How does Priestley make a drama out of the theme of social responsibility in the play An Inspector Calls?
Bethan Hull 10.8 October 2000
An Inspector Calls
How does Priestley make a drama out of the theme of social responsibility in the play An Inspector Calls?
The play tells the story of a middle class family and how they have all contributed to a young working class woman's suicide. Priestley has set the play in 1912 as a way of making the audience of 1946 look back on their past. The consequence of setting the play 30 years or so earlier is that the audience can know more about events than the characters. He is also making people realise how social values have changed, for the better. In a way, the audience can relate to the Birling family, which brings across the message of the play far more intimately. The audience feel like they could be in the same position as the Birling's, bringing the theme of the play closer to home.
The dramatic irony relating to the audience's knowledge is particularly apparent in Mr Birling's speech to Gerald and Eric. Priestley is revealing aspects of the character to the audience; in this 'progress' speech there are numerous examples of this device. He paints a very rosy picture of life for them, going on at length about how safe and prosperous the world is. Mr Birling says "there isn't a chance of war, the world's developing so fast it'll make war impossible." The audience will immediately pick up on this irony, as the audience will know, the First World War began in 1914 and didn't end until 1918. Millions died. Birling denies there will be any trouble with industrial workers, "Don't worry. We've passed the worst of it." He even pronounces the Titanic unsinkable, "Titanic...unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable". The Titanic sank on her maiden voyage; she hit an iceberg on the 15th of April 1912, killing 1513 people. In 1921 there was a General Strike affecting most industries. This is dramatic irony. Priestley uses it to make the audience realise what a shock all of these events must have been to the nation. The country had its moral and social values set, a war can change values dramatically, bring the classes closer together. Such naïve remarks make Mr Birling look like a pompous, unreliable fool. He puts such emphasis on class divisions, with statements such as "you'd think everybody has to look after everybody else", "community and all that nonsense." His feelings are "a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own..." He is always eager to lecture the younger generation about his views and give them advice. This advice always revolves around his belief that it is each for their own.
The theme of the whole play is social responsibility, equality, morals and sharing wealth. Inspector Goole takes the opposing view to Mr Birling, "We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other." He is trying to teach the Birling's that they, as the higher class should have a sense of responsibility for the lower, poorer classes. After the war people had begun to realise the importance of everyone looking after each other. Many men died in the war, the sorrow and rationing of food can only have bought the classes on ...
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The theme of the whole play is social responsibility, equality, morals and sharing wealth. Inspector Goole takes the opposing view to Mr Birling, "We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other." He is trying to teach the Birling's that they, as the higher class should have a sense of responsibility for the lower, poorer classes. After the war people had begun to realise the importance of everyone looking after each other. Many men died in the war, the sorrow and rationing of food can only have bought the classes on to a similar level; each family had the same amount of rations, so no longer did the upper classes have money as a way of being better than the lower classes.
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The whole play could be very dull. There is no change of scene and only six main characters and a maid. The entire play is performed in the dining room of the Birling family. There are no flashbacks, special effects and very few lighting techniques as we, the modern generation would expect. Unlike most plays there is only one plot line and no subplot. However, this brings a naturalistic feel to the play. The audience are present throughout the interrogations. The scandal of the play provides the interest. Priestley knows people love scandal and the way to keep their attention is to make the results of the investigation as scandalous as possible.
The inspector enters at an ironic point in the play, just as Mr Birling is making his speech to Gerald and Eric, wrongly advising them on morals, ethics and social values. At the entrance of the Inspector, Mr Birling asks for "more light". This gives the scene a new stark, harsh feel, anticipating a change in atmosphere, setting the scene on edge. Mr Birling presumes, because of his position that he is required to sign a warrant of some sort. In fact, he himself is under investigation.
The name Goole may be intentional or coincidental, to give the audience a clue that he may be a ghost, Goole sounds strangely like 'ghoul', and this may be of some significance. Priestley could be implying that the Inspector could be a ghost, brought to teach the family a lesson. It may not be a coincidence that the Inspector arrived when he did, if he is some sort of ghost or messenger sent to teach the Birling's values he may have entered at that point because of what Mr Birling had just said.
The Inspector really brings the play together; he reveals the characters' secrets, their thoughtlessness and lack of consideration for others, especially those of a lower class. He will only interrogate one character at a time, more or less in the order of events in the life of Eva. Sheila realises nothing can be hidden from the Inspector early on and decides everyone may as well confess. The Inspector, calmly begins to expose the Birling's flaws, he shows them for what they really are, with no regard for their position in society. The Inspector can always find fault with the Birling's. He twists their words, makes them realise what they've done. For example, at Mr Birling's remark about how the Inspector has made a "mess" of their "nice little family celebration", the Inspector retorts that when he saw what was left of Eva Smith he thought "a nice little promising life there" and "a nasty mess somebody's made of it." He has thrown Mr Birling's anger back in his face, making him realise how petty he seems. Furthermore, the Inspector can always outwit the Birling's, especially Mr Birling. The Inspector will always take the opposing view to Mr Birling and get the last word, pointing out to Mr Birling that "its better to ask for the world than to take it."
