Henley In Arden
English Department
An Inspector Calls
Context
Key Characters
She is a cold, dull and unsympathetic woman who represents the bourgeoise (female) upper class. She is refuses to take any responsibility for Eva Smith's suicide.
Like her husband, Mrs Birling is not a very good parent. Not only does she give her daughter outdated advice about the role of a wife, she also has no idea that her son Eric is an alcoholic.
Like her husband, Mrs Birling looks down on the less wealthy members of society.
Most of all, Mrs Birling is a hypocrite. She chairs the Birling Women's Charity, but shows indifference to Eva Smith's difficulties simply because Eva had the bad luck to try to disguise her identity with the name Birling.
Arthur’s opinion, that men ought only to look after themselves as individuals, is a strictly capitalist mentality, in which owners of capital value only profits, and do not care for workers’ rights. He thinks that socialist ideas of human brotherhood are strange and not to be trusted. He ultimately displays little change in the play and so will be punished for this.
Sheila is a selfish and chilsdish character at the beginning of the play, but is arguabley the one who goes through the biggest change because of the Inspector. By the end, she does believe that humans are responsible for one another’s good will. She is despondent that she cannot undo what she has done, but is believes that the family can change going forward. She is used to represent the hope that the new generations could offer.
Gerald represents the aristocracy - the highest class of society. His father, Sir George Croft, owns Crofts Limited, and his mother is called Lady Croft. When he learns of Eva Smith's sacking from Mr Birling's factory, Gerald sides with Mr Birling. Unlike Mr Birling, though, Gerald does show some regret for his actions. The Inspector, during his closing speech, points out that Gerald displayed at least some affection towards Eva (in contrast to Eric, who used her "like an animal").Ultimately, though, when Eva's death turns out to be a hoax, Gerald is more relieved than repentant. He represents the unwillingness of the upper classes to change.
Although she never appears on stage, Eva/Daisy is possibly the most important character in the play. She represents all of the women that the family have wronged and whether she is real, or even the same girl, becomes unimportant. She representes how lower classes (the everyman) were treated by the upper classes. She also makes the other characters examine how they treat people in society through their interactions with her. She eventually committed suicide as a way out of her situation.
In his mid 20s, Eric is another character who represents the idea that generations can improve upon what has happened already. Despite the fact that he is revealed to be an alcoholic and a thief, he does show remorse for what happened to Daisy/Eva. He also got Eva/Daisy pregnant but did not do much to help her in that situation.
Inspector Goole is a mysterious figure. Though his name evokes the word 'ghoul', which means an evil spirit or phantom, he is deeply concerned by Eva Smith's suicide and the concept of society. He is, however, ghost-like in the sense that he doesn't officially exist, as is demonstrated at the end of the play. There is a hint that he appears as a physical representation of the family's guilt.
The Inspector represents the voice of socialism. This is apparent first in his appearance: he wears plain and ordinary clothes, in contrast to the expensive suits worn by Mr Birling and Gerald.
It is symbolic that the Inspector rings the bell of the house just as Mr Birling is telling Eric and Gerald that people must look out solely for their own interests ("a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own - and - "): throughout his interrogation, the Inspector champions the very opposite idea - that "we are all responsible for each other."- one that Priestley thought was of the highest importance.
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The Inspector also represents the idea of Deus ex Machina - the God in the Machine. He is responsible for all of the action in the play as he drives the events forwards. The characters 'confess' their sins to him.
Context
During the 1930's Priestley became very concerned about the consequences of social inequality in Britain, and in 1942 Priestley and others set up a new political party, the Common Wealth Party, which argued for public ownership of land, greater democracy, and a new 'morality' in politics. The party merged with the Labour Party in 1945, but Priestley was influential in developing the idea of the Welfare State which began to be put into place at the end of the war.
