DOCSLIB.ORG

Psychological Insight in Look Back in Anger Dr

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Psychological Insight in Look Back in Anger Dr © 2020 IJRAR February 2020, Volume 7, Issue 1 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) Psychological insight in Look Back in Anger Dr. Swati Tande Assist. Professor, Department of English, P.N. College, Nanded Abstract: This research paper intends to study Look Back in Anger as a problem play. The paper deals with the aspects of social conflicts consequent upon individual conflicts. Sense of loss in modern generation is the key concept of the play. The sense of loss leads to depression in modern people is reflected through the paper. The plot of Look Back in Anger moves from love, jealousy, misunderstanding, hatred, and reconciliation. Osborne had dramatized communal questions in order to arouse social conscience. The play presents the frustrated outbursts of Jimmy, the angry young man. He frenzied with resentment against conservative class system. Instead of facing the problems, the protagonist just grumbles for the people and situation in which he his living. Dealing with psyche of modern world, Osborne presented degeneration of generation. Key Words: psychological, rationale, reciprocal, obligation, alienation, reconciliation, compatibility. John Osborne was a born playwright. In his creative world dramatic expression comes with a perfect naturalness and ease. He remained defiantly a popular dramatist who was capable of speaking to a mass public. His play has a sense of social complexity. His major plays, particularly problem plays have never ceased to be the ‘lessons in feeling’. The depiction of the middle age group by Osborne is true to fact. Through his plays, Osborne had opened up a much wider subject than rebelliousness or youthful anger, that of social alienation. The social alienation is the feeling of being trapped in a world of meaningless codes and customers. In his plays, through characters he depicted modern man’s personality and mentality of modern generation. He portrayed youth which is disconcerting mixture of sincerity and cheerful malice, of tenderness and freebooting cruelty. Look Back in Anger is one of his remarkable plays that reveal the psyche of post world war generation. It is considered as his landmark play. It was written in 1956. It is Osborne’s first major work. In 1956, the scope for new talent was greater. It is written in response to the call for new play by The English Stage Company’s an advertisement. The play, Look Back in Anger was liked by the same company. They gave Osborne the face of their new playwright. The play initiated a new era in British theatre. With the publication of this play, Osborne is linked with the ‘Angry Young Men’ Group. Look Back in Anger is a well-made problem play of a considerable psychological insight. The plot of Look Back in Anger moves on emotional track from love, jealousy, misunderstanding, hatred, and reconciliation. The psychological aspects are used to socialize the play. In the drama social problems are mirrored with emotional tendency. The reflection of some of the communal troubles depicts the mentality of the people. Osborne showed reciprocal relation of people’s mentality and society. The mental problems affect the society very badly. In the same way, struggling for life, and facing the social problems peoples are losing their courage. Because of mental stress, they are easily demoralized. Portraying the post world war human with mental or psychological and social problems, Osborne gives various moral messages. Osborne had dramatized communal questions in order to arouse social conscience. The play presents the frustrated outbursts of Jimmy, the angry young man. He frenzied with resentment against conservative class system. He replicates his new circumstances and surroundings in which he is facing mental and social problems. Instead of facing the problems, the protagonist just grumbles for the people and situation in which he his living. The social conscience diminishes with the sense of loss of obligation. Although he married with Alison for having a sincere affection but he never takes her responsibility as a husband. Jimmy’s sense of loss of obligation gives message that the generation after world war is becoming irresponsible. It does not want to take the responsibility of one’s relations and society, too. Sense of loss of emotion is the reason for indifferent attitude of new generation towards the society. Through Jimmy’s anger, Osborne pointed out a degeneration of feeling and language. It is noticed, most of the times in the play Jimmy denunciates Alison and Cliff for their being devoid of emotions. While criticizing Alison and Cliff for their coldness Jimmy ignores that he too, is emotionless. Once he said that Alison should have misery of loss of child. Only an emotionless husband can wish so, for one’s wife. His impassiveness makes him impotent. As he is devoid of emotions, he is without any ambition. It is because he is IJRAR2001194 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) www.ijrar.org 456 © 2020 IJRAR February 2020, Volume 7, Issue 1 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) unable to advance in personal as well as social life. This sense of loss of ability alienated him from the society. Jimmy’s inability gives moral to reader that sense of loss of emotion leads to have the loss of ambition that ultimately leads to sense of loss of ability. Loss of emotion means devoid of ambition and purpose. Being devoid of rationale, one’s ability degenerates and the spirit gets rotten with the flow of time. Such spiritless persons instead of correcting one’s faults, they just grumble about everything. The protagonist’s famous complaint in Look Back in Anger