An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
An inspector calls was written by a socialist writer. J.B.Priestley
who was a well respected playwright and radio broadcaster. He had
written a number of plays, including ’They came to the city’ (1943)
and ’Desert Highway’ (1944). The first production of An Inspector
Calls was in 1946, when theatres were still very popular, despite
competition from cinemas. During the war the theatres were closed
during air raids. In 1944, just before the first premier of the play,
the theatres were reopened. John Baynton Priestly had a very popular
radio show during the war. Priestly based his play, ’An Inspector
Calls’ on his socialist views. He thought that the class system was
unfair. He thought that society should be classless with everyone
treated evenly and fairly. He thought that all people are responsible
for each other. Priestley wrote the play when the workingman wanted a
change, he didn’t want capitalism anymore. They wanted what the Labour
party offered: free health service and a much better life style, after
the Second World War. Conservatives lost to a landslide victory to
labour. The U.K. went socialist.
Priestley set the play in 1912 for a 1946 audience because he wanted
to show the Edwardian society was still very hierarchical and if we
didn’t change the rigid class system, a third world war would happen.
He didn’t set the play in 1945 because it was before the world war
when the class system was still very rigid. The audience of 1946 would
have experienced the horrors of the first and second world wars. They
would have still remembered the empty promises that were made after
the First World...
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nicely, but I can’t’, it shows that Eric cannot ignore what he did. A
life means more to him and Shelia than money and class.
Birling says ‘Now look at the famous younger generation who know it
all. And they can’t even take a joke’. It shows the difference between
the older and younger generations. The older generations are stuck in
their ways, not wanting to learn, where as the younger generation are
willing to learn. The younger generation pay older mistakes in the
war.
Some of priestly’s concerns are still relevant today, but the society
is a lot fairer. The class system is not as rigid and people can
change classes easier. One of Priestly’s concerns, which are still
relevant, is sexism. Males and Females are still being treated
differently but not as bad as in the play, ‘An Inspector Calls’.
The story of Eva Smith is a dramatic one. JB Priestley is full of good
This coursework focuses on how each character contributes to the suicide of a poor girl Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about
to say for herself she gets the sack. And this is what the author is
one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm. But the
worked for him and asked for a pay rise and was fired from her job by
or two, or a few German officers have too much to drink and begin to
talks with. He is a man who has come to the Birling's house to do his
especially for a woman. Even if a woman did get a job they would get
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.
in jeopardy than how he may have driven a young girl down a spiral to
Birlings, as they find out that they have all played a part in a young
Through his play Priestley endeavoured to convey a message to the audiences, that we could not go on being self obsessed and that we had to change our political views. He used the Birling family as an example of the Capitalist family that was common amongst the higher classes in 1912, who took no responsibility for other people and he showed this with the power of Socialism, represented by the inspector; the uneasy facade put on by the Birling family to cover up their real flaws and how they have treated those whom they considered to be lower class could not stand up to any scrutiny without shame for what had happened, showing that they know they have been wrong.
In the play “An inspector calls” by J.B priestly, Mr Birling and Shelia Birling have contrasting attitudes to social issues. The author uses this to difference to highlight the diversity between generations and their reaction to situations faced. Arthur Birling is the father to Shelia Birling and is presented as the old fashion generation whereas Shelia is the young generation, who is more aware of the responsibility she has towards other people.The play begins with Mr birling and his family celebrating the engagement of Shelia and Gerald. The atmosphere is happy and light-hearted. Before the inspector arrives, Mr Birling is happy with life and himself “It’s one of the happiest nights of my life.” This shows that Mr Birling is quire selfish because he only thinks that it is one of the happiest nights of his life and not of Shelia and Gerald.
make him a better writer, and he felt that he 'must spend at least the