Look Back in Anger

Jimmy is the main character of the play. He is a complex character that fills each scene with angry, derisive monologues. He complains about the middle class and, by proxy, his wife, Alison. He used to be a trumpet player in a jazz band, but now runs a sweet stall with his friend and roommate, Cliff. He and Cliff talk heatedly about politics and religion. Jimmy dislikes the church just as much as he dislikes the middle class, both of which represent the Establishment to him. Jimmy’s anger extends to Cliff at times as well, though the two often wrestle playfully to end their disputes. Jimmy dislikes Alison’s parents, as they represent stuffy, Edwardian beliefs. He is utterly prideful, and cruel in his taunts and actions, yet also described as cheerful. His character is known as the archetype for later characters that define “the cruel individual with a heart of gold.” Jimmy rages when Alison leaves him, but then sleeps with her friend Helena and pretends not to care about Alison. When Helena leaves him, Alison returns. The two make up, and it is implied that Alison now knows how Jimmy feels about the structure of the world.