An Inspector Calls Coursework 1

Throughout the play An Inspector Calls JB Priestly uses the characters to portray the different levels of society. He does this so as to give each class a moral belief and name. The play is called 'An Inspector calls' and was written in 1946 by J.B. Priestly. It is set in the year 1912, in between the time in which it was set and the year it was written two world wars had taken place. In 1912 classes were very different and were socially divided. There was a lot of poor people and very few rich people. A lot of the rich people disliked the working class and disrespected them. He uses the characters Mr and Mrs Birling to represent capitalists they are middle class and only out for themselves. They bid for higher prices and pay their labourers little so they make as much profit as possible. Gerald is of a higher middle class and is much younger, he has some empathy for the lower class but is still very much a capitalist. His parents Lady and Lord Croft are of a higher status than the Birlings but they share the same socialistic views. Both Eric and Sheila have a lot of empathy for Eva Smith, they were brought up by capitalist parents which means that their judgement can be swayed to a capitalist view but morally they see what they have done and are willing to accept that. The inspector, represents JB Priestly's views of society. The Inspector's last speech sums up how Priestly feels about capitalism and such.

"but just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffereing and chance of happiness, all interwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell that the time will soon come when if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and aguish"

In this play JB Priestly is aiming to make his