The Reflection of J. B. Priestley's Political and Philosophical Beliefs in An Inspector Calls In 1945 J. B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls". It is a very tense play; the audience are always on the edge of their seats. It is didactic as it conveys a social and moral meaning to the play. The play has naturalistic conversation all the way through, to make it seem real, like you could be there. But it also has surreal elements; for example; the inspectors name is Inspector Goole. This sounds like a ghoul or a ghost. And at the end of the play, he disappears and his existence remains a mystery. In the play Priestley is making political and philosophical statements. He is offering us, the …show more content…
Priestley wrote the play in 1945, but the play itself is set in 1912. I think he did this because they play is set two years before the outbreak of the First World War. Looking back on it, Priestly must have thought that 1912 seemed to be a secure time. Britain had a Navy, no wars were going on and Britain was wealthy. For people like the Birlings, life must have seemed great. But to people like Eva Smith, times were hard. There were no laws to help them get higher wages, and no help when they were out of work. To girls like Eva Smith it was a taste of hell. This creates a sense of unease and an ironic contrast as at the end of the play, it is the Birlings that are in hell, maybe not money wise, but in their conscience. Priestley is trying to make a social comment on the war, as families like the Birlings, war doesn't seem possible. They are so wrapped up in their own worlds; they don't seem to be able to acknowledge reality. The play is set …show more content…
I think that Mr Birling clashes with the Inspector because he fails to see he has done anything wrong. The Inspector thinks he has, and is trying to show Birling this. But Birling refuses to believe it. "I don't see we need to tell the Inspector anything more. In fact there's nothing I can tell. I told the girl to clear out, and she went. That's the last I heard of her." He was explaining how he washed his hands of this girl and he sees no reason why this has anything has anything to do with why Eva Smith killed herself. Birling still doesn't realise that this was the start of it. He played a part in the long string of events that led to her suicide. Later on in the play, I think he almost recognises that the whole family has done something wrong. But as soon as he starts to think this, Birling gets the news that the Inspector is not real, so he feels excited, relieved that the blame is taken away from him. However he is not entirely satisfied so he gets Gerald to ring the Infirmary and he then finds out that there is no dead girl. He is then very triumphant and relieved as is the rest of the
This caused workers to become better organised and strikes were becoming more frequent as they demanded better conditions and higher pay. J.B. Priestley was writing the play for a middle class audience and was trying to speak up for the working class by showing how the Birlings and Gerald Croft were all involved in making a young working class girl's life a misery. Priestley wants to show us that we have a responsibility to others to act fairly and without prejudice and that we do not live in isolation. Our actions affect others.
J.B. Priestley's Motives Behind An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1894. His mother
"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.
technology and how a man should live. He says 'A man has to make his
Priestley explores the relationships between men and women as he shows that the Birlings look at people's gender to judge them. Sheila is a representation of stereotypical girls during that time period, who obsess over pretty clothing and expensive things. As when she gets the ring, she describes it as "a beauty". Moreover, Priestley shows that men have a higher status than women and they make all the decisions as Sheila asks Gerald "is it the one you wanted me to have?" Furthermore, in the play, it's shown that the expectations of women were to act innocent and pure and that they should seek protection from "unpleasant and disturbing" things.
talks with. He is a man who has come to the Birling's house to do his
The play was written in the 1945 but is set in 1912. The 1910's was a
The Role of the Inspector in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls When the inspector is first introduced, it is as a Police Inspector. This leads both the other characters and the reader to assume that his role will be to ask questions and collect evidence, which he can use to solve the crime. However, as the play progresses, it becomes clear that there is more to the inspector that meets the eye, as he seems to know everything that has happened to Eva Smith, before the Birlings tell him so.
satisfied. He talks a lot and likes the sound of his own voice. He's a
play is set in 1912, only 2 years before the outbreak of WW1, and in
the suicide of Eva Smiths death. The aim of the story is to, try to
family, but it must not be 'cosy’ or homely. The lighting is to be a
In “An Inspector Calls”, during the extract, Priestley uses tension to create a dramatic scene. Tension is an important part of the play as in many situations, such as when the audience finds out about Eva Smith’s death, it leads to feelings like guilt and shameful confessions, among the characters.
... may mean that if a person does not learn from their mistakes the first