an inspector calls

• An Inspector Calls is a play by JB Priestley
• Dramatic irony


  Where the audience knows what has happened but the characters in the play do not
• Contextual factors in 1912


  • Country still benefitting from new technology
  • Rigid class system
  • Conservative politics and government (individual responsibility)
  • Strong social division
  • Women subservient to and financially dependent on men
• Contextual factors in 1946

  • 2 World Wars had taken place
  • Class system was less rigid
  • Women could now vote
  • Politics were more socialist (collective responsibility)
• Capitalism


  An economic system based on the private ownership of industry
• Problems with capitalism


  • Leads to the few exploiting the many
  • Those who have the money have the power to stop others from sharing their wealth
  • No social mobility
  • The richer get richer and the poorer get poorer
• Socialism


  The belief that as a society, we have to look after one another
• Socialism


  • The rich are responsible for looking after the poor
  • Taxation is sometimes higher in a socialist state so that the Welfare State can be paid for (e.g. NHS, schools, unemployment benefit)
  • Socialists do not want a class system
• Priestley lived through the time period the play is set and fought in WW1
• Priestley saw the sufferings of war first hand and wanted to avoid further wars
• Priestley's play represents the conflicting views on Capitalism and Socialism
• Priestley was concerned about social inequality during the 1930s
• Priestley set up the Common Wealth Party in 1942
• Priestley argued for public ownership of land and greater democracy
• Priestley's ideas merged with the Labour party
• The Labour party had a landslide victory in 1945
• Priestley developed the idea of a Welfare State after WW2
• Mr Birling


  Represents a capitalist society
• Characters


  • Mr Birling
  • Mrs Birling
  • Sheila Birling
• Mr Birling: '"It's my duty to keep labour costs down."'
• Mr Birling: '"I refused, of course"'
• Mr Birling: '"a man has to make his own way"'
• Mr Birling: '"You damned fool - why didn't you come to me when you found yourself in this mess?"'
• Mr Birling: '"Look, Inspector - I'd give thousands"'
• Mr Birling's attitude


  He does not consider the harm he may cause to other people
• Mr Birling


  He refuses to accept any responsibility for Eva's death
• Mr Birling


  He copies the Inspector and laughs when he remembers the faces of Eric and Sheila
• Mrs Birling


  Cold-hearted, sophisticated, regarded as her husband's social superior, a snob, very arrogant, dismissive of the poorer classes, has no respect for them or the inspector, a liar, very controlling, patronising to her own children
• Mrs Birling


  She sees Sheila and Eric still as "children" and speaks patronisingly to them
• Mrs Birling


  She uses her power to judge people, especially the working classes
• Mrs Birling


  She is set in her own ways and class and doesn't believe a girl can have "fine feelings"
• Mrs Birling


  Her charity work is conducted for selfish reasons
• Mrs Birling


  She tries to deny things that she doesn't want to believe
• Mrs Birling


  She refuses to believe that she did anything wrong and doesn't accept responsibility for her part in Eva's death
• Sheila Birling


  Presented as a spoilt, materialistic and frivolous upper-class girl, but undergoes a tremendous amount of learning and growth during the play, represents hope and change from exploitative capitalism to shared responsibility and community consciousness
• Sheila Birling: '"But these girls aren't cheap labour- they're people."'
• Sheila Birling: '"I'll never, never do it again to anybody…I feel now I can never go there again"'
• Sheila Birling


  She is the first to see the truth and learns from the Inspector's visit
• Sheila Birling


  She is genuinely upset when she hears of Eva's death and learns from her own behaviour
• Sheila Birling


  She learns of her responsibilities to others less fortunate than herself (the idea of the community) and is sensitive