an inspector calls essay

An Inspector Calls

J. b. priestley, everything you need for every book you read..

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An Inspector Calls: Introduction

An inspector calls: plot summary, an inspector calls: detailed summary & analysis, an inspector calls: themes, an inspector calls: quotes, an inspector calls: characters, an inspector calls: symbols, an inspector calls: theme wheel, brief biography of j. b. priestley.

Historical Context of An Inspector Calls

Other books related to an inspector calls.

Full Title: An Inspector Calls
When Written: 1945
Where Written: England
When Published: 1945 (play premiered in Soviet Union)
Literary Period: mid-20th century British drama, social realism
Genre: Mystery drama
Setting: 1912; a comfortable home in Brumley, England
Climax: Gerald returns to the Birling home after Goole has left, to report that the Inspector wasn’t actually a real inspector, and to hypothesize that the whole thing was a hoax—that there was no single girl that all of the Birlings had offended, and no suicide that they precipitated.

Extra Credit for An Inspector Calls

Ghoulish Goole. Many interpretations of the text consider the Inspector’s ghostly name to be symbolic of the mystery that surrounds his character.

An Inspector Calls J. B. Priestley

An Inspector Calls essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley.

An Inspector Calls Material

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An Inspector Calls Essays

How j.b. priestley creates sympathy for eva smith in "an inspector calls" judith, an inspector calls.

In "An Inspector Calls", J.B. Priestley uses the characters and attitudes of the Birling family, especially Mr. Birling, to make the audience feel sympathy for Eva Smith. The family is "prosperous" and "comfortable", and Mr. Birling's ostentatious...

Sheila's Evolution in An Inspector Calls Mafalda Ribeiro 9th Grade

Sheila’s character changes massively throughout J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls , often in a manner that registers increasing maturity. At first, Sheila is presented through stage directions as a ‘pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased...

What is the importance of the characters Sheila and Eric? Anonymous 10th Grade

In the play “An Inspector Calls” by J B Priestley, the characters of Sheila and Eric are used to represent the younger generation in Edwardian England, a time when traditional Victorian values were beginning to become obsolete. Priestley uses...

Generation vs Generation Alexandra Rozanski 11th Grade

There are drastic differences that are seen in people who are born in different generations. One may argue that the younger generations are more impressionable and naive while the older generations are very hardheaded and assertive. By creating...

The Interconnected Nature of Society in An Inspector Calls Kezhe Julian Temir 10th Grade

In An Inspector Calls , J.B. Priestley expresses the importance of the interconnected nature of society through his exploration of how his characters react to their responsibility; this theme is also addressed through ideas of society present both...

Surprising Sympathy: Eric and His Audience Aimee Littler 10th Grade

Throughout the opening scenes of Priestley's An Inspector Calls , Eric is portrayed as little more than a drunken child ('only a boy', as his Mother would have put it). If the work is considered to be a morality play, then Eric is perhaps guilty of...

Gerald and the Ideology Behind Him in "An Inspector Calls" Gareth A Morgan 10th Grade

In the play An Inspector Calls , the character of Gerald Croft is extremely significant, as he is the only perpetrator not to be a part of the Birling household. He is also the character who knew Eva Smith most intimately and has many significant...

An Analysis of the Inspector in ‘An Inspector Calls’ Anonymous 10th Grade

In the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, the character of the Inspector is used as a dramatic device in a number of different ways which all help the play to become more interesting and gripping. In this essay, I shall aim to analyse and explore these...

Social Responsibility in ‘An Inspector Calls’ Anonymous 10th Grade

An Inspector Calls’, though set in 1912 in the Edwardian era, was written by J.B Priestley in 1945 as a piece of socialist propaganda to embrace the socialist views becoming more prominent in society, in place of capitalism. The theme of social...

“An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility Essay

Introduction.

