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The Theme Of Responsibility In An Inspector Calls

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In the play, 'An Inspector Calls', written by J.B Priestley, the theme of responsibility is presented in the text numerous times in different ways. The playwright particularly uses the characters, dramatic irony, the theme of guilt and generation, and the evocative character of Inspector Goole to illustrate the main theme of responsibility in the play. He mostly focuses on people’s individual and collective responsibilities in the society. First of all, Priestley uses the characters’ conservatism to show responsibility in the play. In Act 1, as Mr. Birling continues to avoid his fault, saying "there is nothing mysterious-or scandalous-about this business", the Inspector states, "what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her …show more content…

The older generation, portrayed as Mr. and Mrs. Birling in the play, thinks that taking individual responsibility is important, but not the social responsibilities. They deny their faults for Eva Smith’s death, and furthermore, try to avoid the situation by blaming others. The phrase, “I am not responsible” is constantly used in their lines which specify their strong conservative mindset. On the other hand, the younger generation, portrayed as Sheila and Eric in the play, is more open-minded and honest when it comes to admitting and accepting their responsibilities in the society. Sheila and Eric both feel guilty about themselves during the interrogations, when their parents tried to deny the fact that they were responsible too. This is evidently shown in Act Three, as Sheila says, “I behaved badly too. I know I did. I am ashamed of it.” The evocative verb, “ashamed” expresses Sheila’s acceptance of her responsibility of Eva Smith’s death. This shows us the contrast between the younger and older generations and their thoughts about the theme of

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In An Inspector calls, Priestley uses The Inspector to present injustice in society through his questioning of the Birling family and Gerald Croft. The Inspector gradually uncovers the selfish and unjust acts which the family enacts upon the lower classes through their abuse of their power and status over people, not showing the slightest bit of care for their wellbeing, barely treating their workers as individual beings with their own lives and emotions, just caring about the money they are making for them, and treating the lower class in general as lower beings in general, not being worth the time to understand or sympathise with. The Inspector exposes the acts of injustice by the upper class towards the lower classes through his questioning

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An Inspector Calls explores the effect of class, age and people’s attitudes to responsibility and how prejudice can prevent people from taking responsibility in society. Arthur Birling, a wealthy capitalist and pretentious man, began the cycle of events that led to Eva Smith’s suicide. Mr. Birling runs his own factory and believes that survival of the fittest. Priestley emphasises his beliefs on capitalism through Mr. Birling dealing with Eva Smith demanding a pay rise.

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The moment adolescents learn to consider the emotions of others instead of only focusing on themselves they take on the personality of an adult. For instance Lizabeth feels bad after she destroys Miss Lottie's marigolds since she realizes how much work and effort Miss Lottie has put into them. Lizabeth is unaware of the world outside her community

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She ends her essay by reminding her readers that this past incident still affects her present and feeds her fears of being misjudged by her lover: “I burned with old shame and then stubbornly shook it off” (134). Here, it becomes obvious to the audience that being judged due to the inadequate understanding of the context of her social class (poverty) brought Allison a profound

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In the play An Inspector Calls written by J.B Priestley, the use of morality and double standards gives us an insight into the society of the early 1900s; which remains relevant in social stratification, cultural and deviance aspects. Through the story of Arthur Birling, Mrs. Sybil Birling and their children Eric and Sheila. The upper-class family, with untouchable reputation, enjoy of an intimate party soiree in honour of Sheila's engagement to Gerald Croft. Son of a well-known business man, Sir George Croft from Crofts Limited. When Inspector Goole pays a mood-changing visit, resulting in the systematic manipulation of the presumably respectable characters.

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J.B Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1945, the last year of World War 2 but sets it in 1912 a time of inequality where upper and lower class was distinguished and treated differently within society and where a big gap existed among poor and rich people. The play introduces us to the theme of social inequality and social responsibility displaying the fact that trade unions were very weak, workers had few rights, wages were very low and many other injustices where made specially towards women; they were treated very differently then men and they were looked on as less important in society. Lighting is changed at the arrival of the Inspector "The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder" this displays a contrast between scenes and atmosphere. It also shows the change in mood; suggesting a cheerful environment and a very joyfully and delight mood, everybody feeling thrilled for Shelia 's engagement and celebrating united as a family. But it changes to "brighter and harder" at the arrival of the Inspector and

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HOW DOES PRIESTLEY PRESENT GERALD AND THE BIRLING FAMILY? Olivia Perham - Sims 9k In this essay I am going to talk about the way Priestley uses each character of the Birling family to represent a theme or topic in order to criticize it and make the reader understand the danger and problems of capitalism , sexism and class division. Priestley presents Mr Birling as a superior, selfish businessman in order to criticise difference in classes and capitalism.

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In An Inspector Calls, J B Priestley highlights social inequality of class and gender prevalent in 1912 pre World war one Britain. At the centre of the play are the Birlings, an upper middle class family ambitious to improve their social status, with a possible involvement in the suicide of a desperate working class girl, Eva Smith. Actions, emotions, tones and the setting are used to convey the prominent social inequality resulting from the capitalistic economic and political system. Priestley encourages a creates disapproval towards of the relationship between his social inequality and society in order to convey his socialist views on how the upper classes should be responsible for those other than themselves.

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He also underlines that people have personal motives to accuse other because of their biases. Another example of this is in act III, when Proctor confesses to his act of adultery in order to save his wife from death, “God help me, I lusted and there is a promise in such sweat... My wife is innocent” (102). Proctor is attempting to accuse Abigail of faking all the accusations and affiliations with the devil because he knows that Abigail longs to remove Elizabeth from his life. His admission of adultery conveys his feelings of guilt and extreme love towards his wife Elizabeth.

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Priestly attempts to exemplify in Mr Birling’s character into the type of mentality that majority of upper class capitalist business men had in the early 1900s in England. It is extremely ironic 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 - “ act 1): throughout his interrogation, the Inspector champions the very opposite idea - that "we are all responsible for each other.” The Inspectors view on community as a whole is considered a very socialist view. Notably, Priestly was socialist after all and used the play as a more socially acceptable way of stating his opinion on social responsibility, politics and labour rights. The

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