LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 17:12 December 2017
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
         Dr. S. Chelliah, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Social Discrimination in John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger

M. Meivizhi, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed.


John Osborne
Courtesy: http://waytofamous.com/19667-john-osborne.html

Abstract

British literature is a mirror initially tied-up with several historical events, reflecting many facets of British identity. English drama rose, with excellent rapidity, to the summit of its literary glories and is reflected through the imaginative strength of famous playwrights of England. The realistic issues which took place in and around the society are revealed in British plays and that has paved the way for new talents to create awareness among the people. The foremost playwrights who merge in the middle of the fifties are Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and John Osborne. Of these writers, Osborne shows his concerns over the class problems of the society. His plays deal with social discrimination, alienation, man’s rebellion against the bonds of custom, anger, despair and frustration of the post-war generation, man-woman relationship and similar socio-psychological themes. He is regarded as the most brilliant dramatist of the post-Second World War period in Britain. Apart from the impressive volume of his writings, his plays have a great literary significance and bring him an enviable position among contemporary British dramatists.

Class Conflict and Look Back in Anger

Look Back in Anger highlights the class conflict that exists in the English society. The play is about the class disparity between those who belong to the comfortable upper middle class and those who fought their way up in the social ladder by their hard work and intelligence. Osborne’s deep-rooted wrath and frustrations over his society is presented in his work. He pours out his inner feelings and thoughts in various ways towards the central character of the play Jimmy Porter. He is the representative of the entire culture who remains nostalgic for the past glory. The protagonist, who is born as a revolutionist, fails to be satisfied with almost anything around him. He is dissatisfied with the society, the legal system, the socio- political system, the educational system, the environment, his wife, his friend and with himself. He wants the things to move in his own way but it does not happen; so he is the most helpless being who gets irritated with all the happenings in the society. Gareth Lloyd Evans in his book The Languages of Modern Drama (1997) comments that:
It is the language of educated youth feeling its feet and determined to put things right. It is the language of a certain self-conceit often not a vicious or deep one, but a cozy one born of self-awareness of intelligence, a sense of words, and a desire to chalk up a victory in the intellectual stakes. (106)

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.


M. Meivizhi, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed.
Adhiyaman Arts and Science College for Women
Uthangarai 635306
Tamilnadu
India
vizhimei@gmail.com

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