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Theme Of Location In An Inspector Calls

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An Inspector Calls is an immediate post-war drama written by J.B. Priestley in 1945. The play surrounds the wealthy Birling family in the fictional town of Brumley. The storyline follows each of the Birlings and their individual part in the ultimate suicide of a young girl named Eva Smith. Even though the play was written after the second world war, Priestly made the decision of setting the story to take place in the Edwardian Era of 1912. This decision was a significant one as it allowed Priestley’s audience to reflect on the political climate and moral issues that were subject to the time. His success could be attributed to his accurate portrayal of the selfish and pessimistic views of people going into the First World War. Priestley’s choice of location and demonstration of severely-lacking social responsibility in the Birling family accurately reflects the political climate of 1912 and the attitudes of the higher-class.
Location serves a significant role in An Inspector Calls as it helps advocate for Priestley’s personal experience with living in the United Kingdom. The fictional town of Brumley was loosely based on Priestley’s own birthplace of Bradford, England. Priestley fought for England in the first World War and broadly sympathized with socialism. Priestley’s decision to set the time period in 1912 allowed his audience to reflect on the past political climate and the ethical values of the time. For the most part, the public was unaware of the impending war and

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