J.B. Priestley's Main Aim in An Inspector Calls

J.B. Priestley's Main Aim in An Inspector Calls

John Boyton Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire on September 18,

1894. In the same year his died. His father remarried four years

later. At the age of 16 John left school and tried for a university

scholarship. He gained experience from becoming a junior clerk. He

then joined infantry for the outbreak of the war. He then became an

essayist in 1920, he was very successful. During WWII, he made a

weekly radio station but then got cancelled. He wrote till 1970 and

then died in 1984.

The quote "We don't live alone we are members of one body. We are

responsible for each other" is Inspector Goole's last speech.

Priestley's main aim in this speech is to encourage people to

responsibility for their actions and not to blame others. Priestley's

aims show his attitudes and ideas though his mouth piece; Inspector

Goole. Some the Birling family are used to show how we are not to act

and the other part of the Birling's are used to show how we are

supposed to react to bad actions that we have committed.

The first time we see the Birling family they are celebrating for

Sheila and Gerald. Mr. Birling is having a conversation about him and

his business:

"You're the kind of son in law I've always wanted. Your father and I

have been friendly rivals in business …….. And now you've brought us

together," (Act I page 4).

His conversation shows that he is selfish, later in his conversation

he says to his family that:

"A man has to make his own way, has to look after him self and family

too."

(Act I page 10).

In the same speech Arthur Birling quotes:

"You'd think ever...

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...rit from the future.

This then leaves the question who was the Inspector. The Inspector was

a ghostly mouthpiece and stage device for Priestley. The Inspector has

been used to warn every one the sort of things that can happen when we

act like Arthur or Mrs B. Priestley is teaching us that if we are to

succeed we are to work together.

In conclusion An Inspector Calls all the characters have been used as

some sort of a device. Arthur and Mrs B. are used as characters that

we are not to behave as. Sheila is a character who we are to learn

from. The Inspector has been used as a mouthpiece of Priestley. The

play is a success. Cleverly Priestley uses different ways to get his

message across. He uses the younger generation to learn from their

mistakes, he shows that we are to work together and look out for each

other.