Zarqa Journal for Research and Studies in Humanities Volume 20, No 1 , 2020 https://doi.org/10.

12816/0055678

Despair and Depression in John Osborne’s Look Back in

Anger
Nouh Ibrahim Saleh Alguzo
Faculty of English language and literature
Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University _ Saudi Arabia
drnouhalguzo@yahoo.com
Received 18/03/2019 Accepted 06/08/2019
Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of despair and depression in John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger. The play
describes the life of the young intellectual Jimmy Porter who suffers from low self-esteem and depression as a
result of marrying above his social status and the solitude that he lives after the death of his father. Jimmy struggles
hard to assert himself through directing his rage at his upper class wife, who marries him against the wishes of her
family, and therefore suffers from stressful life that develops into depression that negatively affects his social life
and behavior. He considers himself as a spokesman for the suffering workers who inhabit a bleak world and live a
meaningless life as a result of the strict hierarchical British society that does not recognize their existence. At the
end of the play, Jimmy succeeds in teaching his wife, Alison, what real suffering is and what it means to be lonely
and helpless after losing her baby, and they both attempt to cope with their anxieties and feelings of despair through
playing the bear and squirrel game.
Keywords: despair, depression, angry, working class, youth.

Introduction
John Osborne’s play ‘Look Back in Anger’ disturbances that make patients experience anger and
(1956) belongs to the British new wave, commonly suffer from insecurity as well as lack of self-respect.
known as “kitchen sink” drama, which flourished in Sigmund Freud refers to depression as a “psychic
the late 1950s and early 1960s, and describes the life traumata”4 that takes place in a sick individual and
of the poor and angry youth. The angry Jimmy Porter affects his thoughts and behavior. Osborne allows the
in Osborne’s play speaks for his discontented and audience to access the subconscious of his characters
unruly post-war youth struggling against the hostility to understand their needs and existential anxieties.
of a world that does not recognize their existence. As The existential worries and depression of the main
an educated member of the lower class, Jimmy seems character, Jimmy, in Osborne’s play can be viewed as
to be suffering from low self-esteem and depression, a result of the painful life that he suffers because of
and therefore directs his anger at upper class people his low class background where he finds no outlets
around him. Stephen Shafer states that the play for his intellectuality and the loneliness that he feels
depicts “working-class frustrations1 and the after the death of his loving father. Psychoanalysts
antagonism of the upper class. John Harrop argues argue that “loss of a love object was the cause of
that “Osborne is a romantic with a strong sense of many cases of depression”5 and suggest that
compassion and a belief in the free expression of undesirable emotional experience affects the life of a
individual emotions and energies2. Therefore, he depressed individual in a negative way. Therefore, it
gives the opportunity for his hero in the play to would be true to say that there are close ties between
openly express his feelings of anger and criticize the anxiety and depression as it can be seen clearly
social illness of society. Fredric Busch states, “a through the character of Jimmy in Osborne’s play.
series of psychoanalytic theorists and clinicians have The play introduces Jimmy as an educated
suggested that conflicts about anger play a central young man from the lower class who gets married
role in the development of depression”.3 This paper above his social status and treats his wife, Alison, as
studies the anger of Jimmy as a result of the feelings a threat to his masculinity. Jimmy expresses his
of despair and depression that make him lose faith in frustration and dissatisfaction with the current
the social institutions and distrust people around him. situation through constant angry tirades directed at
Psychoanalysts view depression as an illness his wife, who marries him against the consent of her
that causes a series of mental and physical parents, and her family. Stephen Lacey argues, “it

