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Social Responsibility In An Inspector Calls Essay

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In An Inspector Calls, how does Priestley explore the conflict between personal and social responsibility?

In an inspector calls, Priestly explores the conflict between personal and social responsibility by using different morals, these include, equality, responsibility, modesty and selflessness. This is a morality play, it is designed to tell the audience how to behave, and he does this by using different moral circumstances, this is shown in the inspector’s final speech, “there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us” this tells the audience that the play was actually about their day to day lives. Priestly uses a clever technique in which the old generation have old fashioned and unmoral views, …show more content…

The inspector wants the family to learn from their mistakes, he shows the audience the importance of this by comparing the younger generation and the older generation. Mr birling is the perfect representation of the older generation’s views, “It has nothing whatever to do with this wretched girl’s suicide. Eh, Inspector?” the lack of acceptance shows how he hasn’t accepted responsibility for his actions, the audience react to this in an unusual way, unfortunately they do not see that he has done wrong this is because they have not yet learnt of her backstory. Priestley’s catalyst for the younger generations views is Eric, “we helped to kill her.” Eric accepts that he has aided in the death of Eva Smith, therefore he has learnt from his mistakes, this is the massive difference between the old and the …show more content…

In conclusion Priestley explores the conflict between personal and social responsibility by speaking through the inspector, in essence Priestley is the inspector. He shows the audience the outcome of the two possible choices that the characters have, they can be kind and learn from their mistakes or ignore what they have done and thus it will end disastrously. Priestley wants the audience to relate to the younger generation and follow their morals, his aim is to prevent societies arrogance and social discrimination. He does this by providing the audience with the outcome of the older generations view because this hasn’t concluded well for

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