The play is set in a pre war, 1912, industrial town called Bromley. The town is based on a typical industrial town from that time. The rich factory owners could run things pretty much how they wanted as they controlled the main route of employment for the town.
The play involves the whole Birling family, Gerald Croft, who are all upper class and then the Inspector who I suspect to be lower class. The inspector is the main character as he is investigating the death of Eva Smith.
The historical content of the play is very important. In 1912, when the play was set there was a very rigid social structure. This difference from modern society is easily criticised as it in a way congregated the people.
JB Priestly criticises society particularly through Arthur Birling, he says to Gerald Croft his daughters fiancé “your mother, lady croft, while she doesn’t object to my girl, feels you might have done better yourself socially” this shows that it isn’t only the Birlings that have no sense of community and believe in an all for one kind of scenario. From this passage the post war societies realise would recognise the dramatic irony highlighting the narrow minded of Pre-War society.
Mr birling is manifested as gluttonus, “ you stole my money” he says this to his son when he discovers he was helping the victim Eva Smith, who he had impregnated. This act shows he feels nothing for lower class people even when his sons actions influenced the path of her life.
The character inspector Goole has a total opposite opinion and believes in a sense of comradeship and community. I think the character Goole is a way of the writer to express his inner most feelings.
Eric, Mr Birlings son, in the play is portrayed as an alcoholic, but in secret he isn’t open about the problem to his family, he says “you told her you snitch” to his sister after she told their parents about his problem. This shows that Eric is fairly immature and cant handle with the consequences of his actions. I think that another reason for hiding his problem is his father, Mr Birling, who would see him as a disgrace to the family and judge him for it.
Eric is again used to criticise society, this time telling his story of how he knew Eva Smith, this time he is showing the deadly sin lust and how men would have used the power the had over women socially to influence them. He says “I threatened to make a row” this shows lower class people and women felt they should look up to the higher classes and men.
In the essay I have just written I have spoke about how J B Priestly criticises society. He does this through the characters in the play “An Inspector Calls” he uses them to show how pre 1914 society had a rigid social structure where the higher class people had no regards for lesser fortunate. He uses the character Mr Goole to express his view and the others to show the common view and hoe wrong it is. Today there isn’t a social structure as rigid as everyone has equal rights I think this is the society that J B Priestly was trying to promote.
