What are your impressions of Col. and Mrs. Redfern in the play
What are your impressions of Col. and Mrs. Redfern in the play
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COLONEL REDFERN is Alison’s father who is also a former colonel in the British army stationed in the English colony of India (back before 1947 that is, when India was still a colony of England. He represents Britain’s great Edwardian past. He was a military leader in India for many years before returning with his family to England. He is quite particular and critical of Jimmy and Alison and Alison’s marriage, but admits that he is to blame for many of their problems because of his undue meddling in their affairs. He is gentle and kind in his approach to issues and this makes him command respect.
He is very incisive and he believes every standard should be maintained. He feels discouraged about Jimmy resorting to below-standard Jobs such as sweet-stall. It does not seem an extraordinary thing for an educated young man to be occupying himself with. Why should he want to do that, of all things”. The Colonel admits that both he and Alison’s mother are to blame for everything; he also becomes mystified when Alison reveals that her marriage to Jimmy is built on revenge mission. As a believer of true love, Colonel wonders why youths of nowadays don’t marry for love. “They have to talk about challenges and revenge. I just can’t believe that love between men and moment is really like that.
Colonel Redfern is a calm and easy-going soldier who does not use his Juicy office to maltreat others. He refuses to approach Alison’s maltreatment with military fashion, but waits patiently to listen to both parties involved.
Mrs. Redfern represents the older, traditional generation, embodying the societal norms and expectations of her time. Her influence is felt through Alison, who is married to the play’s protagonist, Jimmy Porter. Alison’s background and upbringing with a more conservative mother contribute to the tension and conflict in her marriage with Jimmy, who rebels against societal conventions and expresses his discontent through anger and frustration.
Alison’s ties to her mother become a source of conflict, highlighting the generation gap and the clash between the traditional values represented by Mrs. Redfern and the rebellious, iconoclastic attitude of Jimmy. The unseen but ever-present influence of Mrs. Redfern contributes to the theme of societal expectations and the struggle to break free from them.
Alison’s internal conflict, torn between her loyalty to her mother’s values and her desire for independence with Jimmy, reflects the broader social changes occurring in post-war Britain. Mrs. Redfern’s role, therefore, is not just that of a distant figure but a symbol of the societal expectations that the characters grapple with, adding depth and context to the play’s exploration of class, relationships, and cultural shifts.
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