Any text from Feminist perspective should:
1) Depict equality between men and women on social level
2) It must make an attempt to validate the nature of the woman, the essence of a woman as distinguished from the nature of a man
3) In religious undertones and overtones , accept woman as being equal to men
4) Depict woman in the text seen as equal by the other characters and reader alike
John Osborn’s play ‘Look Back in anger’ is not in any way close to a feminist movement infact it’s more a misogynistic work of art and works in opposite manner of what feminism states.
One of the most prominent depictions of the belittling of a woman happens when Jimmy tells Alison that the only way she could be a human would be to suffer. Many times throughout the text Jimmy refuses to recognize Alison's nature of being a woman and states that she is not even a human being. Jimmy has taken away Alison's identity of even being a person.
Jimmy’s extreme language specially in his depiction of the ways in which he wishes Alison’s mother would die, seem to suggest that the play harbours a deep distrust for women.
Although Helena and Allison, the two female characters are not feminists in any way or manner, there are some glimpses of ‘hope’ of feminism in them, for they do TRY and break free from patriarchal and ‘accepted’ notions of identity and replace it with free and lasting identity created by self, Something Allison manages to do when she leaves Jimmy but only to go to her father’s house, not make independent life for self. This position too she doesn’t hold for long and comes back to her toxic relationship. Hence one sees the ’hope’ of feminism and not full fledged feminist movement.
Helena, Allison’s friend initially does seem to be someone who is free thinking, can make her own choices goads Allison into leaving Jimmy
