an inspector calls gender roles essay

English Made Simple

[email protected]

• 1 October 2021 18 October 2022
• 1 Comment on Gender in an inspector calls

In the previous article in these series on the themes on ‘An Inspector Calls’, we looked at the issue of class division and social responsibility being explored in the play and also some of the wider social and historical context which the play was set in.

Some of what was mentioned in that article,   which you can read by clicking on here , also touched upon the issue of the status of women.

Themes in ‘An Inspector Calls’: gender

In addition to the social inequality and class division that existed in Britain at that time there was also the relatively low status of women. Thus Eva Smith suffered not only for being part of the poor working class, reliant on the mercy of her employers (the Birlings in this case) for survival, but also for being a woman. After being sacked by Mr Birling for trying to improve workers rights, she later resorts to earning money through prostition and uses the pseudonym, Daisy Renton.

Whereas ‘Eva Smith’ is a reference to ‘Eve’ (mother of humanity and thus the archetypal woman, and Smith is a common English name, with Eva Smith thus being representative of the average British woman,  ‘Daisy’ is a flower (and when women lose their virginity they can be said to be ‘deflowered’) and ‘Renton’ seems to connect with the word ‘rent’, that is to be paid for financially. In other words Priestly is also highlighting the sexual exploitation of vulnerable working class women by men.

Eva is made pregnant by Mr Birling’s son, Eric, but unlike him is physically impacted by it as the unborn child is inside her womb whereas Eric could live as if nothing had happened, though he did try and support Eva financially. However she refused as he was trying to use money taken illegitimately from Eric’s father’s business, and despite her poverty Eva’s morality was such that she refused to take stolen money. Ironically Eva had approached Mrs Birling in the past after her pregnancy when she went to a charity headed by Mrs Birling.

She sought help but Mrs Birling refused angered by Eva using the name Mrs Birling (which Eva was to somewhat justified in using in the sense that the father of her child was Mr Eric Birling). Mrs Birling, the mother, tells the inspector in the play that a the father (who ironically is her son little to her knowledge) ought to have born the responsibility of helping to support Eva and the pregnant child. Shortly after it emerges that her son, Eric is the father.

What is clear here is how vulnerable and precarious Eva’s existence was and how dependent she was on the good will of people richer than her. There is theme of money and financial aid with her rejecting the money offered to her by Eric as it was stolen money but trying to get aid from Mrs Birling’s charity. Despite doing morally the right thing by refusing the money that was taken from Mrs Birling’s husband when Eva tries to get financial support from the charity she is refused. This ultimately of course contributes to her tragic ending.

It could be argued that Priestly is also seeking to draw attention to the role of not just society, including the more well off in society, but the state. Later on in modern Britain single mothers would receive governmental monetary support to raise their children but not in 1912 when the play was set.

Priestly is highlighting the vulnerability of women, thus our need as a society to help them.

Women in 1912

The situation of women in 1912 was different to that of the 1940s when the play was written. By the 1940s women in Britain had experienced mass employment outside of the house. This was not the first time, the same had happened during the first world war.

However twenty years later it was another generation, and by then at least two generations of women, and two generations of men had personally experienced or been involved in the reality of mass female employment which included changing the financial status of women as their earning power increased.

It was something that was irreversible and though it may seem somewhat archaic today in modern Britain, the concept of a woman being exclusively a housewife eroded and was ended.

Source: ww2today.com

A woman in 1912 was seen as subordinate to a man and socially this persisted for decades after. The famous British comedian Harry Enfield pokes fun at this in some of his sketches in his parody of the early twentieth century British gender roles of the English middle-class, where women are expected ‘to  know their place’ which includes to be secondary ornamental aids to their husbands but not to dare be ‘uppity’ and talk about ‘serious’ topics which are reserved for men. We can find examples of this in the play for instance when Mrs Birling says to her male family members in Act 1:

“I think Sheila and I had better go into the drawing-room and leave you men-“

This was in the context of the female family members retreating and allowing the men to talk about serious things. Thus women did not have a say or voice in important affairs not just in the play, which is an attempt to reflect 1912 Britain, and thus had little role in formulating the society which they were part of, which they lived in. Powerless, voiceless, weak and vulnerable, all adjectives which can in someways be applied to Eva Smith.

A famous BBC sketch on old fashioned attitude towards women in early 20th century Britain.

We also see Mrs Birling say of Eva:

“ “ She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position. “

Thus in this quote we can see both classism and sexism at the same time. ‘A girl in her position’. Position refers to her (Eva) social position as a working-class woman, and of course ‘girl’ refers to her gender. There is a supposition, a belief that a ‘girl’ and particularly of that social status should not be ‘uppity’ or have complex or ‘elaborate’ feelings. The working class ought to be simple and basic. Elaborate feelings are thus reserved for the rich. Everyone in that society has a designated role and place and there is little that they can do to challenge that or move out of it, i.e. social mobility.

Priestly however shows us that this dangerous and toxic cocktail of classism and sexism can be dangerous and have harmful consequences as we see in the death of Eva. He, similar to Dickens, provokes the sense of justice and morality amongst some in the affluent classes who would have seen this play and been appalled by the fate of Eva Smith and believed that such a thing could not be allowed to happen and on a fundamental level those deep social factors that contributed to her demise needed to be reformed.

To be fair Sheila does at one point attempt to point to the humanity of female workers when she says:

““But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people” 

Sheila does seem to not fully agree with some of the ideas on class and gender roles prevalent at that time. This is in stark contrast to Mrs Birling who in the beginning of the play tells Sheila when she seems to be having a semi-humorous criticism of Gerald for being busy:

“Now, Sheila, don’t tease him. When you’re married you’ll realize that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had.”

This is another quote that shows how deeply ingrained the belief in fixed gender-roles for men and women were at that time with Mrs Birling telling her daughter to conform to established gender-roles.

