higher prices - meaning that he would have more money. This really highlights how greedy and selfish Mr. Birling is - he does not consider the impact higher prices would have on anyone else; he just wants more money. This is in great contrast to the inspector who believes that everyone should act as a community and all have responsibility for their actions against anyone. Throughout act one this makes Mr. Birling increasingly angry with the inspector as Mr. Birling believes that “if they are poor, it is of their own fault”. This is because Priestley is trying to emphasis the theme of responsibility throughout the whole play, and Mr. Birling refuses to take any for Eva Smith. This is further emphasised by the word “fault” which suggests that Eva Smith is responsible for her situation. The only concern about Eva Smith he had was the possible damage to his reputation and the “public scandal” it could cause. This makes Mr. Birling come across as a deeply unpleasant character to the audience throughout Act one. One of Mr. Birling’s major weaknesses that is shown throughout the …show more content…
The use of language is highly ironic; when the definition of “honour” is to have allegiance to moral principles, it is clear that this is not an award Mr. Birling is deserving of. Indeed, the whole “Honours” system supposedly rewards those who are committed to serving and helping Britain, and Priestley is indicating that the whole system is farcical. Priestley is criticising this selfish behaviour, reminding the audience that they should respect those with honour ideals and determination - not those who selfishly and egotistically have made a financial fortune, like Mr. Birling. This helps Priestley vilify capitalism - this makes the audience dislikes him thoroughly and see the need to move from capitalist ideals to socialist
Priestley mainly uses the characters in the play to present his views, especially Mr and Mrs Birling, to present his ideas about class and society. In the Birling family, Mrs Birling is the most upper class, and is always referring to the lower class female factory workers such as Eva Smith as ‘girls of that class’. She seems to think that working class people are not humans at all.
There would be more of an effect on the audience at the time, as it
After Inspector Goole enters the house, he informs the Birling’s about the death of a lower class woman who had died due to swallowing a disinfectant. Afterwards, Arthur Birling admits he had sacked the girl after remembering what had happened two years ago due to her being one of the ring leaders in strike demanding higher wages.
This caused workers to become better organised and strikes were becoming more frequent as they demanded better conditions and higher pay. J.B. Priestley was writing the play for a middle class audience and was trying to speak up for the working class by showing how the Birlings and Gerald Croft were all involved in making a young working class girl's life a misery. Priestley wants to show us that we have a responsibility to others to act fairly and without prejudice and that we do not live in isolation. Our actions affect others.
At the time the play was set there was no benefits system. So if you
But to people like Eva Smith, times were hard. There were no laws to help them get higher wages, and no help when they were out of work. To girls like Eva Smith it was a taste of hell. This creates a sense of unease and an ironic contrast as at the end of the play, it is the Birlings that are in hell, maybe not money wise, but in their conscience. Priestley is trying to make a social comment on the war, as families like the Birlings, war doesn't seem possible.
Wells, both of whom references are made to in the opening pages of the play. A lot of the tension in the play is between Birling and the Inspector, both of who are powerful figures in the household and are both vying for dominance, creating a lot of tension. This is symbolic of the global struggle between capitalism and socialism, the Inspector represents Priestley's socialist views, and Birling, the antithesis of the Inspector represents capitalist views, which is made clear through his speech "the interests of Capital steadily increasing prosperity." When the Inspector is there, Birling is very fast to drop the blame on someone else, insisting "I can't accept any responsibility" which is a complete contrast of what the Inspector says, telling the family to "share the blame among yourselves when I have left" This constant conflict, which is often at the heart of the dramatic genre itself, makes sure there is tension whenever the two characters are talking to each other. This conflict is not the only one within the play.
"Well, 'tis no matter; honour pricks me on. Yea, but how if honour prick me off when I come on? How then? Can honour set to a leg? No. Or an arm? No. Or take away the grief of a wound? No. Honour hath no skill in surgery, then? No. What is honour? A word. What is in that word 'honour'? What is that 'honour'? Air. A trim reckoning. Who hath it? He that died o'Wednesday. Doth he feel it? No. Doth he hear it? No. 'Tis ins...
A ‘sharp ring is heard of the front door bell’ interrupting Mr. Birling’s dialogue that explicates “that a man has to make his own way- has to look after himself” as though the ‘sharpness’ of the ring is opposing Birling’s ‘solemnity’ in his words. The stage direction instantly demonstrates juxtaposition between the Birling and the other anonymous individual; this also generates tension because of the fact that the individual is yet to be introduced. Eric felt very ‘uneasy’ after Edna said to Birling that an Inspector has arrived which gives the audience clues of Eric being involved in a crime, Eric’s uneasiness also makes Birling ‘sharply’ stare at Eric- this creates suspense for the audience.
The whole family’s actions are the cause of Eva’s death however the message about responsibility the Inspector presents is only take on board by Eric and Sheila. In conclusion, Priestley clearly gets across his message of responsibility towards others in the play. A clever script cunningly executed points out Priestley’s views to the audience. ‘Responsibility’ is the focal point of the play and is consistently addressed at the end of each interrogation, but the Birlings fail to recognise this.
This helped Priestley promote socialism against capitalism. JB Priestley uses dramatic devices to make An inspector calls a modern day morality play, to do this he uses dramatic devices, such as dramatic irony and tension in order to convey the message through the entire play. They are used accurately considering the time in which the play is set. Priestley also uses the characters as dramatic devices, they symbolise the dramatic devices, an example of this is Priestley makes us hate Mr. Birling because he symbolises capitalism, and in Priestley’s eyes capitalism is wrong. Throughout the play, Mr. Birling is the voice of capitalism....
Birling is presented as a self-centred capitalist very early on in the play. His pleasure in the marriage of his daughter is purely for his own profit. "Now you've brought us together and perhaps we may look forward to a time when Crofts and Birling are no longer competing but are worki...
In the play “An inspector calls” by J.B priestly, Mr Birling and Shelia Birling have contrasting attitudes to social issues. The author uses this to difference to highlight the diversity between generations and their reaction to situations faced. Arthur Birling is the father to Shelia Birling and is presented as the old fashion generation whereas Shelia is the young generation, who is more aware of the responsibility she has towards other people.The play begins with Mr birling and his family celebrating the engagement of Shelia and Gerald. The atmosphere is happy and light-hearted. Before the inspector arrives, Mr Birling is happy with life and himself “It’s one of the happiest nights of my life.” This shows that Mr Birling is quire selfish because he only thinks that it is one of the happiest nights of his life and not of Shelia and Gerald.
Discuss Priestley's depiction of the Birling household and Gerald Croft, prior to the arrival of Inspector Goole In this submission I hope to fully discuss Priestley's depiction of the Birling household and Gerald Croft, prior to the arrival of Inspector Goole. The play is set in the fictional town of Brumley, an industrial town in the North Midlands. It is evening in the town, in the spring of 1912. At the moment the play starts the characters are celebrating the engagement between Gerald Croft and the Birling family's only daughter Sheila. They are all very pleased with themselves and are enjoying the occasion.
One of the best qualities of society is one known as honor. However, honor is one of these words which cannot be tied down with an exact definition. People define honor with different ideas or opinions: being honorable is being respected, and to be honored you must be admired; you must have high morals to be considered honorable. Some say that your honor is determined not by yourself, but by everyone else. The definition of honor seems to have always been this confusing. However, it is noticeable that honor’s definition has changed over time, and it can be compared likewise. Honor can be seen as it was, then compared with how the way the United States views it, the way other countries view honor , and the way the world views it now.