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An Inspector Calls
"We don't live alone. We are all members of one body. We are responsible for each other."
What is Priestley's main aim in `An inspector calls`? How successfully does he achieve it.
In `An inspector calls` by J.B Priestley, the writers aim is reflected into this quote, "We don't live alone. We are all members of one body. We are responsible for each other." Meaning that we are not isolated, we all live in one community and we are all collectively responsible for each other, our actions affects the people around us. We can be independent in the society we live in, but only to a certain extent.
Priestley's main aim was perhaps to make an audience aware that no one person can live in a society without being responsible for others who live in that same society. `An Inspector calls` is set in the early 1900`s and was first presented to audiences in the 1940`s, up to current date. Attitudes of the characters in the book, reflect life in the Edwardian times. And how they take and view responsibility of the other people in there society. The older generation would of only cared for themselves and there family while the younger generation take responsibility for others as well as themselves.
Arthur Birling is a hard-headed, practical man of business. He?s a rather portentous man in his middle fifties. His role reflects the life of a typical man of the middle upper class of the Edwardian times. Birling has a certain type of optimism, what he believes it is the opposite to reality, for example he believes that the world is progressing too much for world wars to occur.
?The worlds developing so fast that world was is impossible- lets say, in 1940- I tell you buy then you?ll be living in a world that have fo...
... middle of paper ...
... all that matters?.
Priestly is showing audiences in the 1940s, that the younger generation in the Edwardian period were more `impressionable`, meaning they are easily impressed or influenced. Priestleys main aim was to make audiences aware of how their actions affect others.
In conclusion, many audiences are drawn to think that Priestly was successful in his main aim. At the end of plays audiences are drawn to think about societies and how their actions have affected other people in that same society. Priestly presents his main aim through, the inspector. The inspectors intentions when he visited the Birling`s was to make them understand, that what they did lead to Eva Smith?s death. And also to make them feel some responsibility for her death, this reflects Priestleys main aim to make an audience feel responsibility for others in their community.
‘ An Inspector Calls ’ is a play written by J Priestley in the year 1945 and but the play was set in the year 1912. The play is set right before World War One, in an upper-class house belonging to the Birlings, a high-status family, whose lives are suddenly affected by the death of a woman called Eva Smith. Throughout the play, there are 4 main themes; social responsibility, social class, and age. In the play, Priestley explores different social classes by presenting views from a range of characters with different social images and backgrounds. Priestley uses many devices such as irony and foreshadowing to
An Inspector Calls was written in 1945 but set in 1912. The play shows the stark difference between 1912 and 1945. J. B. Priestley reveals the errors of society and the faults of capitalism as well as the bias of the upper class and social status. As a firm believer in the concepts of socialism, he uses this play to expose society’s poor attitudes to the working class of the period. The way they treat Eva Smith reflects on how many of the working class may have been treated by their social superiors. Eva was a victim in society as she was very low in the financial hierarchy as well as in reality where she was at the bottom of the classes. Women at that time were seen as being delicate, obedient to their husbands. The inspector is used to correct the
A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls
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.
The theme of selfishness is central to An Inspector Calls. Priestley questions the morality of the Birling and Croft
Although her contribution to the play, overall, is limited, her presence in this passage, and in the home, is a constant reminder of the more unfortunate, lower classes of the British society in 1912, which will always exist in the nation if the more conservative, individualistic people – such as the Birlings – are kept in power in Britain. Symbolically, she is the one to open the door to the inspector (i.e. the poorer people are the only ones who welcome the arrival of socialism in the country), despite the ignorance of Mr. Birling towards his [the inspector’s] presence (i.e. the richer, individualistic people in 1912 are reluctant to allow socialism to gain power/enter the politics of Britain – at the cost of their own wealth and prosperity). Edna is also evidence of the richer society’s ignorance and rudeness towards the lower classes and, in a sense, is seen as Priestley’s physical embodiment within the
In conclusion, Priestley presents Birling as a pompous, morally corrupt ruthless patriarch from the industrial ruling class. Through his presentation of Birling, he undermines the views for which Birling stands namely capitalism and conservativism. The purpose of his play ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to tell the post war audience of 1945 that the patriarchal Edwardian Era was not a time to be envied, and it was unwise to think of returning to that era. He displays the younger generation as the one which is sympathetic and the one which is prepared to change its ways and admit its wrongs. Priestley’s presentation of Birling highlights his own thoughts on the political issues of the time.
JB Priestley’s intent in ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to convey the attitudes of socialism to the minds of the society in the Edwardian Era as he was a passionate believer of the concept. Priestley has attempted this through the employment of ‘Inspector Goole’ in the play. In the play drama is displayed through a variety of methods for the interest of the audience and the communication of personal views from JB Priestley.
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.
That is probably why Priestley had created Inspector Calls as he had believed we are part of one community and that people should help each other to maintain a thriving community. This especially starts with that Priestley think we should give people from the lower class and women more respect if they were to function as a community, so all inequalities would remain absent. This reflects more on the audience to change and realize that they can also change in themselves and try to reduce the inequalities in their
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.
The Inspector is never wrong- in any of the situations that occur throughout the play- he is always right, and makes the other characters seem almost stupid if they do not agree with him. ?Don?t start on that. I want to get on?? That reflects off from the writer, Priestley, as being very determined to convey his message across to his audience.
...are lower class or upper class (‘[W]e don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.’). Priestley believed in socialism, he uses the Inspector to express his thoughts about this. This is the main message that he wanted the audience to take away.
The play "An Inspector Calls" was written by J.B Priestley in 1945, when the British people were recovering from over six years of constant warfare and danger. As a result of two world wars, class distinctions were greatly reduced and women had achieved a much higher place in society. It was due to this and a great desire for social change that Labour's Clement Attlee won a landslide victory over the conservative Winston Churchill. He nationalized the gas steel and electrical industries, established the NHS and introduced the Welfare State. The play was set in Brumley, a fictional industrial city, in 1912.The playwright believed passionately in the left wing perspective and his message is overtly political. He uses techniques such as "dramatic irony" and "direct mouthpieces", which define the genre of the play as non-illusory, to impart his left-wing message.