John Osborne and Arthur Miller A Comparative Study (1945-1970)

Abstract

The second half of the 20th century witnessed frustration and loss of hope after the termination of the Second World War. In addition , the increase of the spirit of competition created citizens who felt compelled to join a race that never ended. John Osborne (1929-1994) and Arthur Miller (1915-2005) reflect in their plays this feeling of frustration from different perspectives. The thesis places them within their contemporaries. Osborne concentrates on the prevalence of this spirit amongst youth in particular, especially after most of the British colonies gained their independence, leading to the loss of the presumed British Empire of the ever- lasting shining sun. The youth were frustrated to the extent of losing hope in life. They had the feeling that they had nothing worth living for or even dying for. John Osborne represents this feeling in his plays, questioning the possibility of having any family atmosphere in most of his plays. Being the leader of The Angry Movement, he just provokes anger throughout his plays, attacking several targets simply to drive the audience to take action. Miller, on the other hand, concentrates on the fallacy of The American- Dream. He tackles the consequences of the competitive atmosphere prevailing in the American society that threatens the stability of the family. Contrary to Osborne, he believes in the importance of the family, therefore he attacks everything that threatens the stability of it. Both playwrights protest against the deterioration in their societies. The introduction discusses these deteriorating conditions in both societies. The first chapter discusses the theme of protest and anger. The second chapter discusses the theme of family relations. Finally the third chapter concentrates of their style and technique. The conclusion sums up the findings of the thesis.