“An inspector calls” is one of the plays produced immediately after the end of the Second World War in 1946. During this period, most scholars and human activists were majorly concerned with the welfare of the less privileged individuals within society (Priestly et al., 1992). The poor individuals in the United Kingdom did not have people who could fight and address their grievances, leading to most leaving a low-quality life. Priestly wanted to address the issue of classism and how poor individuals can be empowered to climb up the social ladder. He advocates for successful individuals to help poor individuals to live a quality life in the community (Priestly et al., 1992). Priestly also encourages that it is an individual’s responsibility to ensure that those close to them are safe and always available for each other when need be. This paper strives to highlight how Priestly has portrayed the theme of responsibility in different scenarios within the play.

Good neighborliness is when one cares about the well-being of those who are around them when things seem not to be okay on their side. One of the major points where Priestly portrays the theme of social responsibility is whereby Sheila feels a sense of duty when she realizes that she has a role to play in the death of Eva Smith. She tells Gerald to stop looking at her angrily since he also has once been involved in circumstances that are shameful (Priestly et al., 1992). Sheila finally admits and agrees to be held culpable for her actions and talks out the truth. However, Gerald is also blaming her for various faults while he has declined to take responsibility for his actions that also contributed to the demise of Eva Smith (Priestly et al., 1992) . The target audience can learn the importance of taking responsibility for various aspects and how their actions may impact the well-being of other individuals.

When one lives a responsible lifestyle, members of the community will not be worried much about them compared to those who are careless with their lives. Priestley also explores the theme of social duty when Mr. Birling fails to take responsibility for various actions that led to Eva Smith’s death. His sentiments suggest that everyone should be held responsible for their own life and well-being (Priestly et al., 1992). Individuals who take the responsibility of taking care of others mostly land into awkward situations in case an unlikely event with a devastating effect occurs to the individuals. Dr. Priestley strives to encourage the target audience to ensure utmost self-care and responsibility to maintain a good relationship with others within the community since there will be no unnecessary blames.

Putting one in an individual’s shoes is one of the major ways of understanding other people’s struggles. In the play, some of the characters also display social responsibility in some instances. For example, Erick feels socially responsible for some of his actions in the final parts of the play (Priestly et al., 1992). This indicates that Erick possesses some sense of social responsibility to ensure that other individuals within the society are always safe. Erick’s mother and Gerald have withdrawn from being involved in Eva Smith’s incident, but he still insists that something could have been done to salvage Eva Smith’s actions that cost her life (Priestly et al., 1992). He takes Eva Smith’s Matter very seriously and even urges her mother to be responsible for the unfortunate occurrence too. The reader can learn that nobody can understand other people’s struggles unless they go through the same experience.

Responding quickly to other individuals’ struggles is also a major aspect of ensuring effective social responsibility and good neighborliness. Mrs. Birling, who is a close individual to Eva Smith as well, also elaborates on the theme of social responsibility when she fails to take control over the events that contributed to the death of Eva Smith. Even after being questioned by the inspector and the inspector elaborating that she had a responsibility to undertake during the process, Sybil Birling still does not want to take the responsibility. This can be seen when he negatively remarks on Erick’s sentiments by saying that he is ashamed of him (Priestly et al., 1992). Telling Erick that she is ashamed of him indicates that she does not care about the inspector’s investigation and the impact the investigations have on other members close to Eva Smith (Priestly et al., 1992). This context enables the reader to stop being greedy and self-centered individuals and instead act responsibly when dealing with other individuals in the community.

In conclusion, responsibility is considered one of the most significant social characteristics since it enables individuals to care for other people. Human beings have universal rights, ensuring that no individual is subjected to circumstances against human rights. Priestly also highlights how individuals in higher positions and social class should effectively use their influence by positively impacting community members. One should always adhere to the principle of supreme morality when dealing with fellow human beings. The target audience can understand that social responsibility begins with good and productive neighborliness.

Priestly, J. B., John Braine Priestly, & Bezant, T. (1992). An inspector calls . Heinemann.

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IvyPanda. (2022, December 16). “An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-inspector-calls-theme-of-social-responsibility/

"“An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility." IvyPanda , 16 Dec. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/an-inspector-calls-theme-of-social-responsibility/.

IvyPanda . (2022) '“An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility'. 16 December.

IvyPanda . 2022. "“An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility." December 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-inspector-calls-theme-of-social-responsibility/.

1. IvyPanda . "“An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility." December 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-inspector-calls-theme-of-social-responsibility/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "“An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility." December 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-inspector-calls-theme-of-social-responsibility/.

