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How is the character of mrs birling presented in an inspector calls
What is social class in an inspector calls
How is mrs birling presented in an inspector calls essay
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An inspector calls' - what is the main message and is it still
relevant today?
We get the impression that she is a when Priestly adds, ‘very pleased
with life’. She is ignorant to the world of the working class, and is
constantly surrounded by her riches without even considering the lives
of other people. During the engagement party, Gerald gives Sheila an
engagement ring. This is to represent their relationship and love. Her
words on receiving the gift are ‘Oh –Gerald-you’ve got it’. The pause
in her sentence indicates the excitement in her voice. She then
becomes very involved with the present- like a child receiving a
birthday gift. Mr. Birling is about to make his speech about the war
and the Titanic, however, he pauses when he realizes that Sheila may
not be listening, as she is only concentrating on her ring. This is
what a child may do when receiving a toy. This as with both her
‘mummy’ and her father gives us the impression that these people are
annoying and makes us dislike them.
WHOM 2 BLAME
After the inspector leaves the house, they are shocked, but then think
about the idea whether the inspector really is the guy he pretends to
be and they come to the conclusion that he is not an inspector after
all. They find this out by contacting the police who then unfold the
truth about him. The play finishes when the police calls saying a
young lady died and an inspector is on his way to the Birling house.
I think the whole play is very important and a good example of
collective responsibility. You understand the problem which follows
the behaviour of those people. The content shows the bad treatment of
a “normal “family towards a person, who lives on a lower social
standard, without realizing that they destroy this person’s life. This
is as significant for the society of that time as it is for the
society in our own time. This will never change. The play wants to
show that poor people did not have a chance to change their lives to
improve it. This is only possible in our world and in our time.
My main reason for thinking that Mrs. Birling is responsible is
because she was not only the last step before Eva/Daisy ended her life
but because in my eyes she was the most powerful one. Eva/Daisy was at
a time where she was most emotional and she must have been feeling
as it matters ‘a devil of a lot to him’. He is relieved that there is
Sheila says this to Eric at the table. As we can see this is quite a
the play is set in 1912. The main themes of the play are lies, love,
audience in his play. I will be analysing act one of the play to try
The Birlings are holding a party to celebrate their daughter’s engagement with Gerald Croft. The pleasant scene is interrupted when a rather shady looking Inspector gives them a visit, investigating the suicide of a young working-class girl in her middle twenties. Each family member is interrogated and they all find out that they are somehow linked to the girl’s death.
Many women living alone and supporting themselves (for example by working in factories- like Mr Birling's) and their families demonstrate this, whereas the upper class women are totally dependent on their husbands for money and accommodation. The play shows that the treatment of working class women is degrading. For example it portrays the assumptions that the working class women who are jobless are quite willing to turn to prostitution. " Have you any idea what happened to her after that? Get into trouble?
"And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don't need to know any
Wells, both of whom references are made to in the opening pages of the play. A lot of the tension in the play is between Birling and the Inspector, both of who are powerful figures in the household and are both vying for dominance, creating a lot of tension. This is symbolic of the global struggle between capitalism and socialism, the Inspector represents Priestley's socialist views, and Birling, the antithesis of the Inspector represents capitalist views, which is made clear through his speech "the interests of Capital steadily increasing prosperity." When the Inspector is there, Birling is very fast to drop the blame on someone else, insisting "I can't accept any responsibility" which is a complete contrast of what the Inspector says, telling the family to "share the blame among yourselves when I have left" This constant conflict, which is often at the heart of the dramatic genre itself, makes sure there is tension whenever the two characters are talking to each other. This conflict is not the only one within the play.
In the play “An inspector calls” by J.B priestly, Mr Birling and Shelia Birling have contrasting attitudes to social issues. The author uses this to difference to highlight the diversity between generations and their reaction to situations faced. Arthur Birling is the father to Shelia Birling and is presented as the old fashion generation whereas Shelia is the young generation, who is more aware of the responsibility she has towards other people.The play begins with Mr birling and his family celebrating the engagement of Shelia and Gerald. The atmosphere is happy and light-hearted. Before the inspector arrives, Mr Birling is happy with life and himself “It’s one of the happiest nights of my life.” This shows that Mr Birling is quire selfish because he only thinks that it is one of the happiest nights of his life and not of Shelia and Gerald.
use to work at a big well known shop called Millward but lost her job
The whole family’s actions are the cause of Eva’s death however the message about responsibility the Inspector presents is only take on board by Eric and Sheila. In conclusion, Priestley clearly gets across his message of responsibility towards others in the play. A clever script cunningly executed points out Priestley’s views to the audience. ‘Responsibility’ is the focal point of the play and is consistently addressed at the end of each interrogation, but the Birlings fail to recognise this.
The history of the time the play was written helps us to understand the views and the feelings expressed by Priestley in the play. The inspector transfers Priestley’s views and he shows the difference in social classes at the time. A gap which he wants to diminish. He illustrates the reason for this in the play, via the inspector, where he outlines the ways each of the Birlings have influenced someone from a completely different background and social class. This is the way Priestley viewed pre-war England.
they have done even know they do not lead her to her suicide. But a
Through his play Priestley endeavoured to convey a message to the audiences, that we could not go on being self obsessed and that we had to change our political views. He used the Birling family as an example of the Capitalist family that was common amongst the higher classes in 1912, who took no responsibility for other people and he showed this with the power of Socialism, represented by the inspector; the uneasy facade put on by the Birling family to cover up their real flaws and how they have treated those whom they considered to be lower class could not stand up to any scrutiny without shame for what had happened, showing that they know they have been wrong.
The theme of the play has to do with the way that life is an endless cycle. You're born, you have some happy times, you have some bad times, and then you die. As the years pass by, everything seems to change. But all in all there is little change. The sun always rises in the early morning, and sets in the evening. The seasons always rotate like they always have. The birds are always chirping. And there is always somebody that has life a little bit worse than your own.