An Inspector Calls - In 1894 J.B Priestley was born into a middle class family in Bradford.

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An Inspector Calls

In 1894 J.B Priestley was born into a middle class family in Bradford.  As his grandparents were working class, Priestley had an insight into both social tiers and the strong divide between them.  Priestley became bombarded with opinions from a multi-talented philosophical social reformer, George Bernard Shaw.  

George Bernard Shaw believed an improvement in human nature was long overdue and the quote ‘It’s all that the young can do for the old, to shock them and keep them up to date’ left a permanent impression in Priestley’s thoughts that would later influence his writing. Throughout his lifetime Priestley saw many unnecessary disasters such as lower class people dying from the cold, mill explosions and an unemployment epidemic with a lack of government assistance. The liberating suffragette movement combined with the eloquent influence of H.G Wells throughout it allowed Priestley to accept society changing as a possible occurrence.  Although, the tragedy of death and destruction caused by the First World War shook society, these mistakes were not only repeated, but also magnified in the Second World War.  Witnessing these unnecessary disasters, Priestley began to form strong opinions about the problems in society.  In 1945, when the Second World War ended, Priestley wrote 'An Inspector Calls' in Moscow and incorporated the communist views of the Soviet Union with the opinions of H.G Wells and George Bernard Shaw.  This produced a moralistic play aimed at reform society’s virtues rather then an entertaining play, although the play proved to be popular with its audiences for entertainment purposes.

'An Inspector Calls' integrated the idea that economic value was irrelevant when measuring a persons nobility and every class of person is entitled to a decent standard of living.  Priestley set 'An Inspector Calls' in 1912, to convey his message most efficiently as he had experienced preventable capitalist mistakes.  He related his play to an extreme disaster involving the whole of society.  It was also a time when materialistic beliefs stood strong and allowed Priestley to mock these beliefs.  Priestley uses factual evidence of Titanic in 'An Inspector Calls' to prove this opinion wrong.  People assumed that a ship of Titanic’s enormous size and luxury was unsinkable.  However, the ornate fittings and obvious wealth on the ship gave a false sense of security and many people died.

The audience feels distant from the Birling family at the beginning of the play, as they give an impression of being very self-centred.  The family seemed very content and stable together and away from the problems of society.  As the inspector reveals the harsh truth about their behaviour towards Eva Smith the family breakdown to show the audience fragile and empty lives, the audience lose respect for the family and begin to pity them.  Although, Eric and Sheila’s maturity and responsible attitudes gains the audience’s admiration.

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'An Inspector Calls' operates in real time in a tense discussion about the consequences of the Birlings’s selfish actions.  The heartless acts do not actually occur in the play but are only spoken about and the audiences are informed through conversation about Eva Smith’s suicide and her reasons.  As the audience never experience events contributing to her death or her actual death, the author has the opportunity to alter previous events.  The dubious information leaves the audience in anticipation.  As the action is not witnessed it is easier for the audience to accept Eva Smith symbolising the future.  

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