Look Back in Anger - John Osborne
[alert-success] Look Back in Anger - John Osborne [/alert-success]
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Look Back in Anger follows Alison and Jimmy Porter, a young married couple in 1950s England, as they try to resolve a failing marriage and negotiate class tension. Alison hails from a traditional upper-class family. Despite having a high level of education, Jimmy is from a working class background. Cliff Lewis, a friendly working-class man and Jimmy's lifelong friend, shares a home with the couple. On a Sunday morning, the scene takes place in the flat. While Cliff and Jimmy read the newspaper, Alison irons her clothing.
Jimmy's passionate outbursts against his wife's lack of "enthusiasm" and upper class complacency dominate the play's first act. Jimmy believes that true human emotion can only be felt via pain, and as a result, he is more "alive" than people from higher social classes like Alison. In addition, he seems to harbour some nostalgia for a time when Britain was a more powerful nation. As the act goes on, Jimmy's attempts to startle his wife into expressing emotion become more intense; he criticises her family and laments that all women want to destroy men. In an effort to lift Jimmy's spirits, Cliff starts teasing and roughhousing with his friend. When the two collide with Alison's ironing board, her arm gets burned. Jimmy says he's sorry, but she screams for him to leave, so he departs.
While Cliff tends to Alison's burn, she confesses to him that she is expecting Jimmy's child. She hasn't told Jimmy yet as she thinks he'll feel helpless and upset. Alison is consoled by Cliff, who also assures her that Jimmy loves her. He gives her a kiss. Jimmy walks in during their kiss, but he doesn't notice it or raise an eyebrow.
Jimmy and Alison have a sweet moment before Cliff leaves to grab more cigarettes. They pretend to be animals while they play their "bear and squirrel" game, which lets them escape into affection. Cliff then reappears and informs us that Alison's upper-class friends Helena Charles is on the phone. Jimmy gets unhappy right away. Jimmy loses it when Alison reveals Helena wants to stay with them. He claims that in order for Alison to truly suffer, he wishes she would give birth to a dead child.
As Jimmy plays his trumpet off-stage, Helena and Alison divide up the housework responsibilities at the start of the second act. Helena hears Alison's account of her initial months with Jimmy. They shared their house with Hugh Tanner, a friend from his working class, and enjoyed going on "raids" to Alison's upper class friends' gatherings. "A hostage from those sections of society they had declared war on," is how she describes her feelings. When Helena enquires as to why they were married, Alison replies that it appeared to be primarily due to the disapproval of both her father, Colonel Redfern, and her mother. That gave Jimmy the willies to marry her.
Cliff and Jimmy enter for dinner. Jimmy also learns that Helena is planning to steal Alison from him when he finds out that she and Alison are attending church together later that day. He unleashes an outpouring of vulgar remarks directed at Alison's mother. Jimmy enquires as to if Helena has ever witnessed a death after she makes an unsuccessful attempt to reason with him. He recounts how, when he was ten years old, he watched his father die from injuries he had sustained while fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and he says this experience taught him more about life than Helena and Alison even realise now. Jimmy leaves the situation near the end of the scene to go fetch the phone. Helena informs Alison that she sent a message to Colonel Redfern to come get Alison while he is away. Alison remains silent. Jimmy returns and informs Hugh that his mother, a working-class woman who helped him set up his candy stand and for whom he has a great deal of affection, is suffering from a stroke. He invites Alison to accompany him to the hospital. Rather, she attends church. Jimmy is left on stage by himself.
Colonel Redfern assists Alison in packing to leave in the following scene. He says that he believes Jimmy was justified in being upset with him and Alison's mother because they both reacted too violently to her marriage to him. He expresses the possibility that Jimmy is correct and that he, Redfern, is a holdover from a vanished era in English history. Additionally, he claims that neither Alison nor he usually takes a strong stance on issues, preferring to remain in the middle. When she hears this from him, she is taken aback and momentarily questions her decision to move as she wraps up her packing.
When Helena appears, Alison makes the decision to go. She bids Cliff farewell. Since Helena has a work meeting the next day, she stays behind. Alison and Colonel Redfern leave, and Cliff goes before Jimmy comes back because he is mad that Helena has messed up their life. A short while later, Jimmy comes back, enraged, having witnessed Alison heading home with her father. Helena hands him a letter Alison sent back, outlining her choice. Jimmy is upset with her reserved, polite words. Helena informs him that Alison is expecting a child. Helena hits him when he criticises her and claims he is not moved by the news. Jimmy crumbles in anguish at this. The act ends when Helena "kisses him passionately."
Act three begins several months later, very similar to the beginning of Act 1, with the exception of Helena being the one ironing now. Cliff and Jimmy joke and talk about stories from the newspaper. Cliff gets his shirt dirty as they fight. Cliff informs Jimmy that he is moving out as Helena departs the stage to clean it. Jimmy wonders why, despite his greater appreciation for Cliff's company than Helena's, he consistently chooses female friendship over male friendship. Cliff departs to dry the shirt in his room after Helena returns with it. When Helena confesses her love to Jimmy, he begs her fervently to stay with him forever. Then, looking ill and unkempt, Alison shows up at the door.
A few minutes later, Jimmy is off-stage blowing his trumpet. Helena is reassured by Alison that she is not upset with her and is not attempting to split up the new marriage. But Helena claims that having Alison around has made her aware of the wrongness of what she is doing. Helena perceives Alison's miscarriage as a "judgement" on their relationship. Recalling Jimmy, she informs him that she is going to be departing. Jimmy claims he has always known Helena lacked the "muscle and guts" necessary for true love. Helena walks away.