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Essay Titles

For your revision you should plan an essay based around each of the following questions., remember that you can use quotes - or even entire paragraphs - in multiple questions, so be wise when you prepare. for this exam you will not have an extract, but there will be two questions for you to choose between - and you should only answer one of them, for each essay, try to plan in the following way:, write your opening paragraph, know what each of your 2 or 3 paragraphs will be about, revise the quotes you’ll use in them, also, remember that there is a page on this website dedicated to each of these questions so all you really need to do is visit that page and take some notes... ain't so hard really, ten key questions:, 1. how does priestley explore the theme of social responsibility, 2. how does priestley explore issues of social class in an inspector calls, 3. how and why does sheila change in an inspector calls, 4. how does priestley present the character of arthur birling, 5. what is the role of mrs birling in this play, 6. how do the characters of gerald and eric respond differently to the news about eva smith’s death, 7. what is the role of the inspector in an inspector calls, 8. what role does eva smith play in an inspector calls, 9. what criticisms of society does priestley make in an inspector calls, 10. to what extent can an inspector calls be considered a “realistic” play, how does priestley explore issues of social class in an inspector calls, opening paragraph: during the play, priestly uses the middle-class inspector to contrast upper-class edwardians with their working - class counterparts. he shows that although the upper classes assume the privilege that comes with great wealth they do not accept responsibility for those less wealthy than them - though the younger generation do change . the inspector argues that unless society learns to reconcile this issue, then it will, inevitably, face disaster ., p 2 : upper class and wealth not taking responsibility : girls of that class ... i accept no blame for it at all ... i can't accept any responsibility … public school and varsity life ... dreams of knighthood ... gerald's treatment of eva ... mrs birling not liking that eva used her name, p 3 : younger generation : they’re not cheap labour, they’re people … why shouldn’t they try for higher wages we try for the highest possible prices … i’ll never, never, do it to anybody again … also ment ion how gerald changed and then changed back; and how women were treated worse than men, and working class women were treated worst of all, p4: inevitable disaster : h ow the inspector is middle clas s and represents eva ... their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives ... the time wi ll come when men will not learn that lesson then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish ... end with how the play is becoming important all over again, you should be able to tell from looking at this structure that there are loads of different ways that i could have written this essay, and i could have used any one of dozens of different quotes. also, remember that the key is going to be about using both ao1 (plot) and ao2 (quotes) for each paragraph, so you should note down a mixture of key quotes and key moments., use the time before the exam to plan essays that feel like they're your own - have an opinion - and then select the quotes, themes and contextual factors that appeal to you the most. this will help you remember them on the day, and it will help reduce the number of different quotes and themes that you'll need to remember., also, since you can't take any of this planning into the exam hall, your challenge is to understand the argument. this is easier than it sounds, and if you do the planning and - ideally - make a poster of the plan, or revision cards for it, you'll be in a really strong position on the day of the exam..

Exemplar Essay: Inspector

How does Priestley use the character of the Inspector to suggest that society needed to change?

An Inspector Calls is about responsibility. Priestley uses the inspector to expose the lack of responsibility that many people took for the working classes. He hopes his audience will realise that they need to take action to build a fairer and more equality society for everyone.

During the inspector’s questioning of Arthur Birling , Priestley makes clear wealthy men in 1912 needed to change. When the inspector questions Arthur Birling about Eva Smith’s request for a payrise, Priestley has Arthur Birling state ‘I refused, of course’. In other words, Arthur Birling is proud to admit that he denied his workers a small pay rise. Priestley’s use of the words ‘of course’ not only indicate that Birling feels he was right to refuse a pay rise, but also that he doesn’t expect to be questioned about his actions. Later in the play, Priestley demonstrates that Arthur Birling is very selfish with his money by having him say ‘I’d give thousands ’. In other words, Birling is happy to pay thousands of pounds to the inspector in order to keep him quiet about the scandal with Eva Smith . The contrast between the thousands of pounds that Birling is willing to pay and the small pay rise that Eva Smith asked for demonstrates how selfish Birling is because he clearly had the money to give the pay rise but only wants to use the money for himself. Priestley hoped his 1945 audience would feel angry towards selfish Capitalist businessmen like Arthur Birling.

