Theme Of Responsibility In 'An Inspector Calls'

Priestley creates Mrs Birling as an unlikeable character to try and get across the message of the play, that the rich should treat the poor better. He does this by making

He relates these ideas to the Birling family although the family members are stereotypes representing people at the time. Mr. Birling is ascribed very Capitalist views and believes "A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself. " These clearly contrast the views portrayed by the Inspector, Priestley's mouthpiece in the play, which are very socialist. "We don't live alone. We are members of one body - we are responsible for each other.

He shows we must all look out for each other and think before taking actions. Priestley uses Eva Smith’s death as an example of the suffering of lower class women in Edwardian times and directs the blame at the whole family caused by their small but consequential, chain of events. Priestley cleverly brings in the inspector at a strategic moment, just after Birling has stated ‘that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own’. This is the speech that Birling has just made, which reveals his true character. That of a narcissistic, unsparing old man.

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.

By constructing the Inspector as just and omniscient, Priestley encourages the audience to view left-wing values as morally virtuous. Through the Inspector's authority, commanding presence and stature Priestley makes a direct jab at the audience with the Inspector's last

Priestley's main aim was perhaps to make an audience aware that no one person can live in a society without being

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

Priestley reveals conflict at the heart of the Birling family by shaping up disagreement between them throughout the play. This is evident in ‘but these girls aren’t cheap labor. They’re people.’ Sheila portrays the younger generation’s impressionability. Although she views the workers as people, she refers to them as ‘these girls’ which is still harsh and cold but not as dehumanizing as Mr. Birling’s referral and treatment. The italicized letters of the noun ‘people’ emphasises how different Mr. Birling and Sheila view lower class society. however, Birling completely opposes his daughter in, ‘It has nothing whatever to do with this wretched girls suicide. Eh, Inspector?’ he is quite remorseless

"I've done nothing wrong - and you know it!" Mrs Birling exclaims, refusing to take responsibility for her actions, which is just one of the reasons why the audience may not see Mrs Birling as a very likable character. This essay is going to explore how J.B. Priestley creates such a disagreeable character and why the audience feels this way about her.

The play is set in 1912, just before the First World War in 1914-1918 and the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. The historical context of the play is displayed, for example, in Mr Birling’s speech, where he says that the Titanic is ‘unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’, of which a modern audience would know is false. Priestley uses this context to undermine Mr Birling’s capitalist views, because the audience would know that what Mr Birling says is false, and therefore project the views of socialism. Additionally, the play was written in 1945, after the second World War. 1945 was a great decision point for the UK, because there was a general election with a clear choice between Winston Churchill and the Conservative party and Clement Attlee and the Labour party. The war economy was essentially a socialist economy run by the state and the UK was allied with the Soviet union - thought of as a socialist state. JB Priestley set up a new political party in 1942 - the Common Wealth party - that later merged

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.

And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in blood and anguish.” This passage shows that Priestley wanted to make the Inspector the law bringer and the authority in this play because the audience has to agree with what the Inspector is saying for Priestley’s message to be effective. The quote refers to World War 1 and World War 2 and so Priestley uses the power and knowledge of the Inspector to scare the audience by using powerful sentences such as “they will be taught it in blood and anguish” which reminds the watchers of the pain and suffering they have already gone through. The inspector tries to persuade the audience that trying to pursue wealth is dangerous and destructive such as the case of Mr Birling starting the “chain of actions” for Eva Smith. Priestley had completely opposite views on the world to the main characters, mostly Arthur Birling. The Inspector is there to represent the views of Priestley and so is shown to be much of a better person and man than Birling and his family and whereas Mr Birling is shown to be greedy and selfish in his actions, the Inspector is shown to be the opposite. This shows the main role of the inspector is to present Priestley’s ideas.

For instance, it is as if he is waiting for everyone to confess to his

This gives us the feeling that he is a force not to be reckoned with, and at once the Inspector challenges Arthur Birling's views without any hesitation and disregarding the Birlings social status. The Inspector is quite rude and intimidating throughout the play, as we can see through his mannerisms and the way he speaks to the other members in the play, this shows the audience that he has no respect for the Birling’s status and that he possesses a high sense of authority over the family. This intimidating behaviour leads to the Birlings ending up believing that the inspector is not actually a real police inspector. The Inspectors methods of interrogation are quite unusual as well, as he says “One line of inquiry at a time”, which is not that odd for an Inspector but gives the audience a sense of uneasiness from the Inspector. The Inspector’s name also has some symbolism as ‘Goole” is resembles ‘Ghoul’ which is the definition of a ghost, but not surprisingly, he appears like a ghost; no one knows who he is, he just turns up and suddenly knows everything about the whole family, and to me this creates a lot of tension and entertainment throughout the play. Priestley presents the Inspector as an enigmatic character, he is also presented in a ‘god’-like