The Angry Young Men Movement 

The Angry Young Men Movement

The phrase coined “Angry Young Men” refers to a group of British writers and playwrights who arose in the 1950s and early 1960s.
These writers were known for their anti-establishment and calcitrant attitudes. Their rebellious attitudes were conveyed in their works. These works analysed and challenged the cultural, political and social norms that arose after World War II in Britain. The “Angry Young Men movement” desired to question the existing conditions and structures within society due to their common sense of disillusionment.

Origins of the Term “The Angry Young Men Movement”

Emerging in Britain in 1956, the term “The Angry Young Men” was one coined by journalists. This was in response to John Osborne’s play “Look Back In Anger” first staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London in May 1956.

The term was used for two main reasons. One being to describe the play’s protagonist Jimmy Porter who was “angry”. The second being the emergence of a new generation of writers evolving who were expressing their dissatisfaction of the privileged upper-class, post-war conformity and social stagnation. (Carpenter 2002, Wilson 2007)

The term “The Angry Young Men Movement” was derived from “The Movement” described as early as 1954. The article “Poets of the Fifties” was written by Anthony Hartley for The Spectator in August 1954. The article included Kingsley Amis, Philip Larkin and John Wain. This resulted in an article that was written by John Scott “The New Movement” being published in The Spectator in October 1954. Essentially it was Anthony Hartley and John Scott who defined the term “The Movement”. (Carpenter 2002)

This then evolved into the term “The Angry Young Men Movement”. This arising from a conversation which took place between playwright John Osborne and press officer George Fearon on the release of “Look Back In Anger” at the Royal Court Theatre in May 1956. George Fearon referring to John Osborne as “an angry young man”. This phrase had been used previously by Leslie Paul naming his autobiography “Angry Young Man” published in 1951. (Carpenter 2002)

Public Use of the Term

Thomas Wiseman was the first to use the term “Angry Young Men” publicly. It featured in his “Show Talk” column in The Evening Standard on 7th July 1956. Further following the term written by journalist Daniel Farson in an article that he wrote for the Daily Mail less than a week later. (Carpenter 2002)

Many of the writers themselves disliked the term “Angry Young Man”, especially Kingsley Amis, who rebuffed the idea that they collectively were a “movement” . The broader cultural label was partly used by the press as journalistic shorthand. Equally it was also used as a marketing technique for mid-1950s dramatists and novelists associated with social protest. (Carpenter 2002)

Characteristics of The Angry Young Man Movement 

Their Working-Class Viewpoints :

Many of the writers that come under the umbrella term of the “Angry Young Men movement”  originated from working-class backgrounds and areas. Equally the characters they discuss within their literature are from very similar socioeconomic backgrounds. Their writing represent the hardships, dissatisfaction and additionally the aspirations of the working-class. For example the main character, Jimmy Porter,  from John Osborne‘s  play “Look Back in Anger” (1956), who displays a deep discontent with his life.

Anti-Establishment

The “Angry Young Men” were critical of the establishment and the traditional British class system. The writers of the “Angry Young Men movement” challenged what society stereotypes as social norms. Drawing attention to the questioning of upper-class authorities and institutions. Thus being critiques of not only the establishment but also the hierarchy of the the British class system.  This is evident from the behaviour of the rebellious Arthur Seaton. Arthur is the central focus and main character  from “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” (1958) by Alan Sillitoe.

Social Realism

The Angry Young Men writers adopted social realism by aiming to illustrate the rough and gritty portrait of everyday life. Resulting in their portrayal of credible stories. This includes issues such as class inequality, economic and financial struggles, and the impact of societal expectations.  Shelagh Delaney  whose play  “A Taste of Honey” (1958) is a perfect example of the Social Realism it depicts. It is set in the working-class area  of Salford, a district of Greater Manchester. The central character Jo and her mother Helen, and later Jo’s  friend Geoffrey,  live in the least luxurious of lodgings.

Rejection of Traditional Conventions

The movement shunned the traditional and sometimes idealist literature of the time.  Alternately, these writers sought to outline the current issues at that time. This led to a more honest representation of the areas that they originated from and they lived in.  A key example being the character of Vic Brown from “A Kind Of Loving” by Stan Barstow (1960). It examines and equally illustrates societal expectations of unplanned pregnancy.

The Prominent Playwrights and Novelists of The Angry Young Men Movement

Whilst not exhaustive, some of the following authors and playwrights are highlighted in the list below. Included are some of their prominent works. These works  are classed as part as the  of the “Angry Young Men” movement. Alan Sillitoe, Stan Barstow and Keith Waterhouse are not strictly referred to in literary terms as part of the “Angry Young Men” movement of writers. However their works do somewhat overlap with the central themes.

