Look Back in Anger
by John Osborne
Summary
On a Sunday evening in April, Jimmy Porter and Cliff Lewis, both working-class men, and Jimmy’s upper-class wife, Alison, are in the attic flat they share. Music is playing on the radio, and while Alison irons, Jimmy and Cliff read the newspapers. From time to time, Jimmy makes acid comments on what he is reading, orders the other two to minister to his needs, or points out Cliff’s defects, in particular his ignorance and his ineffectuality. Jimmy’s worst venom is reserved for his wife, who he says is as vacuous as her mother and father and, like them, incapable of thought. Cliff defends Alison, and she treats him with sisterly affection, pressing his trousers and giving him cigarettes, despite the fact that the doctor and Jimmy have forbidden him to smoke. Furious because Cliff and Alison refuse to fight with him, Jimmy contrasts their lethargy with the energy of his former mistress, Madeline, and of Webster, a gay friend of Alison. He then returns to his verbal attacks on Alison, her family, and her gender, claiming that women’s worst vice is that they are noisy. Increasingly annoyed with both Alison and Cliff, Jimmy turns off the radio, contending that with Alison ironing and Cliff turning the pages of his newspaper, it is impossible to hear the music.
Cliff finally insists that Jimmy apologize to them both, and in the resulting scuffle, the ironing board is knocked down and Alison is burned. Angry at last, she tells Jimmy to leave. He walks out of the room, and while Cliff is treating her injury, she confides in him. She is miserable, she says, and even though she is pregnant, she is seriously considering leaving Jimmy. Jimmy comes back into the room and apologizes to Alison, attempting to explain his behavior as a reaction against his feeling that he is trapped by his love for her; he also acknowledges an abiding anger because Alison has never experienced the pain that he has and cannot understand him. Alison is then called to the telephone downstairs. She returns to report that she has invited an actor friend, Helena Charles, who has just come to town, to stay with them for a few days until she finds a place to live.
Two weeks later, Helena has established herself in the household, and, as Cliff commented, the tension has mounted. It is true that by doing most of the cooking Helena is a great help to Alison; however, she makes no secret of her dislike for Jimmy. She pressures Alison to take immediate action about her situation, either by telling Jimmy about her pregnancy and demanding that he become a responsible member of society or by leaving him and returning to her parents. Jimmy makes no secret of his hatred for Helena, and after Alison announces that she is going to church with her friend, Jimmy draws the battle lines. Helena and he are fighting for Alison, he says, and he is determined to win. Without Alison’s knowledge, however, Helena has already sent a telegram to Alison’s father, Colonel Redfern, telling him that his daughter needs him. Somewhat uncertainly, Alison says that she will go home with her father. She does not tell Jimmy of her plans, but when he is summoned to the deathbed of his best friend’s mother and begs Alison to accompany him, she coldly refuses and walks out, followed by Helena, who is accompanying her to church.
When Colonel Redfern appears at the Porter apartment the next afternoon, Jimmy has not returned. In his conversation with Alison, her father shows considerable sympathy for Jimmy, even commenting that Alison seems to have learned a lot from him. He also suggests that Alison’s mother has wronged Jimmy by hiring detectives to find some way to discredit or destroy him. Alison has made her decision, however. In response to Cliff’s question as to who will break the news of her departure to her husband, she hands him a letter for Jimmy. Indicating that he does not like to see anyone suffer, Cliff goes out to get something to eat and, he says, probably to have a few drinks. The colonel had assumed that Helena would be leaving along with Alison, but, as Cliff has predicted, Helena makes excuses and remains. When Jimmy appears, he is so furious because Alison has slighted the dying woman that he does not seem to care much about her having walked out on him. He is not even particularly affected by Helena’s revelation that Alison is pregnant. Helena slaps him, but when Jimmy collapses with grief, she kisses him and pulls him into an embrace.
Several months later, Helena is doing the ironing, sweetly approving of everything Jimmy does and says. She tells Jimmy that she does not intend to go to church, and Jimmy exults at having led her into a state of sin. Cliff, who does not like Helena and obviously misses Alison, is planning to move out. Cliff and Jimmy, both in a good humor, make up a vaudeville skit, which, as usual, ends in a tussle. Helena tells Jimmy that she loves him, and, although he does not respond in kind, he is tender and affectionate toward her, even offering to take her out on the town.
Unexpectedly, Alison arrives, looking extremely unwell. Jimmy refuses to speak to his wife and leaves the room. When they are alone, the women confide in each other. Helena tells Alison that her affair with Jimmy is finished and that she intends to leave him. Alison tells Helena that she lost her baby and cannot have another. Concerned about Jimmy, Alison urges Helena to remain with him, but Helena reiterates her opinion that all is over between the two of them, in part because they are so different and in part because she cannot overcome her feelings of guilt. The women argue as to which of them, if either, Jimmy really needs. When Jimmy comes back into the room, Helena tells him of her decision. Angrily, he sweeps her possessions off the dresser and thrusts them into her arms, and she goes downstairs to pack.
Still angry about Alison’s indifference to the death of his friend’s mother, Jimmy tells Alison how disappointed he has been in her, and she collapses on the floor, begging his forgiveness. In losing the baby, she says, she has at last experienced the pain of living and so can be what he wants her to be. Tenderly, Jimmy comforts her, and, clinging together, the two promise that from now on they will protect each other in a world that is inimical to love.
