Literature for Life Poetry Section 6 Reading From 1946 to the Present Day Modern and Learning about Contemporary Drama John Osborne Look Back in Anger NOTEBOOK Knowledge 1. What do you already know about John Osborne? Check your notes from In Brief base and remember. 2. Consider the phrases used in English to refer to the different social classes. a. Which one is missing from this list? • working class • middle class • lower-middle class • upper-middle class b. Which phrases are synonyms or near synonyms for ‘upper class’ (UC), ‘middle class’ (MC) and ‘working class’ (WC)? bourgeoisie aristocracy white collar proletariat blue collar gentry As you know, the ‘Angry Young Men’ were young adults, mainly writers, in the 1950s in the UK who were discontented with the establishment. 3. Do you know the name of the anti- conventional and anti-middle class group of writers in the US in the same period? Poster of Look Back in Anger, first adapted in 1958 as a film by John Osborne and Nigel Kneale. It was directed by Tony Richardson and produced by Woodfall Films, a company formed by John Osborne and Tony Richardson. First reading 4. Before you read an extract from the play, read this summary. Who … a. … is middle class? _______________________________________________________________________________ b. … is working class? ______________________________________________________________________________ c. … are married?___________________________________________________________________________________ Section 6 From 1946 to the Present Day John Osborne 1 d. … is anti-establishment? ________________________________________________________________________ e. … is cut off from his/her family? _______________________________________________________________ f. … become lovers? _______________________________________________________________________________ Poetry Reading g. … is a lodger? ____________________________________________________________________________________ h. … is sarcastic and cruel?________________________________________________________________________ Modern and i. … is pregnant? ___________________________________________________________________________________ Learning about j. … is regretful of his/her actions in the end?__________________________________________________ Summary Jimmy Porter is a young, defiant, working-class intellectual who has Contemporary Drama deliberately chosen to give up his university education and chances to ‘get ahead’ in life as a sign of his anti-establishmentarianism. He works on a sweet stall at the local market and lives in a tiny flat with his wife Alison and a lodger, Cliff. Alison was from an upper-middle class family and, although she has severed all ties with them, Jimmy often attacks her sarcastically and virulently for her up-bringing, belittling and ridiculing her. Alison is pregnant but hasn’t got the courage to tell Jimmy. She invites a friend Helena to stay and Helena is shocked and angry at Jimmy’s treatment of Alison. Helena persuades Alison to go back to her family but then stays behind to give Jimmy Helena’s leaving note. Helena and Jimmy continue to fight but end up in a passionate embrace — Helena stays and becomes Jimmy’s live-in lover. Some months later, Alison returns looking distraught and ill — she has lost the baby. Helena decides her life with Jimmy is wrong and leaves. Surprisingly, Alison and Jimmy are reconciled. MP3 71 5. Listen to and read the extract from Act II of the text. Who speaks the most? Who are in conflict? JIMMY The last time she1 was in a church was when she was married to me. I T 128 expect that surprises you, doesn’t it? It was expediency2, pure and simple. John Osborne We were in a hurry, you see. (The comedy3 of this strikes him at once4, Look Back and he laughs.) Yes, we were actually in a hurry! Hurrying for the slaughter5! Well, the local registrar6 was a particular pal7 of Daddy8’s, and in Anger 9 10 (1956) we knew he’d spill the beans to the Colonel like a shot . So we had to seek out11 some local vicar12 who didn’t know him quite so well. But it was no use. When my best man13 — a chap14 I’d met in the pub that morning — and I turned up, Mummy and Daddy were in the church already. They’d 10 found out at the last moment, and had come to watch the execution carried out15. How I remember looking down at them, full of beer for 1. she: Alison. Helena 6. registrar: the 11. seek out: look for wants to take her to administrator (cercare). church. responsible for civil 12. vicar: the priest of a 2. was expediency: marriages (ufficiale di parish in the Church of served our purpose stato civile). England (prete). (strategia). 