IDEOLOGICAL AND AESTHETIC FEATURES OF THE ANGRY YOUNG MEN MOVEMENT IN POSTWAR BRITISH LITERATURE

Abstract

The Angry Young Men movement emerged in mid-twentieth-century British literature as a response to postwar social and cultural change. This article examines its ideological and aesthetic features, focusing on class inequality, disillusionment, and generational conflict. The study analyzes works by John Osborne, Kingsley Amis, Alan Sillitoe, and John Braine, showing different forms of social protest expressed through drama, satire, realism, and social mobility narratives.

The research uses comparative literary analysis and historical-contextual interpretation. Findings indicate that the movement introduced ordinary, socially constrained protagonists and promoted a more natural, speech-based literary style. “Anger” in these texts functions as both social critique and moral response to postwar conditions.

Overall, the movement contributed to the modernization of English literature by redefining representation and strengthening the link between literature and society.