An Inspector Calls
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An inspector calls
JB Priestley wrote the play ‘An Inspector calls’ in 1912, just when the Second World War was over. He was trying to make people see that a socialist government would work by voicing his socialist views. His is written in a very critical way about the class system, highlighting how it is the upper class causing problems. Priestley speaks about women’s place in society too, he shows how Shelia starts off at the beginning of the play as a happy upper class woman married to Gerald- and then she finds out she has been cheated on. Priestley try’s to teach people that their everyday behaviour can have a very serious impact on others' lives. For example, Sheila's snappiness in the clothes shop cost the shop assistant her job and contributed to her suicide. He is showing that inconsiderate actions and decisions we may make off-hand can actually cause considerable problems for others, and thus we should think before we act/speak. Also he is making a point about the upper classes thinking they can walk all over the lower classes and thinking they are better than everyone else. Priestly exposes their moral insufficiencies and teaches them a lesson about their behaviour. Priestly is making a point about old conservative people being stuck in their ways - Sheila and Eric are horrified when they discover the consequences of their actions, where as their parents continue to try and defend themselves and are more concerned about their own reputations than the fate of the dead girl. Mrs Birling appears to only show concern when she finds out Eric stole money from her.
Shelia Birling is one of the most complex characters of the play. She has been brought up in a wealthy family, which has prevented her from glimpsing the harsh realities of the outside society. Being brought up in a wealthy family means that Sheila is not expected to go out and earn a living.
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An inspector calls
JB Priestley wrote the play ‘An Inspector calls’ in 1912, just when the Second World War was over. He was trying to make people see that a socialist government would work by voicing his socialist views. His is written in a very critical way about the class system, highlighting how it is the upper class causing problems. Priestley speaks about women’s place in society too, he shows how Shelia starts off at the beginning of the play as a happy upper class woman married to Gerald- and then she finds out she has been cheated on. Priestley try’s to teach people that their everyday behaviour can have a very serious impact on others' lives. For example, Sheila's snappiness in the clothes shop cost the shop assistant her job and contributed to her suicide. He is showing that inconsiderate actions and decisions we may make off-hand can actually cause considerable problems for others, and thus we should think before we act/speak. Also he is making a point about the upper classes thinking they can walk all over the lower classes and thinking they are better than everyone else. Priestly exposes their moral insufficiencies and teaches them a lesson about their behaviour. Priestly is making a point about old conservative people being stuck in their ways - Sheila and Eric are horrified when they discover the consequences of their actions, where as their parents continue to try and defend themselves and are more concerned about their own reputations than the fate of the dead girl. Mrs Birling appears to only show concern when she finds out Eric stole money from her.
Shelia Birling is one of the most complex characters of the play. She has been brought up in a wealthy family, which has prevented her from glimpsing the harsh realities of the outside society. Being brought up in a wealthy family means that Sheila is not expected to go out and earn a living.