Priestley's Inspector Calls Nineteen forty-fivewas a time very different to our own. England had just finished fighting a world war and was trying to rebuild itself. The country was in turmoil and was desperately crying out for a new way of life. J.B. Priestly believed that if Britain was to prosper then the attitudes of the upper and middle classes towards the working class needed to change. Priestly communicated his views in his play 'Inspector Calls'. Inspector Calls is about a middle class family whose celebrations are interrupted by an Inspector Goole who is investigating a suicide. He forces each family member to reveal a dark secret about themselves which could ruin the family name, but when it is resolved at the end only two of them have learnt their lesson. Although Priestly was brought up in a middle class house he was very proud of his working class grand parents and grew up in a home of socialist ideas. By nineteen forty-five Priestly had seen two world wars, mass unemployment, nationwide strikes and finally the Great Depression. The gap between the rich and poor was growing larger and Priestly knew that the capitalist's way of running the country and "each man for himself" wasn't working. It needed to give way to more socialist ideas of a state welfare and every one being responsible for everybody else. This is the main reason why he wrote the play. Priestly used a play because plays were one of the most popular forms used to put across socialist views at the time. A play was also a particularly effective way of putting across these views because ... ... middle of paper ... ... rich business men who had climbed up in society with money. She is often embarrassed of her husband's behaviour and will often reproach him for his manners. Her treatment of Eva Smith was that she refused her help when she had asked for it. Little did Mrs Birling know that her own son had put her into that situation. Up until finding out this fact Mrs Birling was adamant on believing she was "perfectly justified" in her actions and even said "I accept no blame for it at all". The view of Mrs Birling on working class people is very clear. She believes them to be lower than herself and is appalled at the idea that this poor girl could have any morals stating "She was giving herself ridiculous airs" and always refers to her as a girl "of that sort" or a girl "in that position" as if all working class people are the same.
family, but it must not be 'cosy’ or homely. The lighting is to be a
as it matters ‘a devil of a lot to him’. He is relieved that there is
Sheila says this to Eric at the table. As we can see this is quite a
This coursework focuses on how each character contributes to the suicide of a poor girl Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.
the play is set in 1912. The main themes of the play are lies, love,
property he can run it any way he sees fit. This is a belief which
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about
'An Inspector Calls' is a morality play - a form of play developed in the late middle ages in which a Christian moral lesson was brought out through the struggle between the forces of good and evil - set in 1912, and revolves around the questioning of a family by Inspector Goole about the suicide of a young woman (Eva Smith) that the family knew.The author, J.B. Priestley is trying to show us what some people's arrogance and selfishness can cause without them even noticing. Priestley was a socialist, therefore by writing this play he was drawing attention to the bad things about capitalism. The Inspector was intending to teach the Birlings that ?...we have to share something. If there?s nothing else, we?ll have to share our guilt? Act One. By saying this, he is telling them they are all as guilty as each other of the suicide of Eva Smith, this also links to Priestley being a socialist because he is putting the Birlings to shame.
one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm. But the
or two, or a few German officers have too much to drink and begin to
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.
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.
and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of a body. We are
J.B. Priestley's Motives Behind An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1894. His mother
make him a better writer, and he felt that he 'must spend at least the