Responsibility

• Social responsibility


  The importance of looking out for each other rather than focusing only on self-preservation
• The author JB Priestley was a socialist
• This play is a not so subtle advertisement for socialism and a lesson about the importance of social responsibility
• In exams, the theme may be worded differently like Duty or responsibility
• This play was published in July 1945 just before the end of the Second World War
• After the war, socialist ideas were gaining widespread popularity, replacing traditional ideas of capitalism and classism
• Inspector Goole


  JB Priestley's mouthpiece for his political views on social responsibility
• The Birling family and Gerald Croft


  • Typical examples of the wealthy upper class in 1912
  • Rarely mixed with the poor
  • Ignorant of the struggles of the poor and didn't care
• Mr Birling


  The antithesis of social responsibility
• Mr Birling only cares about himself and his profits, even his own family is an afterthought
• Mr Birling dismisses socialism as "cranks and nonsense" to turn the audience against him
• Mr Birling never takes any responsibility or blame throughout the play and learns nothing from the Inspector's lessons
• Mrs Birling


  A representation of a so-called respectable upper class woman whose values and sense of duty are completely warped by her prejudice towards the working class
• Mrs Birling refuses to help Eva because she called herself "Mrs Birling"
• Sheila and Eric


  • Able to understand their part in Eva Smith's death and have a desire to change their ways
  • Sheila represents hope for society in the form of the younger generation who can learn from their mistakes
• Inspector Goole: 'One Eva Smith is gone but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us. We don't live alone, we are members of one body, we are responsible for each other.'
• The Inspector's speech is extremely preachy and sounds similar to a church sermon, aligning socialist views with Christian ideas
• The ending leaves the Birlings and the audience to question if they still need to take responsibility for their actions, even if there are no consequences
• Priestley's challenge to the audience is to learn to live life with the awareness that everything we do affects other people, whether or not we are ever held accountable for it