Look Back in Anger: Act 2, Scene 2 Summary & Analysis

The scene opens the next evening, with Alison packing her suitcase and Colonel Redfern sitting by. “Brought up to command respect, he is often slightly withdrawn and uneasy now that he finds himself in a world where his authority has lately become less and less unquestionable.” Though Alison’s mother would find this situation exciting, Colonel Redfern is “disturbed and bewildered by it.” He says, to both himself and Alison, that this is beyond him. Jimmy “speaks a different language from any of us.” He asks where Jimmy has gone.

Alison says that Jimmy is seeing Hugh’s mum, because she’s had a stroke and her son is away. She says that Jimmy had hoped she would go with him. Colonel Redfern remembers that it was Hugh’s mum who gave Jimmy the sweet-stall, and asks whether she’s anything like her son (Hugh Tanner). Alison says that she’s “ordinary. What Jimmy insists on calling working class.” Colonel Redfern replies, “so you didn’t go with him?” and Alison confirms that she did not.

The Colonel asks who is looking after the sweet stall, and Alison says that Cliff is. Her father asks if Cliff lives here too, and Alison says yes. The Colonel says that a sweet stall “does seem an extraordinary thing for an educated young man to be occupying himself with.” He’s never been able to understand it, and thinks that Jimmy is probably “quite clever in his way.” Alison says, without interest, that Jimmy has tried a variety of careers, and seems to be “as happy doing this as anything else.” Her father says that he has often wondered what her living situation is like, because Alison was reticent on this point in her letters.

Alison says that there wasn’t much to say, and the Colonel interprets this to mean that she was “afraid of being disloyal” to Jimmy. Alison laughs at this, saying that Jimmy thought she was disloyal to write to her parents at all. The Colonel remarks, blandly, that Jimmy really does hate them. Alison agrees that he hates “all of us.” The Colonel says that this is a “pity,” and that the fuss about the marriage was “unfortunate and unnecessary. I’m afraid I can’t help feeling that he must have had a certain amount of right on his side.” This confuses Alison. He says that he thinks that he and Alison’s mother deserve some blame for the nasty battle. He has “never said anything,” but he thought that Alison’s mother “went too far.” He confirms that Alison’s mother did hire private detectives, and that he tries now to pretend that it never happened.

Alison says that he shouldn’t blame himself, and the Colonel agrees that everyone involved deserves some blame. Yet he says that Jimmy is “honest enough” and that Alison’s mother “acted in good faith as well.” Of Alison and himself he says, “Perhaps you and I were the ones most to blame.” This surprises Alison. “I think you may take after me a little, my dear. You like to sit on the fence because it’s comfortable and more peaceful.” Alison rejects this interpretation, saying that she married Jimmy even though her parents vehemently disapproved. Her father says that this is true, but that it may have been better if she had cut off communication after the fact, given the dislike between Jimmy and her parents. He “looks at her uncomfortably,” and apologizes, but “glances at her nervously, a hint of accusation in his eyes, as if he expected her to defend herself further. She senses this, and is more confused than ever.”

Alison tells the Colonel what Jimmy said about her mother and the worms. The Colonel responds with a mild “I see,” and asks what Jimmy says about him. Alison says that he isn’t as insulting. He calls the Colonel “one of those sturdy old plants left over from the Edwardian Wilderness that can’t understand why the sun isn’t shining anymore.” The Colonel says that Jimmy “has quite a turn of phrase,” and then, “simply and without malice,” asks why he and Alison ever had to meet, and why Jimmy decided to marry her.

Alison says that she believes it was for “revenge.” Colonel Redfern looks baffled. Alison confirms that “some people do actually marry for revenge.” Jimmy, she says, complicated her life by throwing down the “gauntlet.” Colonel Redfern says, “your husband has obviously taught you a great deal…what any of it means, I don’t know. I always believed that people married each other because they were in love.” It seems, he says, “that’s too simple for young people nowadays,” and that her love is instead about “challenges and revenge.” Alison says that this is only true for some people, and the Colonel wonders why it should be true for her.

Colonel Redfern says that Jimmy might be right—he might be a relic of the Edwardian past. He left England for India in 1914, he didn’t see the country again until 1947. He heard rumors that it was “going to the dogs,” but he was also too busy commanding an army to think about it much. He loved his life in India, and “it looked like going on forever…Those long cool evenings up in the hills, everything purple and golden…I think the last day the sun shone was when that dirty little train steamed out of that crowded, suffocating Indian station.” Alison replies, “you’re hurt because everything is changed. Jimmy is hurt because everything is the same…Something’s gone wrong somewhere, hasn’t it?” The Colonel agrees that it has.