After Alison apologises, Jimmy remarks that she ought to have given Hugh's mother flowers and recalls their first encounter, during which he observed that she had a "wonderful relaxation of spirit." He claims that this was simply complacency. With a cry, Alison informs him that losing their kid has let her realise the depth of feeling he has been wanting for her all along. She falls at his feet after telling him that she wishes to be "corrupt and futile." Jimmy bends down to assist her since he can't stand to watch her like this. Then, "with a kind of mocking, tender irony," he starts their make-believe game of squirrels and bears. He says to Alison, "Poor squirrels," to which she replies, "Poor, poor, bears."
Jimmy and Alison have a sweet moment before Cliff leaves to grab more cigarettes. They pretend to be animals while they play their "bear and squirrel" game, which lets them escape into affection. Cliff then reappears and informs us that Alison's upper-class friends Helena Charles is on the phone. Jimmy gets unhappy right away. Jimmy loses it when Alison reveals Helena wants to stay with them. He claims that in order for Alison to truly suffer, he wishes she would give birth to a dead child.
As Jimmy plays his trumpet off-stage, Helena and Alison divide up the housework responsibilities at the start of the second act. Helena hears Alison's account of her initial months with Jimmy. They shared their house with Hugh Tanner, a friend from his working class, and enjoyed going on "raids" to Alison's upper class friends' gatherings. "A hostage from those sections of society they had declared war on," is how she describes her feelings. When Helena enquires as to why they were married, Alison replies that it appeared to be primarily due to the disapproval of both her father, Colonel Redfern, and her mother. That gave Jimmy the willies to marry her.
Cliff and Jimmy enter for dinner. Jimmy also learns that Helena is planning to steal Alison from him when he finds out that she and Alison are attending church together later that day. He unleashes an outpouring of vulgar remarks directed at Alison's mother. Jimmy enquires as to if Helena has ever witnessed a death after she makes an unsuccessful attempt to reason with him. He recounts how, when he was ten years old, he watched his father die from injuries he had sustained while fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and he says this experience taught him more about life than Helena and Alison even realise now. Jimmy leaves the situation near the end of the scene to go fetch the phone. Helena informs Alison that she sent a message to Colonel Redfern to come get Alison while he is away. Alison remains silent. Jimmy returns and informs Hugh that his mother, a working-class woman who helped him set up his candy stand and for whom he has a great deal of affection, is suffering from a stroke. He invites Alison to accompany him to the hospital. Rather, she attends church. Jimmy is left on stage by himself.
Colonel Redfern assists Alison in packing to leave in the following scene. He says that he believes Jimmy was justified in being upset with him and Alison's mother because they both reacted too violently to her marriage to him. He expresses the possibility that Jimmy is correct and that he, Redfern, is a holdover from a vanished era in English history. Additionally, he claims that neither Alison nor he usually takes a strong stance on issues, preferring to remain in the middle. When she hears this from him, she is taken aback and momentarily questions her decision to move as she wraps up her packing.
When Helena appears, Alison makes the decision to go. She bids Cliff farewell. Since Helena has a work meeting the next day, she stays behind. Alison and Colonel Redfern leave, and Cliff goes before Jimmy comes back because he is mad that Helena has messed up their life. A short while later, Jimmy comes back, enraged, having witnessed Alison heading home with her father. Helena hands him a letter Alison sent back, outlining her choice. Jimmy is upset with her reserved, polite words. Helena informs him that Alison is expecting a child. Helena hits him when he criticises her and claims he is not moved by the news. Jimmy crumbles in anguish at this. The act ends when Helena "kisses him passionately."
Act three begins several months later, very similar to the beginning of Act 1, with the exception of Helena being the one ironing now. Cliff and Jimmy joke and talk about stories from the newspaper. Cliff gets his shirt dirty as they fight. Cliff informs Jimmy that he is moving out as Helena departs the stage to clean it. Jimmy wonders why, despite his greater appreciation for Cliff's company than Helena's, he consistently chooses female friendship over male friendship. Cliff departs to dry the shirt in his room after Helena returns with it. When Helena confesses her love to Jimmy, he begs her fervently to stay with him forever. Then, looking ill and unkempt, Alison shows up at the door.
A few minutes later, Jimmy is off-stage blowing his trumpet. Helena is reassured by Alison that she is not upset with her and is not attempting to split up the new marriage. But Helena claims that having Alison around has made her aware of the wrongness of what she is doing. Helena perceives Alison's miscarriage as a "judgement" on their relationship. Recalling Jimmy, she informs him that she is going to be departing. Jimmy claims he has always known Helena lacked the "muscle and guts" necessary for true love. Helena walks away.
After Alison apologises, Jimmy remarks that she ought to have given Hugh's mother flowers and recalls their first encounter, during which he observed that she had a "wonderful relaxation of spirit." He claims that this was simply complacency. With a cry, Alison informs him that losing their kid has let her realise the depth of feeling he has been wanting for her all along. She falls at his feet after telling him that she wishes to be "corrupt and futile." Jimmy bends down to assist her since he can't stand to watch her like this. Then, "with a kind of mocking, tender irony," he starts their make-believe game of squirrels and bears. He says to Alison, "Poor squirrels," to which she replies, "Poor, poor, bears."
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