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1. LOOK BACK IN ANGER

2. INTRODUCTION
Written: 1956
Realist play
Kitchen sink drama

3. JOHN OSBORNE
Born:12 December 1929
Died: 24 December1994
Dramatist, actor, screenplay
writer and critic
Wrote his first play in 1950
The third play Look back in
Anger won him fame and
acceptence.

4. SETTING
The furniture is simple and rather old: a double
bed, dressing table and book.
The atomosphere is cramped with three people
sharing the meager space available.

5. Jimmy Porter: The protagonist of the play. An educated
young man living in a poor neighborhood running a sweet
stall.
CHARACTERS

6. Alison Porter: She is Jimmy’s wife and comes from
Britain’s upper class.

7. Cliff Lewis: Their friend who shares the same flat with
them.

8. Helena Charles: Alison’s friend an actress
who comes to stay with them for sometime.

9. Colonel Redfern: Retired from service in India is
unhappy about the changes that have takes place in
society.

10. SUMMARY
The three act play one bedroom flat in the Midlands.
Jimmy Porter, lower middle class, lives with his wife
Alison ,the daughter of a retired colonel in the British
Army in India.
His friend Cliff Lewis ,who helps Jimmy run a sweet
stall, lives with them.
Jimmy, intellectually restless, reads the news papers,
argues and taunts his friends over their acceptance of the
world around them.

11. SUMMARY
The situations is worsened by the arrival of
Helena ,an actress friend of Alison’s from school.
Alison confesses to Helena that she is pregnant.
Helena calls Alison’s father to take her away from
the flat.

12. SUMMARY
He arrives while Jimmy is visiting the mother of a
friend and Alison away.
As soon as she has gone ,Helena moves in with
Jimmy.
Alison to visit, having lost jimmy’s baby.
Helena ,overcome by remorse, can no longer
stand living with Jimmy and leaves.
Finally, Alison returns to Jimmy and angry life.

13. THEMES
The Angry young man
Male domination in the society
Realism and harshness of life
Post-war life in Britain