Alison is about the put the squirrel in her suitcase, but then puts it back. “For a few moments, she seems to be standing on the edge of choice.” Then she turns to Colonel Redfern and begins crying. He tells her that she’s taking a big step, and asks if she’s sure that this is what she wants. Then Helena enters, saying that she came to see if she could help. Alison closes her suitcase, and says that she’s ready. Cliff is going to send the rest of her stuff to her, but he hasn’t returned from the sweet stall.

The Colonel says that they should get going—Alison’s mother will be worried, and she’s ill. Helena says that she hopes the telegram isn’t to blame, and the Colonel says that it isn’t, and thanks her for sending it. He asks if he can take her suitcase, and Helena says, to Alison’s surprise, that she is staying the night. Cliff enters. Helena says that she must stay, because she has a work appointment the next day. Alison greets Cliff and introduces him to her father. They exchange awkward greetings. Then the Colonel says goodbye, and exits to pack the car.

Cliff says that Jimmy will return soon, and asks Alison to wait for him. She refuses, and Helena says that she’ll tell Jimmy what has happened, if she’s still there. Cliff says, “quietly,” “you’ll be here.” He asks Alison if she thinks she should tell Jimmy the news herself. She hands him a letter. He says that’s a “bit conventional,” and Alison confirms, “I’m a conventional girl.” He crosses to embrace her, and over Alison’s shoulder, tells Helena that he hopes she’s right. To Alison, he says that the apartment will be off-balance without her. She kisses him, and says she’ll be in touch. She tells Cliff to take care of Jimmy, and glances around the room. Helena kisses her cheek, and says she’ll see her soon. Alison nods, and exits.

Helena asks Cliff if he would like some tea. He says no, and she says that she’ll make herself some. Cliff asks if she’s staying, and she says yes. She asks what Jimmy will do when he finds out, and wonders if he might look up Madeline. Cliff says that he doesn’t think so, and when Helena asks him why, he breaks. “Why the hell should I know,” he says, in a voice that indicates that “for the first time in the play, his good humour has completely deserted him.” Helena is surprised. She asks if Jimmy is private about these things—she would be surprised, given how many “souls stripped to the waist” she has seen in the apartment. Cliff turns to leave.

Helena asks if he’s staying. Cliff says that he’s leaving, in case Jimmy is about to come in from the London train. He’s had a hard day, and wants to eat and drink before he sees Jimmy devastated. He tosses Alison’s letter to Helena, and says “I hope he rams it up your nostrils!” Then he exits. Helena puts out her cigarette, and a door slams downstairs. She looks around the room, and eventually picks up the teddy bear, and lies down on the bed with it. Jimmy enters with a crash, and throws his raincoat down. “He is almost giddy with anger.” Jimmy says that Colonel Redfern almost hit him with the car on his way out. It was “fitting,” he says, that Alison was the “passenger.” Then Cliff avoided him on his way out the door. He asks if Helena was “the only one who’s not afraid to stay,” and she gives him the letter.

Jimmy reads Alison’s letter: “I need peace so desperately, and, at the moment, I am willing to sacrifice everything for just that…I shall always have a deep, loving need of you.” Jimmy says this makes him “puke.” She should have written angry words, but instead “she has to make a polite, emotional mess of it.” He rips Alison’s dress from the wardrobe, saying, “Deep, loving need! I never thought she was capable of being as phoney as that!”

Helena says that Jimmy should stop being so selfish, and tells him that Alison is going to have a baby. He doesn’t reply, and she asks if that means anything to him. He says that he’s surprised, but isn’t going to “collapse with remorse.” He doesn’t care about the baby, and asks if that disgusts her. Then he reminds her of their previous conversation, and says that he has spent the day watching someone die. “And you think I should be overcome with awe because this cruel, stupid girl is going to have a baby!” Jimmy calls Helena an “evil-minded little virgin,” and she slaps him. He looks horrified, then his face fills with pain. “A muffled cry of despair escapes him” as he covers his face with his hand. Helena pulls his hand away, “and kisses him passionately, drawing him down beside her.” The curtain falls on Act 2.