Read the link blow >>>>
http://faculty.mu.edu.sa/public/uploads/1393230555.3203Osborne%20-%20Look%20Back%20in%20Anger.pdf
by John Osborne
Summary
On a Sunday evening in April, Jimmy Porter and Cliff Lewis, both working-class men, and Jimmy’s upper-class wife, Alison, are in the attic flat they share. Music is playing on the radio, and while Alison irons, Jimmy and Cliff read the newspapers. From time to time, Jimmy makes acid comments on what he is reading, orders the other two to minister to his needs, or points out Cliff’s defects, in particular his ignorance and his ineffectuality. Jimmy’s worst venom is reserved for his wife, who he says is as vacuous as her mother and father and, like them, incapable of thought. Cliff defends Alison, and she treats him with sisterly affection, pressing his trousers and giving him cigarettes, despite the fact that the doctor and Jimmy have forbidden him to smoke. Furious because Cliff and Alison refuse to fight with him, Jimmy contrasts their lethargy with the energy of his former mistress, Madeline, and of Webster, a gay friend of Alison. He then returns to his verbal attacks on Alison, her family, and her gender, claiming that women’s worst vice is that they are noisy. Increasingly annoyed with both Alison and Cliff, Jimmy turns off the radio, contending that with Alison ironing and Cliff turning the pages of his newspaper, it is impossible to hear the music.
Cliff finally insists that Jimmy apologize to them both, and in the resulting scuffle, the ironing board is knocked down and Alison is burned. Angry at last, she tells Jimmy to leave. He walks out of the room, and while Cliff is treating her injury, she confides in him. She is miserable, she says, and even though she is pregnant, she is seriously considering leaving Jimmy. Jimmy comes back into the room and apologizes to Alison, attempting to explain his behavior as a reaction against his feeling that he is trapped by his love for her; he also acknowledges an abiding anger because Alison has never experienced the pain that he has and cannot understand him. Alison is then called to the telephone downstairs. She returns to report that she has invited an actor friend, Helena Charles, who has just come to town, to stay with them for a few days until she finds a place to live.
Two weeks later, Helena has established herself in the household, and, as Cliff commented, the tension has mounted. It is true that by doing most of the cooking Helena is a great help to Alison; however, she makes no secret of her dislike for Jimmy. She pressures Alison to take immediate action about her situation, either by telling Jimmy about her pregnancy and demanding that he become a responsible member of society or by leaving him and returning to her parents. Jimmy makes no secret of his hatred for Helena, and after Alison announces that she is going to church with her friend, Jimmy draws the battle lines. Helena and he are fighting for Alison, he says, and he is determined to win. Without Alison’s knowledge, however, Helena has already sent a telegram to Alison’s father, Colonel Redfern, telling him that his daughter needs him. Somewhat uncertainly, Alison says that she will go home with her father. She does not tell Jimmy of her plans, but when he is summoned to the deathbed of his best friend’s mother and begs Alison to accompany him, she coldly refuses and walks out, followed by Helena, who is accompanying her to church.
When Colonel Redfern appears at the Porter apartment the next afternoon, Jimmy has not returned. In his conversation with Alison, her father shows considerable sympathy for Jimmy, even commenting that Alison seems to have learned a lot from him. He also suggests that Alison’s mother has wronged Jimmy by hiring detectives to find some way to discredit or destroy him. Alison has made her decision, however. In response to Cliff’s question as to who will break the news of her departure to her husband, she hands him a letter for Jimmy. Indicating that he does not like to see anyone suffer, Cliff goes out to get something to eat and, he says, probably to have a few drinks. The colonel had assumed that Helena would be leaving along with Alison, but, as Cliff has predicted, Helena makes excuses and remains. When Jimmy appears, he is so furious because Alison has slighted the dying woman that he does not seem to care much about her having walked out on him. He is not even particularly affected by Helena’s revelation that Alison is pregnant. Helena slaps him, but when Jimmy collapses with grief, she kisses him and pulls him into an embrace.
Several months later, Helena is doing the ironing, sweetly approving of everything Jimmy does and says. She tells Jimmy that she does not intend to go to church, and Jimmy exults at having led her into a state of sin. Cliff, who does not like Helena and obviously misses Alison, is planning to move out. Cliff and Jimmy, both in a good humor, make up a vaudeville skit, which, as usual, ends in a tussle. Helena tells Jimmy that she loves him, and, although he does not respond in kind, he is tender and affectionate toward her, even offering to take her out on the town.
Unexpectedly, Alison arrives, looking extremely unwell. Jimmy refuses to speak to his wife and leaves the room. When they are alone, the women confide in each other. Helena tells Alison that her affair with Jimmy is finished and that she intends to leave him. Alison tells Helena that she lost her baby and cannot have another. Concerned about Jimmy, Alison urges Helena to remain with him, but Helena reiterates her opinion that all is over between the two of them, in part because they are so different and in part because she cannot overcome her feelings of guilt. The women argue as to which of them, if either, Jimmy really needs. When Jimmy comes back into the room, Helena tells him of her decision. Angrily, he sweeps her possessions off the dresser and thrusts them into her arms, and she goes downstairs to pack.
Still angry about Alison’s indifference to the death of his friend’s mother, Jimmy tells Alison how disappointed he has been in her, and she collapses on the floor, begging his forgiveness. In losing the baby, she says, she has at last experienced the pain of living and so can be what he wants her to be. Tenderly, Jimmy comforts her, and, clinging together, the two promise that from now on they will protect each other in a world that is inimical to love.
Read the link blow >>>>
http://faculty.mu.edu.sa/public/uploads/1393230555.3203Osborne%20-%20Look%20Back%20in%20Anger.pdf
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