is- There aren’t any good, brave causes left. It the big bang does come, and we all get killed off, it won’t be in aid of the old-fashioned grand design. It’ll just be for the Brave New- nothing – very-much-thank you. He often states that there are no ‘good, brave causes left’ in the world. In fact he daily rails against dozens of enemies the advertisers, the church, politicians, aristocrats, cinema audiences, and others. There are too many causes worth fighting for, and their sheer magnitude renders Jimmy impotent. The problem is a need to realize it. His irreverence and castigating wit are all an imposture, an attempt to shield himself from his failure to take meaningful action. Not only Jimmy but also his father in law, Colonel Redfern also resents for present and repents for by gone days. Jimmy seems almost envious of those he criticizes. The man for whom he professes the greatest resentment Colonel Redfern had a golden age, whereas Jimmy agitates in vacuum. With Jimmy’s tirades, Osborne points out how the sense of loss of potency makes oneself envious. John Elsom also observes perplexity in Jimmy. To quote him- Jimmy was not just the critic of his society; he was also the object for criticism. He was the chief example of the social malaise, which he was attacking. Through Jimmy Porter, Osborne had opened up a much wider subject than rebelliousness or youthful anger, that of social alienation, the feeling of being trapped in a world of meaningless codes and customs. John Elsom also observes ambivalence in Jimmy. He is a confusing combination of sincerity and cheerful malice, of tenderness and freebooting cruelty. Osborne presents a small group of post world war young people who are existing in a sorry state of emotional and physical squalor. He gives a close-up to the marital relationship between immensely resentful graduate of working-class origin and the passively submissive young woman. The portrayal of Jimmy is to depict the changing moods of present generation. Jimmy’s love-hate emotion is one of the reasons of his failure of marriage. Osborne gives moral message that loss of emotion, endurance, and compatibility leads to loss of relations. A marriage could not be survived unless it has emotion, honesty, endurance and the most important compatibility. The poor state of the country is also mirrored in the troubled relationship between the characters. Michael Billington, a journalist of The Guardian, expressed this idea excellently_ It’s premiere at the Royal court in May 1956 not only put the English Stage Company on the map, but proved to a generation of contemporary writers that it was possible to put contemporary Britain on Stage. Above words of Michael Billington appreciate Osborne for Putting the real Britain on the stage by presenting the problems, suffering and agony of post-world war human. Expression of various sense of loss, in Look Back in Anger formed moral order. Osborne warns against the impending doom on the present generation, which lost its direction with sense of loss. The play is a moral exploration in precisely this field. It functions as a replica of England, and its generation that lost its direction in the anarchy after IJRAR2001194 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) www.ijrar.org 457 © 2020 IJRAR February 2020, Volume 7, Issue 1 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) world war. It seems one consistent feature in Osborne’s English plays is the view that contemporary society is suffering from degeneration of feeling and language. It displays how the hero’s isolation becomes increasingly an impatient and wholesale rejection of modern times. In short, observing the post world war world and dealing with psyche of that world, Osborne presented degeneration of generation. In Look Back in Anger, he gave voice to the individual as well as social problems. Jimmy’s bad manners, rejection of middle – class mores was seen as the clarion of a neglected generation.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Influence of Kitchen Sink Drama in John Osborne's
    IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 23, Issue 9, Ver. 7 (September. 2018) 77-80 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org The Influence of Kitchen Sink Drama In John Osborne’s “ Look Back In Anger” Sadaf Zaman Lecturer University of Bisha Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Corresponding Author: Sadaf Zaman ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Date of Submission:16-09-2018 Date of acceptance: 01-10-2018 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------- John Osborne was born in London, England in 1929 to Thomas Osborne, an advertisement writer, and Nellie Beatrice, a working class barmaid. His father died in 1941. Osborne used the proceeds from a life insurance settlement to send himself to Belmont College, a private boarding school. Osborne was expelled after only a few years for attacking the headmaster. He received a certificate of completion for his upper school work, but never attended a college or university. After returning home, Osborne worked several odd jobs before he found a niche in the theater. He began working with Anthony Creighton's provincial touring company where he was a stage hand, actor, and writer. Osborne co-wrote two plays -- The Devil Inside Him and Personal Enemy -- before writing and submittingLook Back in Anger for production. The play, written in a short period of only a few weeks, was summarily rejected by the agents and production companies to whom Osborne first submitted the play. It was eventually picked up by George Devine for production with his failing Royal Court Theater. Both Osborne and the Royal Court Theater were struggling to survive financially and both saw the production of Look Back in Anger as a risk.
