—TheStoryofthePlay
JohnOsborne
, hiswifeAlison, andhisbusinesspartnerandfriendCliffLewis, “posh”’; Jimmy’’, “Let’spretendthatwe’rehumanbeingsandthatwe’reactuallyalive.”CliffcomplainsaboutthesmokefromJimmy’, “Nobodythinks, , noconvictionsandnoenthusiasms.”HesaysthatEnglandhaslosthersoul, thatitisdrearylivingin “theAmericanAge.”’sbrotherNigel, whomhehasdubbed “thechinlesswonderfromSandhurst,”, , callingher “theLadyPusillanimous.”JimmytriestolistentoaconcertontheradioandcomplainsatthenoisemadebyAlison’sironingandCliff’, Alison, , ’, ; theyplayaprivateandaffectionategameof “squirrelsandbears,”andAlisonisabouttotellhimofherpregnancywhenCliffreturnstosayHelenaCharles, anactressfriendofAlison, , , , “She’llgoonsleepinganddevouringuntilthereisnothingleftofme.”
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1)WhatthemesoftheplayarerepresentedbyOsborne’smeticulousdescriptionofthePorter’satticapartment?
2)WhatdoesJimmyandAlison’splayfulgameofbearandsquirrelrepresent?
3)WhyorwhynotisHelenaCharlesthemoralcompassoftheplay?
4)ThoughJimmyisagainstthosethatreminisceforEngland’spast, ?
5)WhatimagerydoesOsborneusetoexploretheideasofmodernchivalry?
6)DoyoubelievethatOsborneismisogynisticintheplay?
7)WhatisOsborne’sviewofreligion?
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Theplayissetin1) andtellsthestoryofJimmyPorter, ayoungmanwhocomesfrom2) , althougha3) , worksina4) andlivesinaone-roomflatwithhiswife5).ThestoryfocusedonJimmyandAlison’s6) , whicharemainlyduetotheirdifferentsocial7) ; infact, Alisoncomesfroman8) family.Thecouplefinallymanagetoreconciletheirdifferencesbutthisreconciliationis9).Theyregrettoa10) relationshipbasedonfantasyandgame-playing.
