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An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley 'An Inspector calls' was written in 1945 at the end of the second world war, but set in 1912 two years before world war one. It looks back on the social attitudes that led up to the first world war and the action of the play was set just before 'the fire and blood and anguish' of the first and second world wars. In the play, J.B Preistley has juxtaposed conservative, capitalist ideas against socialist, communists' ideologies. J.B Preistley demonstrates that the socialist and communist ideas are the only reasonable ideas of being with a conscience. In the play, we come across many different issues. It shows how people have to face up to having caused something and the effect it has on others and society as a whole. J.B Preistley also uses irony in the play. The audience sees this when Mr Birling refers to the Titanic being "unsinkable," which is ironic, as the audience already knows that the Titanic sunk. The Inspector is eponymous, "The eponymous hero," showing that he is the main character. As the play continues, we can also see that the inspector is omniscient. He controls the events, and unfolds them to the Birling family throughout the course of the play, turning characters against each other and intimidating them to the point of confession. "…has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking." This adds to the pressure inflicted on them therefore creating tension a sense of unease. The inspector has a very particular way of interrogation, he controls the order of how things take place. In a way, he takes over time. T... ... middle of paper ... ...at we think and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of a body. We are responsible for each other…' When the Inspector comments on this, we learn that he is a socialite. He is implying that even if the Birlings don't admit to what they have done and don't lean from it, the rest of the world will learn to hate them because we are all together and everyone knows everything about everyone. The way that the inspector uses various comments and his final speech suggests that Eva Smith is a symbolic figure, respecting all the poor people in society. His socialist views are not only put forward to Mr Birling, but to the rest of the family and to the audience as well. Priestly is showing the audience that the inspectors socialist attitude led up to 'the fire, and blood and anguish of the two World Wars.
There would be more of an effect on the audience at the time, as it
talks with. He is a man who has come to the Birling's house to do his
the end of the Second World War. The play is set in 1912, just before
especially for a woman. Even if a woman did get a job they would get
they have done even know they do not lead her to her suicide. But a
satisfied. He talks a lot and likes the sound of his own voice. He's a
into a little house just big enough to stand in. It gives you a great
in jeopardy than how he may have driven a young girl down a spiral to
upon so many levels. On the surface it is a simple tale of how one man
play is set in 1912, only 2 years before the outbreak of WW1, and in
J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls John Boynton Priestley was one of the most popular, versatile and greatest authors of his day. His works of popular history and literary criticism are numerous, ending with the story of Literature and the western woman. However it was as a playwright and as a social thinker that he was especially important. Politically, J.B. Priestley was a patriotic socialist who did not believe in the case of social class or rich dominancy, he believed that people should help each other and not be so competitive towards others. He hated social class because of the way upper class people took advantage of the working classes.
Birlings, as they find out that they have all played a part in a young
the suicide of Eva Smiths death. The aim of the story is to, try to
Mankind is composed of sovereign individuals, and each person only has one obligation to self: think of "me" before "we."
... Eva Smiths all over the world and that we are all members of one body