Discuss the use of symbols in the play. This question was asked in NECO gce literature 2024 exam and we have provide the answer below:
Discuss the use of symbols in the play
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John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger uses symbols to enhance its themes and deepen the emotional and intellectual impact of the story. Osborne employs symbolic elements to highlight the characters’ internal struggles, societal frustrations, and the complexity of human connections. Below are some key symbols in the play and their interpretations:
(i) “Bear and squirrel game”:
This game of bear and squirrel is simply meant to escape the harsh and cruel realities of life in the tension and the failure of marriage between Alison and Jimmy for a short time. It also helps in reconciling the couple of the end of play. The bear is associated with Jimmy, and the squirrel with Alison. The fact that they keep stuffed animal versions of the bear and squirrel in the apartment reflects a childlike innocence that these characters find it difficult to maintain their marriage.
(ii) “Church bells”:
The church bells symbolize middle class morality that Jimmy finds oppressive and unacceptable. Helena likes this version of morality which specifies that something is clearly right, while others are wrong and “sinful”. The chiming of the church bell makes Jimmy sick and gets him more resentful. He curses and yells when he hears them, thereby reflecting his anger at this system of morality.
(iii) “Trumpet”:
Jazz which has traditionally been protest music is associated with the working class. It symbolizes Jimmy’s desire to be a voice of resistance in society. It is also a symbol of loneliness and alienation in Jimmy’s world.
(iv) “Newspapers”:
In act 1 and 3, Jimmy and Cliff read newspapers and these papers are symbols of Jimmy’s education. They help to mimic the habit of upper class university educated elite. Jimmy also uses newspaper articles as a way to belittle the intelligence of Cliff and Alison. His relationship with these newspapers also shows his double relationship to his educational status. He confesses that the newspaper makes him “feel ignorant” and he often mocks “posh” papers. Which in his mind are out of touch with the real concerns of working class men like him?
(v) Jimmy’s pipe:
Pipe is an upper class symbol and this makes Jimmy wants to associate with upper class instead of working class where he actually belongs. Pipes are associated with old educated, university professors, and Jimmy’s pipe is a way for him to dominate scene and assert himself as a rebellious force in the world to rebel against upper class.
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