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Critical opinion of an inspector calls
Critical opinion of an inspector calls
An Inspector calls for criticism
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Written in 1947, J.B. Priestley's didactic murder-mystery, An
Inspector Calls, accentuates the fraudulent Edwardian era in which the
play was set. Britain in 1912 was inordinately different to Britain in
1947, where a country annihilated by war was determined to right the
wrongs of a society before them.
In 1912 Britain was at the height of Edwardian society, known as the
"Golden Age". A quarter of the globe was coloured red, denoting the
vast and powerful Empire and all Britons, no matter what class they
belonged to were proud to be British - the "best nation in the world".
Theatres, musicals, proms concerts and films entertained the growing
population. The upper classes led such a lavish life of luxury that
the Edwardian era is now infamous for its elegance, ostentation,
extravagance and sexual license.
However despite the illusions of these secure times this epoch was
full of hypocrisy, prejudice and exploitation. There was a huge divide
between the upper and lower classes and the difference between the
affluent lifestyle the wealthy lived compared to the downtrodden
existence of the poor was remarkable.
In 1947 Britain had just come to the end of a devastating world war
where families had suffered immense losses and society was desperate
for a fairer, more equal lifestyle. Socialism and left-wing Labour
views were becoming increasingly popular and Priestley, himself a
Socialist, was anxious to point out the flaws of a society which
rewarded rich men who openly exploited the poor for profit. He
effectively uses hindsight in his play to ensure the corruption,
hierarchy and discrimination of Edwardian Britain was not repeated.
There is an irrefutable message in Priestley's thriller, a feeling
...
... middle of paper ...
... was genuine and this allows the audience to
almost predict their own ending; how will the family react to the
arrival of the real Inspector? Will they acknowledge this as a chance
to admit to their mistakes or will they try and conceal their guilt?
I thoroughly enjoyed studying An Inspector Calls and have learned a
great deal about how society has changed and how moral ideals have
evolved over time. I found the play effective although because of the
way in which society has developed Priestley's morals may not be
applicable to life today. As wealth and power have become increasingly
more important socialist feelings of responsibility for one another
have been progressively weakened. However I do feel that we as a
society might be able to learn from some of Priestley's teachings and
work together to form a more equal society for our future generations.
J B Priestley clearly had a strong moral conscience which led him to hold socialist beliefs wanting to bring about change against the capitalists who were exploiting the poor working class. In 'An Inspector Calls' Priestley cleverly uses dramatic techniques, lighting and stage directions to produce an emotionally charged setting to bring home a very important message to the correct society of his day and remains a challenge to the society in which we live in now.
Five years following the Second World War, the setting of 1950s England is skillfully illustrated, as the nation is no longer much of a powerhouse. The way of life that has fulfilled the de Luce family is waning, as economic realism and modern life approach the under-funded country pile. Bradley captures the distinct era in history, a mixture of post-war adversity and the Empire coming to its end. Flavia is bemused; uninformed of the physiological effects the war had placed...
This coursework focuses on how each character contributes to the suicide of a poor girl Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about
In this essay I will examine how Priestly ends each act on a note of
"And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don't need to know any
In fact it makes all the difference." Also the reference the Inspector makes about Socialism being a lesson we have to learn "We are members of one body if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. " This is a reference to the way Priestley thought that Capitalism was the cause of First World War, which he himself served in, the "fire and blood and anguish" being a reference to events he witnessed while fighting on the front line.
worked for him and asked for a pay rise and was fired from her job by
The play is set two years before World War I, in 1912, and in the year
Priestley's Social Message in An Inspector Calls The play an Inspector Call’s was written at the time of 1945 but is set in 1912. Priestley conveys a lot of social and important messages in this play. He conveys the messages through the character of Inspector Goole. One most important message that Priestley conveys is about Socialism.
JB Priestley’s intent in ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to convey the attitudes of socialism to the minds of the society in the Edwardian Era as he was a passionate believer of the concept. Priestley has attempted this through the employment of ‘Inspector Goole’ in the play. In the play drama is displayed through a variety of methods for the interest of the audience and the communication of personal views from JB Priestley.
Priestley’s Main Aim in An Inspector Calls JB Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ to enhance the message that ‘we don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other’. This is something Priestly felt strongly about and he succeeded in representing his views through the character of the Inspector in the play itself. He wanted to communicate the message that our actions, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, always affect others.
An Inspector Calls is a play with lots of political messages as well as social messages. J. B. Priestley believed in socialism and he used large amounts of his plays to try and convince people to his way of thinking. It was written in a time when Britain was ruled by a Labour government and socialist policies were seen to be a good way to go. It was a common way of thinking at that time so Priestley's aim for the play was to influence the unconvinced in society.
A morality play is a medieval play designed to teach the audience right from wrong. JB Priestley uses An Inspector call to convey a moral message, which is that you should not judge people on their class i.e. lower working class/higher class. He also expands the views of socialism within the message; this is all made very clear by the use of dramatic devices. Although it is a morality play it is not in the traditional format. Priestley makes it very clear in what he wants the audience to think is moral and immoral. The play also conveys a strong political message. The play encourages the idea of socialism, a society in which responsibility and community are essential, also a place where the community all work together and are responsible for their actions. This is in contrast with capitalism. JB priestly wrote the play in 1945, but it was set in 1912 just before the war, it was later performed in 1946. The play was written after World War I and World War II, Priestley used this to his advantage, it makes the audience feel awful after what has just happened, the majority of the audience would have either lived through one or both of the wars. This helped Priestley promote socialism against capitalism.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age: Introduction." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age: Introduction. 2010. Web. 23 Feb. 2014