What do Mr Birling and Sheila show us about the historical context of “An Inspector Calls?”
AN INSPECTOR CALLS
What do Mr Birling and Sheila show us about the historical context of "An Inspector Calls?"
'An Inspector Calls' is a play written by a man called Priestley in the 1940's. The play is set in 1912
The play is about a middle to upper-class family, the Birlings, who lived in a town called Brumley. Its is based on a girl, Eva, who had commit suicide by drinking disinfectant. An Inspector who goes by the name of "Inspector Goole" had come to the Birlings house to investigate why Eva had committed suicide. It turns out that none of the members of the Birling family had committed a real crime but they had all driven her to suicide in some way.
The moral of the play is to judge their consciences and there by our consciences to make us work together as "members of one body."
Two characters represent the historical context are Mr Birling and Sheila. At the end of the play they show opposite poles of society. Mr Birling represents the older generation that has held on to values of years and years back. Mr Birling is an ex-mayor, father of the family, a factory owner and he's earned a knight hood. Sheila is Mr Birling's daughter. She is also pompous. Sheila represents the innocent one in society and the future and present generation.
At the beginning of the play the Birlings all appear like Mr Birling in there believes that they should all be individuals and not care about the rest of the community. This was because they were an upper class family.
Mr Birling and Sheila portray the political theme of community and the individual. Priestly believes that we need to be responsible so that we can look after each other, we will not survive as individuals if we don't work together. Priestly voices his opinions through the character of the Inspector. " But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us." This represents the moral of the play.
Mr Birling and Sheila abuse the power, this causing Eva's death. Mr Birling has power over Eva and when he thinks that Eva does not respect him and asks for a raise he uses his power to sack Eva. Sheila also uses her power to get Eva dismissed from Millwards. Because she is rich and spends a lot of money at the shop the managers respect her. If she is not happy there she won't shop there and the company shall lose a lot of money. So because of Eva not making Sheila feel welcome at Millwards Sheila is unhappy. She then tells the manager that she shall no longer be shopping there unless Eva is dismissed. With that Eva gets dismissed because the company can't afford to lose the Birlings.
Mr Birling represents the older generation, showing us that society at the time was divided into different social classes, the upper, the middle, and the lower class. The upper class had no respect for the lower class and this shows during the play. When speaking about Eva trying to negotiate a higher wage for herself, Mr Birling says, "I'm talking as a hard headed practical man of business." This is evidence that Mr Birling has no respect and feelings for the lower class, as he doesn't care whether Eva has a larger income or not. Mr Birling is ...
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Mr Birling represents the older generation, showing us that society at the time was divided into different social classes, the upper, the middle, and the lower class. The upper class had no respect for the lower class and this shows during the play. When speaking about Eva trying to negotiate a higher wage for herself, Mr Birling says, "I'm talking as a hard headed practical man of business." This is evidence that Mr Birling has no respect and feelings for the lower class, as he doesn't care whether Eva has a larger income or not. Mr Birling is only concerned about keeping the wage bill as small as possible. That quote also shows the pompous side of him.
Mr Birling is a pompous and an arrogant person. He is pompous because he wants to let people know that he mixes with upper class people. He was pleased to let the Inspector know that his daughter has just become engaged to, "Mr Gerald Croft - son of Sir George Croft - you know, Crofts limited." He is also complacent because he doesn't like to worry about what other people are saying. " I say there isn't a chance of war," he says to his family, "these are all silly little war scares." Mr Birling refuses to believe the scaremongers that are predicting war. He's living in his own protective world and doesn't realise what's really going on.
Mr Birling shows that the upper classes gets on very well with the police. When Mr Birling and the inspector are talking about the chief inspector Mr Birling announces to Inspector Goole that, " perhaps I ought to warn you that he's an old friend of mine, and that I see him fairly frequently. We play golf together up at the West Brumley." The upper class also love talking about their achievements. When Mr Birling is talking to Gerald he boasts that, "there is a fair chance that I might find myself into the next honours list. Just a knighthood, of course." This shows that Mr Birling is proud of him self and loves to brag to others of his successes, so that others will respect him more for these outward signs of success.
Mr Birling shows us in the play that he is a hypocrite and very worried about his reputation. Mr Birling shows us that he is a hypocrite trying to tell the future. When he is talking to Gerald about the fact that he might be getting a knighthood he says, " I gather there is a very good chance if a knighthood - so long as we behave ourselves, don't get into the police court or start a scandal." This shows that he is very worried about his reputation because if he does something wrong then he'll lose his chance of a knighthood.