During the inspector’s questioning of Sybil Birling, Priestley makes clear wealthy women in 1912 needed to change. When the inspector questions Sybil about how she knew Eva Smith, Priestley presents Sybil as prejudiced by having her refer to the working classes as ‘girls of that class’. Priestley’s use of the words ‘that class ’ suggest that Sybil is snobbish and superior, looking down on the working classes. It is clear that she allows her prejudice to influence her decisions about who to help. Priestley uses Sybil Birling’s attitude to criticise private charities in 1912. He hoped his 1945 audience would feel angry t hat man wealthy people ran charities to make themselves look good, while denying help to people who needed it most. Priestley also hoped his 1945 audience would realise that they needed help from the welfare state, like the NHS, which would mean that the poorest people in society could access help when they most needed it.

During the inspector’s questioning of Sheila and Eric, Priestley presents younger characters as willing to learn. When Sheila is questioned by the inspector about the way she treated Eva Smith, Priestley makes clear she feels responsible by having her state ‘I started it’. In other words, Sheila admits that her actions triggered a chain of events that led to Eva Smith’s death. Similarly, Priestley has Eric refer to his actions as ‘hellish’ , which suggests he feels extremely guilty about the way he forced himself upon Eva Smith while he was drunk. Whereas Sheila and Eric feel guilty and admit their part in Eva Smith’s death, Arthur and Sybil do not. During their dialogue with the inspector, Priestley has Arthur state ‘I can’t accept any responsibility’ and Sybil say repeatedly that she was ‘perfectly justified’. Priestley hoped his 1945 audience would feel surprised by the difference in attitudes between the older and younger characters and realise that they needed to behave more like Sheila and Eric in order to build a fairer, more equal society.

Throughout the play, Priestley presents the inspector as powerful and moral. Within the stage directions, Priestley makes clear how powerful the inspector is by writing that he should ‘cut in massively’ over the Birlings. This demonstrates that the inspector is not afraid of the Birlings simply because they are a higher class than him. Priestley uses the inspector to cut through traditional class barriers and show that people should be treated equally. As a socialist, this is what Priestley believed. During the inspector’s dialogue with the Birlings, Priestley has the inspector state ‘we are all members of one body. We are all responsible for each other’. Priestley’s repetition of the word ‘we’ indicates that he believes that people should not only think about themselves. Priestley’s use of the word ‘we’ also contrasts Arthur Birling’s use of the words ‘him’ and ‘himself’, demonstrating the difference between Birling’s selfishness and the inspector’s morality. Priestley’s use of the words ‘one body’ demonstrate that he believes everyone should work together. The inspector acts as Priestley’s mouthpiece, offering the Birlings and Gerald ideas about a new society, in which everyone takes responsibility for each other in an effort to reduce inequality. Priestley hoped that his 1945 audience would realis e that they needed to take more responsibility for others.

‘An Inspector Calls’ is about how people should be more responsible. Priestley uses the Inspector as his mouthpiece, to challenge the selfish capitalist views of many of the middle and upper classes and to promote his belief in greater equality for everyone. Through the Inspector’s questioning of each of the characters, Priestley demonstrates how a lack of responsibility for others can have tragic consequences. Eric and Sheila’s ability to take responsibility for their actions conveys Priestley’s belief in the chance for a better society for the future.

The Inspector’s questioning of Arthur Birling reveals how poorly some of the working classes were treated by wealthy business owners. Early in the play, Arthur Birling proudly boasts that ‘a man has to mind his own business, look after himself and his own’. Priestley makes it clear that Arthur Birling prioritises his own interests above the interests of his workers. When questioned by the Inspector about how he responded to his workers’ request for a payrise, Birling responds with the words ‘I refused of course’. The words ‘of course’ demonstrate the arrogance in Arthur Birling’s character; he feels entirely justified in behaving in the way he did and does not wish to be questioned by the Inspector. The fact that Birling ‘refused’ without even discussing the payrise with his workers, and went as far as firing the person leading the strike, demonstrates how few rights the working classes had in 1912. Priestley deliberately presents Arthur Birling as a character who is unable to accept any responsibility for his actions and who remains concerned with his own reputation throughout, even offering the Inspector ‘thousands’ in order to keep quiet. Priestley does this in order to demonstrate to his audience that society will only improve if wealthy business owners like Arthur Birling admit their mistakes and try to take more responsibility for their workers.

