An Inspector Calls Essay -- English Literature

An examiner C totallysAn 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 social occasions as a mouthpiece throughout the play. He voiceshis opinions on these issues development this technique, and they are shownby the way the Inspector deals with the Birling family and areexemplified by the obstacles to social uniformity in which the Inspectorhas to face before coming to a qualified and simplyifiable conclusion.The play was written in 1945 - within a workweek of World War Two ending -but set in 1912, when Britain still had its Empire and was doing verywell financially. The time span surrounded by the two dates is Priestleysway of expressing a feeling of urgency he popular opinion necessary to pass onto rules of order after the events of 1945.Although the war had ended, society in Britain in 1945 was stillexpe riencing the hardships that it had brought. New books were printedunder the wartime economy regulations, continue the shortage ofpaper and therefore resulting in the books being expensive - everywherelyexpensive for any working class person to purchase.However, in 1912 close to 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 experienced 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 function ofone of Arthur Birlings speeches By the way some of these crankstalk and write now, youd appreciate 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 indorser and audience areaware of it as it has already come to pass. To underline that idea,the Inspector lengthens the list of words he mentions instead 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.