AIC context

• an inspector calls is based in


  1912
• an inspector calls was written in


  1945
• what was class system like in 1912?

  - rigid class system with little social mobility -> this was a continuation of the victorian eras fixed social structure

  - in early 1900s, 25% of people lived in poverty, 10% lived below subsistence
• what was the driving force for the poverty in early 1900s? and who was an indictment of this?

  - the driving force behind this was underpayment of workers

  - Priestley creates Eva as an indictment of this inhumane treatment of the working class

  - so Eva stays poor as mr Birling pays his worker less so he can get more which exacerbates the class divide because the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor -> works in the riches favour
• what was class system like in 1945?

  - increased social mobility arose when the equal pay franchise act 1928 was introduced -> all men and women over 21 could vote

  - opressed lower classes now had a political voice

  - despite enfranchisement there was still prejudices around working classes
• what is Priestley aiming to highlight to his 1945 audience?

  - Priestley aims to highlight the detrimental impacts of class divide to his 1945 audience through the example of 1912 society

  - showing the audience 1912 society being very segregated, Priestley is encouraging his audience to reflect on how far they have come and how they don't want to regress back to this rigid class system

  - more social mobility provides more equality for people as shown in 1945 as people have a chance to vote and voice their political views
• how does class system link?

  - the Birllings represent those who enforced and supported the lack of social mobility

  - they thrived off the fixed social structure (e.g mr Birling benefitted as he got more money due to setting lower wages)

  - ironic as Mr billing wants to advance himself with the union of "Crofts and Birllings" ( mr B is happy to be united with the Crofts who are a class above him because it benefits him, but doesn't like it when the lower classes are trying to move up the social ranking and get money like Eva hence why mr B sacked her)

  - mr Birling personifies the underpayment that underpinned poverty in 1912 as he underpays Eva who is a microcosm of the lower classes and how they were exploited and treated in dehumanising, animalistic ways due to taking full advantage of this laissez faire approach where he can set his own rates and benefit from it
• politics 1912


  - Britain was capitalist and conservative

  - liberal government supported social reform (change in society) but had a laissez-faire approach with the economy -> this meant that the government had little intervention in the economy and businesses could set their own rates
• how to link 1912 politics to capitalism

  capitalism is personified through mr Birling as he would have been a member of society who would have strongly favoured the laissez-faire approach as this meant that he could exploit his workers for extra profit
• politics 1945


  - biggest electoral swing in the 20th century in 1945 -> the Labour Party won the general election by a landslide victory of around 10%

  - this was a shock to the Conservative party who proved popular in the war

  - the labour parties appeal to the public was their strong commitment to the Beveridge Report, placing an emphasis on welfare rights and the need for the NHS
• how to link politics in 1945 to 'capitalism to socialism'


  the electoral swing from capitalism to socialism could be seen to be evident within sheila and Eric as they had a huge swing from capitalism to socialism when introduced to the inspector (who would have promoted welfare rights.) The general need for society to be united in society is replicated in sheila and Eric understanding that the segregation of classes was not beneficial and needed to be abolished
• J.B Priestley


  - As a young boy he was surrounded by socialism and socialist ideologies

  - his father was a passionate socialist, leading to these views being absorbed from a young age

  - his contributions in WW1 lead to his realisation of the vast inequalities that plague society
• how to link Priestley to socialism

  Priestley's strong socialist ideologies are personified through the inspector. the inspector acts as a moral compass for the Birlings, aiming to guide them away from their dehumanising capitalist worldwide views by introducing them to socialism. Thus, priestley vilifies capitalists, particularly through Mr and Mrs Birling, to make socialism seem a more favourable societal approach
• women 1912


  - disenfranchised (had no vote)

  - patriarchal society was male dominated

  - women were seen as property of their fathers and husbands (sheila clearly displays this) with no political or legal rights

  - 1876 the London society from women's suffrage was created to campaign for women's rights
• how to link women in 1912 to the play

  Sheila is presented as disenfranchised at the beginning of the play -> her infantile language and short dialogue representing how women were oppressed and silenced politically and socially in 1912. Also Eva's animalistic treatment can't be disregarded just as being down to classism. her status as a lower-class women made her more susceptible to this abuse
• women 1945

  women's effort on Homefront was a pivotal turning point -> seen as valuable

  - before WW2, changes were still made like in 1928 when all women gained equal voting rights to men

  - women had gained more rights but not equal. Inequality still plagued society
• how to link women in 1945 to sheila in the play

  the change in the 1912 women bring more outspoken in their need for rights may be used by Priestley within the character of Sheila. her uncensored and developed voice may emulate the politics of women at the time. women were not entirely equal in society; however, a shift was seen in society post WW2 with people treating each other with more humanity and compassion following the devastating loss of life