Social class

• Priestly uses Social class to show how we are all members of one community and must look after each other
• the character represent a social class - they show the stereotypical behaviour and views to show how it is not right
• Working class


  Eva - she struggles to get work due to her little pay and gets punished for striking for more money, she gets fired for looking pretty when someone was in a bad mood, she gets left when Gerald feels she no longer needs her, she gets impregnated by Eric and Mrs Birling refuses to help her even though that is what charities are supposed to do

  she shows how the upper class does not see the consequences of their actions as she ended up committing suicide
• working class 


  Edna - she has been treated badly by the Birlings, they use imperative to order her around with no sense of being polite, she turns the lights from pink and intimate to bright and intimidating (she is revealing their truths), she isn't offered to celerbrate the engagement, she has to stay up in case the Birling's want her

  she shows how the upper class is self centred and this makes those lower down life's tiring

  parlour maids - out of fashion in 1945 (shows Birlings ways were out of time) - low pay and long hours
• middle class 


  The Birlings

  they are wealthy, own a business and are able to live comfortably

  they try to move up a class - Mr Birling hinting at a knighthood, Sheila's engagement to an upper class man (Gerald)
• Upper class


  Gerald

  Gerald's mother's family are 'landed people' - his family are higher up in society then the Birlings

  Parents = Lord and Lady Croft

  they don't have to work as they have enough money to survive

  Gerald's parent may disprove of Gerald's marriage to Sheila as they do not go to the engagement meal hosted by the Birlings - Sheila is lower class
• the class system meant the lower class struggled 


  made life difficult for those lower down

  Priestley presents the upper class as ignorant - and don't accept social responsibility for those below them

  Mrs Birling claims not to recognise Eva/Daisy's photo - to her Eva has no identity / doesn't matter to her
• Priestly presents the upper class as ignorant to their problems/issues - they don't question the class system as it works/benefits them - Birlings overlook Eric's alcoholism and all the males womanising

  Inspector Goole says everyone should be responsible for everyone else - socialists (makes it easier for the poor people)
• The Birling's biggest worry about Eva's death is what would happen to their reputation and how Birling may not receive his knighthood due to the 'public scandal'
• Mrs Birling being on a charity - Brumley's women's Charity Organisation - these women are supposed to help women of the lower class in need but Mrs Birling refuses to help Eva due to her pretending to be Mrs Birling - this shows how Mrs Birling is only a member of the Charity because she wants to demonstrate her power and control and have a high status - corruption
• Priestley thoughts class shouldn't matter


  Priestly uses the play to reveal the injustice of the working class and how the class system is unfair - the Birling's to exaggerates the capitalist views and middle/upper class - bad qualities

  Priestly portrays his views of the upper class through the Birlings arrogant behaviour and how it is common within the upper class

  Priestly thinks the working class are victims of the class system - Eva represent the working class, 'millions and millions' of people would have been treated by her
• How people act isn't just about class


  Eva is expected to have low morals - Mrs Birling describes her as 'not a good case' - Despite this Eva refuses to accept stole money from Eric

  Birling's think class is all that matters - Priestley tries to present the opposite view - he creates distrust in the Birlings (and their views) by using the Titanic and World War 1+2

  Sheila and Eric change their minds at the end of the play to show individuals can break out of the class system and have their own views