Look Back in Anger

by John Osborne

Look Back in Anger: Fallacy 1 key example

Act 1
Explanation and Analysis—The Bishop:

In a speech suffused with situational irony, Cliff satirizes a religious leader in the Church of England. Reading over his newspapers, he describes a column by (the fictitious) Bishop Bromley that calls for the public to support the “manufacture of the H-Bomb,” or a hydrogen bomb, a powerful thermonuclear weapon: 

Cliff: Oh, it says here that he makes a very moving appeal to all Christians to do all they can to assist in the manufacture of the H-Bomb. 

Jimmy: Yes, well, that’s quite moving, I suppose. (to Alison) Are you moved, my darling? 

Alison: Well, naturally. 

Jimmy: There you are: even my wife is moved [...] Let’s see. What else does he say. Dumdidumdidumdidum. Ah yes. He’s upset because someone has suggested that he supports the rich against the poor. He says he denies the difference of class distinction. ‘This idea has been persistently and wickedly fostered by – the working classes!’ Well!