The play "Look Back in Anger" was written by British writer John Osborne and first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, on 8th May 1956. It is centred on Jimmy Porter, who belongs to the lower middle class and continuously rants about suffering and frustration. He has a wife, Alison. Jimmy is an educated person, but because of the hierarchical structure of class in society, he does not get his desired job and life. Consequently, he feels frustrated.
The play is divided into three acts.
Act 1 has no scene.
Act 2 has two scenes.
Act 3 has two scenes.
Characters-
Jimmy Porter; is a young man of 25 years and the protagonist, belongs to the lower middle class..
Alison Porter; is the wife of Jimmy. She belongs to the upper class.
Clif Lewis; is a friend of Jimmy Porter.
Helena Charles; is a Friend of Alison Porter.
Colonel Redfren; father of Alison.
The play has also minor characters like-
Madeline; mistress of Jimmy.
Miss Drury; owner of the rented room.
Hugh Tanner; used to be a friend of Jimmy.
Mrs. Tanner; Hugh Tsnner's mother.
Nigel; Alison's brother.
Important Quotes:-
"She hasn't had a thought for years! Have you?"
(act 1, Jimmy comments on Alison. Since Alison belongs to the upper class and comments on her show that he comments on the upper-class mentality because of the indifference toward the middle class.)
"I am the only person who knows how to treat a paper or anything else in the house."
(act 1, said by Jimmy. shows his sense of superiority.)
" He (Bishop of Bromely) makes a very moving appeal to all Christians to do all they can to assist in the manufacture of H-bomb."
(Cliff reads it in the paper. It reveals that in Osborne's time, even the church appealed to help in manufacturing bombs.)
"He is being offensive. And it's easy for him."
(In act 1, Cliff says about Jimmy's nature.)
"How I hate Sunday! It's always so depressing, always the same...the same ritual of reading the paper, drinking tea, ironing and another week gone. Our youth is slipping away."
(act 1, said by Jimmy. It shows that there is nothing new in his life or in the life of the lower middle-class families. He has a mechanical life.)
"Nobody can be bothered. No one can raise themselves out of their delicious sloth."
(act 1, by Jimmy.)
"Nobody thinks, nobody cares no beliefs, no conviction, no enthusiasm, Just another Sunday evening."
(act 1, Jimmy's notion of detachment and apathy.)
"...the back of the mind is the vague knowledge that he and his pals have been plundering and fooling everybody for generations."
(act 1 by Jimmy. He comments on the upper-class mentality for their so-called knowledge.)
"For the first time in my life, I was cut off from my kind of people, I'd always know, my family my friends and everybody."
(act 2, by Alison. it shows her loneliness.)
"For twelve months I watched my father dying- when I was ten years old."
(act 2 scene 1, by Jimmy.)
"Where I come from, we are used to brawling and excitement."
(act 2, scene 1, by Cliff. it reveals the nature of the lower middle-class people.)
"All I know is that none of you know how to behave in a decent civilised way."
(act 3, scene 2, by Helena.)
"I have discovered what is wrong with Jimmy? He was born out of his time... He doesn't know where he is or where he is going."
(act 3, scene 2, by Helena.)
"Everything about him seemed to burn, his face, the edges of his hair glistened and seemed to spring off his head, and his eyes were so blue and full of sun."
(act 2, scene 1, by Alison. She describes Jimmy's physical beauty. And probably this was the reason she fell in love with him. She also describes him as a "Knight in shining armour", same act & scene)
"She gets letter. Letter from her mother, letters in which I am not mentioned at all because of my name is a dirty word."
(act 1, by Jimmy.)
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