In this essay, I’ll write about how Priestly has presented the character Mr.B (the father, who fired Eva Smith due to her asking for a small pay rise) on pages 6-7, in the play “An Inspector calls” (first performed in 1945). It was set in a Midland Industrial town in 1912. The plot of this dramatic play is based around a visit by an inspector to an ostensibly normal and well-respected family. He’s come to investigate the suspicious death of a girl named Eva Smith. On pages 6-7, Mr. Birling’s character is depicted as a stubborn, obnoxious and self-obsessed man. As if rather than celebrating the engagement of Gerald and Mr Birling’s daughter, Sheila, he is celebrating the merge of Mr Birling’s and Gerald's fathers businesses. You can see
this from when he says “I hope it won’t be too long before you’re married”. Surely, if he only wanted the best for them, he wouldn’t care how long it took for them to get married, as long as they’re happy. However, this is not the case. He wants to make money from this innocent marriage and the quicker it happens, the better; this shows that Mr Birling might not even care for the actual marriage and Sheila’s prosperity. This
How Priestly Uses the Characters to Represent His Own Views on Society The play "An Inspector Calls" is set in 1912 but was written in 1945. Edwardian society at that time (1912) was strictly divided into social classes and over two-thirds of the nation's wealth was in the hands of less than 1% of the population. Below the very rich were the middle classes (doctors and merchants, shop workers and clerks), after that came the craftsmen and skilled workers. At the very bottom of the social ladder was the largest class of all - the ordinary workers and the poor, many of whom lived below the poverty level. The men of industry treated the workers very badly and they were paid pittance.
she needed more money. So she said to him give me 25/6 because of that
was on his way and that a girl was on her way to the hospital after
I am so glad that I have time to think now. I cannot get over all that
Do you agree that Eva Smith is presented as a victim in the play ‘An
Examine Priestley's use of dramatic techniques to create tension in the play. Priestly was a socialist writer, and 'An Inspector Calls' is one of the plays in which he tried to display his socialist ideals in. The play was written in the 1940's, a little after the end of the Second World War, and it was first performed in 1946, in Russia, then later in England. Priestly had served in World War 1, and the terrible scenes he saw lead to him having socialist views. He was inspired by other writers whose views he shared, especially George Orwell and H.G.
tells a speech about how it is the best day of his life, "Gerald, I'm
Within the play “An Inspector Calls, J.B Priestley uses ideas and themes to form the play and explore areas of our society and real problems to structure the play. One of the main themes of the play is responsibility. Responsibility is used by all of the main characters in the play and presented in different ways by each of them, by their different outlooks on responsibility and how they have varying degrees of their thought of their involvement with Eva Smith that resulted in her suicide. As responsibility is a key theme, Priestley uses it as a way to connect with us and to understand our personal responsibility in society. He wants us to learn to accept responsibility like Sheila and Eric and not avoid it like Arthur and Sybil. The play
JB Priestley’s intent in ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to convey the attitudes of socialism to the minds of the society in the Edwardian Era as he was a passionate believer of the concept. Priestley has attempted this through the employment of ‘Inspector Goole’ in the play. In the play drama is displayed through a variety of methods for the interest of the audience and the communication of personal views from JB Priestley.
The Inspector is the lone voice in this play, reflecting Priestley’s socialist views and reminding each character of their moral and social responsibility. He challenges each characters deeply held belief and reveals how their selfish capitalist views have destroyed someone’s life
In conclusion, many audiences are drawn to think that Priestly was successful in his main aim. At the end of plays audiences are drawn to think about societies and how their actions have affected other people in that same society. Priestly presents his main aim through, the inspector. The inspectors intentions when he visited the Birling`s was to make them understand, that what they did lead to Eva Smith?s death. And also to make them feel some responsibility for her death, this reflects Priestleys main aim to make an audience feel responsibility for others in their community.
He was particularly scathing about the class system and the extreme contrasts of wealth and poverty prevalent at that time. He also disapproved of the selfishness within the individual and the fact that many people were only concerned with their own power, profit and gain. Priestley powerfully highlighted the exploitation of women and through the character of Eva Smith, he illustrated the rights that women were beginning to voice in society. Finally, Priestley used the different characters in his play to show the how the sins of greed, pride and selfishness have so corrupted society that the individual has become oblivious to the consequences of their actions, in this case culminating in the death of Eva Smith. Although 'Inspector Calls' is set in 1912, it was first written in 1945 and produced on the lst October 1946, just after World War 11.
shop on a day when she was clearly not in a very good mood and claimed
An Inspector Calls was written by J.B. Priestley after the Second World War. Written in 1945, however set in 1912, the purpose was to challenge the ideals of the general public of Great Britain and to convey Priestley’s own social and political message through the contrasting characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole who hold capitalist and socialist beliefs respectively. The date the play was set, 1912 represented an era that was largely controlled by capitalist principles and the mistreatment of the working class. By 1945 many of the class and gender boundaries central in the play were being questioned and partially addressed. Being a socialist, Priestley believed in responsibility, both individually and collectively. He wrote this play
The play is written in 1945, after the end of Second World War but the play was set on a spring evening in 1912, which is two years before the World War One. J.B. Priestly have set the play 35 years in past so that he can involve the audience in the play. The play is about social responsibility. Priestley uses the play to present his ideas on responsibility and society. He uses the character of the Inspector as a mouth-piece for his ideas. For example the Inspector exclaims ‘We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other’. Priestley is suggesting that we should all look after one another, and that those who have power over others should use it for the common good, not just for their own benefit. It is clear by the end of the