"AN INSPECTOR CALLS" By J. B. Priestly has been described as a play of social criticism. What is being criticised in the play?

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Claudia Waller 10N

“AN INSPECTOR CALLS” By J. B. Priestly has been described as a play of social criticism. What is being criticised in the play?

“An Inspector Calls” by J. B. Priestly is a cleverly written play far beyond its years, showing societies flaws in the form of its characters.

The major flaws in society were due to the division of the income of one group, to the next. To put this into context, 87% of the countries wealth was in 5% of its population – and he shows this through the Birling family, and the victim Eva Smith.  The Birling family represents the flaws; the wealthy, capitalists who live in a bubble of ignorance of the lower classes suffering, and care only for themselves. Eva Smith however represents the respectable, yet misfortunate, low-wage workers, with no welfare state to turn too. Eva is also used to show how the rich exploited the poor, and used women for pleasure.

As the play was set in 1912, fears if war were adamant and was the agenda of most small talk, which of course the wealthy – the Birling’s – were in complete denial over. As Priestly wrote this in 1945,  he has exaggerated the characters though and actions to be ominous as he for well knew what had happened after 1912. He shows this through dramatic irony, and repeats this throughout the play.

Priestly uses two main levels of criticism, first of which, is how he attacks what the Birling family represent. Of which includes unfair social privileges, and the lack of responsibility they show for Eva Smith’s death.

The second level widens the criticism as Priestly then attacks modern society with mentions of war, and refusal to accept responsibility for each other.

This is how Priestly remarkably portrays his characters – each character having a different aspect of society to bring to light.

The first of which is Arthur Birling. Priestly writes him to be arrogant, pompous and responsible only for himself; also with an overthrowing of pride and control on his family. He represents the 5%of the population I mentioned, the wealthy capitalist businessmen. Priestly does this to show the audience what awful people these capitalists can be, and that there are such people in existence. To show this, Birling says:

“Working together – for lower costs and higher prices”

Basically describing the typical businessmen; trying to gain as much profit, by giving low wages, despite the knowledge of the struggle the workers live with.

Also he has this optimistic, somewhat thick exterior, which at the time the audience may laugh about, but secretly they would have probably been the same, in the situation of speculation of war for example.

Or just ridiculously optimistic?

“you’ll hear some people say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks! The German’s don’t want war.”

Maybe so, pompous even, which would also work in hand with his ignorance of the “real world”.

Although to counteract that, it could be suggested that if Birling had been in the workers situation – as he had to work his way to the top – making it feel that he might have some knowledge of what its like. Unfortunately, this never seems to appear and reiterates Priestly point about the wealthy being, more than selfish to say the least.

In addition, the point where the Inspector is introduced is deliberately placed as previous to his entrance, Birling is discussing his views on socialism, describing them as “cranks”. Later, we are lead to believe the Inspector is in fact one of these “cranks”.

So The Inspector Calls, and begins his questioning with Mr Birling, in the dining room. Keeping the questioning in one room seems to represent the how secluded the wealthy are from the “other half” of living.

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The Inspector accuses of Birling of having something to do with Eva Smith’s death, he’s in denial of everything, and tries changing the subject on numerous occasions, usually to a subject he can brag about – for example who wide range of associates or how wealthy he is. Repetitively, he tries to justify the reasons for sacking Eva and tries to turn it round so that he’s the good guy. The Inspector then tells Birling of this wrong doing, in which he replies with:

 

“We were in need to keep labour costs down,”

Which is the stereotypical ethos ...

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