Historical context, Britain before and after ‘An Inspector Calls’.

Ultimately the world view that Sheila had in the play with female workers being ‘people’ (having humanity and not just to be utilised for labour) prevailed. Womens rights progressed in the subsequent decades. The British had two female prime ministers in later generations, Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. However this was a result of centuries of long and hard struggle. A struggle which cannot be decoupled or delinked from the wider struggle of the working classes for greater rights. Though women were second-class citizens, so for centuries were the majority of their menfolk. Priestly shows however working class men could not seek to advance their rights and neglect the rights and status of women. The working class struggle had to embrace females.

Useful vocabulary for GCSE students in essays and exam questions.

• Misogyny – hatred of women.
• Misogynist – a man who hates women.
• Misogynistic – adjective of misogyny
• Patriarchal   –   a male dominated society
• gender-roles – The roles assigned to men and women in a society.

Example: ‘Priestly highlights the objectification of women as sex items with the words of the Inspector when he refers to Eric and  says:  ““just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person,” (Act 3)”

• Suffragettes – a feminist movement of the early 20th century who campaigned for womens rights.
• Vulnerable – being weak and able to go through suffering easily e.g. Eva Smith was vulnerable.
• Conservative – old fashioned or seeking to maintain things as they are and prevent change, Mrs Birling can be said to be quite conservative.

About English Made Simple

English Made Simple is a website dedicated GCSE English, IELTS Preparation and other things providing useful content to readers all across the world on how to improve their English

(1) Comment

• Pingback: Age in an inspector calls - Themes - English Made Simple

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post Comment

An Inspector Calls Essays

One of the best things you can do to revise for any english exam is to read examples of essays. below you'll find a range of essays which you can read at your leisure., though there are always benefits in reading essays, becoming use to "active reading" is also important. to do this, use one of these strategies to help:, print the essay off and highlight key phrases or pieces of analysis that you like, keep some notes on the ways the essays use key vocabulary, cherry-picking the best phrases for use yourself, note down the structures of the essays but making a note of the focus of each paragraph, remember that there are hundreds of ways to write a successful essay, as the examples below will highlight. but they all manage to link the big ideas of the play with the language and structure; they all write about priestley's intentions and the audience's responses; they all recognise that this play is written to make a political point, not just to entertain the audience., a) how does priestley explore responsibility in an inspector calls , in the play, priestly wanted the audience to take responsibility for each other, to see that society was "one body." he wanted the audience in 1945 to recognise that although there had been positive changes since 1912, he didn't want them to regress and, in fact, wanted them to demand even more social reform., firstly , priestley uses the inspector to demonstrate to his audience that morality is a much more admirable quality in a person than mr birling's selfish manner. in act 3 mr birling offers "thousands" to help eva, though the inspector tells him that he is “offering money at the wrong time.” this shows that the inspector has the moral high ground and, although from a lower class, is holding all the power over the birling's treasured reputation. to the audience it would be obvious that birling should have given the money earlier, that it was inevitable that eva would end up costing him. it is also revealing that birling wouldn't give eva smith a small pay rise as it would have meant he couldn't "lower prices" but when it came to saving his status he was prepared to “give thousands.” by this stage, mr birling seems quite flustered and somewhat embarrassed as although in the outside world his authority is growing in his own home he can't control a man of “that class.” from a psychoanalytic perspective you could argue that this reflects birlings upbringing and the values that he was taught to respect as a younger man when he worked had and was kept poor in a way that taught him the value of hard work. in this way, mr birling feels that all the people who have money deserve it while the people who don't have money clearly don't deserve it. also, it is from his background that birling being taught to prioritise materialistic things could be the root of his difficult relationship with eric; he comes across as very cold and unforgiving which possibly reflected onto his son. this could easily be a subconscious cause of eric's addiction (looking for escape and comfort in the absence of his father's approval) and be linked to why eva viewed him to be more juvenile than gerald. the need for superficial things in his life like power and wealth is portrayed in the play as quite harmful and only something which will hold a person back, the inspector seems to be free from all these hindering social constructs and is definitely a much more favourable character because of this., in spite of their strong differences in beliefs, both mr birling and the inspector are very self-assured characters who are equally set in their ways . this is not mirrored in the younger characters like eric or sheila. priestly emphasizes a message directed towards the younger generations that they are the hope for change. throughout the play birling refuses to accept the need for reform or responsibility , he represents the stereotypical man of his age and class that priestley uses to contradict sheila's growing outward-looking empathy. when she promises the inspector that she will “never never do it again to anybody” she is acknowledging her privileges and shows that she understands how people must take responsibility for each other. i would say that her materialistic upbringing and the damage that has done makes her incredibly naive and impacts hugely on her opinion of others' worth. when talking about eva smith in act 1 one of the first things she asked was “is she pretty” from this line alone it is clear to the audience where her priorities lie and what kinds of values were instilled in her from a young age probably by her shallow mother. priestly highlights that it's the duty of the young to bring about reform and for this to happen they firstly need to realise the older generations won't do it for them. he also stresses that it's not ok for people like the birlings to take credit for their achievements but never accept responsibility for the consequences of their profit., priestley uses the contrast between age groups and class to explore universal divides caused by pride, reputation and lack of accountability, things that mr and mrs birling value highly but sheila is willing to let go of by accepting her mistakes and returning gerald's engagement ring (also rejecting her father's business interest in gerald.).

Examiners commentary:

The simple, clear first paragraph is fine.

The second paragraph, however, contains some interesting points that could be related to the question but which aren't. As a result, a lot of what's good in this paragraph is lost. This could have been easily fixed if the student had remembered to continually link their points back to the question.

The third paragraph is an improvement in that it does mention responsibility more often and has some interesting observations about the generation gap.

