More handpicked essays just for you.
The inspector's role in an inspector calls
The class structure of Victorian England
Role of the Inspector in An Inspector Calls
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Sheila in Priestley's An Inspector Calls Sheila Birling was created by Priestly to convey his socialist political views about the way Britain and society ran. Two years before the First World War 1912 was a time when the country was split by class divisions. People with wealth had power over the lower classes in the social hierarchy. Women were not seen as equal to men in society. A group called the suffragettes protested for equal rights and the vote for women throughout this time they were becoming more active and extreme and were making everybody think about Equality in Britain. Sheila is the daughter of Arthur Birling a successful business man. She lives a lavish life and is high up the social hierarchy. She is a young Woman and is ready to marry into future wealth, something her father wants more than anything. Arthur Birling sees his daughter’s marriage as a good business opportunity because Sheila’s fiancé is the son of one of his closest business rivals “Crofts Limited.” The drama explores the effects of class, age and sex on people’s attitudes and beliefs. It shows how easily different generations can adapt to change. Priestly hopes people will come away from a performance of his play asking questions about their responsibility to society and prejudice. Sheila is pivotal in helping explore these themes. In relation to her parents Sheila is seen as a good business tool. She is ready to marry and her father is happy about the marriage because it gives ... ... middle of paper ... ...is when she I questions her fathers judgement when she found out the circumstances in which Eva Smith was sacked she protested: “I think it was a mean thing to do. Perhaps spoilt everything for her.” Her questioning her fathers judgement creates conflict and shows she is learning and thinking about what is happening before her. She is also correcting her fathers judgement and telling him the correct way to have dealt with the problem. At the end of the play Sheila is Priestly’s hope for the future. Sheila represents youth. Youth represents the ability to adapt to change and new order. At the end of the play Sheila shows we can be optimistic that the young – who shape the future – will take on board the inspector’s message unlike her parents – the older generation – who have remained with their old values.
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.
In the act the actress who plays Sheila is told to act as though the
she needed more money. So she said to him give me 25/6 because of that
A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls
The play shows how Eva Smith is a victim of the attitude of society in
J.B. Priestley's Motives Behind An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1894. His mother
"And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don't need to know any
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.
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.
they have done even know they do not lead her to her suicide. But a
upon so many levels. On the surface it is a simple tale of how one man
family, but it must not be 'cosy’ or homely. The lighting is to be a
...provide the hope in the play that the younger generation will carry on the future responsibly. Sheila and Eric are better than their parents, who are too set in their ways.
had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go'. I don't see that
is an only child; she is rich and would be a good catch for any man of