Priestley uses the Inspector’s questioning of Sybil Birling to demonstrate the need for a welfare system to help the working classes. When questioned about her actions, Priestley makes it clear that Sybil Birling was prejudiced towards Eva Smith. Priestley has Sybil refer to the working classes as ‘girls of that class’ and ‘of that sort’, which demonstrates that she is snobbish and looks down on the working classes. He also has Sybil proudly say she was ‘perfectly justified’ in doing what she did, admitting that she was prejudiced against Eva Smith due to her ‘impertinent’ use of the Birling name. Priestley deliberately chooses to have Sybil Birling run a private charity as he is able to use her character to suggest that charities run by wealthy people would never offer the help that society needed. Priestley wanted to make the case for a welfare state, which would offer more help to the working classes. Many of Priestley’s 1945 audience would have voted for the Labour Party, who came into power in 1945 and established the NHS, thus would have felt equally critical of Sybil Birling’s actions.

Through the Inspector’s questioning of Sheila and Eric, Priestley demonstrates that the younger generation may be able to change society for the better. Whereas Sybil and Arthur Birling are relieved and delighted when they realise the Inspector wasn’t real, Sheila and Eric remain guilty and remorseful for their actions. Eric challenges his parents for pretending that ‘nothing really happened at all’, which highlights the difference in the way the characters take responsibility for their actions. Priestley wanted to propose to the audience that the younger generation, many of whom may have voted for the recently elected Labour Party in 1945, would be able to change society for the better, as they were more willing to recognise their mistakes.

The Inspector is Priestley’s mouthpiece throughout, challenging capitalist views and proposing different ways of thinking. Priestley uses stage directions to indicate that the inspector is willing to interrupt the Birling’s capitalist views by having the inspector cut ‘in massively’ while the Birlings are talking. Whereas Sybil and Arthur Birling believe themselves to be superior, Priestley makes clear it is in fact the inspector that is more powerful. Priestley’s choice to have the inspector ‘cutting in’ on Birling’s and Sybil’s speeches conveys that the inspector is not intimidated by their superior class. Priestley could have decided to have the inspector cut in on the Birlings to show that capitalist viewpoints deserve to be interrupted and ended. Furthermore, the adverb ‘massively’ demonstrates that what the inspector has to say is more important than what the Birlings have to say. The audience is therefore encouraged to trust the Inspector and to believe the things he is saying to the Birlings. Priestley has the Inspector promote socialist ideals when he says to the Birlings ‘We are all members of one body. We are all responsible for each other’. Priestley’s repetition of the pronoun ‘we’ when the Inspector talks contrasts with the way Arthur and Sybil Birling speak, as they more often say the word ‘I’, seeming more preoccupied with their own interests. This demonstrates Priestley’s belief in the clear distinction between socialism, which focuses on the many, and capitalism, which focuses on self-interest.

An Inspector Calls – Full Mark Essay L9 / A* grade

This is an example of a high grade A* / L9 essay for ‘An Inspector Calls’.

It was completed by myself, not in timed conditions, to set an example for high achieving students, so it is beyond the requirement of a high grade for GCSE. However, students are encouraged to read it and deconstruct it to get ideas for their own essays and structuring – it is also useful in terms of learning how to develop a sophisticated approach to essay phrasing, techniques, and vocabulary. I hope you enjoy reading it and find it helpful!

If you find this page useful you can take a look at our full ‘An Inspector Calls’ course here .

How does Priestley explore the issue of class in An Inspector Calls?

Class is arguably one of the central issues presented in the play, as it is because of her lower-class that Eva Smith is able to be so badly exploited, which leads to her tragic suffering and eventual suicide despite her intelligence, beauty, and kindness. We are exposed to the privileges that upper and middle-class men and women have, as well as the fact that they don’t always realise that they have greater opportunities and stability. As a socialist, Priestley certainly viewed the division between classes as a serious issue in his postwar society; the play ultimately tries to convey his message of social responsibility in order to minimise these rifts between the different classes.

