Lillian Ong 9V5 Subject:
Teacher:
Lessons in An Inspector Calls:
JB Priestly's Play, An Inspector Calls, teaches us many lessons about society. By using the Inspector with the Birling family, he points out many moral issues with society. These include responsibility, equality and open-mindedness. Priestly uses the Inspector as a teacher who is trying to change the ways of the Birling family.
One of the most significant lessons evident in the play is individual and community responsibility. In the text, the Inspector continuously stresses the importance of every individual looking after not only themselves, but also all the other members of the community. People have to take responsibility for all their actions, which may inadvertently affect others in ways that they never thought of. All people are part of a society, networked to everyone else in some way or other. Every person's actions have an effect on one or more separate people. Priestly is trying to make the readers see that their deeds impinge on others, so they must always take responsibility and be mindful of their speech, conduct and thoughts. This lesson of responsibility is hinted many times throughout the play, but especially in the Inspector's final speech. Just as he leaves, the Inspector states, "We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other." The Birlings are typical capitalists-they believe in the "every man for himself" policy. They show that they accept no liability for anything that happens to them in many places. For example, Mr Birling says that he "can't accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody, we'd had anything to do with, it would be very awkward." The Birlings are arrogant and snobbish, treating the less fortunate people poorly. The Inspector, with an opposite view, teaches them-and us-to look after others, especially the less fortunate, and take responsibility for all our actions.