An Inspector Calls Essay -- English Literature

An quizzer CallsAn Inspector Calls is a play written by JB Priestley in 1945 and setin 1912. Priestley demonstrates his concern with moral responsibilityand his beliefs in Socialist values through the character of theInspector, whom he uses as a backtalk throughout the play. He voiceshis opinions on these issues using this technique, and they are shownby the way the Inspector deals with the Birling family and areexemplified by the obstacles to social harmony in which the Inspectorhas to face before coming to a suitable and justifiable conclusion.The play was written in 1945 - within a week of World War ii ending -but set in 1912, when Britain still had its Empire and was doing verywell financially. The time span between the two dates is Priestleysway of expressing a stamp of urgency he thought necessary to pass onto society after the events of 1945.Although the war had ended, society in Britain in 1945 was stillexperiencing the hardships that it had brought. New books were printe d under(a) the wartime economy regulations, continuing the shortage ofpaper and therefore resulting in the books being expensive - tooexpensive for any working class person to purchase.However, in 1912 some things were different. Society did not have theburden of the war hanging over their heads, but life for the poor didnot differ much from 1945. Edwardian society was strictly divided intosocial classes below the very rich were the middle classes, such asdoctors, merchants, shop workers and clerks. After that came thecraftsman and skilled workers, and at the very bottom of the socialladder was the largest class of all - the ordinary workers and thepoor, many of whom lived below the poverty... .... It is also contradictory to a section ofone of Arthur Birlings speeches By the way some of these crankstalk and write now, youd think everybody has to look after everybodyelse which is the complete opposite to what the Inspector isannouncing.The passage also anticipates World War One, in the sense that at thevery end, the Inspector says if men will not learn that lesson, theywill be taught it in fire and blood and anguish - this, to theBirlings, is a prophetic statement, but the reader and audience areaware of it as it has already come to pass. To emphasise that idea,the Inspector lengthens the list of words he mentions or else of justusing a comma between fire and blood, he chooses to use and,which sensationalises the comment and makes it sound somewhat moreimportant than if he had just normally listed those specific words.