An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly - In this essay, I will examine, compare, and contrast the roles of the three women in the play.
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly In this essay, I will examine, compare, and contrast the roles of the three women in the play. The three women are different from each other in almost everyway. One is a poor, working, class girl, who is a victim of society. The second is a wealthy middle class girl, who represents the heart of society and a new generation of middle class women; the last is a wealthy, middle class homemaker, who believes in traditional values. Each of the three characters represents the structure of society at that time. Eva Smith (Daisy Renton) represents the victims of Edwardian society, because she is not wealthy or well off, like Sheila and Mrs. Birling. Instead, she is a normal working class girl, who is fired and whilst she is out of work, she becomes pregnant, by the Birlings. She manages to go on until she feels that everyone is against her. She is alone and no one supports her. The upper class look down at her, treating her as if she is nothing. Ordinary working class women were expected to do as they were told and not to cause trouble. Sheila is Mrs. Birling's daughter, and she represents the new generation, and hope for the future. Sheila is a typical middle class girl because she loves expensive things, for example, her reaction to Gerald's ring, "OH- it's wonderful." In addition, she is proud of being rich and having all these wonderful
Lessons in An Inspector Calls.
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
How effective is the ending to "an Inspector Calls"?
Modern drama Coursework How effective is the ending to "an Inspector Calls"? The play inspector calls is structured in three plays. It is known as "a well made" play. The events take place in "real" time one evening. The audience and the characters learn the same events at the same time In the play the family is over for a celebration for Gerald and Shelia 's (daughter of Mr. Birling) engagement, however as they are enjoying themselves they hear a knock at the door there is an inspector who is going to ask questions to the family. The people at the house are Mr. Arthur Birling and Ms Sybil Birling, which are parents to Eric and Shelia. Shelia is engaged with Gerald Croft. The play was written in 1945 but set in 1912 this means the audience already have an awareness of the events that took place-. For example, when Mr. Birling talks about the war and the titanic sinking. The play was written by J.B. Priestley. Priestley was concerned with the way human beings had been shown to behave during WW1 and WW2, that we didn't learn our lessons and that with the creation of the welfare state there was the chance for us to create a better society, one in which all people took responsibility for each other. At the beginning of the play, Priestley sets out an extensive series of stage directions. He applies them effectively as a dramatic device, in that he uses them to show how the
Examine carefully the characters of the Birling family and Gerald, how do they share the characteristics of their class, how do they respond to the inspectors revelations ”
English Coursework "Examine carefully the characters of the Birling family and Gerald, how do they share the characteristics of their class, how do they respond to the inspectors revelations " Mr Birling is a middle class, self-made man. He sees himself as being above all working class citizens in his factory and his employees. He is not jealous of his wife but he does envy her position in social standing, he is also in envoy of Mr Gerald Croft, because he has a knight hood at such a young age, and Mr Birling is only just been considered for one. His wife was born into money and in to a rich household. He is a self-made man which means that he has worked for all that he now owns. He is awaiting knight hood from the queen, which would put his social standing Even higher because it would give him a title, Sir. Gerald Croft was engaged to Mr Birling's Daughter, Sheila. The marriage would combine two of the big company's together, Croft LMT. and Birling's. When the inspector calls throughout the play the main thing that Mr Birling seems to be worried about is the chance of a public scandal, which would mean that his knight hood could be taken away, and not of the girl. As soon as the inspector enters the dining room Mr Birling tries to show off is influence and power, "I was an alderman for years- and lord mayor 2 years ago, im still on the bench - So I know the Bromley
An Inspector Calls coursework, (the role of the Inspector)
English Coursework Discuss the role of the Inspector in the play 'An Inspector Calls' In this Play the inspector plays various roles. He plays a socialist as he is against capitalist views and because he is not just looking out for himself but others as well. Also he is known to be a catalyst as he brings a split in the Birling family. He plays a ghost as we find out he is not real. Additionally he plays a fraud because he is not a real inspector, but he does act as an Inspector. The inspector adds a great deal of tension and drama to the play. Priestley does this because he brings tension between the younger generation consisting of Sheila and Eric and the older generation consisting of Gerald, Mrs. Birling and Birling because of the inspector. Priestley uses the inspector as a substitute of him self to put his socialist points across this adds drama because we have to think about what he is trying to do. The four Birlings and Gerald are happily seated around the dinner table having an enjoyable night celebrating Sheila and Gerald's engagement. All of them are feeling happy and are comfortable and relaxed and do not seem to have a care in the world but all of that is about to change. The scene is set in 1912, which is a pre war time. Also this is the time when the suffragettes were fighting for women's rights. Additionally this was the time that the
Birling begins the play as an arrogant, house-proud businessman. Throughout the play this changes
