Context

• What type of play is 'An Inspector Calls'?

  Drawing room play - these rooms were used for entertaining guests, particularly among the upper classes
• When was 'An Inspector Calls' first performed?

  1945
• Priestley's life

  • Grew up in Bradford, witnessed poverty among the working class
  • Raised surrounded by socialist values
  • Haunted by his experiences in WWI
• Priestley's political pursuits

  • Became a radio broadcaster for the BBC in WWII, exposing the issue of inequality in wartime Britain
  • Became the co-founder of the Commonwealth Party (a socialist party) in 1942
  • Contributed to the formation of the Welfare State (protecting economic and social wellbeing of citizens)
• What was the Victorian view on philanthropy?

  • Charity was only given to the 'deserving poor', meaning that they were judged for their worth in society
  • Giving to charity was seen as an impressive, Christian feat that gave social and moral superiority. However, the poor were expected to practice self-help
• When was 'An Inspector Calls' set?

  1912
• What was the Victorian influence on how "sinful" women were seen?

  • Women who had lost their innocence - e.g. prostitutes - were called "fallen women"
  • There was an effort for these women to be saved by men e.g. with religious teachings but Priestley suggested that these men were driven by lust
• There was a lot of repression during the Victorian Era - what influence did this have in the 1910's?

  • Men would live a double life. By night, they would be going to brothels and seeing prostitutes, things they would condemn by day
  • This is evidenced by the characters Eric and Gerald in the play
• What is jingoism?

  A derogatory word for extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive foreign policy
• What was the effect of WWII on the British public?

  It gave them a sense of cooperation
• Women in 1912

  • Often had no education so had to go into jobs requiring very low skill, therefore they were paid very little
  • Unmarried women were ostracised by society - if one became pregnant, there were very little options, and some risked backstreet abortions
  • Women were expected to be quiet and agreeable - they were not expected to engage in work and politics
  • Women were not entitled to equal pay in the workplace - their husband's job determined their social class
• Why had women's right come a long way after 1945?

  The war effort meant that women had taken over the jobs of men
• What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the upper class?

  • There was now a divide between the upper class - "old money", whose wealth ran in the family, and "new money", who had earned their fortune through the new method of industry
  • The Birlings are an example of "new money" and the Crofts are an example of "old money" - this creates tension through the marriage of Gerald and Sheila
• When did the Women's Suffrage movement begin?

  1912 - this put a lot of pressure on the government to allow women to vote and own property
• What is a bildungsroman and who does this relate to in the play?

  A coming-of-age story - relates to Sheila
• What is the proletariat?

  working class people regarded as a collective
• What is the bourgeoisie?

  the capitalist class who own most of society's wealth and means of production in Marxist terms

  OR

  the middle class, especially in reference to its materialism and conventional attitudes
• What is nepotism?

  the practice among those in power of favouring relatives or friends
• Explain Ouspensky's theory and how it is relevant to the play

  The theory of eternal recurrence

  The universe is recurring and will continue to do so, so people should aim to change and stop making old mistakes

  The Inspector seems to come from some time in the future to warn the Birlings to try and change, but they do not, so they have to go through it all again
• Who is credited for the theory of eternal recurrence?

  Ouspensky