    [Show full text]
  • 2348-7666; Vol.7, Issue-6 June, 2020 Impact Factor: 6.023; Email: [email protected]
    International Journal of Academic Research ISSN: 2348-7666; Vol.7, Issue-6 June, 2020 Impact Factor: 6.023; Email: [email protected] Rashmi Rani Sahu Research Scholar in English Berhampur University, Ganjam, Odisha World War II destroyed the rational and moral foundations of human society which in turn produced a prevalent sense of utter meaninglessness and instability of human existence. This title attempts to look into the various issues relating to the social, economic and metaphysical life in 1950s England, explored by the three dramatists Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and John Osborne. Their choice of themes such as the absurdist and existential issues and the prevailing socio-economic discontentment, as well as the structure, tone and language of the plays effectively comment on these concerns. Kitchen sink realism (or kitchen sink drama) is a term coined to describe a British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film, and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as "angry young men" who were disillusioned with modern society. It used a style of social realism, which depicted the domestic situations of working class Britons, living in cramped rented accommodation and spending their off-hours drinking in grimy pubs, to explore controversial social and political issues ranging from abortion to homelessness. The harsh, realistic style contrasted sharply with the escapism of the previous generation's so-called "well-made plays". : Absurdist, Existential, modern, Social Realism. also not a proper job for a graduate man. Look Back in Anger (1956) is commonly According to Berkowitz “inability to fulfil credited with being the play in which the anticipations is a frustration” Osborne expressed a sense of frustration (McCarthy 16).
    [Show full text]
  • The Historical and Socio-Political Context of “Look Back in Anger” by John Osborne and D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers
    PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ALGERIA MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ABDELHAMID IBN BADIS UNIVERITY – MOSTAGANEM- FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGUES DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH MASTER « British Studies » The Historical and STRITocio -Political Context of TITL “Look Back in Anger” By John Osborne and D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers Presented by: RAFA Zohra Board of Examiners: Supervisor: Mr. SEBBAH Djamel University of Mostaganem Chair: Mrs. BENMAATI Fatima Zahra University of Mostaganem Examiner: Mr. TEGUIA Cherif University of Mostaganem Academic Year 2016/2017 Dedication: To my family, for their continual love, support, happy times and inspiration. II Acknowledgment: I would like to thank Mr. Djamel Sebbah for all his invaluable help, criticism and advice in the finishing point of this thesis. I would like to thank my dearest friend Abdel Hamid Faiza for her encouragement and priceless advice; I would also like to express my utmost gratitude to Allawa Amine for his wonderful ideas, encouragement and advice during the year. Thanks also to Ziani Nabil for providing me with a copy of the original script that I could not have without his help. I would also like to thank all who contributed in this research. To Louiza, Fatiha, Nadia and Fouzia for their encouragement, love and support. A special thank to you “Brit_Lit” class for a wonderful year of friendship, encouragement and memorable times. Finally 1 wish to thank my teachers who were the source of my inspiration: Mrs. Djafri, Mr. Teguia and Dr. Mired for their continued help and support in making lectures very worthwhile and stimulating experience.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter Series Art Films and Events January February Filmmarch Film
