Critically appreciate Look Back in Anger

Critically appreciate Look Back in Anger

John Osborne is the best dramatists of 20th century and belongs to the categ
ory of great modern dramatists such as G.B. Shaw, Sean OCasey, John Galsworthy, a
nd J.B. Priestley. His early play Look Back in Anger marked the beginning of the r
evolution in British Drama. Ifor Evans remarks in his book Short History of Engl
ish Literature,
To the Royal court theatre in
1956 came Osborns play Look
Back in Anger which caught
the imagination of a generation.
He broke into the theatre
with what seemed an authentic
picture of post war society.
Osborne has presented class-conflict existed in the English Society. T
he play is regarded as the central and most immediately influential expression o
f mood of its time, the mood of the angry young man. It gave the strongest Filli
p to the concept of the angry young man. Lets critical appreciation of this play.
The title
The title is always an important part of literary creation because it
shows theme of play or creates excitement to people to read the book. Here the t
itle has two parts Look Back in Anger. It suggests that the drama is about angriness
. Apart from that the drama is throught out dealing with the character of Jimmy
Porter and with its angriness. The play is centres on Jimmys angriness, his life,
his wife and his hate. In this way, title is an apt.
Jimmy: the rancorous hero
Jimmy Porter is the rancorous hero. He has been regarded as a spokesma
n of the post-war generation in Britain. When the play was produced in 1956, at
that time the general mood of the people in Britain was one of frustration, disi
llusionment, cynicism, rebelliousness and even despair. Jimmy gives expression t
o this mood through his rhetoric speeches. He was ideally constituted to be all
purposes hero dissatisfied young people. The critics Stephen Williams says,
Jimmy spits venom against
everything and everybody
and is apparently convinced
that for the youth of today
the world is an utterly purid place.
Variety of themes
There is variety of themes in the play. There is variety of themes lik
e criticism on set of social rules, study unhealthy marriage relationship and te
xture of ordinary despair. The criticism on set of social rules is the foremost
of the theme. The play presents the class war existed in the post war English so
ciety like the novels such writers of John Wain Kingsley Amis and John Brain. Th
e rancorous hero of the play Jimmy porter represents the fury of post war youth.
Look Back in Anger gave
the strongest Fillip to the
concept of the angry young man.
Osborne has given us an excellent accurate dissection of perverse marr
iage. Unhealthy relationship of love marriage and sex are interwoven in the play
. Theme of Quest for Solidarity is one important aspects of drama. And Jimmy and A
lison are the victim of these. The play is concerned with intellectual and spiri
tual deadness. It is concerned with the debased value of modern life of which sp
iritual deadness is one of the parts.

Autobiographical drama
According to Trussler the play Look Back in Anger is thoroughly autobiog
raphical in one respect. There is much substance in this view. Osborne self por
trayed himself in the name of his main character Jimmy. The experience which he
had in his life can easily seen in the play. As Jimmy was disliked by the societ
y, Osborne himself passed through these stages of life. Jimmy has the same kind
of anger as Osborne had. There are so many such traits that Osborne was having,
have been transferred into Jimmys character. We can find the personality of Osbor
ne in the role of Jimmy.
Psychological and sociological aspects
According to A. E. Dyson, The play has some wider psychological and soc
iological aspects. As sociological aspects, it presents some social problem of hu
man life and society of contempory time. It also present 21st centurys mans proble
m of class consciousness, position of women, and problem of matrimonial relation
. It shows social criticism for character like Helena.
There are some psychological reasons after the minds of characters. e.
g. Why Jimmy always criticizes society. Alisons tolerance leads his misfortunes.
The game of Bear and Squirrel is totally based on psychology. Jimmys remarks early
in the play that nobody thinks, nobody cares. No beliefs, no convictions, and no
enthusiasm. has its psychological and sociological significance. Dyson says,
The play is subtly aware the
psychological impact of bomb
era upon men like Jimmy as
anything else in twentieth
century English literature.
Symbolism
Symbolism is the distinguishing trait of the play. Bears and squirrel g
ame is kind of reconciliation for Alison and Jimmy from the harsh realities of li
fe. According to Simon Trussler the game is a brave attempt by Jimmy and Alison
to compensate themselves for the failure of their marriage. There are some symbo
lic devices which are part of the plays structure. Ironing symbolizes a kind of rou
tine life with which Jimmy is fed-up. Church bell symbolizes Jimmys anti-religious
personality. The Trumpets blowing symbolizes an escape from realities of the world
life.
A dark comedy
Look Back in Anger is a dark comedy because it contains the element of c
ynicism and bitterness. The structure of the play so well planned that it uphold
s it is a successful dark comedy. The subject of the play is basically the hidde
n class war between upper class and lower class. Osborne shows us something of m
arried life of a young map of the latter type. After the play, the phrase the ang
ry young man becomes popular as a description of those who were unhappy with the
justice and unequal. The play is cynical and bitter and typical the darker side
of comedy.
well-made play.
The play is well-made play. The action of play develops in a logical a
nd coherent manner. The development of the plot very perfectly and clear. Confli
ct, surprise, suspense, tension and climax are the principal features of the pla
y. The ending of each scene is skillfully effect. It is a traditional play as re
gards its construction. In a short, the play is technically a very good play. A.
E. Dyson describes as taut and theatrically exciting. According to John Russell
Taylor,
Look Back in Anger is a wellmade play, with all its climaxes,

its tightenings and slackening

of tension in the right places.
To summing up, Look Back in Anger is a great work of art, a major play w
hich can never be dated.
Osborne has invested much of his thoughts, experi
ence and energy in the play. Osborne he has displayed his feeling for the contem
porary and the temper of post-war youth. The play is regarded as the central and
most immediately influential expression of mood of its time, the mood of the an
gry young man. The forceful and vigorous language, use of question tag, rhetoric
dialogue, moral insight of the character, imaginative vitality, powerful situat
ion are the peculiarities the play. A.E. Dyson
+Look Back in Anger is a
genuine drama about real
event and people