• Kingsley Amis : Sir Kingsley Amis, renown for his  works include his satirical novel  “Lucky Jim” (1954).   The leading character is university lecturer, Jim Dixon, who despises the pretentiousness of academic life.
• Shelagh Delaney :  Although female,  Shelagh’s play,  “A Taste Of Honey” (1956) is one of the most popular works of the movement.
• John Osborne : “Look Back in Anger” (1956), the play is considered a seminal work and the beginning of the “Angry Young Men movement”. 
• Colin Wilson : Colin’s sensational philosophical work “The Outsider” (1956) influenced the Angry Young Men writers
• John Braine : “Room at the Top” (1957), the novel written by John whilst he was a librarian,  delves into class dynamics and upward social mobility.
• Alan Sillitoe : Known for his influential novels “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” (1958) and “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” (1959).
• David Storey : “This Sporting Life” (1960), David’s first novel  and further works like “Flight Into Camden” (1961)  are  participants  in the movement.
• Stan Barstow : “A Kind of Loving” (1960) by Stan Barstow focuses on the character Vic Brown and his working class background. Set  in the fictional industrial Yorkshire town of Cressley, it examines societal expectations.
• John Wain : “Hurry On Down” (1960) follows the protagonist Charles Lumley, a university graduate, who feels trapped by his life and his middle-class upbringing.
• Keith Waterhouse : “Billy Liar” (1963), the satirical novel based on the central character Billy Fisher and his mundane existence in the fictional town of Stradhoughton in post war Britain.

The Decline of the “Angry Young Men Movement”

The “Angry Young Men” phenomenon was at it’s height between 1956 and 1959. By the early 1960s (circa 1962-1964) it had largely lost momentum. The critics were referring in the past tense to the “Angry” period. However there was never a formal nor coherent “movement” as it had been a press label.

Several reasons attributed to this. Firstly there was a diminishing shock value to the work. Secondly attention shifted to the culture of the “Swinging Sixties”. Thirdly the writers themselves began to diversify in their writing style and creative directions.

Kitchen Sink Realism and Social Realism

By contrast, Kitchen Sink Realism refers and leans more to the gritty and domestic condition of working-class life, during the late 1950s to the early 1960s, as oppose to the protests of rebellious writers of the late 1950s. Kitchen Sink Realism  is accentuated by regional dialect, working-class domestic settings and the saturation of emotional claustrophobia.

Kitchen Sink Realism is linked with the Royal Court Theatre and British New Wave cinema. John Osborne’s “Look Back in Anger”, Alan Sillitoe’s “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” as well as Stan Barstow‘s “A Kind of Loving” are examples of this. They typify the representation of Kitchen Sink’s message of the interior domestic organisation within once working-class homes.

Social Realism, however covers a much broader scope and has more longer literary heritage. An example being the novel “Love on the Dole” (1933) by Walter Greenwood. However Social Realism can consist of Kitchen Sink Realism and Angry Young Men themes. Social Realism highlights and analyses class inequality, working conditions and the role that economics has on these factors.

The Role of  the “Angry Young Men” Within Kitchen Sink Realism and Social Realism

The “Angry Young Men” writers can therefore be thought of as mid-century writers who modified Social Realism after World War II. This being due to welfare reform, educational and social mobility and class arrangement.

Therefore considering the overlap between these terms, this reflects that they do not have strict category boundaries. They can overlap at times. To conclude the term the “Angry Young Men” describes the mood of a generation, “Kitchen Sink” has a rhetorical and dramatic theme and “Social Realism” is a continuing ideological tradition, that continues to survive to the present day. Examples of  these works are by later writers such as Barry Hines and Paul Laverty and renown directors as Ken Loach and Mike Leigh.

References

Allsop, K. (1958) The Angry Decade: A Survey of the Cultural Revolt of the Nineteen-Fifties. London: Peter Owen.

Amis, K. (1961) Lucky Jim. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.

Barstow, S. (1960) A Kind of Loving. London: Michael Joseph.

Braine, J. (1957) Room at the Top. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode.

Carpenter, H. (2002) The Angry Young Men: A Literary Comedy of the 1950s. London: Faber and Faber.

Hewison, R. (1981) In Anger: Culture in the Cold War 1945–60. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Hill, J. (1986) Sex, Class and Realism: British Cinema 1956–1963. London: BFI Publishing.

Osborne, J. (1956) Look Back in Anger. London: Faber and Faber.

Sillitoe, A. (1958) Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. London: W.H. Allen.

Sinfield, A. (1989) Literature, Politics and Culture in Postwar Britain. Oxford: Blackwell.

Wain, J. (1960) Hurry on Down. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books (Penguin Books, 1442).

Wilson, C. (2007) The Angry Years: The Rise and Fall of the Angry Young Men. Robson Books.

Wilson, C. (1963) The Outsider. Pan Piper.

Wilson, C. (1969) Voyage to a Beginning: An Autobiography. London: Cecil and Amelia Woolf.

© 2024 – 2026, Jayne Thomas. All rights reserved.