How Does Priestly Present The Theme Of Social Responsibility In An Inspector Calls

Tense, clever and ambiguous, J.B. Priestly’s dramatic morality play “An Inspector Calls” presents the idea of social responsibility and the effect our actions can have on others. In 1912, the wealthy Birling family are enjoying a celebratory engagement dinner when an Inspector calls. A young girl had died and the Inspector reveals that all the Birling family are involved.

Mr. Birling, the first to be interrogated by the Inspector, represents an entirely contrasting view on social responsibility to that of the author, J.B. Priestly. Two years prior to the events in the play, Arthur Birling sacked Eva for requesting a pay rise.

“Oh – that’s it, is it? Well, we’ve several hundred young

women working there, y’know, and they keep changing”
The rhetorical question ‘that’s it, is it?’ conveys Mr. Birling’s immediate dismissal of his involvement in Eva’s death. With his question, he is also attempting to regain control of the situation. It shows that he thinks his involvement is unimportant and implies both an impatient but unconcerned tone. ‘We’ve several young women there, y’know’ further shows how little Mr. Birling cares. The informality of ‘y’know’ conveys nonchalance whilst how he refers to his employees shows he makes no effort to know get to know or care for his workers. Finally, the lexis ‘keep changing’ suggests a high frequency of sackings, reinforcing Mr. Birling as a character who cares only for himself, his overheads and his family. The audience is irritated and unimpressed by his dismissal.

As the play progresses, Mr. Birling’s attitude remains much the same. The Inspector has just left and the Birling’s are arguing over the evening’s events. However, Gerald has returned with the news that the Inspector was a fake:
“Yes, and you don’t realise yet all you’ve done. Most of this is bound to come out. There’ll be a public scandal……This makes all the difference y’know. In fact, it makes all the difference”
The notable repetition of the pronoun ‘you’ shows how unwilling Mr. Birling is to accept responsibility for his actions – he instead blames his family entirely. The repetition also implies a bitter and snide tone. He is more worried by the fact that there will be a ‘public scandal’ than by his and his family’s actions and their implications. This further proves he is only interested in his reputation and social standing. As the news is shared however, Mr. Birling quickly takes on a jubilant tone. His immediate acceptance that the Inspector was a fake yet again conveys that his only worries regarding the situation are how it may affect his reputation. Here, we are reminded just how selfish and uncaring Mr. Birling is, speedily discarding any repentance he may have had without a second thought. The audience is angered and disappointed, but not surprised, by his unchanging attitude towards social responsibility.

Gerald Croft, Sheila Birling’s fiancé, is in something of a middle ground regarding social responsibility. Gerald has admitted to an affair with Eva Smith (known by him as Daisy Renton) and is attempting to placate Sheila.
“I’m sorry, Sheila. But it was all over and done with last summer. I hadn’t set eyes on the girl for at least six months. I don’t come into this suicide business”
Though Gerald understands he has done wrong by cheating on Sheila, he immediately follows his apology with an excuse. ‘All over and done with’ suggests a finality and hints at a lack of emotion towards the situation. The lexis ‘girl’ instead of ‘Daisy’ shows that Gerald is attempting to detach himself from the idea of Daisy and Daisy herself. It also, however, reflects the view of women at the time as inferior to men. Whilst Gerald is less forceful and thoughtless in his denial of involvement compared to Mr. Birling, he is still clearly dismissive; ‘I don’t come into this suicide business’. With the choice of ‘this suicide business’, Gerald appears to be trying to trivialise or certainly degrade Eva’s suicide. Finally, the formality of the language shows both an attempt at detachment, a lack of emotion and regret but also the sense that Gerald views himself above it. The audience is frustrated by Gerald’s lack of compassion.

Although he eventually feels remorse and guilt, Gerald still has not entirely learnt the importance of social responsibility. He has returned to the Birling’s with the news that the Inspector was a fake and believes the situation resolved.
“Everything’s all right now, Sheila. (Holds up ring) What about this ring?”
Convinced the Inspector’s interrogation holds no social repercussions, Gerald immediately asks for Sheila back. He assumes the ‘male’ role of reassuring Sheila, who he treats as a damsel in distress. He holds no empathy for Sheila, disregarding the fact that he has cheated on her and assuming, as nothing as dramatic or important as death has occurred, she will be willing to take him back. This shows an extremely selfish and arrogant side to Gerald’s personality. ‘What about this ring?’ implies a smug, almost cocky tone. The audience is shocked and disgusted by his presumptuousness.

