An Inspector Calls is a definitive play written by J.B Priestley. Published in 1946, however set in the early years before The First World War, this play explores the many aspects of society that were diminishing during Priestley’s life. It stages, the Birling Family – high class and respected within their society, however frankly their false façade, was slowly stripped away revealing, their inner, hidden, corrupt morals. Whilst having a riveting and uncanny twist, the play does indeed, explore many themes, in which subsequently foreshadowed, Society at that day and age. Priestley portrays a message that still echoes in the world today – everyone should live as a loving community, and all should always take responsibility for the less fortunate. The theme of responsibility plays an important part in the message Priestley preached. Priestley wanted to show us that we have responsibility to others to act fairly and without prejudice and that we do not live in isolation. Our actions do affect others. This is the whole concept of collective responsibility. To show responsibility changes the person in many ways, like it transformed the lives of Eric and Sheila Birling. They had realised, and grew to be more aware of their social responsibilities unlike their impertinent parents. So in this essay, I will be exploring, how the theme of responsibility, plays a major role in lives of the characters, yet the lives of the audience and further generations as well. Through the middle of
An Inspector Calls is a three-act drama, which takes place on a single night in 1912, and focuses on the Birling family, who live in a wealthy but not particulary homely house in Brumley. The story begins when the mysterious Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on the prosperous Birling family. The idea of the play, and particularly the role of the inspector, is to try to bring the Birling family to understand that they have a moral responsibility for the death of Eva Smith, if not a legal one. In Act Three, the Inspector tells the Birling family: “The girl killed herself and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it.” But who was really the
Published in 1945 and set in 1912 “An Inspector calls” is a play that holds a lot of social and political messages. The writer of the play, JB Priestley was a strong believer in socialism and used his work to convince the public to his way of thinking. He wrote this play when Britain was ruled by a labour government and socialist policies were seen as the ideal way to go. Although socialism was a common way of thinking during that time period, there were still some members of society that believed differently, and with "An inspector calls" Priestley intended to convert their views. Priestley's main aim was to bring attention to the problems that society faced in 1912, and through this play he expressed the importance of taking responsibility
How does JB Priestley present the older and younger generations differently throughout the play ‘An Inspector Calls’ (45 mins)
John Boynton Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire on September 13th 1984. The play “An Inspector Calls” was written by him in 1945, and came onstage in 1914. An Inspector calls, is a play that revolves around the apparent suicide of a young woman called Eva Smith. In the play, the unsuspecting Birling family are visited by the mysterious Inspector Goole. Priestley uses a variety of different techniques, especially language and quotations, to contrast and elicit differing responses to Mr Birling and Inspector Goole.
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.
The moral of the play is that everyone is part of a community, and everyone is responsible for each other, it does not matter whether they 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.
In the play 'An Inspector Calls', many contrasts and paradox's are present and at the centre of them all is the character known as Inspector Goole. However, the inspector is not any ordinary inspector. I believe that the inspector is used as a device by Priestley to explore the wider themes of the play and to depict other characters true personalities. This essay will explore some of the techniques Priestley presents the inspector in An Inspector Calls.
Throughout Priestley’s play, ‘An inspector calls’, a main theme runs about responsibility and differentiation between classes. Each character is accountable of doing something that brought about the death of Eva smith. All the characters contribute to her death in one way or the other, and all of them are at fault for the death of
are adverbs to tell the actor how to say the text. This can be slowly
This is evident in “We are responsible for each other.” The inspector implies that everyone is responsible for one another, utterly contradicting Mr. Birling’s speech before he came in. The inspector is the most conflicting character in the entire play as he stands cool and hard before the Birlings and the audience and unveils the consequences of their actions on those below them. The dramatic irony reinforces that the inspector is in fact voicing Priestley’s message out, therefore emphasizing the effect. Furthermore, the inspector is presented as the figure of authority in the play. This is reinforced in "massively taking charge as dispute erupts between them." He is the only character that calms down the household when an argument breaks. He also expresses no interest towards Mr. birling’s authoritative friends and disregards his threats. The stage directions reinforce that when capitalism destroys everything, socialism is the only answer. Both contemporary and modern audience is left in a conflicting situation as he creates conflict in the play between other
An inspector calls is a morality play that challenges the ideas of an upper class Edwardian audience,preistley achieves this both through the attitudes of the play but also through his implementation of personal morals. Sheila is initially presented as the stereotypical Edwardian daughter but soon freely presents her emotions, without the need for approval from her parents.
Throughout the play An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley, it is clear that Priestley strongly believes in the importance of a caring society and the consequences of our actions. He presents these views on inequalities through the presentation of Sheila Birling. This is done in various different ways using numerous techniques.
An Inspector Calls is a play written by JB Priestley. It was set straight after the Second World War where the men and society was completely different to the ones nowadays.The society would be capitalist and the rich would be rich and the poor poor. In this play he presents a wide range of themos.
J. B. Priestley was very focused on morals in politics throughout his life. He created a party known as the Common Wealth Party, which fought social injustices in Britain and social democracy. Priestly wanted to have the political party no longer favor the higher-class society, creating a voice for those in lower classes. He used his socialist beliefs to incorporate the unfairness of the social upper classes and the responsibilities they lacked judgment of. Priestly heavily argued that the lower class could be happy in a socialist state, and how the community and the reaction will come together, a socialist idea. He wrote An Inspector Calls to pose the question, can we all live together? In it, he calls out a family of the higher class and makes them realize the actions of their self-minded ways. The play reflects the quote because of the way Priestly brought attention to how the social class was not the only class in society, and how a lesson of responsibility was needed to teach the them there are consequences for our actions.
In the play, “An Inspector calls”, J.B Priestley uses the Inspector as a dramatic device, to create tension and emotion. Priestley presents the Inspector as a bold and forceful man, who is there to fulfill his duty of being ‘an Inspector’; Priestley uses him to ‘inspect’ the Birlings and Gerald Croft. The Inspector is also to present an underlying meaning of blame and responsibility, which emphasises and enhances the importance and role of the Inspector.