J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

J. B priestly was a socialist. He believed that whether we

acknowledged it or not we are in a community and have a responsibility

to look after others. J.B priestly wrote the play for a middle class

audience and was trying to speak up for the lower class.

He did this by how the birling's and Gerald Croft was involved in

making a young girls life a misery. Priestly 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.

The play an inspector calls was written in 1945 within a week of world

war two ending but is set before world war one. The time span between

the dates used (1945-1912) is to make the audience aware of what

happened and to learn from mistakes that many people made then.

Mr Birling likes to see himself as "And I'm talking as a hard headed,

practical man of business"

He runs a rather successful business.

He is a rather pompous man who thinks highly of himself. He thinks he

is right about everything just because he has money.

"I say there isn't a chance of war"

He says this in a bigheaded manner, thinking he's always right, but

the audience knows different making him look like a fool.

Mr Birling sacked Eva Smith because she wanted a pay rise.

"She'd had a lot to say - far to much - so she had to go."

He believes that Eva Smith is working class and shouldn't have the

right to speak. He believes that she is just labour and not a person

and that he can just sack her and get some more labour in which hasn't

an opinion.

In the things that Mr Birling says makes the audience think he's a

fool.

"The titanic - sails next week - forty six thousand eight tons - forty

six thousand eight tons - New York in five days - and every luxury -