Priestley's Main Aim in An Inspector Calls

Priestley's Main Aim in An Inspector Calls

In the play an 'Inspector Calls' important messages are presented

which can be used for any society. I am going to explore the way

Priestley communicates these messages.

'An Inspector Calls' was written in 1945, however is set in an earlier

time period of before World War 1. The first impression we get from

the play is that it is a typical detective story. This is due to the

fact that a dinner consisting of the Birling family and their guest

Gerald Croft, is interrupted by the arrival of an inspector who

presents the news that there has been a suicidal death of a young

woman. This ruins the Birling's evening and some important moral

values are also learned through the enigmatic figure of the inspector.

Priestley believed that everything you do has an effect on other

people. This is one of the aims presented in the play.

Another message is that upper and middle class people have societal

responsibilities. I believe Priestley's main aim was to show his

support of socialism as opposed to capitalism. Priestley felt that

people needed to practice a compassionate form of socialism. The text

of the play is controlled by Priestley in order for his opinion to be

expressed. Priestley was a socialist and he preferred this to

capitalism as a political belief. Socialism is the median between

capitalism and communism. Socialism entails the possibility of free

speech and an equal society in where people are restricted in their

attempts to use their power to earn more money.

Priestley uses a diverse range of characters. Arthur Birling and Eva

Smith are such different characters. Priestley deliberat...

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...hat this is a deliberate action and that the Birling family

are to blame.

The messages Priestley present in the play are vital to any society.

There is a strong message about the need to care for others in

society. The characters in the Birling family are unamiable, however

some of them, such as Sheila face up to their actions and are able to

learn a social message we can empathise for them. Due to this

Priestley's message has been conveyed effectively. Priestley's aim is

to influence the audience about societal responsibilities which all

leads to the need for socialism. There are twists and confusion

deliberately placed in the play to make the audience ponder further

the aims of Priestley in the play. There is considerable dramatic

impact used in the play so the audience were consistently interested

in the play.