The third paragraph feels unfinished and unclear - it sounds like it's saying that Mr and Mrs Birling value accountability highly, or that the view a "lack of accountability" highly, neither of which are true.

AO1: Lots of AO1, though it isn't connected to the question often enough

AO2: Not enough AO2 at all - hardly any specific language analysis

AO3: Nothing of note outside of the first paragraph

Grade: This is a difficult essay to grade. There are lots of interesting points, especially about how our upbringings affect our outlook, but they're not always linked to the question which means they won't score as well as they should. Also, a complete lack of AO2 causes real problems. This is probably a G5 though with a few minor changes it could easily be pushed up two grades.

B) How does Priestley explore responsibility in An Inspector Calls ?

Priestley presents a strong message about responsibility throughout the play. he wants us all to take more responsibility for each other., firstly, he uses the character of mr birling to convey the ignorance of those who refuse to take responsibility. we can see this when mr birling says, “community and all that nonsense”. the use of the noun “nonsense” shows the audience that mr birling is mocking socialists and those who believe society should be a community. you can almost hear his sarcastic tone as if ‘community’ is an absurd idea. the word “all” also highlights his belief that anything to do with community, such as helping others and being responsible for one another, is ridiculous. this links to when he says, “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own.” the repetition of the pronoun “his” emphasises that he only takes care of his possessions and doesn’t think twice about others. also, it exposes to the audience his sense of higher class entitlement linked to his lack of responsibility for things that are not directly his fault. the audience of 1945 would have been shocked because by this time, after the labour movement and war, people were becoming more open-minded about mixing social classes and community responsibility. this links to priestley’s message because he was a socialist and believed people should have equal rights., in contrast to mr birling, priestley uses the character of sheila to present those who are willing to take responsibility. we see this in the line, “i’ll never, never do it again to anyone”. the repetition of “never, never” reveals that sheila feels guilty and deeply regrets her actions. it also tells the audience that she is open-minded about changing how she behaves, regardless of her social class. the use of the noun “anyone” reveals that she doesn’t care if the person is upper class or lower class. she doesn’t want to put anyone in that position again and has taken full responsibility. if this play had been shown in 1912, the audience may have been more likely to agree with the birling’s ideas and would have thought sheila may be acting foolishly. however, the audience of 1945 would have been more sympathetic towards sheila because at this time, society was shifting towards the creation of the nhs, the introduction of education for all and the building of social housing. this reflected how society was coming together more and caring more for the poor instead of brushing them aside., similarly, the character of inspector goole is the main voice of responsibility in the play and is the voice of priestley himself as he is trying to show the birling family that being upper class doesn’t make them any less responsible for the community than the next person. this sense of responsibility is also reflected in the stage directions when the light goes from “pink and intimate” and “brighter and harder”, when the inspector enters. immediately, this tells us that the i nspector has a presence on the stage and that he has come to say something important. perhaps it is about bri nging light to the things that the upper classes like to hide in the shadows, or the harsh lighting works almost like he is interrogating the family. the spotlight is now on them and what they have done., additionally, priestley conveys a message of responsibility through the inspector when he says, “we are members of one body.” the noun “members” highlights that we are all joined together and if one member falls, then it brings everything down. furthermore, it links to the idea that community is like a family who should take care of each other no matter what. it could also have religious connotations because in the last supper jesus said, “this is my body that will be given up for you, take this in memory of me.” here, jesus said that people should eat the bread because it would bring everyone together and he always believed that people should be equal. in 1912, people were very divided and the poor would rarely move up to the higher classes. priestley was aiming to ensure that the shifts in society happening in 1945 were strengthened and that everyone felt that responsibility for others was important..

Really clear structure, with a clear target for each paragraph

Doesn't make a wide range of points but has a quote to backup each point and explores the quote in depth

Each section ends with something about the context

Though each point is presented with a quote attached, this could have been improved with some other references from the play even if those quotes or references weren't analysed in depth

AO1: Not much AO1 really, no real refernces to key moments of plot

AO2: Lots of great AO2 - quotes analysed in depth

AO3: Good AO3, all key points linked to context

Grade: A really neat, clear and well organised essay. A lack of AO1 is a problem, as is the fact that although each paragraph was linked to an idea connected to responsibility the link isn't always made clear. However, there's loads of AO2 and AO3 so it would be a comfortable G7. With a couple of sentences added to each paragraph which referenced a few key moments of plot it would go up to a G8.

C) How does Priestley explore responsibility in An Inspector Calls ?

