An Inspector CallsJ. B. Priestley - How does Priestley make a drama out of the theme of social responsibility?

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13th October 04

An Inspector Calls

J. B. Priestley

How does Priestley make a drama out of the theme of social responsibility?

        J. B. Priestley wrote the play “An Inspector Calls”, in 1945. The play was set in Brumley, a fictitious town in the midlands. “An Inspector Calls” is about how a ‘nouveou riche’ family is responsible for the suicide death of a young woman named Eva Smith. This play by J. B. Priestley was written to say to everyone that we all have social responsibility, we all are responsible for one another, and that we are all “intertwined” with everyone else’s life. That’s the message this play is trying to convey.

        The play was set in 1910-1912; this was the period when life was segregated into classes. It was set in the Edwardian era, where women had no rights, and were not allowed to vote. It was extremely difficult for women to acquire jobs, mostly because men had first priority. Eva Smith was lucky to receive a job at “Milwards”, but most women worked in factories for little pay. There was a gap between the upper class and the lower class. The middle class was not much different to the upper class.

In 1945 Labour came to power. They introduced the NHS, which would provide free health treatment for everyone. The Welfare State was also brought about thanks to the first Labour party; this would provide a net to catch people like Eva Smith, to help them get back up. Cases like Eva should not happen today thanks to benefits. The Welfare State is like friendly fishermen. They would catch the fish that need help, help them and lead them back into the river, so they can swim to the sea.

        The play consists of all classes. Gerald Croft is from the upper class who is well spoken in the play. The Birlings are the middle class because they are nouveau riche. You can tell this by the way Mr. Birling especially speaks. It is obvious, because he speaks informal sometimes. Finally, Eva Smith is the lower class as she has had the hardest life, in terms of least money, jobs and not being able to have much pleasure.

        The main message of the Inspector is that “we don’t live alone” and if that lesson isn’t learnt then we will be taught in “fire and blood and anguish”. Whatever we do has a chain of events afterwards; “We are responsible for each other”. What we do around others affects them. You can’t shut the world out of your lives, and look after only yourselves and your families.

        This message is also applied into today’s world. The president of the United States has been taught in “fire and blood and anguish” when the Twin Towers was destroyed. America tried to block the rest of the world from themselves but didn’t succeed. They didn’t help the countries that needed them, or helping to find environmentally friendly materials. Their punishment, for their selfishness, was the destruction of their Twin Towers and their Pentagon.

        Unlike the Inspector, Mr. Birling sees the world differently. We have gathered Mr. Birling comes from a poor background, at least not an upper class one. Coming from a poor family, you would expect him to understand that people need to help one another, like the Inspector does. Unfortunately, Mr. Birling sees the world in a rather different perspective, more like, the other way round. He thinks in order to proceed in life, “a man has to make his own way”, meaning if don’t help anyone else, or talk to anyone else, then you won’t get in trouble.

        He also is very complacent due to the fact that he is  “hard-headed business man”. He tried to assume the future with what little information he had possessed.

        For example, he talks about transport, which then brings him on to the titanic. “ The Titanic… …absolutely unsinkable.” This is a good case of dramatic irony, because the characters in the play talk about something in the future, which we know about. Of course, we know that the titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

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        Another example is when Mr. Birling talks about the World War and how it’s never going to happen.

        “A few German officers have too much to drink and begin talking nonsense”. People think, “War’s inevitable”.  Mr. Birling thinks “fiddlesticks” of those ideas. Therefore, because of these wrong accusations the audience get the impression that Mr. Birling is untrustworthy, ignorant and complacent.

        Just before the Inspector comes, Mr. Birling was talking about how a man “has to look after himself” in order to be at the top. Mr. Birling thinks that’s how people make it to the top.

        He only thinks ...

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