024   •   41:08 Episode 6: Bats

Hi, I’m Sam Anderson. This is my podcast, “Animal.” Follow me on a journey to meet new creatures and the people who love them.

We begin with a hamster named Mango.

And a dachshund named Walnut.

And also a guy (me) named Sam.

Pets are wonderful for 10 million different reasons. They cuddle with us; they make us laugh; they keep us rooted in the present moment; they can make us live longer.

But they also force us to deal, up close, with mortality. Because there’s no way around it: Our pets are going to die. Animal lovers can measure their lives in cats and dogs and birds and lizards and gerbils and fish — all the creatures we’ve gathered around us to thicken the texture of our days, but then have to mourn once we’ve outlived them.

Before we got Walnut, we had a dachshund named Moby. I was in college when we got him.

Moby was one of the great animal companions of my life. He followed me everywhere. He was always around, in the background of all kinds of major life events: graduations, new jobs, the births of children. Then, when he was 12, Moby got cancer and died. I’m still not over it. We keep his ashes on a shelf in our bedroom; his old collar sits on top. Sometimes I pick it up and jingle his dog tags, just to hear the sound.

Not long after Moby died, we got a new dog, Walnut: this ridiculous golden creature with a long snout and infinite floof.

When we got Walnut, he was a tiny puppy. But now he is 12 — the same age Moby was when he died.

And so now every day with Walnut feels like a double day: We feel the normal passage of time, but it’s overlaid by this extra thing — a deep awareness that we are moving, together, through eternity, and that the intersection of our lives is fleeting, and that every moment we spend with each other is a gift.

And that’s really the point of this podcast: to try to appreciate the animals all around us, human and nonhuman, while they’re still here to be appreciated.

Hosted by Sam Anderson

Produced by Kaitlin Roberts

With Cristal Duhaime

Edited by Wendy Dorr and Larissa Anderson

Engineered by Marion Lozano

Original music by Marion Lozano and Dan Powell

Executive Produced by Paula Szuchman Fact-checking by Naomi Sharp Special thanks to Sasha Weiss, Jake Silverstein, Sam Dolnick, Mahima Chablani, Jeffrey Miranda, Nina Lassam, Kelly Doe, Anita Badejo, Austin Mitchell, Ben Calhoun, Lisa Tobin, Lynn Levy, Tara Godvin, Elizabeth Bristow, Jordan Cohen, Victoria Kim, Isabella Anderson and Kate LoPresti.

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