Another theme I could discuss is class. Apart from Edna the maid, the play doesn’t include any lower class characters. However we hear a lot about the lower class as we hear about every step in Eva Smiths life. There are lots of upward characters like Arthur Birling and Gerald Croft. I think Birling looked at Eva Smiths as cheap labour while he was going to be rewarded a knighthood, this means going upper-class. Sheila was happy spending money in expensive shops, also she thinks ‘because she has come from a wealthy background and upbringing she can fire someone out of jealousy’ maybe thinking she can have it all her way. Gerald also thinks he can have it all, He was seeing Eva Smith behind Shelias back, but it was alright for him he thought he can throw away Eva smith when ever he wanted. Eric used Eva for passionate reasons. I think Priestley is trying to show that the upper-class are unaware that the easy lives they lead up to hard work of the lower classes.
An important theme is young and old. In the play the older characters and the younger characters take the Inspectors message in different ways. Sheila and Eric are able to admit to their part of Eva Smiths death and feel guilty about it. On the other hand their parents do not want to admit they did anything wrong. Birling and Mrs Birling are set in their ways. They think they are always right and see the young as foolish. But actually Priestley tried to show the young are open to new ideas. Mrs Birling lies to the inspector when he shows her a photograph of Eva Smith, but the young are honest and admit to their faults. To prove this Eric says, “The fact remains that I did what I did.”
Gerald Croft is neither old nor young. In the end he sides with the older generation. I think this is maybe because he wants to protect his interests.
The theme I think the story was based around is inequality. The play was set in 1912 but written in 1945, in this gap of time two world wars erupted. Birling thinks that there would not be any wars he thinks it’s completely wrong. World war II ended on May 1945, people were recovering from nearly six years of warfare, danger and uncertainty. There were not any relations between the upper and lower class. In 1945 the gap reduced between upper d the lower classes. In 1912 a well off women would only be able to get married but the poor would be seen as cheap labour, but later on women had a more valued place in society.
The most interesting theme in the play is and dramatic effect. The stage directions are important in helping us to imagine exactly what is going on, they can help us picture each characters actions and reactions. Priestley was very precise on his stage directions; I think he wanted his play to be acted out exactly the way he wanted. There are small hints that ‘not all is as it seems’ for example earlier on we wonder whether the happy atmosphere is forced there is a lot of tension in the room. This is what gives the audience more interest and the pay more attention. The audience want to know what is going on!
The last theme is dramatic irony, for example, the audience know Mr Birling is wrong when he says “the Titanic she sets sails next week, fourty six thousand eight hundred tons, new York in five days and every luxury and unsinkable. We know that the Titanic sunk; this puts the audience over the characters and makes them more involved.
In the end Priestley leaves the audience on a cliffhanger. In Act 3 the family discovers that the inspector is fake and no girl died in the infirmary. This releases some of the tension, however the final telephone call is announcing that a real inspector is coming to visit them to ask question about a girl who committed suicide. It is an unexpected final twist.