    Film Program Winter 2008 National Gallery of Art, Washington Winter Series film From the Archives: 16 at 12 England’s New Wave, 1958 – 1964 István Szabó’s 20th Century Alexander Sokurov In Glorious Technicolor Art Films and Events This Sporting Life (Photofest) 19 Sat II March Edward 2:00 England’s New Wave, 1958 – 1964: A Kind of Loving 1 Sat J. M.W. Turner and Film 4:30 England’s New Wave, 1958 – 1964: 2:00 István Szabó’s 20th Century: Mephisto (two-part program) This Sporting Life 4:30 István Szabó’s 20th Century: Colonel Redl 2 Sun The Gates 20 Sun 4:30 England’s New Wave, 1958 – 1964: 4:30 István Szabó’s 20th Century: Hanussen International Festival of Films Saturday Night and Sunday Morning; 4 Tues The Angry Silence on Art 12:00 From the Archives: 16 at 12: The City 22 Tues of Washington Henri Storck’s Legacy: 12:00 From the Archives: 16 at 12: Dorothea 8 Sat Lange: Under the Trees; Eugène Atget (1856 – 1927) Belgian Films on Art 3:00 Event: Max Linder Ciné-Concert 26 Sat 9 Sun 2:00 Event: International Festival of Films on Art England’s Finest Hour: 4:30 Alexander Sokurov: The Sun (Solntse) Films by Humphrey Jennings 27 Sun 11 Tues 4:00 Event: International Festival of Films on Art Balázs Béla Stúdió: 1961 – 1970 12:00 From the Archives: 16 at 12: Washington, 29 Tues City with a Plan Max Linder Ciné-Concert 12:00 From the Archives: 16 at 12: Dorothea 15 Sat Lange: Under the Trees; Eugène Atget (1856 – 1927) 2:30 Alexander Sokurov: Elegy of Life: Silvestre Revueltas: Music for Film Rostropovich Vishnevskaya February 4:30 Alexander
    [Show full text]
  • Social Discrimination in John Osborne's Look Back in Anger
    ================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 Vol. 17:12 December 2017 India’s Higher Education Authority UGC Approved List of Journals Serial Number 49042 ================================================================ Social Discrimination in John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger M. Meivizhi, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed. ================================================== John Osborne Courtesy: http://waytofamous.com/19667-john-osborne.html Abstract British literature is a mirror initially tied-up with several historical events, reflecting many facets of British identity. English drama rose, with excellent rapidity, to the summit of its ==================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 17:12 December 2017 M. Meivizhi, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed. Social Discrimination in John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger 249 literary glories and is reflected through the imaginative strength of famous playwrights of England. The realistic issues which took place in and around the society are revealed in British plays and that has paved the way for new talents to create awareness among the people. The foremost playwrights who merge in the middle of the fifties are Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and John Osborne. Of these writers, Osborne shows his concerns over the class problems of the society. His plays deal with social discrimination, alienation, man’s rebellion against the bonds of custom, anger, despair and frustration of the post-war generation, man-woman relationship and similar socio-psychological themes. He is regarded as the most brilliant dramatist of the post-Second World War period in Britain. Apart from the impressive volume of his writings, his plays have a great literary significance and bring him an enviable position among contemporary British dramatists.
    [Show full text]
  • Look Back in Anger by John Osborne
    PILOT THEATRE LOOK BACK IN ANGER RESOURCES Introduction On May 8th 1956, Look Back in Anger opened at the Royal Court Theatre as the third production of the newly formed English Stage Company. The English Stage Company had been founded in 1955 to promote the production of new plays by contemporary authors that might not find production in the commercial West End theatre (London's equivalent of Broadway in New York City). West End theatre provided quality acting and high standards of production, but very little drama that related to life in contemporary England. Most plays of the time were generally innocuous light comedies, thrillers, and foreign imports—fourteen American shows in 1955 alone. Osborne had submitted copies of Look Back in Anger to every agent in London and to many West End producers and had been rejected by all. When the script arrived at the Royal Court, the Artistic Director George Devine and his young assistant director Tony Richardson knew it was exactly what they were looking for. Look Back in Anger was viewed as a play that would, as Devine later put it, "blow a hole in the old theatre." Critical reception was strongly mixed: some detested the play and the central character, but most recognized Osborne as an important new talent and the play as emotionally powerful. They also recognized the play as one that fervently spoke of the concerns of the young in post-war England. The first production of Look Back in Anger was not initially financially successful, although after an excerpt was shown on BBC the box office was overwhelmed.