He believed that further world wars could only be avoided through cooperation and mutual respect between countries, and so became active in the early movement for a United Nations. And as the nuclear arms race between West and East began in the 1950s, he helped to found CND, hoping that Britain would set an example to the world by a moral act of nuclear disarmament.
Priestley deliberately set his play in 1912 because the date represented an era when all was very different from the time he was writing. In 1912, rigid class and gender boundaries seemed to ensure that nothing would change. Yet by 1945, most of those class and gender divisions had been breached. Priestley wanted to make the most of these changes. Through this play, he encourages people to seize the opportunity the end of the war had given them to build a better, more caring society.
Key Themes
Class
Before World War Two, Britain was divided by class. Two such classes were the wealthy land and factory owners and the poor workers. The war helped bring these two classes closer togetherand rationing meant that people of all classes were eating and even dressing the same. The war effort also meant that people from all classes were mixing together. This was certainly not the case before.
Priestley wanted to highlight that inequality between the classes still existed and that the upper-classes looked down upon the working-class in post-war Britain.
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In An Inspector Calls, Priestley explores the theme of class through the treatment of working-class Eva Smith by the wealthy Birlings and Gerald Croft
Social responsibility
An Inspector Calls was first performed in the UK just after the end of World War Two, in 1946. It was a time of great change in Britain and many writers were concerned with the welfare of the poor. At that time there was no assistance for people who could not afford to look after themselves. Priestley wanted to address this issue. He also felt that if people were more considerate of one another, it would improve quality of life for all. This is why social responsibility is a key theme of the play. Priestley wanted his audience to be responsible for their own behaviour and responsible for the welfare of others.
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In An Inspector Calls, Priestley explores social responsibility through:
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the treatment of Eva Smith
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how each character does or doesn’t take responsibility for their behaviour
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the Inspector's lessons
Age
Age is an important theme in An Inspector Calls. Priestley uses it to show how he believed that there was hope in the younger generation's ability to learn and change.
The older characters' opinions and behaviours are stubbornly fixed. Mr Birling refuses to learn and Mrs Birling cannot see the obvious about herself and her children. Eric and Sheila however are younger - they accept their mistakes and offer the chance for a brighter future.
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In An Inspector Calls, Priestley explores the theme of age through:
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Sheila and Eric's response to Eva's death
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Mr and Mrs Birling's response to Eva's death
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how the older characters perceive the younger ones
Gender
An Inspector Calls was written after World War Two. As many British men went away to fight during the war, their positions in work had to be filled by women. This helped change existing perceptions. Men had to acknowledge the fact that women were just as capable as them. As a result of this, many women enjoyed a newfound freedom that working and earning money allowed them.
Not all men saw this change in attitude as a good thing and stayed stuck in the past. Priestley explores the impact of these new gender roles through the independence of Eva Smith and the sexist attitudes of Mr Birling.
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In An Inspector Calls Priestley explores the theme of gender through:
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how Mr Birling and Gerald Croft view women
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how Mrs Birling treats Eva Smith
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how Eva Smith is portrayed as independent and outspoken before her death
Socialism vs Capitalism
Socialism = the idea that the community as a whole owns and controls the what is produced and how it gets shared out. It is about trying to ensure fairness for everyone. Put simply it is about PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT.
Capitalism = The kind of society we live in now. A country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. Put simpley it is about PROFIT BEFORE PEOPLE.
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We see this theme reflected in the attitudes of the Birling family. Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, and Gerald represent capitalism, whereas the Inspector and Eva represent socialism.
Practice questions
'Shelia is the character who changes the most throughout the play' To what extent do you agree with this statement?
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Explore Priestley's presentation of wealth in the play.
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How does Priestley present Inspector Goole in the play?
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How does Priestley present attitudes towards women in the play?
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How does Priestley present responsibility in the play?
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In what ways does Priestley present conflict between the generations in ‘An Inspector Calls’?
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What is the importance of Gerald in ‘An Inspector Calls’?
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