The Story of Eva Smith’s Life in Arthur Miller's An Inspector Calls

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The Story of Eva Smith’s Life in Arthur Miller's An Inspector Calls

Introduction:

John Boynton Priestley was born in Bradford in 1894. Priestley wrote

over 50 plays, the most notable being ‘Dangerous Corner’, ‘Time and

the Conways’, ‘When We Are Married’ and ‘An Inspector Calls

‘An Inspector Calls’ was set in 1912 and is deliberately set before

the 2nd World War in order to convey a moral message that we have to

learn from our mistakes, and this is done through the inspector and

through Eva Smith. The play was first shown in 1945 and an audience

watching it would have the benefit of knowing what has happened in

relation to historical events mentioned in the play.

The whole play revolves around a symbolic character called Eva Smith.

She continuously changes her name to try and start a new life but

things always go wrong for her. For example when she gets fired from

Mr Birlings factory, she gets another job but Sheila Birling gets her

fired because she thought she was laughing at her. Eva is never seen

in the play and we only know what she looks like from what the

Inspector says about her. It is perhaps poignant that she is never

seen or heard in the play. It may point to the attitudes of the middle

and upper classes towards the lower classes symbolising that they

don’t really notice them,

Eva represents the lower class citizens that are treated like she was,

“there are millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us,

with their lives … intertwined with ours … we don’t live alone.” She

is the little person to whom society has a duty, especially fortunate

Birlings.

...

... middle of paper ...

...ociety in which we live. Priestley

speaks through the inspector, he warns the audience of what will

happen if they don’t learn their lesson and that the attitudes of the

time are the wrong attitudes to have and are not the attitudes to have

if people want to move forward.

Conclusion

The attitudes of the middle and upper classes cause the tragic death

of Eva Smith; Priestley deliberately portrays the attitudes from

people at the time in a negative way. The younger generation watch

this play and realise that how they were treating the lower classes

was wrong and therefore change how they treat them. Priestley wants

his audience to see and accept his moral message, as revealed by the

inspector, to achieve a better future for all the people within the

society whether they are upper, middle or lower class citizens.

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