Linda Character Analysis in Blood Brothers

Linda begins the musical as a tomboyish young girl, but quickly morphs into an object of desire for both of the twin brothers. At the beginning of her adolescence, she only has eyes for Mickey, even telling him she loves him long before their first kiss. After years of poverty (and Mickey’s imprisonment), however, she turns to Edward for comfort and support, and the two begin an affair. Despite this unfaithful act, Linda is a sympathetic character, one who loves both twins, and is driven to betray her husband by desperate and dismal circumstances.

Linda Quotes in Blood Brothers

The Blood Brothers quotes below are all either spoken by Linda or refer to Linda. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Bloomsbury Press edition of Blood Brothers published in 1995.

But you know that if you cross your fingers
And if you count from one to ten
You can get up off the ground again
It doesn’t matter
The whole thing’s just a game.

Related Characters: (speaker)

Related Symbols:

Page Number and Citation: 61

Explanation and Analysis:

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’…

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 71

Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Page Number and Citation: 82

Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 85

Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 100

Explanation and Analysis:

Linda Character Timeline in Blood Brothers

The timeline below shows where the character Linda appears in Blood Brothers. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...of battles with each other. Sammy is in one gang, while Mickey and his friend Linda are in another. The children sing about their game, celebrating when they beat each other,... (full context)

With the other children offstage, Linda comforts the upset Mickey. He cries that he doesn’t want to die. She tells him... (full context)

Mickey and Linda arrive at Edward’s garden. The two boys share the fact that their mothers don’t want... (full context)

The three children, meanwhile, are playing with their stolen toy gun. Only Linda hits the target, until Mickey declares that they aren’t playing with the gun anymore, and... (full context)

...hurrying Mickey off to school, and telling him that she’s been hearing him talk about Linda in his sleep. Linda enters, waiting at the bus stop, and Mrs. Johnstone continues to... (full context)

The kids get on the bus. Mickey and Linda pay a reduced price because they’re students, but Sammy attempts to pay the lower rate... (full context)

Linda and Mickey are left alone onstage, and Linda warns Mickey that Sammy’s going to be... (full context)

Back in Linda and Mickey’s school, a teacher is teaching a group of students about the Boro Indians... (full context)

Mickey and Linda walk up a hill—Linda struggling in her high-heeled shoes. Her foot gets stuck, and she... (full context)

As Linda leaves, Mickey talks to an imaginary Linda, saying how much he wants to hold and... (full context)

...Edward asks who the girl he saw with Mickey is, and Mickey explains that it’s Linda. The two discuss girlfriends, and Edward reveals that he doesn’t have any. Mickey bluffs for... (full context)

...the idea of naked breasts, and as Edward begins a chant of “tits, tits, tits,” Linda and a friend of hers exit the cinema as well. Edward tries to dance with... (full context)

...enters, and the three adolescents use the same impertinent responses that they did as children. Linda distracts the policeman and the trio makes a run for it, with the policeman chasing... (full context)

...go to a shooting range and play monkey-in-the-middle, while the Narrator warns that one day Linda will pay a price for being in between the two brothers. The Narrator comments that... (full context)

Edward waits by a streetlight as Linda teases him. Edward asks where Mickey is, and she replies that he’s working overtime at... (full context)

...the news that he’ll be at university until Christmas. Edward asks Mickey to ask out Linda, as a favor to him. At last, Mickey unromantically asks Linda if she will go... (full context)

...the factory so that he’s not late. A stunned Mickey reveals to Mrs. Johnstone that Linda is pregnant, and that he wants to marry her within the month. He asks if... (full context)

The scene quickly changes to Mickey and Linda’s wedding, although Mickey is still in his work clothes. As they celebrate, a Managing Director... (full context)

...the wonderful parties he’s attended and the people he’s met at university. He asks how Linda is, and tells Mickey that he wants to invite some of his university friends over.... (full context)

The two separate, and Sammy approaches Mickey, while Linda greets Edward. Edward asks Linda why she hasn’t come to see him, and she replies... (full context)

Convinced that he will never see her again, Edward confesses his love for Linda, and then apologizes. (full context)

Linda responds that she’s always loved Edward “in a way,” but when he proposes marriage to... (full context)

Excited, Mickey tells Linda that he’s going to be out till eight o’clock, but that when he’s back, they’re... (full context)

The Narrator refers to his usual list of bad omens, noting that Linda in particular is afraid of the price that Mickey will have to pay. Mickey keeps... (full context)

Linda visits Mickey and tells him that he’ll be released soon. She begs him to stop... (full context)

Linda enters holding shopping bags, and approaches Mrs. Johnstone. The two women discuss what to do... (full context)

Mickey and Linda are together in their new house as Linda sets out Mickey’s work things. Mickey, however,... (full context)

Utterly alone, Linda moves to the telephone. As she does, the Narrator recounts her internal struggle in song,... (full context)

...Johnstone continues singing, as we see Mickey deciding not to take his pills anymore, and Linda and Edward carry on their affair. Mrs. Johnstone reveals that the lovers will have to... (full context)

Out of nowhere, Mrs. Lyons enters. She shows Mickey Edward and Linda together, as Mrs. Johnstone ominously sings about “the price you’re gonna have to pay.” Enraged,... (full context)

...devil, he says, has “got your number,” and has finally arrived. Mrs. Johnstone arrives at Linda’s house, warning her that Mickey has a gun. Terrified, Linda realizes that he must be... (full context)

...his pills, and orders everyone else out of the hall. He continues speaking, saying that Linda was the one good thing he had left in his life, but that Mrs. Lyons... (full context)

...with the gun, shooting and killing him. Immediately the policemen shoot and kill Mickey, as Linda runs down the aisle towards the two brothers. (full context)