Context

• Priestley is Critical of the lack of social mobility in 1912.
• Priestley creates Eva as emblematic of the inhumane treatment the lower classes faced due to this restrictive class system which existed in 1912.
• Priestley constructs Mr Birling as a pompous (self-centered & egoistic,arrogant) unlikeable character to vilify (abuse) the individuals who perpetuate this rigid system
• Priestley based the play in 1912, but wrote this in 1945
• there was a rigid class system in 1912, where there was a lack of social mobility, meaning you couldn't shift between the different classes
• rigid divide was a continuation of the Victorian eras fixed social structure
• in 1945, there was a positive change in the class system , where there was increased social mobility when the Equal Franchise Act 1928 was introduced (all men & women over 21 were allowed to vote)
• Priestley aims to highlight the detrimental impacts of class divide to his 1945 audience through the example of the 1912 society
• Politics in 1912 involved Britain being highly capitalist & conservative
• Laissez-Faire -> Businesses were allowed to set their own rates (similarly what Mr Birling done, he payed his workers how much he wanted to pay them based on his own desire & satisfaction)
• Birlings represent the capitalist attitudes in 1912
• In 1945, Labour party won by a landslide victory
• Shelia + Eric's transformation into socialists represents the electoral swing and change in the political environment of 1945
• In 1945, Priestley was the co-founder of the common wealth party (socialist party who favoured equality and helped labour win in 1945)
• Priestley uses the Inspector as his mouthpiece (he couldn't be in the play so uses inspector to vocalise his beliefs) to be scathing (critising) capitalism & therefore government abuse of power, as well as to promote socialist ideologies
• In 1912, women were disenfranchised (no vote)
• Shelia begins to be voiceless and weak (representing disenfranchisement) then develops a voice (representing womens power)
• Eva smith is a microcosm of individuals with little social mobility
• Birlings symbolise those who upheld the classist and oppressive systems of 1912