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Despair and Depression in John Osborne's Look Back in Anger

seems at times as though Jimmy Porter’s anger is recounts the story of the Bishop of Bromley who
directed against the whole world, but at others it “makes a very moving appeal to all Christians to do
crystallizes around his wife Alison’s family”.6 These all they can to assist in the manufacture of the H-
furious tirades represent an attempt for self-assertion bomb”.13 The fact that the Bishop of Bromley
and highlight the troubles of young working-class supports the making of the H-bomb reflects the
people. Jimmy asserts himself as intellectually destructive role that some religious people play in the
superior through criticizing the ignorance of others in lives of people through their interference into politics
order to raise his self-confidence. Busch asserts that and which results in hopeless and depressed
“hostility can be related to devaluation of others, a generation.
defense employed by patients with depression to Osborne’s play expresses the aspirations of
increase their self-esteem”.7 Therefore, Jimmy can be post-war poor youth and their dream of classless
viewed as a patient who suffers from depression society. Jimmy is educated above his social class, and
because he feels not important and struggles to yet he finds no outlet to express his intellectuality.
defend himself through belittling others. Jimmy Therefore, he voices his anger and despair through
satirizes Cliff, who runs a sweet-stall for Jimmy, rebellious tirades that reflect his bleak outlook about
when he attempts to read a newspaper by saying, the world. The attempts of Jimmy to better his life
“What do you want to read it for, anyway? You’ve no through educating himself and playing significant
intellect, no curiosity”.8 He also tells Helena, a friend role in society are thwarted by the strict class
of Alison, “Perhaps you’re not as clever as I structure. Osborne seems to be sympathizing with the
thought”.9 The antagonism of Jimmy could be a angry young generation that Jimmy represents as he
result of the feelings of social oppression and the states the purpose of his writing, “I want to make
social gap between himself and his wife. people feel, to give them lessons in feeling”.14 This
The play emphasizes the idea that the lack of feeling creates gulf between the proletariat,
antagonism and antipathy of aristocratic members represented by Jimmy, and the bourgeoisie,
have psychological impact on poor young men and represented by his wife Alison. Jimmy seems to be
their temperament. This results in disbelief in the highly critical of class distinctions and describes the
institution of church that seems to be controlled by insecurity and isolation that his generation lives. He
the rich and the practices of clergy. Jimmy expresses cries, “Let’s pretend that we’re human beings, and
his rage when he hears the church bells and cries, that we’re actually alive. Just for a while … Let’s
“Oh, hell! Now the bloody bells have started! Wrap it pretend we’re human”.15 Jimmy feels insecure and
up, will you? Stop ringing those bells! There’s lost because society seems indifferent toward him, so
somebody going crazy in here! I don’t want to hear he coarsely shrieks in despair, “our youth is slipping
them!”10 Jimmy voiceshis anger and frustration while away”.16 Therefore, he criticizes society for not
hearing the church bells and expresses disbelief in recognizing the intellectuality of poor youth that
religion because of the evil practices of some makes his life full of boredom and agony.
religious figures thatuse religion to achieve personal Jimmy finds in his relationship with Cliff a
interests. This reminds us with the philosophy of the refuge from the hatred and hostility of upper class
sixteenth century Italian humanist Niccolo society. When Alison asks Cliff if he thinks Jimmy is
Machiavelli that criticizes religious figures who use right, he responds,
religion for personal ends and to maintain their Well, I suppose he and I think the same about a
influential positions. Machiavelli satirizes politicians lot of things, because we’re alike in some ways. We
who support the practices of church and suggests that both come from working people, if you like. Oh I
those who encourage the church to come to power know some of his mother’s relatives are pretty posh,
should not rule because they do not know about but he hates them as much as he hates yours. Don’t
politics.11 Furthermore, Jimmy parodies the practices quite know why. Anyway, he gets on with me
of the visiting American evangelists and their because I’m common.17
attempts to convert people in Britain in the 1950s. Cliff shares with Jimmy the values of working
Jimmy expresses his grief for the poor woman who class and both seem to be dreaming of “Marxist
“broke four ribs and got kicked in the head”12 in one society”.18 This angry generation embodies rebellion
of the religious meetings held by American against the values of the upper class that belittle the
evangelists. This implies the great influence that the role of the working class in society. Therefore, the
clergy play in the life of people and who seem to angry diatribes of Jimmy can be viewed as
benefit from their powerful positions. Therefore, expressions of the class-consciousness of workers
these American evangelists can be viewed as and their position within society. Despite his concern
hypocrites and Machiavellian characters because of for the suffering people, Jimmy seems to be helpless
exploiting the poor in the name of religion and results to change the world that he incessantly and bitterly
in desperate generation that does not believe in criticizes. Jimmy refers to the injustice of his society
religion or the practices of clergy. Jimmy desperately by referring to the suffering workers and class
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Zarqa Journal for Research and Studies in Humanities Volume 20, No 1 , 2020

