an inspector calls - What does the inspector want to teach the Birlings and Gerald Croft in 'An Inspector Calls'?

What does the inspector want to teach the Birlings and Gerald Croft in ‘An Inspector Calls’?

J.B. Priestley wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1945 although it was set in 1912, two years before the 1st World War when society was still judged in groups of social classes. J.B Priestley intended to show people that all groups of social classes should be just one not the poor and the rich but all united. Although he thought that unless people changed the 1st and 2nd world wars saw only terrible trouble and tragedy lie ahead for society.

The play is based on an upper middle class family the Birlings and the turn of events that are about to happen to them. The Birling family are spending a happy evening celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft - a marriage that will result in the merging of two successful local businesses. Yet, just when everything seems to be going so well, they receive a surprise visit from an Inspector Goole who is investigating the suicide of a young girl. The inspector goes round the family asking many questions and reveals how each character in turn has contributed to the unhappy circumstances that apparently drove this girl to a violent, horrible death.

In the play J.B. Priestley uses the characters and attitudes of the Birling family, especially Mr. Birling, to make the audience feel sympathy for Eva Smith. In the opening lines of the play, Mr Birling is found discussing port with Gerald, immediately giving the audience a sense of the family's financial security When Mr. Birling tells Gerald and Eric that a man should "look after his own", and not listen to the "cranks" who talk about "community and all that nonsense", it becomes obvious that he has no interest in the welfare of people like Eva Smith.

By making Mr. Birling so big headed and snobbish, “JB Priestley renders his character deeply unattractive and encourages the reader to sympathize with his oppressed workforce”. When the inspector mysteriously appears in the dining area and asks if he can question Mr. Birling, Mr. Birling is not too quick to say yes as he doesn’t enjoy being questioned in his own home because he is having his authority questioned by someone and doesn’t feel in control of the situation.

Mr. Birling had sacked Eva as a factory worker because she wanted a raise from 22 shillings and ...

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Mr. Birling had sacked Eva as a factory worker because she wanted a raise from 22 shillings and 6 pence to 25 shillings and if the workers didn’t get it they frightened to go on strike and he did want to give her it back as he did think she was a hard worker but if he let one of them back he would look like a weakling and all of them would go on strike and demand more money. Mr. Birling didn't remember her name at first but he changes his attitude when he sees the photo the inspector shows him and didn't understand what sacking Eva had to do with the fact that she had committed suicide.

Sheila is described at the start as a “pretty girl in her early twenties who is quiet pleased with life and rather excited” but her feelings are changed when the inspector starts questioning her and Gerald. She is already suspicious about Gerald at the start of the play. I know this because in the dining room she says to Gerald “Yes, except for last summer, when you never came near me, and I wonder what had happened to you.” But as the inspector starts to unfold the story of how Eva/Daisy died. Especially when he starts to ask how Gerald meet Eva/Daisy and how well they got on. Coming up to the end of the play Sheila’s appearance has totally changed from the description J. B Priestley give the reader at the beginning. She can not believe that her parents and Gerald are for trying to "pretend that nothing much has happened." Sheila says "It frightens me the way you talk:"

At the start Gerald is described as "an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred young man-about town." But his appearance changes when the inspector starts to unfold his secret life with Eva/Daisy. He did have some genuine feeling for Daisy Renton, however: he is very moved when he hears of her death. He tells Inspector Goole that he arranged for her to live in his friend's flat "because I was sorry for her"; she became his mistress because "She was young and pretty and warm-hearted - and intensely grateful." But after he returns from leaving the Birlings house he tells them that he meet a friend who is on the force and asked him if he had ever heard of an inspector called Goole but he hadn’t. After telling the Birling that the inspector is an impostor he believes that he is in the clear about having a mistress and offers Sheila the engagement ring again. At the end of the play he has not change unlike Sheila he does not think that there is nothing to worry about. This makes Sheila feel unsure whether to take make the engagement ring.

Sybil Birling is described at the start as "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior." She is very aware of the differences between social classes. She is irritated when Mr Birling makes the social gaffe of praising the cook in front of Gerald. When the inspector starts to question her she tries to deny things that she doesn't want to believe: Eric's drinking, Gerald's affair with Eva, and the fact that a working class girl would refuse money even if it was stolen, claiming "She was giving herself ridiculous airs.” At the end of the play she has to come to terms that her son is a heavy drinker who got a Eva smith pregnant and stole money from his fathers business to support her and also her daughter will not marry a good social 'catch' and that her own reputation within the town will be ruined. Yet like her husband she refuses to believe that she did anything wrong and doesn't accept responsibility for her part in Eva's death.

At the start of the play Eric Birling is described as "in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive." Eric seems embarrassed and awkward right from the start. The first mention of him in the script is "Eric suddenly guffaws", and then he is unable to explain his laughter, as if he is nervous about something. It soon becomes clear to us although it takes his parents longer that he is a heavy drinker. Gerald admits, "I have gathered that he does drink pretty hard." When he hears how his father sacked Eva Smith, he supports the worker's cause, like Sheila. "Why shouldn't they try for higher wages?" at the end of the play Eric is disappointed in his parents just like Sheila and he forcefully tells them “I’m ashamed of you.” But unlike his parents he is fully aware of his social responsibility. He doesn’t want to be Included in his parents plot to cover the incident up. As far as he is concerned, the important thing is that a girl is dead. "We did her in all right."

J.B. Priestley is successful in exposing the shallowness and uncaring side of the human nature through his characters. He shows this through the two characters of Mr. Birling and Sheila.

For example Mr. Birling starts off being extremely stuck-up and pompous whereas towards the end of the play he becomes ashamed of what he has done and realises he has to save his reputation. After he finds out the inspector is an impostor he is very pleased that he has not jeopardised his reputation.

Sheila on the other hand starts off being ungrateful and is only bothered about the ring from Gerald and being engaged. Towards the end she realises that she has played a part in the death of a young women just because she had been in a “furious temper” that day. This shows that people even though they are in a higher class then common people they still make mistakes and responsibilities.

Finally I think that even though the play was written in 1945 it can still appeal to modern audiences and teach them that even though there are not any certain classes in the present there are still people that think they are better than other and have higher authority which gives them the right to be correct but they must remember that every one is the same we all make mistake and problems but we sort them out in the right way.

Kieron lynch 10HV Page of