Mr Birling doesn't believe in the inspectors quote, "we are all members of one body." He thinks that we should just fight our own battles and not look after or help others. When talking to Gerald and Eric, Mr Birling says, " but the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you'd think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense." And, " I 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, wouldn't it?
Mr Birling aims to make as much money as possible to enable him to live his upper class life. When discussing business with Gerald, his daughter's fiancé, Mr Birling says "lower costs, higher prices." Mr Birling wants the highest prices for the goods produced in his factory but is determined to pay the lowest wages to the lower class that work for him.
At the beginning Sheila is exactly like her mother and father: pompous, spoilt, and arrogant. She expects a lot because of her wealth and social class. Sheila always dresses well in elegant and posh clothes; she speaks extremely well and reveals her background when speaking to others of her class, for instance her mother and father. When speaking to her mother she says, " yes, go on mummy, you must drink to our health." She also says, " Milwards? We go there, in fact, I was there this morning." And, " she was lucky to get taken on at Milwards." When these sentences are put together it shows that she shops at very exclusive shops. This is proving that she has a lot of money because she shops at Milwards. Her attitude at the beginning is snobbish here because she believes that only the best should shop and work there and the employees of Milwards should respect the clients.
Sheila represents the younger generation because she is the daughter of Mr Birling. Eventually Sheila actually sets an example to the older generation, her mother and father, by showing that in society times have changed and there should not be different classes any more. Priestly is trying to show that, after the war people should not be judged by their social class but they should become, "members of one body." Sheila says, "at least I am trying to tell the truth. These people aren't cheap labour they're people." This shows that Sheila has changed, provides hope for the future and shows feelings for people that are not as well off as herself. When Sheila says, "I know I am to blame, but I am desperately sorry." It is showing us that she has realised what a fool she has been and how pompous she has been. This is when we first see a change in Sheila's attitude.
At the end she's a better person. She's kind, generous and now sociable with all classes. This shows us that times are changing and that people are no longer based on their social class. She now believes in the Inspector's (Priestly's) quote, "we are all members of one body." She thinks that people should work as one community and not as individuals. Sheila shows her change of attitude by telling her parents, "I behaved badly too. I know I did. I am ashamed of it. But now you are beginning all over again to pretend that nothing has happened." This is reminding them that they are not individually responsible for Eva's suicide but together their actions have made Eva commit suicide and they all ought to be ashamed and not keep blaming each other.
Sheila ends up as the only one out of her and Mr Birling that changes. She changes for the better. She grows up into modern society and does not judge people by there social class. Eric also changes in the play, again for the better, because he is also the younger generation. Eric now believes the same as Sheila and has grown into the modern society. Mr Birling doesn't change and stays his normal individual self. Mrs Birling also doesn't change because she is the older generation and they have been brought up to judge people on their social class. From this I have concluded that Sheila represents the younger generation and her purpose in the play is to show people the change between 1912 and the 1940's. Mr Birling represents the older generation and the purpose of his character is to show us what the pre-1912 upper-class man was like.
The production also shows something about the social class at the time by the special effects. The play shows bad weather outside and because the Birling family belongs to the 'upper class' they are warm and dry. Eventually as they get thrown outside they are starting to change social class; again mostly Sheila's shows this dress because that becomes wet and muddy and shows reality.
Towards the end there is a crowd outside the house. The crowd is there to represent the Eva Smiths and John Smiths. It's to show the Birlings that they should be helping in the society. The crowd gave the Birlings blankets and helped them when their house fell down. If the right power of the upper class were added to the working class then society really would change for the better.
The house finally collapses due to the crimes that the family has committed. When the house goes back up again it doesn't return to that nice, warm, jolly house like it was. Instead it is in shambles. There is broken crockery and glass everywhere. This represents their new lives. They can never 'repair' their lives properly after what happened, like I could never repair a broken plate after being dropped.
At the side of the stage there was a telephone box, just outside the Birlings house. This is to show the 'outside' world. At the end the older generation, for example Mr
Birling, go inside. This is to show that they won't change and no matter what has happened they still want to be known as the higher class.
From the essay I have concluded that Sheila represents the younger generation of the time and the future of society. Her purpose in the play was to show the audience the change in society between 1912 and the 1940's. Mr Birling represents the older generation of the time and his purpose was to show us what pre-1912 upper-class family was like. Between them they show a change in society.
By David Lorenzo