struggle when he says, “The injustice of it is almost through their attempts to dominate women who are
perfect! The wrong people going hungry, the wrong socially superior to them.
people being loved, the wrong people dying!”.19 Just Osborne’s play presents Jimmy as a prisoner of
like all the workers of his generation, Jimmy seems his own thoughts and views about middle class
to be lost and cannot find social class identity that he society that make him feel a loner. Jimmy hates
expresses through his rebellious tirades because the anyone who is socially superior to him and does not
society does not respond to his agony and despair. show commitment to his values. He feels depressed
Class struggle in the play can be seen though the and gets furious at Alison because she is not a co-
tension between Jimmy, who represents the workers, sufferer of him and does not share the working class
and his wife Alison, who represents the upper class. values with him. Jimmy expresses his anxiety and
Despite his intellectual superiority, Jimmy seems to frustration about the injustice of the world and
be conscious that he is far below Alison socially. announces that he has experienced suffering since
Therefore, he struggles to assert his masculine role childhood when he was lonely companion for his
through expressing rage at Alison and her family who dying father. In one of the most pathetic and touching
he describes as heartless and unfeeling. Jimmy uses diatribes, he cries in despair:
three epithets to describe the family of Alison, For twelve months, I watched my father dying –
“sycophantic, phlegmatic, and pusillanimous”20 when I was ten years old … I was the only one who
mocking them for their indifference to the pain and cared … Every time I sat on the edge of his bed, to
suffering of poor people. Class barriers affect the listen to him talking or reading to me, I had to fight
marital life of Jimmy and make him feel isolated and back my tears … He would talk to me for hours,
lonely as Shafer argues, “the class structure in British pouring out all that was left of his life to one, lonely,
society is seen as an important factor in the alienation bewildered little boy, who could barely understand
felt by the protagonists”.21 Alison’s father, Colonel half of what he said. All he could feel was the despair
Redfern, cannot understand the reason that made and the bitterness, the sweet, sickly smell of a dying
Jimmy marry Alison if he detests her and her family. man … You see, I learnt at an early age what it was
This makes Alison concludes that, “some people do to be angry – angry and helpless. And I can never
actually marry for revenge”.22 Therefore, Jimmy, the forget it … I knew more about – love . . . betrayal . . .
victimizer here can be viewed as victim of the social and death, when I was ten years old than you will
hierarchy that makes him perceive the world as probably ever know all your life.24
insecure place. The life of Jimmy has offered him nothing but
The marital instability between Jimmy and agony and he is hardened by the painful
Alison parallels the story of John Osborn himself circumstances that he lived since childhood. Busch
who was not able to find contentment in marriage. argues that “anger in people with depression often
Throughout his life, Osborne gets married five times stems from narcissistic vulnerability, a sensitivity to
and portrays his unsuccessful marriages on stage. perceive an actual loss or rejection”.25 This applies to
Jeffrey Meyers states, “he [Osborne] satirized his Jimmy who suffers from depression because of the
flamboyant wives in his plays, and two of his wives constant losses that he experienced throughout his
acted in these works, portraying a character based on life and feelings of denial by upper class society.
herself or a previous wife”.23 Osborne was inspired Sigmund Freud refers to the case of a patient that
by the suffering he felt throughout his failed marriage seems to be similar to the case of Jimmy where this
to his first wife the actress Pamela Lane, the daughter patient falls severely ill while taking care of her
of a middle class parents who is a model for Alison in dying father that she adores and results in mental and
Osborne’s play, from 1951 to 1954. Osborne marries physical disorders, “the illness first appeared while
Lane against the wishes of her parents who tried to the patient was caring for her father, whom she
prevent the marriage because he belongs to the lower tenderly loved, during the severe illness which led to
class, a story that parallels the marriage of Jimmy to his death”.26 Therefore, the traumatic life that Jimmy
Alison that her parents disapproved of him for the lives after the death of his father while at the same
same reason. Just like Jimmy who is a university time feeling rejected by society because of his low
graduate and runs a sweet stall to earn a living, class background influences his revolutionary
Osborne has already suffered because of his lower character against the strict hierarchical class structure
class background and was discouraged by his that does not recognize his humanity and
arrogant school principal from applying to Oxford. intellectuality.
Therefore, Osborne looks back to his unsuccessful Despite the fact that Jimmy is not entirely
marriage to Lane and the hostility that he suffered at content in his relationships with women, it would be
the hands of her snobbish parents who degraded him erroneous to read him as misogynist because of his
for his origin. Both Osborne and his hero, Jimmy, incessant attempts to emphasize his patriarchal role
struggle hard to direct their anger at society and as the head of the family. Jimmy takes Alison as “a
express dissatisfaction with the circumstances of life sort of hostage”27 because she seems indifferent to his
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Despair and Depression in John Osborne's Look Back in Anger