The play is based on the story of a girl who died drinking bleach. You never hear her speak; only a family recalling her last two years of life, after a police inspector calls round to their house. The events that unfold leave the family of Birlings shattered. The play was set in 1912, and first preformed in 1945 after J B Priestly hurriedly composed the play in the space of a year. Birling begins the play as an arrogant, house-proud businessman. Throughout the play this changes as we hear about how he dismissed Eva Smith, we are shown how he does not seem to care about anyone other than himself, this gives a clue to how self centred he is. "Eva Smith... She had a lot to say... Far too much - She had to go." However, as the play goes on, he stops answering back and defending himself. He ends the play almost introverted and extremely quiet. He stops commenting on the events unfolding around him. However, when he is still answering back, you notice that he only defends himself - no one else. Before the Inspector even comes round it seems he only his child to marry Gerard Croft so he has a chance at a knighthood. This makes me think he is using his family. I believe JB Priestly chose to make Mr Birling like this so that suspicion is thrown on him, as it appears he is almost covering his tracks by wanting to make a new partnership with Gerard Croft, to gain a knighthood so
Using a Chosen Scene as a Starting Point, Show how J. B. Priestley's Political and Philosophical Beliefs are Reflected in
Using a Chosen Scene as a Starting Point, Show how J. B. Priestley's Political and Philosophical Beliefs are Reflected in "An Inspector Calls" In 1945 J. B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls". It is a very tense play; the audience are always on the edge of their seats. It is didactic as it conveys a social and moral meaning to the play. The play has naturalistic conversation all the way through, to make it seem real, like you could be there. But it also has surreal elements; for example; the inspectors name is Inspector Goole. This sounds like a ghoul or a ghost. And at the end of the play, he disappears and his existence remains a mystery. In the play Priestley is making political and philosophical statements. He is offering us, the audience a message; the message that we should think about society; to not split the public into two groups the rich and the poor, to come together as a community. All the characters are responsible for Eva Smiths death, and through her death it shows that everyone is responsible for everyone else and that we should not think that if it doesn't involve us personally, than it is not our problem, because it is. Priestley wrote the play in 1945, but the play itself is set in 1912. I think he did this because they play is set two years before the outbreak of the First World War. Looking back on it, Priestly must have thought that 1912
Which character was responsible for the death of Eva Smith / Daisy Renton / Mrs. Birling?
Which character was responsible for the death of Eva Smith / Daisy Renton / Mrs. Birling? 'An Inspector Calls' is a mysterious play that was written in 1947 and is set in the fictional town of Brumley, in 1912 (prior to the start of the Great War). The playwright is John Boynton Priestly, who uses a variety of interesting, unexpected twists in order to captivate the reader. In this essay, I will answer the question, 'who is the most responsible character for the suicide of Eva Smith / Daisy Renton?' In order to do this, I will analyse each characters involvement, and examine the range of emotions they display throughout. The play is a mystifying and exhilarating mix of many themes, including greed, vanity and rejection, as well as love, sex and secrecy. I feel that the play conveys a deep message without being melodramatic. 'An Inspector Calls' tells of the bourgeoisie Birling family celebrating the engagement of their daughter Sheila to an aristocratic man, Gerald Croft. The catalyst to the play, Inspector Goole, arrives and completely alters the situation, by forcing all the characters to examine their own consciences, which leads to a dramatic ending. The play is structured This makes him similar in many respects to Eva Smith. She fell totally in love with him, however she did not expect the affair to last. Eric Birling is a character that one begins to feel sorry
Sheila Birling was created by Priestly toconvey his socialist political views about the way
Sheila Birling was created by Priestly to convey his socialist political views about the way Britain and society ran. Two years before the First World War 1912 was a time when the country was split by class divisions. People with wealth had power over the lower classes in the social hierarchy. Women were not seen as equal to men in society. A group called the suffragettes protested for equal rights and the vote for women throughout this time they were becoming more active and extreme and were making everybody think about Equality in Britain. Sheila is the daughter of Arthur Birling a successful business man. She lives a lavish life and is high up the social hierarchy. She is a young Woman and is ready to marry into future wealth, something her father wants more than anything. Arthur Birling sees his daughter's marriage as a good business opportunity because Sheila's fiancé is the son of one of his closest business rivals "Crofts Limited." The drama explores the effects of class, age and sex on people's attitudes and beliefs. It shows how easily different generations can adapt to change. Priestly hopes people will come away from a performance of his play asking questions about their responsibility to society and prejudice. Sheila is pivotal in helping explore these themes. In relation to her parents Sheila is seen as a good business tool. She is ready to marry and her
An Inspector Calls Essay - To what extent can the tragedy of Eva Smith be blamed on the society in which she lived.
Mollie Coombes 6th April 2003 An Inspector Calls Essay * To what extent can the tragedy of Eva Smith be blamed on the society in which she lived * In 1912, social class was divided into separate classes, working class was one of them. The working women were expected to do long hard days in the factories working by strict rules and still expected to look after the family and do housework. In 1912 social class was everything, middle class had power over the working class and the men had power over the women. Eva Smith was a working women who had a really bad life, her parents had died, she had no money and when she felt she was doing well at her work place she was fired for asking for a raise, she later got a new job in Milwards, where she had a bit of a better life, until Shelia Birling got her fired from there. Then years later the Birlings get a phone call saying she had killed herself, was this because of her life? Seriously, was this enough to drive someone to suicide and kill themself in a really nasty and horrid way? This is what we've been asked to find out, was the society in which she lived to blame on her death? The society in which Eva Smith lived can be partly to blame, people are responsible of what they do and how they effect others, in this case, when Mr Birling sacks Eva, this was part of the chain of events that lead up to her
