Tally's Blood: Context (SQA National 5 English): Revision Note
Exam code: X824 75
While the exam questions will not ask for explicit links to historical and social context, it will help you write an informed personal response and analysis of themes if you have a general understanding of the time in which the text was written.
Each of the sub-topics below will help you to develop a better understanding of the play:
Historical context
Social context
Literary context
Tally’s Blood historical context
The play, Tally’s Blood, written by Ann Marie Di Mambro, is set between 1936 and 1955, and takes place in both Scotland and Italy
Born in Glasgow in 1950, Di Mambro draws on her experiences in post-war Scotland to portray an Italian family before, during, and after World War II:
She says, “I was brought up with an awareness of my Italian identity and with stories of what happened to Italians in Scotland during the war”
Di Mambro’s grandparents ran a café in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
The play examines the effects of World War II and a global recession on the Scottish and Italian communities in Glasgow
World War II
In 1939 Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland
In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany
A year later, in 1940, Italy joined Germany as their ally:
The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on Britain
World War II involved the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) opposing the Allied powers (the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China)
As a result, Italian migrants were suspected as potential enemies of the state:
Anti-Italian riots broke out in Edinburgh and Glasgow
Italian businesses were attacked and Italian men faced arrest and deportation
In June 1940, the Arandora Star, a ship transporting Italian and German prisoners of war to Canada, was torpedoed by a German U-boat:
Over 400 Italians were killed
How this links to Tally’s Blood | |
|---|---|
World War II | The play examines the effect of the war on Glasgow. The Italian migrant Pedreschi family faces anti-Italian sentiments: their shop is attacked by Scottish mobs, and Massimo is arrested. His father is killed aboard the Arandora Star. Franco, however, joins the British army, considering himself to be on the side of the Allies. The title of the play may refer to Italian blood lost during the war. |
Economic depression
In the 1890s a wave of Italian immigrants left an impoverished Italy for the United Kingdom and America:
Italian families established businesses, particularly shops and restaurants
Glasgow, particularly, developed a large Italian community who set up ice-cream parlours, shops, and cafés
By the 1930s, Scotland was affected by the Great Depression
Mass unemployment led to poverty, particularly amongst the working classes
Job opportunities were minimal, and work in the steelworks and mining pits was dangerous
In August 1930, the Auchinraith Disaster saw six men killed by an explosion
How this links to Tally’s Blood | |
|---|---|
Italian migration | The play explores poverty in 1930s Italy and Scotland. In Italy, Lucia’s father, Luigi, cannot afford to raise his daughter after his wife’s death. Later in the play, Luigi is presented as jealous of Massimo’s success in Glasgow. Rosinella sends clothes back to family in Italy. The Pedreschis exemplify typical migrant Italian businesses in Scotland: Massimo runs a shop and ice-cream cart. The title of the play refers to “Tally”, a slang term for an Italian ice-cream seller and sometimes for Italians in general. It is also a colloquialism for the raspberry sauce poured over ice cream. |
Economic depression | Franco comments on the lack of work in Glasgow in 1936, describing the “pits” and “steelworks” as the only options (other than working in a shop). The Devlin family exemplify the effects of economic depression on the Scottish working classes. Hughie is “scruffy”, Bridget has no jewellery, and has to ask for money to pay for her abortion. Their father, Adam Devlin, is killed in the mines. |
Tally’s Blood social context
Ann Marie Di Mambro is best known for dramas written for stage and television
The play, Tally’s Blood, was first performed in 1989
It examines cultural identity and Catholicism in mid-twentieth century Glasgow
Catholicism
While Catholicism was an established and dominant faith in Scottish history, it was denounced by the Reformation in 1560
Nevertheless, Catholicism continued in certain areas and, later, experienced a revival:
This resulted in an influx of economic migrants to Glasgow
The Catholic Church is opposed to contraception
However, abortion was not legalised in Scotland until 1967:
This resulted in many illegal abortions and large families
How this links to Tally’s Blood | |
|---|---|
Catholicism | The play follows two Catholic families: the Devlins and the Pedreschis. Rosinella, although a devout Catholic, often comments on Mrs Devlin’s inability to care for her eight children, highlighting Catholic values pertaining to birth control. When Bridget falls pregnant and finds herself alone when Franco goes to war she gets an abortion. It is implied this is an illegal abortion: she tells Rosinella she has not told another “living soul” |
Dual-culture | The Pedreschi family exemplifies tensions over cultural identity: Rosinella is fiercely Italian, while Massimo and Franco are keen to integrate into Scottish culture. Massimo, though, is angry when Frando joins the British army. Rosinella disapproves of Franco’s relationships with "Scotch girls" and wants Lucia to marry an Italian. She tries hard to discourage Lucia’s relationship with Hughie Devlin at first, but her husband’s strong reactions to her meddling and Bridget’s tragedy change her attitude. Lucia struggles with her identity: at first she insists on speaking Italian, later she is embarrassed of Rosinella’s bargaining in a shop, yet wishes to see her “daddy” in Italy. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the final Scottish text questions, SQA examiners reward answers that address key aspects of the text’s genre. To do this, you should try to explain how your analysis points and evidence connect to:
Dramatic traditions:
For example: the dramatic use of sound
You could write: ‘Di Mambro uses stage directions, “Noise of brick bashing against boards”, to create drama when the mob attacks’
Scottish literature:
For instance, the Pedreschi’s use Scottish dialect in the script
You could write about how Massimo, despite being Italian, uses Scottish dialect to show his integration
Tally’s Blood literary context
Di Mambro’s play, Tally’s Blood, is considered social realism:
It contributes to Scottish literature through its depiction of Italian immigrants in twentieth-century Scotland
It offers a new perspective through its portrayal of anti-Italian prejudice in Glasgow during World War II
Di Mambro’s work often explores controversial themes, such as domestic abuse, religion, nationalism, and homosexuality
Other works include:
The 1994 theatre production of Brothers of Thunder which explores tensions between an HIV-positive man and the Catholic church
The 1989 play The Letterbox which explores domestic abuse
The 2004 stage production of Ae Fond Kiss which portrays a friendship between a prostitute and a young man
Di Mambro’s screenwriting career includes: Casualty, EastEnders, Taggart, and River City
She is a lecturer-Professor at Glasgow Caledonian University
How this links to Tally’s Blood | |
|---|---|
Political theatre | The play explores discrimination against Italian migrants in 1930s Glasgow. The title refers to a derogatory name for Italians: "Tallys". The Pedreschi family struggle between a desire to integrate in Scotland and return to their homeland. While Rosinella’s nationalism is a key theme, the play also portrays the family’s preservation of Italian culture (especially through song and prayer). |
Sources:
“Catholics in a changing Scotland: the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, 1878-1965.” (opens in a new tab)
Di Mambro, Ann Marie. “Tally's Blood.” Association for Scottish Literature (opens in a new tab).
Unlock more, it's free!
Did this page help you?
