WAEC Literature in English 2022 Theory — Question 13

Model answer

Points to develop: i. Relation to theme; ii. Character identification; iii. His view of the structure of Victorian society; iv. He sees that all is not well between the classes; v. He finds working class life routine and monotonous; vi. For Jimmy, across-class marriages have built-in instability. The play deals with the conflict between the social classes in Victorian or English society which is alighted in the marriage between Jimmy and Alison. One of the themes in the play is class conflict and this is seen in the demarcation between the upper-middle class and the working class in the play. Jimmy belongs to the working class while Alison and her family belong to the upper-middle class. Although the play is set against the backdrop of the post-Second-World-War England, it reflects the Victorian or class-based English society. Jimmy is a major character in the play. He is twenty five years old. Jimmy is married to Alison Redfern. The playwright describes him as 'capable of cruelty and sincerity'. Jimmy is tall and slim and has few friends because of his 'apparent honesty'. He is a university dropout. The society is divided into working class and middle or upper-middle class people. It is based on education and privilege. Jimmy drops out of the university after one year. He and his friend, Cliff, are decidedly working class except that 'some of his mother's relatives are pretty posh'. His wife, Alison and her parents are of a stable middle class family. Alison's brother, Nigel is well to do, a member of the English Parliament. Jimmy sees that all is not well between the classes. He hates Alison's parents, particularly her mother, for not wanting him to marry Alison. He does not like Alison's friend, Helena, although they temporarily fall in love and she leaves him to save her conscience. After Jimmy has married Alison in a rush, and his friend, Hugh Tanner, drag her along to gatecrash her parents' middle class friends' parties and cause a stir. Jimmy finds the working class life routine and monotonous. People are generally jobless. They accept any job like the sweet-stall to make ends meet. Jimmy and his friend, Cliff, pour over the weekend newspapers aimlessly to kill boredom. Alison and Helena while away the time ironing. For Jimmy, across-class marriages have built-in instability. His marriage to Alison is unconventionally blessed in a church. Alison's parents attend the ceremony uninvited. Subsequently, Alison's father, Colonel Redfern, feels guilty about how he and his wife have treated Jimmy. The marriage between Jimmy and Alison remains stormy, till Jimmy and Alison begin to make a few sacrifices for love, e.g. when Alison returns to Jimmy. Alison's parents' marriage is, however, stable on class, love and convention.