Angry Young Men

ANGRY YOUNG MEN

After the second world war, a new sociocultural movement was born in England. It was based on the nonconformity and anger that a group of writers felt towards society. Its characteristics were the division of people into social classes and other subjects which English people of the first half of the century were worried about. They were known as “Angry Young Men”.

The “Angry Young Men” concept comes from Leslie Allen Paul’s autobiography (1951). This name was given to a group of English writers of the 50s. Their main characters shared really similar characteristics as rebelliousness, criticism and contempt towards the society in which they lived, typical of the postwar period. They describe the monotony, mediocrity and injustice of their lives. (1)

This kind of theatre was based on the 50’s working class. Many of these authors are: John Osborne, Arnold Wesker, Colin Wilson, ... although each one has its own way to express basically the same. The main characters of these author’s plays are antiheroes, that means, nothing to do with what is called society, “the perfect man”.

The stereotype of “Angry Young Men” was marked by John Osborne with Look back in Anger, that was really important for English theatre. Its main character, Jimmy Porter turned into the perfect nonconformist young boy with big ideals. Like John Osborne, and Arnold Wesker take part in the movement of the “Angry young men” but Osborne was the unvoluntary beginner of this. (2)

Osborne and Wesker in their plays Look back in anger and The Kitchen represent rebellion through their main characters. In Look back in Anger we can see Jimmy as a nonconformist person as we can see Peter in The Kitchen. Both of them express their disagreement with the world. They feel hatred towards those people who think that life is only work, food and money. Jimmy has an argument with Alison and Cliff because he does not feel the same way against their environment, the situation they have around them. A similar situation is seen when Peter asks his companions if they have any dream, in the sense that he does not want to be always living in that kitchen, and that money is not everything. They have money but no live. These are the people that turn the authors into “angry young men” and that are played in their writings.(a) (b)

That is why people started to write revolutionary plays, the plots of which walked in a unique direction : EXISTENTIALISM. The existentialists thought that everyone could build their way, that destiny does not exist. The main principle that defines Existentialism is that man makes himself. That fits perfectly with the “Angry young men”‘s thinking way.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

(a) The Kitchen, Arnold Wesker, Photocopied source, (Servei de Reprografia de la Facultat de Filologia, Universitat de València)

(b) Look Back in Anger, John Osborne,. Photocopied source, (Servei de Reprografia de la Facultat de Filologia, Universitat de València)

2- http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/594201/

General information and definitions:

http://www.smallersky.com/AYM.htm

http://www.ditl.info/arttest/art6159.php (French page) Marcel De Grève

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angry_Young_Men

Academic year 2005/2006
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Aina García Coll
Universitat de València Press
aigari@alumni.uv.es