Question: In what does “Look Back in Anger” reflect the mood and temper of post-war England?
Introduction
“Look Back in Anger” published in 1956 is a 20th century English realist drama by John Osborne (1929-1994). This play is a part of social play and the playwright has significantly drawn the mentality of post-war England.
The mood and temper of post-war England
Click here: for all notes of Drama
Spokesman of the young generation
Jimmy Porter, the hero of the play is the spokesman for the younger post-war generation who looked around at the world and found nothing right with it. All the characteristics of post-war youth are to be found in Jimmy. These characteristics are the drift towards anarchy and the automatic rejection of the official attitude. In short, Jimmy is the embodiment of disillusionment and rebelliousness. He is discontented with Sunday newspapers with his wife Alison and friend Cliff. He himself tells us the secret and origin of his anger:
“You see, I learnt at an early age what it was to be angry- angry and helpless”.
Angry young men
After the second world war, the people of the world including England became very furious. The play is the center of a lot of serious matters about a furious hero and his place in society. Osborne displays his feeling for the contemporary scene and the temper of post-war youth. The young people who sought a change in their national life after World War Second were dissatisfied with the Labor government. And as a result, in 1951 the Conservative Party formed a government. But it was seen that there was hardly any difference between the activities of the Labor and Conservative parties. The people found themselves in precisely the situation that Jimmy Porter describes in his speech.
“There are no good, brave causes left in the worlds”.
He also comments on matters ranging from posh Sunday newspapers to the hydrogen bomb.
Social and political topicalities
Look Back in Anger reflects the social and political topicalities of England, the unease, discontent, and frustration. The play came to be regarded as the central and influential expression of the mood of its time. It actually shows the mood and temper of post-war England. The second world war shakes the mind of the people tremendously. After the war, in the 1945 elections in England, the Labor Party came to power. The British soldiers thought that a new era would come to the national life of England by the reform activities of the Labor Party. But dreams are not translated into realities. After all the reforms that the British Labor Party brought to build up a welfare state, the situation was not satisfactory to the young idealists.
Agitation and disillusioned
The year 1956 was very important to the English people. The play “Look Back Anger” is rather rich in causes for agitation and disillusionment. In Hungary, the people rebelled against their communist government, and Russia crushed the revolt in iron hand while the rest of the world looked on and did nothing. In the Middle East, the Egyptian government announced its sovereignty over the Suez Canal which was owned by Angle-French force. Britain and France sent their joint force to protect it but received a humiliating defeat. Meanwhile in England protest was being organized around the question of nuclear disarmament. All these happenings contributed to the climate of opinion in which “Look Back in Anger” first appeared. The hero of the play was no doubt the representation of the dissatisfied young people.
Matters and manners of society
Jimmy is seen as critical in different matters and manners of society. He complains that the people of post-war are not only sloth but also habituated to enjoy their delicious inertia. He also criticizes the manner of the English people and politicians.
“We get our cooking from Paris, our politics from and our morals from Post Said”.
His comment on his wife and her father is but on the people. He says they are ‘sycophantic. He is also seen to comment on the middle class:
“They all sit around feeling very spiritual ….. discussing sex as if it were the art of fugue”.
Religious dissatisfaction
Jimmy also criticizes religious activities. The ringing of church bells annoys him because he is in opposition to formal religious activities and rituals. He criticizes the economic policy of persons like Helena who looks forward to the past and those economic policies are supernatural.
Struggle for settlement
Jimmy has not been able to settle down in life. He has been drifting. He goes through some occupations like journalism, advertising, vacuum cleaning, and at a time organized a jazz band. He is now driving a sweet stall which, he says he does not know what exactly he will do, jimmy’s boredom with life is also a significant characteristic of post-war England. The attitude of uncertainty and drift is for the changed mentality of young people. They cannot be satisfied with their getting.
Click here: all notes of Look Back in Anger
Conclusion
Overall, the play shows that Jimmy is actually a true representative of post-war England. Nobody was in peace that he was longing for. The political parties were failed to satisfy the demand of the young generation. Everybody lacked enthusiasm. Therefore, the playwright aptly represents England after World War Two.
