Anger Theme In Literature

There are various themes in literature; however, anger is the most consequential one. Anger is an essential emotion in human interaction. It is a normal human emotion. It makes people know when they are being threatened or attacked. It gives every person the power to behave efficaciously to these actions. Without anger man cannot express part of his negative emotion. This is may lead to unsafe and unstable consequences for man’s health. According to Mental Health Foundation anger is one of the most basic human emotions. It is a physical and mental response to a threat or to harm done in the past. Anger takes many different forms from irritation to blinding rage or resentment that festers over many years. Howard Kassinove says:

We define anger

It is a projection of the problem, rather than a solving of it. This means that anger is an action by the ego mind. The ego, in this sense, is an aspect of the brain or mind that appears to protect and defend a person. It is important in childhood, but the ego self later in life really gets in the way and becoming angry is one of the ways it ruins one’s life. This part of the mind is sometimes called the reactive mind because it tends to react to stimuli or many kinds, rather than originate creative thoughts and ideas as to how to solve problems and everything

The theme of anger exists in novels and dramas but it emanated officially in theatre after the emergence of “Angry Young Men” movement in 1950s, then it appeared in novels. According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary Of Literary Terms “Angry Young Men” is a journalistic catchphrase loosely applied to a number of British playwrights and novelists from the mid-1950s. It is a number of young writers. Included among the “Angry Young Men” were the playwrights Arnold Wesker and John Osborne, and the novelist Kinsley Amis. This movement gave voice to the young generation who, displeased with the world they lived in. They wanted to create their own way of living. They struggled against the Establishment and some of its values: family, patriotism, the Established Church and culture. They began to cry out against conventions, tradition and authoritarianism. They want to break traditions, they do not want restrictions. Angry Young Men Movement added a lot to literature, for example a novel called Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, a play called Look Back in Anger by John Osborne, and a collection of 32 poems by Philip Larkin called The Whitsun