Priestley's Main Aim in An Inspector Calls

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Priestley's Main Aim in An Inspector Calls In the play an 'Inspector Calls' important messages are presented which can be used for any society. I am going to explore the way Priestley communicates these messages. 'An Inspector Calls' was written in 1945, however is set in an earlier time period of before World War 1. The first impression we get from the play is that it is a typical detective story. This is due to the fact that a dinner consisting of the Birling family and their guest Gerald Croft, is interrupted by the arrival of an inspector who presents the news that there has been a suicidal death of a young woman. This ruins the Birling's evening and some important moral values are also learned through the enigmatic figure of the inspector. Priestley believed that everything you do has an effect on other people. This is one of the aims presented in the play. Another message is that upper and middle class people have societal responsibilities. I believe Priestley's main aim was to show his support of socialism as opposed to capitalism. Priestley felt that people needed to practice a compassionate form of socialism. The text of the play is controlled by Priestley in order for his opinion to be expressed. Priestley was a socialist and he preferred this to capitalism as a political belief. Socialism is the median between capitalism and communism. Socialism entails the possibility of free speech and an equal society in where people are restricted in their attempts to use their power to earn more money. Priestley uses a diverse range of characters. Arthur Birling and Eva Smith are such different characters. Priestley deliberat... ... middle of paper ... ...hat this is a deliberate action and that the Birling family are to blame. The messages Priestley present in the play are vital to any society. There is a strong message about the need to care for others in society. The characters in the Birling family are unamiable, however some of them, such as Sheila face up to their actions and are able to learn a social message we can empathise for them. Due to this Priestley's message has been conveyed effectively. Priestley's aim is to influence the audience about societal responsibilities which all leads to the need for socialism. There are twists and confusion deliberately placed in the play to make the audience ponder further the aims of Priestley in the play. There is considerable dramatic impact used in the play so the audience were consistently interested in the play.

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