Priestley explores ideas about responsibility through the way the birlings behave towards eva smith. arthur birling explains the family’s capitalist philosophy when he says ‘a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own’ which suggests that he feels that he only has responsibility for his own family and himself . this is reinforced by the way the birlings treat eva smith. first of all, arthur fires her from his factory to make an example of her because she asks for higher wages and dares to take responsibility for others by speaking up on their behalf. it is revealed that arthur’s prime motive is to keep wages down so that he could make more profits. priestley reinforces this through arthur’s constant repetition of ‘hard headed man of business’, to remind the audience that he is representative of capitalism and the damage it causes. the word ‘business’ is later used by birling to refer to the death of eva smith as he states how her death is ‘horrid business’ which emphasises the message that birling only sees people’s lives in terms of profit. priestley is showing the audience that a blind belief that generating profits and prosperity for the good of everyone is fundamentally wrong as it causes innocent people to suffer tragic consequences., although all the birlings are responsible for eva’s mistreatment and death in some way, they react differently when they find this out from the inspector. mr and mrs birling do not change and are only concerned about their reputation - the possible ‘scandal’ or arthur’s ‘knighthood’. however, priestley’s intention is give the audience a message of hope as sheila and eric do recognise that they have behaved badly by the end of the play and therefore he is suggesting that it is the younger generation that have the responsibility for adopting more socialist principles. through the younger birlings’ attitudes, priestley suggests that socialism is the modern way and that it is young people who will change society for the better., this change of views in the younger generation is also shown through the play’s structure as eric dramatically exits the stage at a crucial point suggesting he is struggling to contain his guilt over his mistreatment of eva smith. likewise, sheila is struggling with her guilt and tries to show that she has changed by directing others to realise their own responsibility in eva smith’s suicide. for example, sheila warns her mother not to ‘build up a wall’ this metaphor describes the separation of the social classes as mrs birling believes she is superior to the lower classes. the irony is that the opposite is true as priestley reveals how mrs birling’s behaviour is morally wrong – she punished a pregnant girl by refusing her charity when she needed it the most just because the girl used her name and in doing so angered mrs birling., through using the form of a morality play, priestley is able to identify what each family member’s sins and how it was these sins that they demonstrated and caused their mistreatment of eva smith. for instance, eric’s lust for eva smith meant that he forced himself upon eva and then his sloth – his inability to earn his own money meant he stole money from his father instead of facing up to his responsibility and earning money himself. by the end of the play, priestley shows that eric fully accepts his responsibility and describes how he cannot even remember his assault of eva as being a ‘hellish thing’. the use of this metaphor implies he is being tortured by his own guilt and knows he has been committed to hell due to his sins., priestley constructs the inspector’s role as that of a priest as he extracts all the confessions from the birlings and attempts to force them to accept their responsibilities through asking questions which challenge their capitalist way of life and challenges their edwardian values of social class and hierarchy. in addition, the inspector’s language has religious tones to it as he warns the birlings and gerald croft that if they do not stop exploiting the poor, they will learn their lesson with ‘fire, blood and anguish’. there is an inference that they will be punished in hell for not caring about the way those less fortunate are treated. through the inspector’s voice, the audience hear the socialist message that the birlings are being taught and we left knowing that this is a warning to us all – we need to accept responsibility and take better care of others around us., how does sheila change during an inspector calls, - summary paragraph, - stage directions, - confrontation with the inspector – she takes responsibility, - standing up to her parents, - the young are more impressionable, - ending – grown up, throughout inspector calls, sheila is the character who changes the most. at the beginning of the play she is a young, naïve girl who is happy to be told what to think and do; by the end she is the only character who really takes responsibility for the death of eva and is happy to tell her parents that she thinks they are wrong., the stage directions describe her as being “very pleased with life” a phrase which reflects her luxurious upbringing. she’s also described as being “excited” an adjective that suggests she is looking forward to her life. in both these respects she could be viewed as being ignorant to the reality of what her luxury costs others, or how difficult the times ahead will be., sheila refers to her parents as “mummy” and “daddy,” nouns that are associated with young children and not young adults; she is also told off by her mother for squabbling with her brother, a fact that reinforces our vision of her as being infantilised by her parents. sheila is then given a ring by her fiancé gerald. “is it the one you wanted me to have” she asks him, a phrase that suggests she wasn’t really interested in what she wanted but only what gerald wanted her to have. throughout the opening she is presented as a child, with no real desires or wishes of her own. in many respects, she is the traditional rich young woman – without a real mind of her own by virtue of her gender., when the inspector arrives, he explains how her spoilt behaviour in a shop led to eva being sacked. “then i’m really responsible,” she accepts, quickly recognising her role in the girl’s downfall. also, she observes that the inspector is getting ready to speak to gerald next and pushes this through, asking direct questions to gerald and working out the reasons why he wasn’t where he said he was the summer before. in both these cases, she is showing independent thought – by accepting responsibility even when others don’t and by pushing gerald against his wishes., during their time with the inspector, her parents and gerald repeatedly try to send sheila out of the room to protect her from his news – her mother argues that she is “looking tired,” something that we would only really say to a very small child. sheila repeatedly refuses, arguing that she will stay until “i know why that girl killed herself.” here, she clearly shows herself standing up to her parents, sticking to her desire to discover the truth of the situation., at one point arthur argues that the inspector is making “quite an impression” on sheila, suggesting that she’s coming around to the inspector’s way of thinking. “we often do on the young ones,” the inspector replies, suggesting that his socialist values are more affective on younger people. this reflects a view of priestley’s which was that socialism and left wing values are more impactful on younger people, a fact that’s often reflected in even modern opinion polls where right wing conservatives tend to be older. this is also shown in how, by the end of the play, mr and mrs birling remain unchanged by the arrival of the inspector, while their children change – even gerald admits that the events “affected him,” before he reverts back to his old ways., even after the inspector leaves, sheila continues to push his ideas trying to make sure that her family don’t forget him. she claims they are beginning to “pretend” that nothing has happened, clearly accepting that things won’t be the same again. her use of the verb is interesting