tried many things, such as
“journalism, advertising, even vacuum cleaners for a few weeks.” However, there are no better opportunities for educated young men like him with a lower-middle-class background. This shows the frustration of post-war youth. They had education but no proper jobs. Jimmy says,
“I learned at an early age what it was to be angry.”
His anger actually comes from inequality and class divisions in post-war England.
Conflict with the Upper Class: Jimmy’s wife Alison comes from an upper-class family. Jimmy always fights with her because he hates the cruel, emotionless attitude of her class. He feels that rich people have no real feelings and no understanding of life’s pain. Through this marriage, Osborne shows the clash between the new lower-middle-class youth and the traditional upper class. Jimmy says bitterly that Alison’s friends live in “a different world.” His anger at her family background shows the class struggle in post-war Britain.
Search for Real Feelings: Behind his shouting and cruelty, Jimmy is really searching for love and understanding. He hates the dull and empty life around him. He wants real emotions, not polite manners. He says,
“Let’s pretend that we’re human beings, and that we’re actually alive.”
His loud anger is a cry for warmth and truth in a world that feels dead. Even when he hurts Alison with words, he only wants her to react, to feel something real. This shows that Jimmy’s anger comes from emotional hunger, not hatred.
Symbol of the Disappointed Youth: Jimmy’s frustration stands for the disappointment of the whole post-war generation. After the war, young people in England expected change and hope. But they only found boredom and hypocrisy. Society became materialistic and lifeless. We understand this when Alison says,
“Jimmy is hurt because everything is the same.”
It shows that the new generation could not find progress in post-war Britain. They feel stuck. Hence, Jimmy shouts against everything he finds dishonest. His anger is not only personal but social.
A Man Who Cannot Adjust: Jimmy also shows the tragedy of a man who cannot adjust to the world around him. He has sharp intelligence but no direction. His constant anger destroys his marriage and friendships. His friend Cliff leaves, and Alison goes away too. When Alison returns after losing her baby, Jimmy becomes softer. For a short time, he learns sympathy. This ending shows that Jimmy’s anger is really a mask for pain and loneliness.
In “Look Back in Anger,” Jimmy Porter is both an individual and a symbol. He represents the “angry young men” of 1950s England who were tired of class barriers and emotional emptiness. His voice is loud, cruel, and restless, but honest. Through him, Osborne gave new life to modern British drama. Jimmy speaks for a generation that wanted truth, passion, and purpose in a world that had lost all three.
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