    [Show full text]
  • From Pleasure to Menace: Noel Coward, Harold Pinter, and Critical Narratives
    Fall 2009 41 From Pleasure to Menace: Noel Coward, Harold Pinter, and Critical Narratives Jackson F. Ayres For many, if not most, scholars of twentieth century British drama, the playwrights Noel Coward and Harold Pinter belong in entirely separate categories: Coward, a traditional, “drawing room dramatist,” and Pinter, an angry revolutionary redefining British theatre. In short, Coward is often used to describe what Pinter is not. Yet, this strict differentiation is curious when one considers how the two playwrights viewed each other’s work. Coward frequently praised Pinter, going so far as to christen him as his successor in the use of language on the British stage. Likewise, Pinter has publicly stated his admiration of Coward, even directing a 1976 production of Coward’s Blithe Spirit (1941). Still, regardless of their mutual respect, the placement of Coward and Pinter within a shared theatrical lineage is, at the very least, uncommon in the current critical status quo. Resistance may reside in their lack of overt similarities, but likely also in the seemingly impenetrable dividing line created by the premiere of John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger on May 8, 1956. In his book, 1956 and All That (1999), Dan Rebellato convincingly argues that Osborne’s play created such a critical sensation that eventually “1956 becomes year zero, and time seems to flow both forward and backward from it,” giving the impression that “modern British theatre divides into two eras.”1 Coward contributed to this partially generational divide by frequently railing against so-called New Movement authors, particularly Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco, for being self-important and tedious.
    [Show full text]
  • Look Back in Anger
    'Ii. PLAY IN THREE ACTS BY JOHN OSBORNE Look Back in Anger THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY © The Dramatic Publishing Company, Woodstock, Illinois *** NOTICE *** The amateur acting righto; to this work are controlled exclusively by THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY without whose pennission in writing no perfonnance of it may be given. Royalty fees are given in our current catalogue and are subject to change without notice. Royalty must be paid every time a play is perfonned whether or not it is presented for profit and whether or not admission is charged. A play is performed anytime it is acted before an audience. All inquiries concerning amateur rights should be addressed to: DRAMATIC PUBLISHING P. o. Box 129, Woodstock, Illinois 60098. COPYRIGHT LA W GIVES THE A UTHOR OR THE AUTHOR'S AGENT THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO A1AKE COPIES. This law provides authors with a fair return for their creative efforts. Authors earn their living from the royalties they receive from book sales and from the performance of their work. Conscientious oh5ervance of copyright law is not only ethical, it encourages authors to continue their creative work. This work is fully protected by copyright. No alterations, deletions or substitutions may be made in the work without the prior written consent of the publisher. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any fonn or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, videotape, film, or any infonnation storage and retrieval system, without pennission in writing from the publisher. It may not be perfonned either by professionals or amateurs without payment of royalty.
    [Show full text]
  • Poetics of Anger in John Osborne's Look Back in Anger and Femi Osofisan's the Chattering and the Song
    British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences ISSN: 2046-9578, Vol.5 No.1 (2012) ©BritishJournal Publishing, Inc. 2012 http://www.bjournal.co.uk/BJASS.aspx Poetics of Anger in John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger and Femi Osofisan’s The Chattering and the Song. Bosede F. AFOLAYAN [PhD] Department of English, University of Lagos, Lagos-Nigeria. [email protected] Abstract Anger is a basic human emotion which has a force for constructive or destructive ends. Its expression in any circumstance can be a trigger for a desire to change a prevailing situation. In all cases, anger is a fundamental component of art. In Osborne and Osofisan, extreme anger as both material and style is what marks them out. Its reification by the intellect provides a potent instrument for investigating society. This study examines the use of anger in Osborne’s Look Back in Anger and Osofisan’s The Chattering and the Song. Osborne and Osofisan are two writers who are very anxious to change their societies. The paper is a comparative study of a British and a Nigerian playwright who wrote at different times yet share similar concerns. The study is primarily concerned with the early plays of Osborne and Osofisan where anger is strongest and where their artistic triumph is most poignant. The paper reveals that anger is the point of departure for their art and concludes that it is both material and motivating force for their writings. The anger expressed in these works are not mere hysterics but cerebral. Keywords: Anger, Osborne, Osofisan, Cerebral, Hysterics 123 British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences ISSN: 2046-9578 Introduction This study is a comparative analysis of Osborne’s Look Back in Anger and Osofisan's The Chattering and the Song, an English and a Nigerian play whose aim is to reform society by drawing attention to the ills in their societies.