as well, as games of “pretend” are really childish things. it seems that the girl who was once infantilised is now accusing her parents of playing make-believe. she also argues that her parents “don’t seem to have learnt anything,” behaving almost like a school mistress arguing that a lesson has been missed. she also says, in response to a speech from eric in which he accepts responsibility, that he makes her feel a little less “ashamed” of them, a word which really shows just how powerfully sheila sees her parents’ remorseless behaviour., her frustration is clear throughout the ending, where she says her parents’ behaviour “scares” her. this clearly references the inspectors closing words about “fire and blood and anguish” which referenced the years of war that would follow the period between the play being written and being performed. the audience at this point would doubtless be agreeing with sheila regarding her fear. her parents continue to ignore her desire to grow up, infantilising her again by suggesting that she’s just “tired” and “hysterical,” though they can’t ignore her final words when she refuses gerald’s ring again which clearly shows that she has grown up enough to express herself completely, how does priestley present mrs birling as an unlikeable character (high level response), priestley presents mrs birling as an unlikable character as she doesn’t change throughout the play. in acts 1 and 2 she doesn’t say much about the tragic death of eva at all, showing her lack of remorse., on the other hand, characters like sheila do realise the horror of the suicide. in act 2, gerald says “sorry, i’ve just realised a girl has died”. this is ironic [sic] as he had found out in act 1, but it had only sunken in in act 2. the word “sorry” shows he feels embarrassed about his emotional side, as many men of the time (1912) did., sheila also changes throughout, creating a stark contrast to her mother. in act 1 she refers to her mother as “mummy” like when she says “mummy, isn’t it a beauty” this shows she was dependant on her and worried about material things. she later says, “but these girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people” to mr birling, showing his daughter isn’t afraid to voice her opinion but her mother is. in act 2, sheila says, “we really must stop these silly pretences”. the inclusive pronoun “we” not only presents sheila as the family member doing the right thing and trying to influence others, as her mother should, but also involves the audience, trying to give them a message. the noun “pretences” is significant as it was mrs birling who pretended not to remember eva smith., when she was shown the photo it was evident that mrs birling didn’t change throughout as at the end of the play in act 3 gerald suggests that “he’s been had”, and the birlings are keen to accept it, whilst sheila and gerald remain guilt-stricken. the audience of the time, in 1945, would have just experienced the war and realised everyone must start taking care of one another. they may have not been so quick to change, as, at the time, only rich, most-likely capitalist, people would have gone to the theatre to see the play, whereas a modern audience is more diverse and open., priestley also presents mrs birling as an unlikable character as she is dismissive towards many different groups. for example, she says “a girl of that class” when her part in the suicide is revealed. the noun “girls” shows mrs birling’s views that working class girls are undeserving of names. this derogatory comment would have infuriated an audience of 1945 as the working class were extremely beneficial during the war, though the class divide was massive in 1912. she is even misogynist, like mr birling, who says “clothes mean something different to women”. she says “sheila and i had better go to the drawing room”, which shows her views on women’s place in society, due to gender roles. she also says men have to spend a lot of time working away, but sheila challenges it and says she won’t get used to it. it is obvious priestley has used the younger generations as a symbol for more open-minded people as eric also challenges mr birling on war. mr birling says the titanic is “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”. the repetition and qualifiers enhance the dramatic irony as he was wrong about both of these things. it is almost as though priestley is mocking people like mr birling., mrs birling also has capitalist views which don’t change throughout the play. she believes in a social hierarchy as seen in the stage directions before the play begin, where the characters are placed around a rectangular table which gives power to those at the top and bottom, and when she says, “be quiet and let your father think of what we should do next”. the imperative verb “be” shows how she is even being rude towards her own children., this contrast with shelia’s feminism, which was popular due to the suffragette movement in 1912, significant after 1945 as many women helped the war effort and important to a modern audience who have achieved so much. mrs birling uses her powers for bad as she “influenced” the committee to refuse eva help., priestley uses the play as an allegory for his socialist views. by inducing a sense of hatred towards mrs birling he allows the audience to see the flaws in a capitalist mind-set. priestley, having served in the war himself, developed strong socialist views. this is reflected in the inspector, who is a mouthpiece for priestley as he uses the metaphor, “we are all part of one body” to imply everyone should look after one another. priestley had a popular radio programme which was cancelled for being too “left wing” by the bbc. as time progresses, the audience becomes more socialist and the play is more effective., priestley presents mrs birling as having double standard. this can be seen in the quotation, “i’m sorry eric… didn’t know”, after finding out it was her son she was talking about when she said he should take full responsibility for eva’s pregnancy., despite stage directions calling for pink, intimate lighting at the beginning, mrs birling never seems to be intimate with her children. when the inspector asks if eric drinks, she says “of course not, he’s only a boy”, which shows she is either lying or not close with her family. however, sheila says he’s been “steadily drinking for two years”, showing she is either trying to get him into trouble or is keen to get him help. either way, she is closer with him than his own mother. the siblings also exchange comments when she calls him “squiffy”. the colloquialism has mrs birling unaware of the changes and reluctant to change her mind-set. this also foreshadows the importance of alcohol in the play as it was the cause of eric’s behaviour., how does priestley present the views of the inspector in an inspector calls (high level response), inspector goole is presented as an omnipotent, powerful figure throughout the whole play; his presence immediately has the power to change the light and cheerful atmosphere of the birlings' dinner party. the lighting changes from "pink and intimate" to "brighter and harder" once the inspector arrives. here, priestley's use of the adjectives "pink and intimate" suggests a warm and happy atmosphere whereas the adjective "harder" opposes this. priestley uses the inspector as a dramatic device. not only could it be argued that the inspector is an immensely powerful figure but also that priestley uses the stage directions that inspector goole's arrival to act as a symbol for how he wants society to improve. the lighting before the inspector arrives suggests that the birling family – who are a stereotypical portrayal of a middle class family – were happy whilst they were ignorant to the working class. the lighting change tells us how priestley wants society to change; he wants society to stop being ignorant to the working class., furthermore, j. b. priestley uses the inspector to convey that he wants society to change and become more empathetic towards the working class instead of perceiving them as being disposable. when the inspector arrives, he tells the