To be able to understand Jimmy Porter's character, and perhaps to even sympathise with him, it is necessary to see him, indeed, the whole play, in social, historical and cultural context, and, perhaps, to glance at John Osborne's own life and persuasions as well. With Jimmy Porter, Osborne created the voice not only for his own criticism of the way in which England was failing, but for those of the whole generation.

England after the Second World War was economically and politically exhausted. The Labour government did not have the situation under control and was therefore in a state of inertia (the development of the elections' results are proof enough for the widely spread dissatisfaction with the Labour Party: in 1945 and 1950 they won with 393 and 315 seats, while in 1951 there was a big swing and the Conservatives won with 321 seats. They stayed in power until 1964). The stagnancy of the...