How is social class represented in An Inspector Calls?
Priestley presents the importance of social class through the naivety of the upper class, by exploring the authority and rights one’s social class bestows. This is conducted through the Inspector, who is a proxy for Priestley’s social and political views.
What is Priestley’s message about social class?
J B Priestley is trying to show that the upper class are unaware that the easy lives they lead rest upon hard work of the lower classes. He also aims for the elite members of society to work for the common good for all of society, through the interrelated theme of Social Responsibility.
What social class is Sheila Birling?
The Birlings’ treatment of Eva is a result of their being an upper class family and her being a working class woman. However, the World Wars dismantled the British class system. The war effort brought people together, and rationing meant the different classes had to live similar lifestyles regardless of wealth.
How does Priestley use Mrs Birling to represent his ideas about social class?
Priestley’s message Priestley uses Mrs Birling as a symbol to represent the wealthier, privileged classes and their selfish attitudes. She sees the working class as morally inferior. Priestley wanted his audience to despise Mrs Birling and the ignorant social snobbery she represents.
How is social responsibility presented in An Inspector Calls essay?
The first way Priestley explores the theme of social responsibility is by using the characters as vessels, and the Inspector as a ‘mouthpiece’ of his socialist views, to transport his moral message to the audience and readers. This is one way in which Priestley explores the theme of social responsibility.
How does Priestley explore social responsibility in an inspector calls?
Priestly explores the theme of social responsibility through the actions of the characters in the play. Through Sheila, the Inspector, and Mr and Mrs Birling, Priestly suggests that everyone has a collective responsibility to one another.
Why did Priestley write an inspector calls?
Post-war drama context: Political. Priestley wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ after the First World War and like much of his work contains controversial, politically charged messages. He set ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1912 because that era represented the opposite of what people were hoping for in 1945.
What class is Gerald Croft?
Priestley uses the character of Gerald to represent the individualismof the upper-class.
How is Sheila presented in An Inspector Calls?
Sheila is presented as having a jealous mindset, initially, to allow Priestley to develop the character later on in the play as she adopts the Inspector’s message of social responsibility. The immediate reaction of Sheila to news of Eva’s death was to question her beauty: “Pretty? ”.
How is capitalism and socialism presented in An Inspector Calls?
The Birlings represent the prospering capitalists in society, while the Inspector acts as Priestley’s socialist mouthpiece. The play itself illustrates capitalism’s eventual fall to socialism, suggesting socialism is the superior, more beneficial, and more powerful political system.
What is social responsibility in Inspector Calls?
Social responsibilityis the most obvious theme in ‘An Inspector Calls’. The Inspector goes to the Birlings’ to encourage them to be accountable for their actions, and to take responsibility for others. Many people in society are vulnerable or mistreated through no fault of their own, just like Eva Smith.
Who is the inspector in an Inspector Calls?
An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley, is a play that revolves around the apparent suicide of a young woman called Eva Smith. In the play, the unsuspecting Birling family are visited by the mysterious Inspector Goole. He arrives just as they are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft.
What are the themes in an Inspector Calls?
In An Inspector Calls, the themes of social responsibility, age, gender and class are explored. Priestley highlighted the inequality between upper, middle and working- classes. Before World War Two, Britain was divided by class. Two such classes were the wealthy land and factory owners and the poor workers.
Why is an Inspector Calls a morality play?
An Inspector Calls is a morality play because all of the Birlings and Gerald Croft commit crimes which are similar to the seven deadly sins. Mr Birling is greedy because he wants more money, Sheila is guilty of wrath and envy when she spitefully complains about Eva Smith and so on.
What makes an Inspector Calls a crime thriller?
A crime thriller is a genre that tells a gripping tale based around a crime. The audience receives clues on who has committed the crime and will enjoy trying to guess what happened before the end of the action. An Inspector Calls is a crime thriller because the action centres around the suicide of Eva Smith.