birling family about eva smith’s suicide in which she drank a lot of strong disinfectant that “burnt her inside out”. priestley’s language persuades the audience to feel immense sympathy not only for eva smith but also for all of the working class; it could be argued that eva smith’s suffering and suicide is used as a metaphor to highlight the continuous struggled faced by the working class, throwing into relief the issues within society and how these problems are ignored by the wealthier classes. priestley’s gory imagery alternately makes the audience feel guilty because they may realise how ignorant they have been to ignore the struggles of the working class and persuade them to change by being more empathetic., priestley suggests that a pressing issue with the twentieth century society is that people are reluctant to take responsibility for their actions. this view is encapsulated through the use of the elder members of the birling family, arthur birling and his wife mrs birling – who do not take responsibility for their actions towards eva smith. however, priestley uses the inspector to try to change this. the inspector states that if we share nothing else, “we have to share our guilt”. here priestley uses the personal pronoun “we” to give society a sense of unity, implying everyone must do the same and follow the inspector’s teachings. ‘an inspector calls’ was set in 1912, a time in which society was divided by not only gender but by social class. priestley wants the middle and upper classes to transform from abusing their power to dominate and exploit the working class to instead being more responsible for their actions and treating people more sympathetically ., priestley uses the inspector to convey the consequences of what will happen if members of society do not change. he states that we will be “taught” in “fire and blood and anguish”. priestley’s use of a triplet of nouns act as metaphors for the two world wars. the entire play is used as a motif for the wars; if society proceeds to not improve the way in which members of society treat each other, the world wars will repeat in an endless cycle until we learn. here, the inspector is presented as an omnipotent being. ‘an inspector calls’ was written and first performed at the end of the second world war therefore the contemporary audience will have experienced the perpetual suffering that comes with them. priestley uses the inspector to make the audience fearful as they are persuaded to think that the inspector is a god-like character imposing judgement on society. this will persuade all audiences to change their actions and embrace socialist ideologies of caring for other members of society which is what priestley intended them to do., priestley wants the middle and upper classes to stop being selfish and exploiting the poor for their own financial gain, but instead be more generous and empathetic towards other members of the working class. the inspector is almost an impartial figure in the play because he does not fit into the distinct levels of society. this gives the audience the impression that the inspector is an unbiased figure; they will be persuaded to listen to him and change their views., compare priestley’s presentation of eva smith and shelia birling., in the play ‘an inspector calls’ we see a family called the birlings that consist of many different characters, personalities and beliefs. we only begin to see these different aspects when the family begin to learn how each one of them was involved in causing the chain of events which led a girl, eva smith to commit suicide. there are two characters in particular who are very different in the way that they live their lives and their own outlook on life. these two characters are eva smith and shelia birling., shelia is the daughter of sybil and arthur birling. they are a well-known family in brumley and are in the public eye constantly because of the position her father holds within the town as he is on the bench and the owner of the big birling and company and is due to marry gerald croft whose parents are very well-known also., eva smith is almost the opposite of the social scale to shelia. she has no friends or family to rely on and is quite an independent woman. she struggles to get by and is unable to cope with the strains that she is forced to be under at her age., at the beginning of the play we see shelia at the table with her family and how she is influenced by her family’s thoughts. she was quite childish and used petty excuses for her actions ‘i told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, i’d never go near the place again’. this shows that shelia had the same approach about how to treat others of the lower class as her father, which is not a good quality that shelia and arthur birling share., when we first hear of eva smith in the play we learn about the time that she experienced while working at birling and company. she was outspoken, resilient and gutsy as she led a group of workers on strike in an attempt to get higher wages ‘she’d had a lot to say-far too much- so she had to go’., there we see the huge difference in the lives that each of them live, but it is the way that shelia changes as the play goes on and learns more about eva smith’s life., once shelia knows more about the family’s effect on eva’s life she becomes more defiant, and mature. she begins to stand up to her parents who still look down on eva. she realises that there is no need to treat a person the way that the birling family did, no matter whether it was the same girl or not ‘everything we said had happened really hadn’t happened. if it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky for us. but it might have done.’ she has a more compassionate approach to eva and her life as she learns about the suffering that this girl the same age as herself had to go through., priestly shows the importance of caring for others within your community by showing that if the birling’s had looked after eva smith and treated her with any respect then maybe it would have prevented her suicide, because she would have been in a lot happier state of mind. this also takes place near to every one of us. if you treat one person unacceptably then you never know what effect that may have on them and others around them, if you do your bit to treat every person with decency that you meet then you will have no regrets with what you have done., priestly also shows through shelia that she was the next generation, with the new ideas of how people of another class should be treated and how the other birling’s are still living in the old, traditional frame of mind, which is harsh and uncaring to others. whereas shelia would be a middle aged woman when priestly wrote the book, he wanted to show the difference of views between the younger and older generations of 1912., shelia birling and eva smith are very different characters, but it is the effect that they can have on each other’s lives which highlights priestley’s views about community., to what extent could you argue that mr birling is the most important character in an inspector calls , as the ‘head of the household’ mr birling is, arguably, the central character to an inspector calls. throughout the beginning of the play he displays the kind of arrogance that priestley expected to see from a selfish capitalist; throughout the exchange, he is completely unapologetic about the death of eva; and after the inspector leaves, he tries his hardest to get out of trouble. also, if you argued that an inspector calls is really a morality play, then you could see mr birling as representing the deadly sins of greed and pride, both things that priestly attacked capitalists for., at the beginning of the play, mr birling is described as “heavy looking” which immediately reminds us of a large, well fed, rich man, enjoying the luxuries of life. his “easy manners” but “provincial speech” remind us that although he is now rich (as symbolised by his knowledge of manners) he is from working class roots (provincial means from the country, or of a lower class.) mr birling is one of those men who had made money during the