It is widely accepted that John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger was a turning-point in the history of British theatre, a milestone introducing the era of the New British Drama. Osborne remembers: "On 8 May 1956 [...] Look Back in Anger had its opening at the Royal Court Theatre. This [...] particular date seems to have become fixed in the memories of theatrical historians" and Lacey emphasises: "The moment of John Osborne's Look Back in Anger [...] was undoubtedly a symbolic one in the history of post-war British theatre and of post-war culture generally." However, Look Back in Anger was not perceived as a break-through right from the beginning. Rather, Osborne had to cope with shattering criticism and at first, his play was a crushing defeat. Osborne himself summarized the reactions towards Look Back in Anger in his autobiography about thirty years later: "There was a vehement, undisputed judgement: the play was a palpable miss."
Nearly all reviews focused on the play's hero Jimmy Porter, whose nature they depicted as the reason for the "essential wrongness" of the play. Jimmy was seen as "a bitter young misfit," "a boor, self-pitying, self-dramatising rebel" and a "cynical, neurotic [young man] of working-class stock," whose "continuous tirade against life [...] ha[d] a deadening effect upon the whole play." Cecil Wilson sharpened the criticism when she exclaimed that Jimmy Porter's bitterness and his savage and often vulgar talk "crie[d] out for a knife."
However, the attitudes towards Osborne and his first play changed with the publication of Kenneth Tynan's testimony in the Sunday newspaper a week later stating that he could hardly "love anyone who did not wish to see Look Back in Anger. It is the best young play of its decade." This provocative review suddenly shed a new light on the play. Overnight, Look Back in Anger had become a success, its (anti-)hero Jimmy Porter "the first young voice to cry out for a new generation that had forgotten the war, mistrusted the welfare state and mocked its established rulers with boredom, anger and disgust" and John Osborne had become a celebrated young writer. Owing to its literary key role in the history of British Drama I would like to give a brief overview of the critical opinions about Look Back in Anger before I move on to developing my own thesis.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Positions of criticism
3. Jimmy's social identity
4. Interim conclusion
5. Jimmy's personal identity
6. Jimmy as victim and perpetrator
7. Jimmy as a tragic character
8. Conclusion
Research Objective and Core Themes
This paper explores the multifaceted nature of Jimmy Porter, the protagonist of John Osborne's "Look Back in Anger," seeking to move beyond the traditional interpretation of him merely as a political "angry young man." By analyzing both sociological and psychoanalytical perspectives, the research aims to demonstrate that Jimmy's volatile behavior and anger are rooted in deep-seated personal trauma and an inability to process his past, ultimately framing him as a tragic, isolated figure rather than a heroic spokesman for a generation.
- The evolution of critical reception toward "Look Back in Anger."
- Evaluation of sociological vs. psychoanalytical approaches to character analysis.
- The ambiguity of Jimmy Porter’s social identity and class struggle.
- The cyclical nature of victim-perpetrator dynamics in interpersonal relationships.
- The influence of childhood trauma on adult emotional development and behavior.
Excerpt from the Book
Jimmy as a tragic character
Let me summarize the discussion so far. We have seen that Jimmy Porter is a very angry person and that his anger can only partly be explained by his critical attitude towards society and his friend-or-foe-thinking with regard to class structure. We have also seen that Jimmy is an ambiguous character who is both egoistic and caring, both cruel and loving, both aggressive and helpless. In the previous chapter, I elaborated that Jimmy is both victim and perpetrator at once and that he is caught in an interaction pattern from which he is unlikely to escape. These contradictions within Jimmy provoke the question of how to come to terms with his difficult personality. I will answer this question in the following chapter and begin by taking a closer look at Jimmy's anger.
As the title suggests, the reasons for Jimmy's anger lie in his past, or to be more precise, in his standing witness over his father's death as a ten-year-old boy. At this tender age, Jimmy had to learn "what it was to be angry – angry and helpless." (Look Back in Anger, p. 51) Those two emotions, anger and helplessness, are closely connected to each other and determine all Jimmy's actions and thoughts. They are rooted in Jimmy's deep disappointment in his parents. His weak father was neither available as a role model nor as a father figure as he was completely occupied with himself and unable to care for his young son. Jimmy's mother, on the other hand, was not resonant and caring enough, as Jimmy complains.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Provides an overview of the play's historical significance and the initially negative critical reception that later shifted toward acclaim.
2. Positions of criticism: Explores the manifold and contradictory academic interpretations, highlighting the tension between traditional and postmodern readings of the play.
3. Jimmy's social identity: Examines Jimmy's ambivalent relationship with the British class system and his role as a self-proclaimed representative of the working class.
4. Interim conclusion: Summarizes the limitations of sociological interpretations and prepares the shift toward a psychoanalytical examination of Jimmy's motivation.
5. Jimmy's personal identity: Analyzes Jimmy's unpredictable and contradictory personality traits, focusing on his distrust, isolation, and egoism.
6. Jimmy as victim and perpetrator: Investigates the complex, cyclic dynamics of the relationship between Jimmy and Alison, where both act as persecutors and victims.
7. Jimmy as a tragic character: Connects Jimmy's current behavior to his childhood trauma, arguing that his inability to process his past makes him a tragic figure.
8. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming that Jimmy's tragedy lies in his psychological predisposition and his permanent inability to change or find peace.
Keywords
John Osborne, Look Back in Anger, Jimmy Porter, Angry Young Man, New British Drama, psychoanalysis, childhood trauma, social identity, class structure, tragedy, victim-perpetrator, alienation, vulnerability, post-war generation, theatrical criticism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
The paper examines the psychological and sociological drivers behind the behavior of Jimmy Porter, the central character in John Osborne’s "Look Back in Anger," to understand why he is constantly angry.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
Key themes include the impact of childhood trauma, the complexities of interpersonal relationships, the nature of class conflict in post-war Britain, and the definition of a tragic character.
What is the central research question?
The work seeks to answer why Jimmy Porter is so perpetually angry and whether this anger is a legitimate social protest or a symptom of deep-seated personal instability.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, synthesizing previous critical interpretations (sociological and psychoanalytical) with close readings of the primary texts, including "Look Back in Anger" and its sequel "Déjàvu."
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the initial critical reception of the play, an analysis of Jimmy's social identity, a deep dive into his personal contradictions, the dynamics of his relationship with his wife Alison, and the foundational role of his father's death on his adult psychology.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Central keywords include Jimmy Porter, John Osborne, psychological trauma, post-war British drama, tragedy, and class identity.
How does the author define the "vicious circle" in Jimmy's relationship?
The author explains the "withdrawal-provocation-pattern" where Jimmy’s aggressive outbursts are fueled by his wife’s passive silence, creating a feedback loop from which neither character can escape.
Why does the author conclude that Jimmy is a "tragic character"?
The conclusion posits that Jimmy is tragic because he is trapped by a psychological predisposition that prevents him from accepting his past, meaning he is doomed to repeat his destructive behaviors indefinitely.
- Quote paper
- Lydia Prexl (Author), 2007, The Tragedy of Jimmy Porter, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/128149
