An Inspector Calls

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The play “An Inspector Calls” is set in 1912 but was written in 1945. Priestley uses this class group for his play because Priestley himself believes that the upper class attitude is wrong and uses this play as a way to show his anger at the way this country worked. He very cleverly produces this concept into a play, because he knows that mainly upper class people will see the performance, so the message will definitely get across to people. As we already know Priestly is a socialist and maybe he try’s to tell us this in his play and the attitude of upper-class people.

Edwardian society at that time (1912) was strictly divided into social classes. Below the very rich were the middle classes (doctors and merchants, shop workers and clerks), after that came the craftsmen and skilled workers. At the very bottom of the social ladder was the largest class of all - the ordinary workers and the poor, many of who lived below the poverty level. The men of industry treated the workers very badly and they were paid very little. This caused workers to become better organised and strikes were becoming more frequent as they demanded better conditions and higher pay. J.B. Priestley was writing the play for a middle class audience and was trying to speak up for the working class by showing how the Birlings and Gerald Croft were all involved in making a young working class girl’s life a misery. It shows what the upper class all wanted, and that money down to the bone. A lot of the play is on and around between the inspector and Mr. Birling and how inspector goole manages to portray a ghostly like figure, it seems the inspector knows everything to do with the death of eva smith and how the Birlings and Gerald croft were involved.

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The play starts off with the Birling family celebrating their daughter’s engagement to Gerald Croft. The family included Mr. Birling, Mrs. Birling, Eric Birling, Sheila Birling, and Gerald Croft.  Arthur Birling is glad because Gerald is the son of his business competitor and it will be a merger of businesses. Through the middle of the dinner there is a knock at the door. This is where we meet inspector Goole. He tells the family that a girl has committed suicide and that in one way or another they are responsible. Mr. Birling was responsible for sacking the girl from his factory. Sheila ...

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