Kenneth Tynan, Tynan Right and Left (1967) p. 13
“

John Osborne spoke out in a vein of ebullient, free-wheeling rancour that betokened the arrival of something new in the theatre – a sophisticated, articulate lower-class. Most of the critics were offended by Jimmy Porter, but not on account of his anger; a working-class hero is expected to be angry. What nettled them was something quite different: his self-confidence. This was no envious inferior whose insecurity they could pity.

— Kenneth Tynan on John Osborne

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "John Osborne spoke out in a vein of ebullient, free-wheeling rancour that betokened the arrival of something new in the theatre – a sophisticated, articulate lower-class. Most of the critics were offended by Jimmy Porter, but not on account of his anger; a working-class hero is expected to be angry. What nettled them was something quite different: his self-confidence. This was no envious inferior whose insecurity they could pity." in the context of "Kenneth Tynan, Tynan Right and Left (1967) p. 13" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "John Osborne" (About Osborne) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Kenneth Tynan

About Kenneth Tynan

Kenneth Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was a British theatre critic, author and literary manager of London's National Theatre Conmpany for a decade from 1963.