Context

• Priestley's Goals

  • Attack capitalism
  • Advocate for socialism - specifically social responsibility
  • Highlight the progress of Britain
• The Class System

  • Britain was in a rut when it came to social responsibility
  • The lower class lived in squalid disease-riddled conditions with little to no education
  • The upper class had plenty of money to spare
  • Huge & easily spotted distinction between lower class & upper class in every aspect
• Role of Women

  • Women were seen an second-class citizens
  • Lower class women had to work to support themselves - only allowed jobs that were deemed "appropriate" for women to have (nurses/cleaners). Stopped working when married - top priority was to have children & taking care of household
  • It was deemed inappropriate for upper class women to have jobs under any circumstance - only responsibility was to improve family's social status by marrying & having kids.
• The Titanic

  • Sunk when AIC was set (1912).
  • Those in upper class were put in lifeboats first.
  • Staff and crew were left to drown.
  • Very few third-class passengers even made it above deck.
• Priestley departs from the 'well-made play' and 'whodunnit' genre is many ways:

  • all of the 'suspects' are guilty
  • not all of the 'suspects' accept guilt
  • the mystery element is about who/what the inspector represents
  • the 'happy ending' turns sour when Mr Birling answers the phone
• Aristotle's Three Unities

  1. Unity of Time - meaning that the playing time of the play follows precisely the amount of time that the actions take to unfold.
  2. Unity of Place - means that everything happens in the same place.
  3. Unity of Action - means that there is only one plot.