Different Attitudes and Perceptions Between Generations in the Play An Inspector Calls

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Different Attitudes and Perceptions Between Generations in the Play An Inspector Calls Works cited Missing J.B. Priestly's play 'An Inspector Calls', written in 1945, is set in the spring of 1912 in the household of an upper middle class family in the north of England. The plot of the play is based around the Birling family's involvement in a young woman's suicide and the tensions, which are created between characters by the arrival of the mysterious Inspector Goole. The different generations in the play are represented by Sybil and Arthur Birling on the one hand and on the other their children Sheila and Eric and Sheila's fiancé Gerald Croft. Arthur Birling is a heavy-set, rather pompous man in his mid fifties with a northern accent. He is optimistic about the future as he states that '…there isn't a chance of war.' (p.6), and describes the Titanic as '…absolutely unsinkable.' (p.7). He also describes enthusiastically the technological progress being made in the aeroplane and car industries. On several occasions he describes himself as '…a hard headed, practical man of business' (p.6). He does not believe he has a responsibility to society, only to his family, stating to Eric and Gerald as young men that '…a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own' (p.10). Arthur's attitude towards the younger generation is that they have a lot to learn. He says to Eric 'Unless you brighten your ideas, you'll never be in a position to let anybody stay or to tell anybody to go. Birling is very concerned about ... ... middle of paper ... ...ated about the death of Eva Smith (Daisy Renton), at first he pretends not to have ever known her but after further questioning admits to have been involved with her. He becomes very upset and asks to be excused for a while after the interrogation is finished. When the characters discover the inspector was a hoax, only Eric and Sheila remain remorseful. Mr and Mrs Birling are glad to be let off the hook, Sybil even being amused by the fraud. Gerald assumes everything is all right and that his engagement to Sheila is back on. These perspectives neatly sum up the different attitudes shown between the generations in the play. On the one hand Sybil, Arthur and Gerald representing lack of feeling for the working class and on the other Eric and Sheila showing much more sympathy for those left fortunate than themselves.

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