    [Show full text]
  • Anger, Nostalgia, and the End of Empire: John Osborne's Look Back in Anger
    Anger, Nostalgia, and the End of Empire: John Osborne's Look Back in Anger Nandi Bhatia Modern Drama, Volume 42, Number 3, Fall 1999, pp. 391-400 (Article) Published by University of Toronto Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/mdr.1999.0012 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/500001/summary Access provided by Columbia University (9 Jun 2017 07:13 GMT) Anger, Nostalgia, and the End of Empire: John Osborne's Look Back in Anger NANDI BHAT IA The evidence suggests that Racism had assumed an active faml in the British overseas empire right at the beginning of Victoria's reign. The Darwini an revelation injected scie n ~if i c and sociological content; and the Indian Mutiny and the "mini-mutiny" in Jamaica provided the "rivers of blood" to justify prejud ices. The last quarter of the cen­ tury saw Racism reach a plateau. being manifested, in the Empire which had then atLaincd its widest bounds. Today, in the imperial afterglow, we survey our lost domains from the same plateau of Racism in what is now our supposedly beleaguered island home. l - Hugh Tinker . As he reminisces about hi s Edwardian past during the period of British colo­ ni al rule in India, Colonel Redfern, who belongs to the class that ostensibly constitutes Jimmy Porter's "natural" enemy, is overcome by nostalgia. When Jimmy Porter, the working-class protagonist and anti-establishment hero , remembered by commentators as "represent[i ng] a postw ar generation in hi s anger, petulance, dissatisfaction, infirmity of purpose, railing, [and] complain ­ ing,'" alludes to the Colonel (after endless bouts of indiscrim inate attacks on Alison , hi s wife and the Colonel 's daughter, in an attempt to shake her out of her upper-class complacency), his anger wanes.
    [Show full text]
  • Alison Porter in Look Back in Anger: Is She Responsible for Her Sufferings?
    IIUC STUDIES ISSN 1813-7733 Vol.- 10 & 11, December 2014 (p 65-80) Alison Porter in Look Back in Anger: Is She Responsible for her Sufferings? Salma Haque* Abstract: John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger is a dramatic study of a strained marriage relationship. In it Jimmy Porter is the protagonist and Alison Porter, a retired Colonel’s daughter, is the heroine. The actual action of the play is centered around Jimmy’s relationship with her. Despite his dominance, his wife Alison Porter, is the most important supporting character on whom Jimmy inflicts pain by his tirades all the time until eventually she feels she can bear no more. Later on she leaves him in her pregnant state to seek peace. After the loss of the baby she comes back to him when both have lost faith in each other. So they will go back to their previous unhealthy relationship causing her to become deplorable again. My reading of Alison Porter is that she is a suffering person though some find Jimmy a sufferer. This paper aims at assessing her sufferings and the reasons behind them. John Osborne‟s play Look Back in Anger mainly describes a failed marriage between Jimmy and Alison who live with Jimmy‟s uneducated friend Cliff Lewis. According to Nicoll the play: “... focuses attention upon the life being led by the pair, and ends inconclusively ...” (Nicoll, 12). Through it Osborne presented „a new type of angry young hero‟ whose sense of working-class position prejudices his judgment about those of upper social status and this brings him into conflict with Alison who becomes victim of his cruelty.
    [Show full text]
  • Jimmy Porter- Is the Voice of Osborne's Dissatisfaction With
    JIMMY PORTER- IS THE VOICE OF OSBORNE’S DISSATISFACTION WITH HISCONTEMPORYSOCIETY? Sangeeta Lecturer in English,Haryana Education Department Abstract : “Look Back in Anger” received an overwhelming response from the audience when it was first produced. It appealed to the audience because of the realistic subject matter. A substantial body of critical and popular opinion has subscribed to the view that Jimmy is a self-portrait of Osborne himself. Jimmy shares the same kind of anger as Osborne has his roots in a similar social-economic background, and has watched his father die at attender age. Jimmy also reflects Osborne’s disillusionment with contemporary British society and serves as his mouthpiece in denouncing the church, the Royalty, the Government, the Upper Class, and traditional morality. Jimmy also embodies Osborne’s detriment of the English notion of the stiff-upper lip, of detachment and apathy, of lack of enthusiasm. Keywords: Jimmy Porter ,dissatisfaction , hiscontemporysociety 1 Jimmy Porter- Is The Voice Of Osborne’s...... INTRODUCTION Chiding Alison and Cliff for lack of enthusiasm he says sarcastically “why don’t we have a little game? Let’s pretend that we’re human beings, and that we’re actually alive.” (Act I, Page-59) Jimmy and Alison have been married for four years and in spite of the passage of time, Jimmy has not been able to reconcile himself to the middle class origin of his wife. Jimmy complains, “Nobody thinks, nobody cares. No belief no convictions and no enthusiasm.” This research paper reflects that in Jimmy’s denunciation of the middle class Osborne’s own feeling comes to the force.
    [Show full text]