capitalism vs socialism

• The theme of capitalism vs socialism, alongside social responsibility, was arguably one of Priestley’s main intentions with writing ‘An Inspector Calls’.
• Mr Birling felt intimidated and overpowered by the Inspector while he was there, and by insulting him behind his back, Mr Birling can reinstate himself as the leader.
• Priestley himself was a socialist, but Britain was - and still is - a capitalist country.
• The Birlings represent the prospering capitalists in society, while the Inspector acts as Priestley’s socialist mouthpiece.
• The play itself illustrates capitalism’s eventual fall to socialism, suggesting socialism is the superior, more beneficial, and more powerful political system.
• Capitalism is an economic system where the factors of production (capital goods, natural resources, and entrepreneurship, the skill of setting up businesses) are owned and controlled by private groups or individuals.
• In a Capitalist society, people are rewarded according to their wealth, not contribution.
• Socialism is where the factors of production are owned equally by everyone in society.
• Socialism considers the resources’ usefulness to people.
• A Socialist government would provide services such as education and health care.
• Socialism ensures that those who can’t contribute to production, such as the elderly, are still cared for.
• There are aspects of socialism within British society: our NHS, free education and benefits system are examples.
• Socialism was initially designed in the nineteenth century to improve the standard of living for the working class.
• Poverty is not possible in an ideal Socialist society because everyone has equal access to profits and resources such as health care.
• Everyone owns the means of production in Socialism, so they cannot be exploited for their labour - everyone contributes and everyone benefits.
• Many Capitalists would respect Mr Birling for his success, but Priestley encourages his audience to look at him through a Socialist lens.
• Priestley suggests society at the time revolved around the concepts of capital and labour, and "agitations" implies the structure is not stable.
• Mr Birling represents the Capital side of the conflict, and it is the implications of this that Priestley explores through the play.
• Priestley uses Mr Birling to portray Capitalist greed, explaining to Gerald, "Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time now, and now you've brought us together, and perhaps we may look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings are working together for lower costs and higher prices."
• Mr Birling describes how "employers are at last coming together to see that our interests and the interests of Capital are properly protected."
• Priestley suggests employers chose to protect their profits rather than protecting their workers.
• Mr Birling presents the interests of Capital and his own interests as the same thing, showing how his identity is entirely contained within his desire for money.
• Priestley presents Capitalism as a self-absorbed, amoral system where an individual’s purpose is reduced to their ability to make money.
• Priestley uses Mr Birling to reflect Capitalism’s arrogance and dominance at the start of the century, describing him as "hard-headed", "practical", and a "businessman".
• Priestley suggests Capitalists were fully confident in their economy, and were unaware of its failings, comparing them to the Titanic.
• Mr Birling’s admiration for the Titanic, its unquestioned size and power, mimics the Capitalist’s desire for such domination.
• Ultimately, the Titanic wasn’t "unsinkable", symbolizing the economic system of capitalism’s fatal flaws.
• Priestley shows that the economic system of capitalism has fatal flaws, discouraging people from looking after one another.
• Mr Birling repeats both the mantra that "a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself" and the claim "I can’t accept any responsibility", associating both perspectives with Capitalism.
• Capitalism centres around private ownership, and so Mr Birling’s vision of the self-made man was the Capitalist dream.
• The imagery in the Inspector’s accusation, “You slammed the door in her face”, (Act 2, pg 45) , demonstrates how Capitalists constructed barriers that blocked off resources from others.
• Capitalism encourages people to use their power to rig the system, creating obstacles for others to stop them succeeding in the same way.
• Eva Smith represents the “Labour” side of the “Capital versus Labour agitations,” (Act 1, pg 7) .
• Eva is exploited and abused by the Capitalist system innumerable times and is never rewarded for her hard work.
• Instead of being rewarded for her hard work, Eva is punished for demanding recognition.
• By the end of the play, Eva has been forced out of the system altogether, living on the streets without a job and no access to money.
• Capitalism is not designed to help the poor succeed.
• Capitalism helps the rich make more and more money while the working class falls further and further down the social ladder.
• Eva is a disposable piece in the Capitalist machinery, useful and valuable only as long as she is providing labour.
• Eva’s experience in Mr Birling’s factory encapsulates this Capitalist mindset where workers are an unwanted liability.