pain and grief and does not belong to his suffering References
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when Alison refuses to accompany him to visit his in British Feature Film from the 1960s to the
mother-like Mrs. Tanner on her deathbed. Jimmy 1980s: From Class Consciousness to
explains the reasons that prevented Alison from Marginalization”, International Labor and
visiting Mrs. Tanner, “she [Alison] made the great Working-Class History 59, Workers and Film: As
mistake of all her kind. She thought that because Subject and Audience (2001) 3-14, P. 4.
Hugh’s mother was a deprived and ignorant old 2- Harrop, J. “The Last Laugh: Comedy as a
Political Touchstone in Britain from ‘The
woman, who said all the wrong things in all the Entertainer’ to ‘Comedians’”, Theatre Journal
wrong places, she couldn’t be taken seriously”.28 32.1 (1980) 5-16, P. 9.
Jimmy allies himself with the suffering workers who 3- Busch, F. N.“Anger and Depression.” Advances
are denied their right to play any decisive role in in psychiatric treatment 15.4 (2009) 271-278, P.
society. Unlike Jimmy, Alison has not known 271.
suffering and does not possess the virtues of loyalty 4- Freud, S. “The Origin and Development of
and kindness that Mrs. Tanner shares with the Psycho-Analysis: First and Second Lectures.” The
working class. American Journal of Psychology 100.3/4, Special
Osborne, who is inspired by his suffering and Centennial Issue (1987) 472-488, P. 477.
discontentment in marriage, does not seem to present 5- Azzone,P. Depression as a Psychoanalytic
his hero Jimmy as wrong and blameworthy. Jimmy Problem. (Maryland: University Press of
succeeds in teaching Alison what true suffering is America, 2013), P. 10.
and what it means to lose someone dear after losing 6- Lacey, S. “When Was the Golden Age?
Narratives of Loss and Decline: John Osborne,
her child. After Jimmy gets to know that Alison has
Arnold Wesker and Rodney Ackland”,A
lost her child, he says, “I don’t exactly relish the idea Companion to Modern British and Irish Drama
of anyone being ill, or in pain. It was my child, too, 1880–2005. Ed. Mary Luckhurst. (Oxford:
you know. But (he shrugs) it isn’t my first loss”.29 Blackwell Publishing, 2006), P. 166.
Alison learns what it means to be helpless and in pain 7- Busch, P. 271.
and hysterically cries, “I was wrong, I was wrong! I 8- Osborne, J. Look Back in Anger. (Beirut: York
don’t want to be neutral, I don’t want to be a saint”.30 Press, 2007), P. 42.
Only after going through purgation and purification 9- Ibid., P. 48.
of the soul and losing her baby does Alison reach a 10- Ibid., P. 19.
level of understanding with Jimmy and get reunited 11- Machiavelli, N.The Prince. Trans. Peter
in a sad scene. Jimmy feels that he has “liberated the Bondanella and Mark Musa. (Oxford: Oxford
fair maiden from her privileged position”31 and the University Press, 1998), P. 15.
values of middle class society. After they reunite, 12- Ibid., P. 8.
Jimmy and Alison decide to play the bear and 13- Ibid., P. 7.
squirrel game where they feel happy. This animal 14- Osborne, J. “They call it Cricket.” Declarations.
imagery represents an escape for both of them from Ed. Tom Maschler. (New York: E. P. Dutton,
1958), P. 47.
the troubles of the world and seems to be an attempt
to eliminate the social boundaries that created friction 15- Osborne. Look Back in Anger. P. 9.
16- Ibid., P. 9.
between them.
17- Ibid., P. 24.
In conclusion, Osborne’s play addresses the
18- Harrop, P. 14.
issue of the angry and rebellious youth after the
19- Osborne. Look Back in Anger. P. 88.
Second World War inhabiting a bleak world and
20- Ibid.,P. 15.
facing a purposeless future. The hero of the play
21- Shafer, P. 7.
wages a war against the antagonism of upper class
22- Osborne. Look Back in Anger. P. 61.
people and holds them responsible for the sorrow and
23- Meyers, J. “Osborne’s Harem.” The Antioch
pain of workers. Jimmy represents the suffering Review 67.2 Cowboy College (2009) 323-339,
youth who felt that there are no good causes left P.323.
worth fighting for and criticizes the social institutions 24- Osborne. Look Back in Anger. pp. 51-52.
that do not recognize the existence of the working 25- Busch, P. 271.
class. As a result of the strict social structure of 26- Freud, PP. 182-183.
British society, Jimmy suffers from low esteem and 27- Osborne. Look Back in Anger. P. 37.
depression and struggles hardly to assert himself 28- Ibid., P. 67.
through directing his rage at his upper class wife and 29- Ibid., P. 86.
her family. Jimmy reunites with Alison in the end 30- Ibid., P. 89.
after she has learnt what it means to be in pain and 31- Nightingale, B. An Introduction to 50 Modern
helpless after losing her child. British Plays. (London: Pan Books, 1982), P.301.

