J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

This play ‘An Inspector Calls,’ was written by J.B Priestly in 1945.

John Boynton Priestly was a socialist, he thought that whether or not

we understood that we live in a community, we have responsibility to

look after others and not see any difference between classes. To

portray his thoughts he wrote "An Inspector Calls" so that we would

understand there is no difference between the upper and lower class

and that we share the community. At the time the play was written

World War 2 had just finished and reconstruction was starting to take

place in Britain. The play ‘An Inspector Calls’ was based around the

time of 1912, when Britain was portrayed as a mighty empire. At the

time when this play was set there was a big division between the rich

and the poor. The rich had a life of luxury and a better upbringing,

whereas the poor had to live in appalling conditions and fight for

survival. This play portrays a vital message that we should all live

in a world were we can help ‘we are responsible for each other,’ and

this is shown by an inspector investigating the suicide of a lower

class woman.

At the beginning of Act one, J.B Priestly has situated the family

around the table. Priestley uses this image to symbolize the family

united around the table. This shows the dramatic contrast because at

the beginning of the play the family is united but at the end of the

play they are all divided in class.

The Birling residence is described as a ‘fairly large suburban house,’

with ‘good solid furniture,’ creating the impression that the Birlings

are middle-class family. We are informed that the ‘general eff...

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...ociety that still exists in today’s society. The play shows the

consequences that if man kind couldn’t learn to look out for one

another then there will be further problems and then they to will have

to go through intense interrogation from the police. In terms of other

lower class woman it is a lesson which shows that this is what happens

if you mess around with middle class families and that they to will

have to go through the same traumatic events as Eva Smith went through

which and consequents that would follow. In my opinion J.B. Priestly

has wrote the book as he was concerned for the society that he lived

in and needed a powerful image to convey his thoughts. With his book

being so popular his was able to easily get his views across and make

people wonder whether they have the right to control someone’s

life.