An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

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An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley On page 56 of J.B Priestlys Play An Inspector Calls, the Inspector makes his final speech in which he says: 'But just remember this. One Eva Smith is gone - but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives and what we think and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for one another. And I tell you the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire blood and anguish. Good night.' I am going to try to understand an explain the effect it is supposed to have on: 1) the other characters, and 2) the audience. I will study techniques the inspector uses in his final speech. And explore the meaning of 'Fire Blood and Anguish.' I will refer to the social context and the themes in the play. I will also discuss the inspector and analyse who or what he is meant to represent. There are three main themes in the play: Social versus individual responsibility, Capital verses labour, and Guilt verses denial. Throughout the play, Mr and Mrs Birling show the belief in individual responsibility (looking after yourself), Denial, and Capital views. Some of these are initiated in the first few pages, this is ignorance to the idea of society and social responsibility. Birling - 'But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you'd think everybody has to look after everybody else, as is we're all mixed up together like bee's in a hive - community and all that nonsense. But take my wo... ... middle of paper ... ...xample of this is on page 48 where he says 'not yet, I'm waiting.' It is then discovered that Eric was the father of Eva's child and almost straight after that Eric enters. From this is could be said that the inspector was a time traveller from the future, however I think that there was a much stringer link between Priestly himself and the inspector. Priestly shared many of the inspector's views, and I think was trying to express his opinions through the inspector and what he says. The play centres mainly on the inspector and so it would seem fitting that Priestly chose the most important character to represent himself and what he feels. If he felt so strongly on a subject, I do not think that he would have the main character undermining his opinion. And so I think that the inspector was actually the voice of Priestly.

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