Question

Relashanship between helena and jimmy look back in anger

Answer 1

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When Helena first arrives, it is in the context of visiting her friend, Alison, and thereby having a place to stay whilst her acting company puts on a play in the area. In the earlier scenes of the play, Helena and Alison are depicted as putting up a united front against Jimmy's abuse. In fact, Jimmy recognises this female rallying power between Alison and Helena before Helena even arrives, saying to Alison:

"Did you tell her to bring her armour? Because she's going to need it!"

Once Helena arrives at the flat, her immediate camaraderie with Alison enrages Jimmy further. It is worth noting that as Jimmy perceives the two women together, the language Osborne uses to describe Jimmy in the stage directions becomes very pointed, and incorporates animal imagery:

"The silent hostility of the two women has set him off on the scent"

All of this ultimately results in the violent crescendo of verbal abuse as Helena and Jimmy fight in front of - and about - Alison herself.

Considering these early experiences, the beginning of Act III is shocking. As Scene 1 commences, we see a virtually identical setting as we did in Act I, Scene 1:

"At rise of curtain, we find JIMMY and CLIFF sprawled in their respective armchairs, immersed in the Sunday newspapers. HELENA is standing down L. leaning over the ironing board, a small pile of clothes beside her."

There is only one difference between the opening scenes of Acts I and III: the woman leaning over the ironing board is not Alison, but Helena. As the scene progresses, it is implied that Helena and Jimmy have taken up a romantic relationship of their own. Helena has essentially replaced Alison, and their daily life goes on just as it did before.

In the context of Look Back in Anger as a post-war drama, and in consideration of the larger themes of stasis, disillusionment, and frustration in the play, the significance of Jimmy and Helena's relationship is revealed precisely through the identical staging of the first scene of Acts I and III. It hints that the paralysis and meaninglessness that characterise the characters' post-war experiences extends beyond just the political or social sphere, and into personal relationships between individuals. The disillusionment of post-war society is absolute, so it no longer matters to Jimmy who the woman beside him is. Her identity is just as meaningless as life in general, and thus she can be easily replaced by a completely different person without affecting any of the daily rhythms.