According to Priestley, the upper classes cause issues in society due to their blind privilege. Gerald Croft, for instance, is an aristocrat whom Priestley describes as an ‘easy well-bred young man-about-town’. Priestley depicts Gerald as having an ‘easy’ lifestyle and demeanor due to his privileged social position; as a prominent up and coming businessman whose family are successful business owners, it could be argued that he has been handed his freedom and success without much effort or difficulty. The compound adjective ‘well-bred’ in particular displays Priestley’s socialist beliefs, as it implies that he is aware of yet disagrees with the fact that breeding is highly valued by the postwar British society and perhaps that family connections are more important than a person’s own character or intelligence; Sheila is only engaged to Gerald, after all, because Mr. Birling wants to secure business connections. Gerald’s flagrant exploitation of Eva’s kindness and beauty whilst being engaged to Sheila creates a layer of dramatic irony which criticises the idea that marriage for business purposes or family reasons is ever a positive or viable option. Though it could be argued that Gerald is a more sympathetic character than Sybil, he still demonstrates how the upper classes are so privileged and used to manipulate those around them that they are not even fully conscious of their behaviour. His excuse of continuing the affair with Eva because he felt ‘sorry for her’ could be interpreted as sensitivity, but it is likely that Priestley wanted to show instead how it demonstrates false sympathy, as he was only prepared to help Eva so long as she provided him with the affection that he craved. Additionally, Sybil as another upper-class figure demonstrates a different kind of high-class privilege: under the pretense of being charitable as she works for the ‘Brumley Women’s Charity’, using her prominent position in society to help only those she feels are deserving because they align with her own beliefs and values. She refuses to help Eva because she did not agree with Eva’s ‘elaborate fine feelings … that were simply absurd for a girl in her position’. The alliteration of ‘fine feelings’ emphasises Sybil’s snide superiority in that she is prejudiced towards Eva’s sensitivity and considers herself able to feel and experience more complex emotions than a lower class ‘girl’, a further diminutive term that underscores Sybil’s authoritative position and Eva’s own powerlessness in the situation where she is forced to finally seek charitable help after being thrown into a series of increasingly unfortunate positions. Therefore, whether they are consciously or unconsciously aware of their actions, the upper-class characters in the play are shown to manipulate the lower classes by abusing their privileged position; this demonstrates an inherent hierarchical structure in mid 20th-century British society which Priestley challenges and rejects. As a social realist play, the narrative represents a real-life situation that is familiar and known to the audience, so Priestley’s audience would have been aware of people holding the same values as Sybil and Gerald, looking down on lower classes or feeling like they could just exploit them as they pleased. In this way, Priestley asks his audience to question the fundamental beliefs of his society, by showing that they are not based on kindness and empathy, but instead superiority and oppression.

An Inspector Calls: Character Revision

Although Priestley exposes the problems with the upper classes in the play, he also draws equal attention to the plight of the lower classes. This is primarily shown through the character of Eva Smith, who is arguably less of an individual person and more of an everywoman or symbol for the exploited lower class workers: her name ‘Eva’ is a Biblical allusion to Eve, the first woman created by God in the book of Genesis, and her surname ‘Smith’ is the most common surname in Britain. The symbolism of Eva’s name also shifts as her situation deteriorates; being forced out of work several times, she changes her name to ‘Daisy Renton’, the surname perhaps suggesting the idea of a ‘rent girl’ or prostitute. Interestingly, the Inspector describes Eva as a ‘young woman’; the concrete noun ‘woman’ implies his respect for her regardless of her lower-class position. In contrast, the other characters refer to her using belittling or derogatory language, Sybil calls her a ‘wretched girl’, the adjective ‘wretched’ perhaps implying a double meaning of ‘doomed’ but also ‘repulsive’, once again highlighting Sybil’s upper-class snobbery. Arthur Birling also refers to her patronisingly as a ‘lively good-looking girl’ who ultimately ‘only had herself to blame’. Though the compound adjective ‘good-looking’ could be interpreted as a compliment, the audience feels that it is somewhat off-putting and patronising coming from a character such as Mr. Birling, who is in such a position of authority and privilege as a business owner relative to Eva being a mere worker who is replaceable and expendable in his eyes. The concept of ‘blame’ is pushed increasingly away from the lower classes as the play progresses when the Inspector, acting as a mouthpiece for Priestley’s own socialist views, exposes all of the Birling family and Gerald too to be partially culpable, doing so through the prop of the ‘photograph’ which he shows, in turn, to each family member before exposing their encounters with Eva. The fact that nobody sees the photograph at the same time heightens the dramatic tension of the play, and its importance as a plot device is underscored at the end when Gerald points out that ‘There were probably four or five different girls’, ironically failing to recognise that the statement is irrelevant because it still demonstrates that each family member acted exploitatively towards a lower-class person, even if they were different people in the end. Ultimately the Inspector’s fire-and-brimstone speech where he declares that there are ‘millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ reinforces to Priestley’s audience the irrelevance of whether Eva is an individual or a symbol, as the point remains that the continual exploitation of lower-class workers by upper and middle classes results in mass suffering and oppression.

