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Theme Of Social Responsibility In An Inspector Calls By Arthur Birling

1678 Words7 Pages
Within J.B Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls, the issue of Social Responsibility is presented through the central protagonist – Arthur Birling, and his family. Every member of Arthur Birling’s relatives impacted upon the death of a young girl named Eva Smith; however, Arthur, who is presented in a negative way, refuses to take any ownership and responsibility of his and their actions. The playwright’s intension was to guide the spectators of the concept of Socialism as opposed to Capitalism, and therefore Arthur Birling was deliberately created to be a man with ill manners as a despise towards the Capitalism hierarchy system and a message to all the audiences of how disastrous it is. The main protagonist, Arthur Birling, was demonstrated as a greedy character. As the quote goes: “Perhaps we may look for […] – for lower costs and higher prices.” In this case his greediness was distinctively shown. Evidently, Arthur Birling debunked that he comprehends the engagement of his own daughter, Sheila, and Lord Crofts’ son, Gerald, as a business opportunity of cooperation between the two rivalries, Birling Limited and Crofts Limited. From Birling’s avaricious thoughts we could perceive that he is craving for profit that he even conferred about business with Gerald during the engagement party, which he ought not to have done. Additionally, he refused to pay greater wages for the workers because “Twenty-five shillings a week. I refused, of course […] it’s my duty to keep labor
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