The Theme of Responsibility in An Inspector Calls

The Theme of Responsibility in An Inspector Calls

John Boyton Priestly (1894-1984) wrote ‘An inspector calls' in 1945

and it was first performed in 1946. The play was set in 1912. Priestly

wrote this play to send out a message of responsibility to the people.

Priestly believed that even in 1945 they were still the same as they

were in 1912, which is why Priestly choose to set the play in 1912,

along with various other reasons, such as he wanted the audience to

have the benefit of dramatic irony.

During the Second World War, the people had united to fight one common

enemy. This unity was that he wanted us to understand and believe in.

He wanted to give everyone a choice. Should we go back to the way it

was before the First World War, when everything was based on class,

where an individual had to look solely after themselves, and no one

else, or should we move forward, walk into the society where everyone

looks for one another, where we all are equal and we work together? He

wanted people to choose. He demonstrates the difference with the older

generation representing the society where you care for yourself, and

some of the younger generation that represents a new society where you

care for one another.

Priestly used dramatic irony to discredit Mr. Birling’s pronouncements

in the opening scene. When Mr. Birling, head of the family and a

respectable business man, talks of things that the audience knows is

wrong, such as his opinion of the ‘unsinkable’ titanic, we begin to

doubt Mr. Birling’s opinions, because we already know that the Titanic

does in fact sink.

At the time of which the play was set in, there were bitter divisions

between the rich and the poor, industrial towns such as ‘Brumley’ were

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... was to change, he knew the adults were

stuck in their own reality and will never change so he puts his hope

into the children. However, Priestly also knew that some of the

children like the adults will not agree with his ideals, which is

where Gerald comes in. Gerald is just like Mr. Birling as he does not

think that he has done anything wrong. For these reason I dislike him.

J. B. Priestly’s message (told via the inspector) tells us that we

should have collective responsibility, and share our duties equally

between us all. Do we really want to live in a world where those of

higher class choose our fate, or do we want to choose our own fate?

His message is still relevant today, as I think we still live in a

society such as the one Priestly desires, we still need to learn his

message, as we need to remember our responsibility for others and

ourselves.