Insights into Osbourne’s ‘Look Back in Anger’: Themes & Characters
Insights into Osbourne’s ‘Look Back in Anger’
Modern Chivalry in Osbourne’s Imagery
Osbourne uses imagery of knights to explore themes of modern chivalry. For example, Jimmy is described as a knight in tarnished armor who bluntly swings his weapons of hate and anger, destroying anything and anyone around him. Osbourne attributes this loss of chivalry to a feminization of modern culture that steals the ideals of masculinity from the play’s male characters.
Osbourne’s Portrayal of Misogyny
Osbourne’s play reflects a misogynistic viewpoint by showcasing a disgust for the growing place and influence of women in modern society. This is evident in Jimmy’s language and his treatment of his wife and other women.
The Role of Cliff’s Character
Cliff’s character serves to maintain peace between Jimmy and Alison. Both Jimmy and Alison love Cliff in different ways. Jimmy sees Cliff as a father figure and confidant, someone with whom he can discuss politics and economics, topics he cannot broach with Alison due to their different backgrounds. Alison, on the other hand, sees in Cliff the protection and comfort that Jimmy lacks. Cliff connects the couple to the real world.
Suffering as a Crucial Element of Life
Jimmy believes that suffering is essential for experiencing a real life. This belief is reflected in his treatment of Alison. He feels that because she has not endured the intense suffering he has, such as losing his father, she cannot feel genuine emotion. However, they begin to share this suffering when she loses her pregnancy.
Osbourne’s View of Religion
Jimmy views organized, traditional Anglican religion as the antithesis of his beliefs. He sees the modern world as one of moral subjectivity. The church offers a worldview with clear right and wrong, salvation and damnation, which Jimmy believes no longer exists. However, Jimmy’s relationship with religion is complex, as he alludes to African American evangelical religion as an example of pure emotion. It is probable that Jimmy values the expression of real and true emotion in African American religion more than its morality or spirituality.
The Interplay of Past and Present
As Alison prepares to leave, she tells her father, “You’re hurt because everything is changed. Jimmy is hurt because everything is the same. And neither of you can face it.” One of the play’s overarching themes is the relationship between the past and the present. Alison’s father, Colonel Redfern, and Jimmy represent two sides of the same coin. Both are nostalgic for a past that no longer exists and that was probably not as idealistic as either understands it to be. Jimmy sees the Colonel’s generation as both the last great generation of noble characters and a failure because they did not pass on a vibrant culture full of life and meaning. The Colonel is hurt because Jimmy’s generation seems to lack objectivity and morality. In both cases, the past and present weave a complicated web of nostalgia, memory, and meaning.