7. pal: informal for ‘friend’ 13. best man: main male 3. The comedy: The (amico). assistant to the funny side (Il lato 8. Daddy: refers to Alice’s bridegroom at a buffo). father. wedding (testimone 4. strikes him at once: 9. he’d spill the beans: he dello sposo). hits him immediately would reveal the secret 14. chap: informal for (lo colpisce (avrebbe spifferato ‘man’ (tipo). immediatamente). tutto). 15. carried out: completed 5. slaughter: here ‘ruin’ 10. like a shot: immediately successfully (massacro). (in un attimo). (avvenisse). Section 6 From 1946 to the Present Day John Osborne 2 breakfast, and feeling a bit buzzed16. Mummy was slumped over her pew in a heap17 — the noble, female rhino, pole-axed18 at last! And Daddy sat beside her, upright and unafraid, dreaming of his days among the Indian Poetry 19 Princes, and unable to believe he’d left his horsewhip at home. Just the Reading two of them in that empty church — them and me. (Coming out of his remembrance suddenly.) I’m not sure what happened after that. We Modern and must have been married, I suppose. I think I remember being sick in the Learning about vestry20. (To Alison.) Was I? 20 HELENA Haven’t you finished? He can smell blood21 again, and he goes on calmly, cheerfully. Contemporary Drama JIMMY (to Alison.) Are you going to let yourself be taken in22 by this saint in Dior’s clothing? I will tell you the simple truth about her. (Articulating with care.) She is a cow23. I wouldn’t mind that so much, but she seems to have become a sacred cow24 as well! CLIFF You’ve gone too far, Jimmy. Now dry up!25 HELENA: Oh, let him go on. JIMMY (to Cliff.) I suppose you’re going over to that side as well. Well, why don’t you? Helena will help to make it pay off26 for you. She’s an expert in the 30 New Economics — the Economics of the Supernatural. It’s all a simple matter of payments and penalties. (Rises.) She’s one of those apocalyptic share pushers27 who are spreading all those rumours28 about a transfer of power. (His imagination is racing, and the words pour out.) Reason and Progress29, the old firm, is selling out30! Everyone get out while the going’s good31. Those forgotten shares32 you had in the old traditions, the old beliefs, are going up — up and up and up. (Moves up left.) There’s going to be a change over. A new Board of Directors33, who are going to see that the dividends are always attractive, and that they go to the right people. (Facing them.) Sell out everything you’ve got: all those stocks34 16. buzzed: slang for ‘in a 24. sacred cow: a term state of pleasant used as an allusion to intoxication’ the Hindu reverence (sbronzo). for cows. 17. slumped over her pew 25. dry up!: shut up! in a heap: was sitting (piantala!). on the church bench 26. Helena will help to like a sack of potatoes make it pay off for you: (era sprofondata sul Helena will help you to banco della chiesa). get something from it 18. pole-axed: informal for (Helena ti aiuterà a ‘so shocked that she guadagnarci didn’t know what to qualcosa). say or do’ (allibita). 27. share pushers: 19. horsewhip: hand held speculators instrument used to (speculatori in give commands to borsa). horses (frustino). 28. spreading all those 31. while the going’s good: Northern Stage 20. vestry: sacristy rumors: telling people here ‘while it’s still production of Look Back (sacrestia). all those stories possible’ (prima che in Anger by John Osborne 21. smell blood: sense his (diffondendo tutte sia troppo tardi). directed by Erica Whyman opponent’s weakness quelle voci). 32. shares: parts of a (Newcastle, February 2009). Bill Ward as Jimmy, or vulnerability 29. Reason and Progress: capital stock of a Laura Howard as Helena, (percepisce la slogan of the radical corporation (azioni). Rob Storr as Cliff, Nia vulnerabilità left. 33. Board of Directors: Gwynne as Alison. dell’avversario). 30. is selling out: is selling governing body of a 22. be taken in: be fooled all and closing down, firm (Consiglio (farti fregare). also informal for ‘to d’Amministrazione). 23. cow: here offensive for abandon one’s 34. stocks: ownership of a ‘unpleasant woman’ principles’ (sta corporation indicated (vacca). liquidando tutto). by shares (titoli). Section 6 From 1946 to the Present Day John Osborne 3 40 in the old, free inquiry. (Crosses to above table.) The Big Crash is coming, you can’t escape it, so get in on the ground floor with Helena and her friends while there’s still time. And there isn’t much of it left. Tell me, Poetry 35 36 what could be more gilt-edged than the next world! It’s a capital gain , Reading and it’s all yours. (He moves round the table, back to his chair.) You see. I know Helena and her kind so very well. In fact, her kind are everywhere, Modern and 37 you can’t move for them. They’re a romantic lot . They spend their time Learning about mostly looking forward to the past. The only place they can see the light is the Dark Ages38.