The Caretaker

Drama | Harold Pinter

Discuss the beast imagery in “Look Back in Anger.”

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Discuss the beast imagery in Look Back in Anger NU In John Osborne s play Look Back in Anger beast imagery is a thought-provoking part It shows the wild anger pain and frustration of the characters Osborne compares their emotions to animals to make them feel more natural raw and powerful Beast Imagery and Jimmy s Anger The main character Jimmy Porter is full of anger at society class differences and his own unhappy marriage His rage is often described as if it were an untamed beast inside him In Act I Jimmy says Let s pretend that we re human beings and that we re actually alive This sarcastic line shows that Jimmy feels trapped in a lifeless dull society and his inner beast of anger pushes against it Wildness in Relationships The beast imagery also appears in the Bear Squirrel game between Jimmy and Alison They imagine themselves

as animals to escape their painful marriage In Act II Alison says We could become little furry creatures with little furry brains Full of dumb uncomplicated affection for each other Here the imagery of animals shows their longing for simple love and warmth which they cannot find in real life Pain and Loss Later Alison admits to the death of this childish love In Act II she says Even they are dead poor little silly animals They were all love and no brains This line shows that their beast-like escape has also died It symbolizes the end of hope in their relationship In short through beast imagery Osborne shows the raw emotions of Jimmy and Alison Their anger love and pain appear as natural forces like wild animals This makes the play s emotions powerful natural and unforgettable

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