industrial revolution and, priestley argues, was then exploiting the working classes for his own profit., during the opening exchanges over dinner, birling shows off to gerald croft – his daughter’s new fiancé – by mentioning some rather expensive port he bought, and then gives a long and stuffy speech about how lucky his children are to be born into a time of such good fortune. throughout the speech priestley uses a lot of dramatic irony as he mentions birling’s belief that there would be no labour issues (despite the fact that the russian revolution was just five years away;) there would be no war in germany (despite two being on the horizon,) and – in a moment of comedy – that the titanic was “unsinkable.” throughout this speech, audience members are reminded of how little we know about the future, and how important it is that we prepare for the unexpected. birling is shown to be arrogant, small minded, and selfish; all features that a socialist like priestley would expect to see in a capitalist like birling., priestly times the inspector’s arrival so that he cuts birling off during one of his selfish rants: “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself,” he is saying as the doorbell rings. his initial response to the inspector is immediately defensive: he delivers a short speech detailing the members of the local police force that he knows, and the fact that he used to be mayor. the inspector seems uninterested though. throughout their exchange birling makes it clear that he feels no responsibility saying a number of times that he had nothing to do with this “wretched” girl’s death. the use of this adjective is interesting as “wretched” can mean poor or downtrodden, but it can also mean disliked and disgusting; birling, we have to assume, feels both are true. at one point he argues, perfectly summarising priestley’s feelings about the attitude of people like birling: “i can't accept any responsibility. if we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward.”, during the remainder of the play, mr birling continues to reveal himself as being selfish and without regret. he is continually worried about the threat to his dreamt of knighthood and, when the chance arises, is even happy to direct all the blame at his young son, eric. he also tries to bribe the inspector, offering him “thousands” now it has all gone wrong, despite the fact that he wouldn’t pay her even a few shillings more at the time. throughout act 3, it is mr birling who leads the campaign to recognise the inspector as being a fraud and he is the most relieved when it turns out that there is no dead girl. however, unlike sheila, he isn’t relieved that no-one had died but is simply pleased to have saved his own hide., however, as the main character in the play mr birling receives both the opening and closing lines. in the end, it is him who is stuck, holding the phone and revealing that there is and “inspector on the way,” and in many ways it is him that the audience will be most pleased to see get his just deserts., what is the role of the inspector in an inspector calls , an inspector calls is a parable that was set during the belle époque (meaning the beautiful period) which lasted from 1870-1914. in the play, a family have their dinner party interrupted by an inspector who comes to visit. though this is a morality play in the traditional sense, its moral compass is very much set by the author’s belief in socialism ., the inspector arrives at a critical point. mr birling, the patriarch of his family, is delivering a lecture to his son and future son-in-law, about how “men must look after themselves…” in this way he is exposing his deep selfishness – one that priestly believed was at the heart of all capitalists. at this point there is a “sharp ring on the doorbell,” the adverb perhaps foreshadowing how the inspectors arrival will cut through the birlings’ veneer of respectability ., almost as soon as he arrives, mr birling reminds him of his own social standing – that he used to be mayor and has played golf with the chief inspector. the fact that mr birling is threatening the inspector is barely concealed , though the inspector brushes it aside. as a morality play, all the characters in an inspector calls represent something else - an ideal or social group or class. here, the birlings represent the wealthy and privileged elite while the inspector represents the newly educated middle classes, who would rise up and form a bridge between the elite and the working classes below them. the inspector, as becomes clear, is here to ensure that the birlings do not get away with how they treated eva smith., the inspector is described as giving an “impression of massiveness.” this is interesting as it makes it clear that he isn’t massive but should give that “impression.” as a direction this is a bit of a nightmare for a casting agent . he shouldn’t be big, but should have a gravitas that makes him seem huge. fortunately, however, priestley has written a part that gives every opportunity for moral superiority for an actor., also, from the moment he arrives the stage directions call for the lighting to change from “pink and intimate” – perhaps reflecting the rose - tinted spectacles through which the birlings view the world – and to something more “harsh.” perhaps this change is designed to highlight how the inspector’s arrival puts the birlings behaviour in the spotlight or exposes the lies they kept hidden in the shadows ., the first to fall to his inspection is mr birling, who sacked eva after she arranged for a strike amongst his workers while they demanded more pay. though birling admitted that she was a good worker, he clearly saw his profits threatened by her behaviour and made an example of her. mr birling’s children, however, do not share his selfishness and, as his son points out, “why shouldn’t they try for higher wages we try for bigger profits.” in many ways this quote exposes the selfish, unreasonable nature of capitalists : that they see their own right to desire more profits as god given , while those who resist are “troublemakers” and “cranks.”, after mr birling, the inspector turns to sheila, who had eva sacked from her job in a local department store. it is clear from the story – which sheila tells – that she was jealous of eva’s good looks. it is also clear, however, that sheila deeply regrets her actions. not long after this, mrs birling comments that sheila’s feelings have been changed and claims that the inspector has made an “impression” on her. this is a telling word – an “impression” is something that is the result of pressure, as though she’s been bullied into seeing things differently; but it is also something that often disappears over time. mrs birling’s feelings are clear: that the inspector’s ideas have affected sheila, but only fleetingly . the inspector replies dryly , acknowledging that he will often have an effect on the young. in many ways this reflects the old adage that young people are more socialist by nature, gradually turning to the more self-centred right as they grow. this is certainly the point that is being made by priestley, as the inspector affects the younger generation far more than their elders., after sheila, he turns to gerald who, again, reveals his own role in the death of eva. by this stage she is known as daisy renton – a name that perhaps reflects the fact her position: daisies are simple flowers that call to mind the innocence of daisy chains; while the appearance of “rent” in her name reminds us of what she did to her body in order to survive., the play continues to get darker as the inspector turns to mrs birling. under pressure she tells the inspector, and the audience, about how she turned away a young pregnant woman and that if the inspector was doing his job properly he should be chasing down the father. at this point, the audience know that she is talking about eric and are tensely waiting for the big reveal. in many respects it is also at this point that the audience is forced to reflect on the nature of this play: up until this moment, the action seems relatively realistic and, although the focus