Why Is Jimmy Porter Angry in John Osborne's Look Back in Anger?

John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger shows us a turning point in the life of Jimmy Porter, husband to Alison Porter, and friend to Cliff Lewis. Throughout most of the play, Jimmy expresses his frustrations and anger in ways both verbal and physical. Why is he angry, then? There are many reasons for Jimmy's anger, and like most people, he is probably not himself aware of all of the causes of his frustration.

Jimmy lives in post-war England. While all of Europe was obviously relieved by the end of fighting, there was now a void in the lives of many people. Like leaving India did to Alison's father, the end of the World Wars changed a great deal of things in everybody's lives. In one sense, a certain sense of direction and certainty was removed from people's lives, but unlike those old enough to remember the times of peace before the wars, Jimmy was born into a directed society that fought in wars and won.

By the time the play takes place (mid-to-late fifties), the English society...