J.B. Priestley wrote "An Inspector Calls" in 1945 just after the Second World War

    The first exposure in their involvement with Eva Smith is Arthur Birling who sacked her nearly two years ago as a ring leader in the strike for money. Arthur’s reaction is impatientance and the inconvenience that it would be awkward denying any link “obviously it has nothing whatever to do with wretched girl’s suicide. Eh, Inspector? ” The Inspector Replies “no sir I can not agree with you there because what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards and what happened to her afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events.” This quote explains the inspectors aim to prove collective responsibility. Eric already has sympathy for Eva until his father turns on him “unless you brighten your ideas, you will never be in a position to let anyone stay or tell anyone to go”. Sheila’s exposure is done in parts first she recognizes the person in the photograph and then runs out leaving her father angry with the Inspector for upsetting her when she returns her first words are to the Inspector “You knew it was me all the time didn’t you? “Building up the drama and the suspence in the play that the Inspector knows more than he is letting on. Sheila’s part was getting Eva sacked from a good job in Milwards after months of being out of work after complaining about her just because she had been in a bad mood that the dress she tried on did not suit her but was the right colour for Eva. Gerald is next the Inspector tells everyone that Eva Smith changed her surname to Renton and immediately there is a response as Gerald startled pours himself a drink. The inspector leaves the room and Sheila confronts Gerald asking him if she was the cause that Sheila didn’t see much of him last spring and summer. Gerald like Birling thinks it isn’t important “I hadn’t set eyes on the girl for at least six months. I don’t come into this suicide business.” Sheila stays while he is questioned saying “I can’t believe – I wont believe it’s simply my fault that in the end she committed suicide” After the questioning when Gerald admits he was her lover and installed her in rooms but later broke it off Sheila gives him back the engagement ring. Gerald is upset about her death leaves to go out for a walk saying to Sheila he wants to return. Next it is Mrs Birling Sheila again tries to warn her that the Inspector already knows the connection it is useless to deny it. Mrs Birling turned down her plea for help to the Brumley Women’s Charity. Organization while Eva was pregnant because she called herself initially Mrs Birling and refused and refused to go to the father of the child who is then revealed as Eric. Eric admits it and has no support from his parents and just before Mrs Birling said the blame should be on the father of the child. He is ashamed of them as they are of him. He does remember the words his dad was saying before the Inspector arrived “we weren’t to take any notice of these cranks who tell us that everybody has to look after every body else”. Only Eric and Sheila seem to have any sense of collective responsibility to Eva’s death.

     As mentioned above the striking timing of the Inspectors entrance is the first indication that he might be there to change attitudes. The character of Inspector Goole is the catalyst for the evening’s events he is described to be in his 50’s dressed in a suit and giving an impression of massiveness solidity and purposefulness Inspector Goole is a play on the name could be spelt Ghoul meaning supernatural or Ghost. He represents the moral conscience of the world just before the 2nd world war. After revealing Arthur Birlings part in Eva’s death as mentioned above he talks about collective responsibility and being part of “a chain of events”. If any of the characters are complained he in a sober voice mentions the infirmary and what was left of Eva Smith. His entrances and exits add drama and tension to the play and each act is left at a cliff hanger. He deliberately reveals each character one at time driving them to confess to make them see their collective responsibility in her final act of suicide. He is a moral symbol of good and justice revealing pride sloth lust etc many of the 7 deadly sins which each of the Birling are guilty of. His last words are like the bible or a sermon “and I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.” He splits the family as when he leaves before the end Gerald, Arthur and Sybil Birling laugh with relief at what they perceive to be a hoax while Sheila and Eric are more mature and aware of the consequences of their actions. In the last moment the telephone rings and an inspector says he is on his way to investigate a girl’s suicide adding another twist. The characters know they each have to take some responsibility.

    This play is written in 1945 within a week of World War 2 ending but it is set before World War 1 and runs parallel to what was happening to society at the time. Each uncaring action or statement is backed up by ensuring consequences persistently uncovered by the Inspector who himself believes in quite the opposite to Mrs Birling. The timing of the Inspector’s entrance is quite a prominent part of the play and the play obeys all the classical unites of drama time is actual time plot is a single theme of desire for social equality and to examine our social and moral consciences and the action is done thought the Inspectors interrogations slow brutal and devastating. As the play opens the audience can identify with Mr Birling an average middle class man more concerned with profit rather than the welfare of his employees. This mention that there will be no war the audience can understand his foolishness this is the start of Priestley message through dramatic irony that don’t be foolish to think that we won the war we are safe. The Inspector’s startling revelations not only shatter the very foundations of the characters lives but also challenge the audience to examine their consciences. People like Eva Smith (working class); Smith being a common name are used by people in power and abused. Each character in turn through the Inspector acting as our conscience is shown to have selfish and callous attitudes which helped to destroy Eva’s life. All entrances and exits are dramatic throughout the play with the audience desperate to blame someone for her appalling death and each act ending with the dramatic tension with the Inspector trying to get an acknowledgement of guilt and responsibility. Redemption and retribution are key themes in the dram as well as social prejudices. At the end the audience feel that the Birlings may react differently the second time round.

     The first character to be questioned is Mr Birling who denies all responsibility in the death of Eva and he represents pride and greed as an employer refusing to increase wages and sacking trouble makers. The next is Sheila who because she was jealous got Eva sacked from a local store she is the first to acknowledge some responsibility and regret and also that the Inspector knows more than he is telling. Next Gerald is forced to say he knew Eva but as Daisy Renton and used her briefly sexually before ending the affair. Then Mrs Birling by refusing Eva charity because she was angry at her calling herself Mrs Birling then has to discover she also ay hold some responsibility in killing her grandchild because the father is her own son Eric. The older generation completely fail to acknowledge any responsibility towards Eva and are concerned with their Birling reputation “still I can’t accept any responsibility” however the younger generation Sheila and Eric both acknowledge their responsibility showing that there is hope for the future and that society can change and learn from their mistakes. Eric “Its what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters”. The only one that seemed to care genuinely for Eva was Eric even stealing from his parents. All the characters represent one of the seven sins, at the beginning the family seems united but at the end the gaps are wide within the family and the older and younger generations. I feel Eric and Arthur Birling the two most convincing characters at opposite ends with each other in their values having great lines between them showing the differences between father and son and how Eric has a more social and moral conscience.

      The Principal messages in the play are the social differences between middle class and working class and how they are abused. Each character contributed to the death of Eva Smith and priestly is trying to blame society at that time which set people like Eva apart how thy could have used their positions to help others less fortunate. By showing that the younger generation in the play learn from their mistakes he hopes all of us will take some responsibility and change society for the better, how the situation can be changed and who to depend on to change it. Throughout the idea of collective responsibility both morally and socially is promoted through the Inspector acting as our conscience and the questioning of each character individually adds to the drama suspence and tension. I feel it was a good play with twists and the double standards that people have with Eva’s crime being on the wrong end of the social ladder able to be miscued by people in power. It teaches us about collective responsibility well. Hearing the characters telling their own stories and their and their reactions to the consequence of both their own and other people’s actions has devastation cumulative dramatic effect which I feel is still relevant to our society today as there are still great divisions in our social classes and how power and wealth is divided around the world e.g. low working class, unemployed to the multi millionaire the rich west compared to the Third World and the unfairness of say cocoa farmers to the price of chocolate. Society could still learn from the messages in An Inspector Calls.