Eva is cleverly and symbolically named. Priestley has set her up as the archetypal lower class woman. The name Eva is a form of Eve, i.e. Adam and Eve, representing the first and only woman, so she represents the entire female sex. Smith is a common name; therefore she belongs to the lower classes. Eva is the key of the play, the topic of conversation and the reason for the investigation. Most importantly, she is used to evoke emotion from the audience and characters. She binds everything and everyone together.
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Sheila, for very little reason gets Eva sacked from the job she loved. Eva could spend her days, surrounded by clothes she couldn't afford, and got paid for the privilege. Sheila destroys this dream. Sheila uses her power as a daughter of important and rich parents to get Eva sacked. Its simply jealousy for Eva being more attractive than her, "she was pretty and looked like she could take care of herself. I couldn't be sorry for her."
Act one ends as Gerald has made it obvious he knew Eva. Priestley has left the audience curious about Gerald's involvement. The audience will want to know how and why Gerald knew Eva. Act two had ended with the realisation that Eric was the father of Eva's unborn child. Mrs Birling is most shocked of all. While she has been telling the Inspector that it's the father of the child who is to blame, it's his responsibility, she is unaware that the father is Eric and she has just condemned her own son.
Mrs Birling was 'the final nail' in Eva's coffin, she turned her away when she needed help. Mrs Birling is easily offended and when Eva presents her case to the committee using the name Mrs Birling, the real Mrs Birling instantly decides to refuse her requests. The charity was Eva's last hope of salvation, leaving her no option.
Eva's name changes are useful in the investigation, the Inspector may have every character present and they will not know he is talking about a woman they knew. They can judge the person being questioned without realising they are to be judged also.
The play has an unconventional ending, rather than justice proceeding and that being the ending, Priestley has experimented. Inspector Goole leaves the house, immediately the characters begin bickering. Mr Birling says Eric is to blame, "I'll bet I am" replies Eric, most likely in a bitter manner. They are all blaming each other, Sheila in disbelief over how everyone except her and Eric are trying to make events sound less sinister. Eventually it dawns on them, was Goole really an Inspector? Everyone puzzles over what has happened, Sheila insistent that it doesn't matter whether he was an Inspector or not. Mrs Birling is soon triumphantly saying, "he certainly never made me confess". Gerald returns, he met a policeman, he had never heard of Goole. Birling, to make sure, rings Colonel Roberts; there is no Goole or any Inspector fitting his description. The atmosphere is jubilant; Mr and Mrs Birling are relieved. They now question everything Goole said and did, "no proof it's the same girl". There is a distinct difference between the two generations of characters in "An Inspector Calls." The older generation, Mr and Mrs Birling refuse to accept the responsibility for anything to do with the death of Eva Smith, and are merely concerned with their social reputation, which they must preserve at all costs.
The younger generation, Sheila and Eric take things much more to heart. They take full responsibility for their actions and have learned a valuable lesson from the inspector's visit. Neither of them will ever treat anyone so selfishly again, as they have learned that there can be serious consequences to their actions.
Gerald tends to fall into both younger and older generations at different points in the play. This social status is very important to him, but when it becomes apparent that his liaison with Daisy Renton is bound to come out, he admits to the whole thing and
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accepts responsibility for it. Unlike Sheila and Eric, this sense of responsibility does not last and Gerald is delighted to discover a loophole to save them all from scandal.
Inspector Goole does not exist. Gerald calls the infirmary, there is no suicide, which confirms it, and the triumphant mood heightens to almost a celebration. He consequently reverts to his old way of behaviour. The play ends dramatically due to the final phone call. Mr Birling receives a call from the infirmary; there has been a suicide from consumption of strong disinfectant, just as the Inspector has said. There is an Inspector on his way round to the house to ask some questions.
Now everything ends on an entirely different note, from jubilation to shock and disbelief. This is what makes the ending satisfying. Audiences will get satisfaction from knowing the Birling's will get what they deserve. Without the final twist the play would have been too simple and the ending unsatisfying.
In a conventional murder mystery there are typical events. Every murder mystery has a victim; the story usually begins with the discovery of their body. Once the body is discovered an inspector leads an enquiry, finding suspects and witnesses and checking alibis. Finally, the story told through the investigation, the mystery concludes with the confrontation of the murderer and order is restored.
An Inspector Calls is similar to a murder mystery; there is a body, evidence, an inspector and several suspects. The audience would be familiar with a traditional murder mystery so this element of the play would appeal to them. However, it is also different, due to one key fact. Eva Smith committed suicide; she was not murdered. Also, the guilt is not pinned on one person; the Birling's and Gerald share the guilt and blame. The Birling's actions were not illegal, but were immoral. Though none of them actually committed a crime, it was a combination of what they all did that lead to Eva taking her own life. Within the family, things do not return to normal; they have to live with what they did. Priestley's intentions would have been that the plight of the Birling's would make people aware of how their seemingly insignificant actions can affect others. In other words, they have a responsibility to the whole of society, not just themselves and their family.
In conclusion, Priestley has successfully made a drama of social responsibility. Although this play is not action packed, it is thought provoking. It is designed to deliver a message, in an entertaining way, which it has successfully done. This play is a classic and will always be admired by its audience.