However, Priestley does not only criticise the upper and middle classes, as his audience is educated and themselves part of those upper levels in society, he instead demonstrates their potential for change. Both Sheila and Eric certainly affect Eva’s life negatively, but crucially they demonstrate an acceptance of those and show remorse as well as a willingness to be more socially conscious in the future. Sheila outwardly admits her faults to the Inspector: ‘I know I’m to blame – and I’m desperately sorry’, causing the audience to sympathise with her and realise that as she was young, she was perhaps merely copying the behaviour of her mother when showing jealousy and cruelty towards Eva in the department store. Eric arguably is one of the worst characters in terms of his effect on Eva’s life; as an alcoholic who likes to get ‘squiffy’, he is shown to be irresponsible and selfish, to the point where he impregnates Eva and then abandons her. Yet he also shows maturity at the end, stating ‘The fact remains, I did what I did’ – the repetition of ‘did’ in the past tense perhaps emphasises that he is now going to change for the better and become a more considerate man rather than a selfish boy. Overall, the younger generation’s willingness to engage with the Inspector’s message is presented as positive, and they symbolically represent Priestley’s hope that future generations will be more kind and considerate towards one another.

Finally, Priestley uses the tensions between classes as a way of promoting his wider anti-capitalist and pro-socialist political stance. As a socialist, he believes that the typical views of a capitalist society where, as Arthur puts it, ‘a man must look after himself and his own’ are outdated and damaging to the population as a whole, because individuals feel no greater sense of responsibility to the wider community. The reflexive pronoun ‘himself’ and the possessive pronoun ‘his’ also underscore the selfishness that Priestley feels is inherent within capitalism, as in his view it encourages an individualist and anti-collectivist mentality that rewards people for selfish behaviour and discourages them from altruistic or compassionate behaviour. Arthur’s views are directly juxtaposed with the Inspector’s own, particularly towards the end of the play when he becomes more forceful with his opinions. He concludes that ‘we are all members of one body’, using the collective pronoun ‘we’ to reflect his universal perspective of being interconnected with all other individuals in society. The metaphor ‘members of one body’ further reinforces his socialist perspective, as it suggests that each individual is connected to a greater whole – perhaps also referencing Priestley’s own Christian beliefs about harmony within communities and taking care of others, particularly those less fortunate than ourselves. Though in modern British society it is common to be equally exposed to both capitalist and socialist perspectives, when the play was written in 1945 the Labour Party – of whom Priestley himself was a prominent member – had just won over the Conservative Party for the first time in history. Therefore, Priestley’s audience themselves were less accustomed to socialist opinions, and many of them continued to uphold the prewar Edwardian and even Victorian attitudes of class separation, rather than wanting to create a progressive society that encouraged equality between classes. By setting the play in 1912 but writing and performing it in 1945, Priestley also uses this time difference to demonstrate that views such as Mr and Mrs Birling’s are outdated in the modern world, encouraging his audience to distance themselves from a capitalistic mentality and instead embrace a more socialist and equalist approach to life. This double setting also allows Priestley to reinforce the absurdness of some of Arthur’s views – for instance, he declares that the Titanic is ‘absolutely unsinkable’; his assertive and confident tone is entirely undermined for Priestley’s audience by the situational irony that the Titanic sank soon after Mr. Birling made that statement. The effect is to demonstrate Mr. Birling’s idiocy as a whole and to deter the audience from believing his capitalist attitudes, as he is clearly so wrong about his other beliefs.

