An English Essay on why the character of Jimmy Porter is so Fascinating to the Audience

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An English Essay on why the character of Jimmy Porter is so Fascinating to the Audience

Paul Davidson 11X

There are many different things that make Jimmy Porter so fascinating to both the audience and his acquaintances. Jimmy’s character comes across in many different ways through the play, each one individual as his situation changes. Jimmy can come across as being a selfless romantic who loves his dear wife, Alison, but the next minute he will be slinging verbal harm her way and we realise that there is indeed, many different sides to the character of Jimmy Porter.

From the first impressions that the audience gets of Jimmy, he is shown as being arrogant and misunderstanding. The first scene shows Jimmy, Alison and Cliff in their small one bed-roomed flat. Jimmy and Cliff are reading the newspapers together. From the language that Jimmy uses, we get the idea that he is obsessive with class and state of wealth as he picks on Cliff by saying he is peasant like and stupid, he also taunts his own wife, Alison for having wealthy parents and well off upbringing. “You are ignorant. You’re just a peasant,” Jimmy ridicules Cliff. Proof that Jimmy is class obsessed is that he refers to the broadsheets as “the posh ones.”

The play itself, “Look Back in Anger” was filmed to show people the mood of the time, Jimmy’s mood - the temperamental angry, but romantic young man. A lot of people at the time may have desired his personality, as he has sharpness and a wit, but can also be so selfless and romantic when he feels like it. As Alison Quotes “Jimmy has got his own sort of private morality, as you know” This quote from act 1 instantly lets the audience know that Jimmy has obviously an individual and completely unique personality, he lives by his own rules, this is why he is so fascinating.

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The audience cannot understand why Alison stays together with Jimmy, they are shocked and appalled by the way he lashes out at her, her parents, friends and the upper class when they don’t deserve it, they are like helpless victims of his uncontrollable anger.

“Here it is. I quote: Pusillanimous, adjective. Wanting of firmness of mind, of small courage, having a little mind, mean spirited, cowardly, timid of mind. From the Latin pusillus, very little, and animus, the mind. That’s my wife!”

This quote from act 1 shows that Jimmy shows no remorse when he verbally ...

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