By contrast, Eric Birling, the last to be interrogated, seems not to be ignorant of social responsibility but not to be aware or understanding of it. Eric has returned to explain his part in Eva’s death, amidst anger from his family.
“Yes, I insisted – it seems. I’m not very clear about it, but afterwards she told me she didn’t want me to go in but that – well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty – and I threatened to make a row”
Eric is immediately suggested to have a disbelieving tone, shown clearly through the telling lexis ‘it seems’ and ‘I’m not very clear about it’. Though this could convey dismissal, J.B. Priestly describes Eric as ‘miserable’, meaning he likely hasn’t come to terms with what he’s done. Like the rest of his family, he produces an excuse – ‘well I was in that state when a chap turns nasty’. Eric blames alcohol for his actions but the use of ‘turns nasty’ heavily suggests he was forceful in his treatment of Eva. This idea is further implied with ‘I threatened to make a row’. This shows evidence of Eric’s (mostly hidden, thus far) assertiveness and a cruelty. However, we are soon reminded that Eric is only a young man, with the word choice ‘chap’. Despite the important and serious matter at discussion, Eric uses the informality of ‘chap’ to attempt to pass off his behaviour as something all men do. The audience is shocked and appalled by the knowledge of Eric’s behaviour.

Wracked with guilt and shame, Eric finally learns and understands the importance of social responsibility. Disgusted by his family’s denial of the impact of their actions, he attempts to make them see what they have caused.
“Whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her. It’s still the same rotten story whether it’s being told to a police inspector or to someone else.”
The repetition of ‘did’ creates a sense of action and the idea that the Birlings physically contributed to Eva’s death.

Similar to his father, Eric uses personal pronouns repeatedly – ‘I did’, ‘mother did’ and ‘you did’. Compared to his father, however, Eric is not placing the blame elsewhere. In the first use of a personal pronoun, Eric refers to himself, which shows that he has accepted the impact of his actions whilst the following uses show that he is also attempting to make his family see the error in their ways. It is implied that Eric is using a bitter and disgusted tone through phrases such as ‘the same rotten story’ and ‘the fact remains’. Finally, ‘whether it’s been told to a police inspector or to someone else’ shows that Eric truly cares about what he has done and not because of the impact it may have on his reputation. The audience is pleased that Eric both accepts what he has done and speaks up about his opinion.

Towards the end of the play, the Inspector gives a dramatic speech on social responsibility which conveys J.B. Priestly’s socialist views:

“One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us………, and what we think and say and do. And I tell you……..fire, blood and

anguish.”
Here, the Inspector is delivering his final word on social responsibility and it is clear throughout his speech that his tone is serious and collected.

This is conveyed through the formality of language and the similar length of each sentence, creating a sense of steadiness. He refers to those in need of the upper class’s compassion as ‘Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ as they were common name at the time. They are used to be more personal and to help the audience sympathise, because they show that stories such as Eva Smith’s could happen to anyone, including someone you know. The use of a polysyndetic list as opposed to a syndetic list when the Inspector is listing the sheer numbers – ‘millions and millions and millions’, actions – ‘think and say and do’ and the fate that will befall those who do not adhere to social responsibility – ‘fire and blood and anguish’ adds emphasis to what are already strong and emotive word choices. ‘And I tell you’ again adds a personality to the Inspector’s speech, as it gives the impression that the Inspector is sharing something with the audience. Finally, ‘fire and blood and anguish’ has connotations of hell which is employed to shock and share the Birling’s into re-evaluating their attitude towards social responsibility. Though “An Inspector Calls” shows the effects selfishness can have on a small scale, the selfish acts of those in power greatly contributed to the outbreak of World War One in 1914, two years following the setting of the play.

Therefore, the Birling family represent the typical upper class attitude at the time and how damaging it could be. Whilst the audience is pleased that the Birlings are being firmly told the error in their ways, the speech also encourages them to be introspective and evaluate their own views on social responsibility.

To summarise, “An Inspector Calls” clearly conveys the importance of social responsibility. This is shown through the Inspector’s views and final speech and the changing attitude to the younger generation, Sheila and Eric Birling. I enjoyed the play because of its mystery and ambiguity, and as it encouraged me to be critical of my own life and the implications of my actions. From “An Inspector Calls”, I have learnt that the tiny selfish actions we perform day to day and take for granted can have a massive effect and that it is important to be aware of the ways in which you can unknowingly impact others and their lives.