In summary, Priestley treats the issue of class as integral to the plot of ‘An Inspector Calls’. He criticises the upper and middle classes for their lack of awareness of their privileges and their misinformed judgment of the lower classes in an effort to create a harmonious future society where the problems of class difference and class oppression are greatly minimised, or ideally no longer exist. This is demonstrated within a political framework, in which the Inspector’s socialist views are encouraged in the audience, whereas Mr. Birling’s capitalist views are discouraged. Finally, Sheila and Eric, as younger generation characters, exemplify Priestley’s hope for the future as they show the potential to think for themselves and no longer just copy the entrenched values of their parents.

Thanks for reading! If you found this page useful you can take a look at our full ‘An Inspector Calls’ course , as well as ‘ An Inspector Calls: Story Summary ‘, where we break down Act by Act for easier understanding!

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An Inspector Calls Essay Examples

Dramatic devices in the priestley's play "an inspector calls".

Drama is the best way to attract the reader and audience. The author used many dramatic devices which reflect his good and unique style in writing. “An Inspector Calls” is a play written by J.B Priestley in 1945 describing all the miserable and inequity life...

The Importance of Taking Responsibility Within Inspector Goole's Messages

Priestley explores the idea of responsibility with his use of foils. In the play, we see lots of views and opinions contrast. For example, Inspector Goole acts as a foil for Mr Birling. Goole tells the family and the audience ‘We members of one body....

The Role of Inspector Goole in the Play ‘an Inspector Calls’

‘An Inspector Calls’, written by John Boynton Priestley in 1945 just a week after World War 2 ended, was set in 1912, two years before the start of World War 1 when rigid social classes were present and there were evident differences between people who...

Analysis of How Priestley Presents Sheila in an Inspector Calls

Sheila Birling is arguably one of the strongest and most complex characters in 'An Inspector Calls', due to her depth of feeling, and the change that her character undergoes throughout the play. She is the one character that embodies Priestley’s desire for change. Sheila not...

Inspector Goole as an Image of Socialist Values and Morality

Priestley’s views of socialism are expressed many times throughout the play, in suggesting that everyone has a collective responsibility to one another as shown in the final line of the inspector, who is Priestley’s mouthpiece. At the time in Britain, capitalism was the dominant political...

Analysis of How Eric Birling is Presented in the Play an Inspector Calls

Eric Birling is an influential and significant character in our play, Inspector Calls. Priestly uses Eric's character to show the change in the younger generation and his own socialist views of 1912. He is initially introduced in the stage directions, “half shy, half assertive” which...

The Character of Eric Birling in the Play an Inspector Calls

J.B Priestley created Mr Birling, a stereotypical right wing capitalist, and one of the most interesting characters of the play, ‘ An Inspector Calls’. The play is set in 1912, written in 1945 and was first performed in England in 1946. He represents a typical...

J.b. Priestley's Portrayal of Eric Birling in an Inspector Calls

Eric is a character in J.B. Priestley's play An Inspector Calls. Eric is Mr. Birling’s son and brother to Sheila. He is portrayed to be “half shy”, which suggests that he has a lack of confidence because he feels that doesn’t fit in with the...

Analysis of How Eric Birling Changes in an Inspector Calls

In J.B Priestley’s timeless, symbolic sermon about social conscience, he explores the change in Eric Birling: from an intractable and pompous juvenile to a mature and increasingly confident socialist. His transformation is perhaps the easiest for the audience to relate to: he blames the world...

The Main Character in Play an Inspector Calls

The representation of guilt in An Inspector calls wasn’t shown by any of the characters until Inspector Goole arrives along with the news of Eva Smiths death, from that point the guilt from each of the characters is shown in different ways. Each of the...

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