Angry Young Men

The "Angry Young Men" were a group of working and middle class British playwrights and novelists who became prominent in the 1950's. The group's leading members were John Osborne and Kingsley Amis. The phrase "Angry Young Men" was originally coined by the  Royal Court Theatre's press officer to promote John Osborne's Look Back in Anger. Leslie Paul’s Look Back in Anger was published in 1951.  

John Osborne wrote the play Look Back in Anger, staged by English Stage Company. He was one of the groups known as “Angry Young Men”. This play deals with the alienation of a young man from the social orders of middle-class society. Jimmy Porter became a prototype of a man who is in permanent opposition to everything which represents the old dissembler establishment.

The play Look Back in Anger was really successful when it was firstly performed in 1956. The two main characters are Jimmy and Alison Porter and the plot of the play revolves around their conflicts. But why they were in such a great conflict?  The reason may lie in their social incompatibility. Jimmy comes from a working-class background, but her wife is from an upper-middle class. The anger of Jimmy is the most important theme of the play. Consequently, we can say that Look Back in Anger involves or uses characters to demonstrate the importance of classes in British society after the war.

J. R. R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings

Opinions:

1. One of my most favourite books is The Lord of the Rings trilogy, written by J.R.R. Tolkien. I think it is one of the greatest fantasy books. I really love it because it’s very exciting, full of fabulous characters and creatures, there are many great poems and songs and I also appreciate Tolkien’s language inventions and maps, which makes you feel that this story really happened. The Lord of the Rings takes place in Middle-Earth. This world was invented by Tolkien and contains its own cultures, histories, and languages. There are many descriptions of nature and characters in the book. Tolkien made a whole new world. In this world we can find humility, solidarity, selflessness and friendship. The friendship is the strongest key between the characters. It is shown mostly in the relationship between Frodo and Sam. Sam helps to Frodo during the journey. Sam’s strength of will and bravery gives force to Frodo, when he is tired. They know that without friends they are not able to achieve their task. They need each other. This is the true friendship which is valuable in the life. Not just in the fantasy life, but also in the real life. 

2. To tell the truth, I do not really like The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I cannot really enjoy it, because it does not reflect reality which would be interesting or exciting for me. It contains too many supernatural “people”, creatures and objects; I am referring to for example elves, goblins, a magic ring that means power, trees which are speaking and people who are not really human beings. 

George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-Four

Orwell stated that 1984 was not prophecy. He wanted to warn the society of the twist of bureaucracy and the state, and the power that he witnessed over the periods in England and Spain. Until his death, he thought that the book was a warning against the corruption of the political system.

Nineteen Eighty-Four. This is a title of well-known book written by George Orwell. The story begins in the year of 1984, as the title implies us. The main character is Winston Smith, who is working in the Ministry of Truth. The country is ruled by the Party led by Big Brother, who is not a real person. At the end of the book we can read about the Room 101. When I read the book five years ago, I remember that the Room 101 was very strange and thought-provoking for me. Room 101 is one room in the Ministry of Love, which is the worst thing in the world. It is the hell for everyone. For someone it is death by fire, for Winston it is a cage with rats. This is the one thing, which is direful for him. In the Room 101 the man betrays his friends. Winston also betrays his friend, Julia. He betrays her for the survival. 

The book could be interpreted as related to the theme of liberal humanism. But Room 101 change the behaviour of the people, they change in a wrong way, because they forced to front with their fears. However, they cannot do that, and they would do anything to survive. So, from this viewpoint the idea of humanism is endangered.

Really the Room 101 would have influenced everyone such way? If we are taken to Room 101, would we change ourselves and betray our friends? Would we dare to front our fear and overcome it?