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‫‪https://doi.org/10.12816/0055678‬‬ ‫مجلة الزرقاء للبحوث والدراسات اإلنسانية – المجلد العشرون – العدد األول ‪0202 ,‬‬

‫اليأس والكآبة في مسرحية جون أزبرون "أنظر للوراء بغضب"‬

‫نوح ابراهيم صالح الغزو‬
‫اللغة اإلنجليزية وآدابها‬
‫جامعة اإلمام محمد بن سعود اإلسالمية _ السعودية‬
‫‪drnouhalguzo@yahoo.com‬‬

‫قبول البحث ‪0282/21/20‬‬ ‫استالم البحث ‪0282/20/81‬‬

‫الملخص‬

‫يتناول هذا البحث موضوع اليأس والكآبة في مسرحية جون أزبرون "أنظر للوراء بغضب"‪ .‬تصور المسرحية حياة الشاب المثقف جيمي بورتر‬
‫الذي يعاني من قلة اإلعتداد بالذات والكآبة نتيجة زواجه أعلى من منزلته اإلجتماعية والعزلة التي يعيشها بعد وفاة والده‪ .‬يناضل جيمي بشدة من أجل‬
‫تأكيد ذاته من خالل توجيه غضبه الى زوجته البرجوازية والتي تزوجته ضد رغبات عائلتها وبالتالي يعاني من حياة مليئة بالضغوطات والتي تتطور‬
‫إلى كآبة تؤثر بشكل سلبي على حياته االجتماعية وتصرفاته‪ .‬يعتبر جيمي نفسه متحدث باسم العمال ومعاناتهم والذين يعيشون عالما كئيبا وحياة ال‬
‫قيمة لها بسبب المجتمع اإلنجليزي الطبقي الذي ال يعترف بوجودهم‪ .‬ينجح جيمي‪ ,‬في نهاية المسرحية‪ ,‬في تعليم زوجته أليسون المعنى الحقيقي‬
‫للمعاناة ومعنى أن تكون وحيدا وبال حيلة وذلك بعد أن تخسر طفلها ويحاول االثنان أن يتعامال مع الهموم ومشاعر اليأس من خالل ممارسة لعبة‬
‫الدب والسنجاب‪.‬‬
‫الكلمات المفتاحية‪ :‬يأس‪ ,‬كآبة‪ ,‬غضب‪ ,‬طبقة عاملة‪ ,‬شباب‪.‬‬

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