has been on only one character at any time, the focus has shifted around the room without any seeming construction . this time, however, the structure is too neat to be believed; it’s too well constructed to maintain the illusion of realism , and we know that we are watching a parable in which the inspector has an almost divine control over the action., after exposing the family’s “crimes” the inspector finally delivers his closing speech, which has all the hallmarks of a sermon that is delivered to the audience as much as it is to the family. in it, he reminds us of all the eva smiths and john smiths there are in the world, and that we are “one body.” here, the inspector is addressing both the audience in 1945 and the audience in 1912. the telling difference was the two world wars, during which the working classes proved themselves to be every bit as strong and resilient as their “social superiors.” the sense of national bonding that took place during the wars led to significant social changes in the uk, not least the creation of the nhs and the welfare state, and it was characters like the inspector (and priestley) who made sure this happened., his final warning, however, that “if we do not learn this lesson we will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish,” has a slightly different meaning in the two time periods. for the family in 1912 it was prophetic ; but for an audience in 1945 it would have been suggesting that the wars were almost a punishment for their behaviour, and a way of suggesting that if they didn’t embrace socialism now then the wars, and all the horrors that came with them, would return again., at the end of the play, the birlings receive a phone call which tells them that a real police inspector is on the way, to talk about a girl who has recently died. this final moment raises questions about the role of the inspector goole we’ve just watched, and it is at this point that his name seems important: is he a goole, or a ghoul, or something else from some other world is he some angelic messenger send to bring divine judgement that question is never answered, though the audience – or the young ones at least – should have no doubts that his understanding of the world is from a “higher” place., another essay on the role of the inspector in an inspector calls ., this essay's structure is as follows:, a summary paragraph, how the inspector is introduced, mr birling and the inspector – good for ao2, a “panic” paragraph – without quotes – that picks up on some key moments from the rest of the play – good for ao1, the inspector at the end, in the play an inspector calls, a police inspector brings judgement to a rich family who live in 1912. the play is a morality play, in which each of the characters represents a particular role or opinion. in this morality play, the inspector promotes a socialist understanding of the world in a way that reflects the views of the play’s author jb priestley., when the inspector arrives he cuts off mr birling’s lecture when he is saying that “ a man must look after himself and his family …” this interruption symbolises the way that inspector is going to stop mr birling’s views. also, it says that there is a “ sharp ring on the doorbell .” the word “ sharp ” suggests that the inspector will cut through mr birling’s selfish ideas. also, from the moment he arrives the stage directions call for the lighting to change from “ pink and intimate ” to something more “ harsh .” this is because the birlings see the world through as being nice and friendly while the inspector will bring a “ harsh ” judgement on them., in the play, the inspector works as a foil to mr birling’s selfish capitalism. at the beginning of the play, mr birling calls socialists “ cranks ” – which means crazy – and says that if we all listened to socialists we’d be like “ bees in a hive .” this remark criticises socialists as bees lack individuality, they work almost like a big machine, and only do what they’re told and mr birling doesn’t want the world to be like this. the inspector, however, believes that we are “ members of one body ” and that we are “ responsible for each other .” in this way, the inspector is talking about the socialist ideas which suggest that because we all live together we should look after each other. in fact, he goes on to suggest that if we don’t learn to do this we will “ taught it in fire and blood and anguish .” this is clearly a reference to the two world wars which were fought between the time the play was set and when it was written. it is also telling that mr birling didn’t think the wars would happen – he would probably have referred to that as being an idea from some kind of “ crank .”, at the beginning of the play mr birling threatens the inspector by saying that he plays golf with the chief inspector. the inspector, however, doesn’t care and carries on his investigation. throughout the play, the inspector acts like he doesn’t care about the characters social standings and only wants to focus on the facts. he is someone logical and he doesn’t care what people think of him. he just wants the truth about eva’s death. he also has a habit of looking “hard” at the person he is addressing. this is because he is inspecting them, almost as though he’s looking through them and into their soul., in the end the inspector leaves and we are left unsure as to whether he was real or not. however, because his name is inspector goole – which sounds similar to ghoul (which is a kind of spirit or ghost) – the audience would be within their rights to think of him as a kind of spiritual prophet or divine messenger., a third essay on the role of the inspector in an inspector calls , jb priestley uses the story of an inspector calls to contrast the differences between upper/upper-middle and working class people in society during the edwardian times. the inspector questions the birling family to think about the consequences of their actions on others – predominately the working class and people whom they believe to be inferior to them. priestley uses the inspector to make society question their morals and think about accepting responsibility for their actions. each character reacts differently to the inspector and priestley uses this to represent capitalist vs socialist ideals., - nice opening – clear and specific and leaves the examiner comfortable that you know what you’re doing. may be a bit long – though it is all meaningful, when the inspector enters the birling household, the stage directions states that the lights change from ‘pink and intimate’ to ‘brighter and harder’. this shows how the presence of the inspector changes the atmosphere and how he is here for a purpose. the lighting change from ‘pink and intimate’ to ‘brighter and harder’ almost shows how the inspector is going to burst the birling’s protected, capitalist bubble. the idea of the lights being ‘brighter and harder’ create the idea of a spotlight shining on the birling family and how the inspector is there to expose them to the truth. in the stage directions, it also says that the inspector ‘creates an impression of massiveness’. this shows that although the birling’s are superior to him in class, the inspector still holds the authority over them all. it could also be foreshadowing that the inspector is going to create a lasting ‘impression’ over the birling family and impact their lives hopefully for the better., - super cool lots of detail, specific things being said and focusing on sections of the text. this is what you want to do, in act one, mr birling makes several threats to the inspector about his connections with the chief constable. this shows how mr birling feels threatened and uncomfortable with the inspectors presence. he tries to assert his authority over the inspector to protect himself and his pride as he’s being questioned by someone who is inferior to himself. he doesn’t want to damage his reputation and all he is thinking about is himself. this represents the capitalist society and how they refuse to think of any but themselves and how they will go to any measure to protect their reputation. mr birling also tries to emphasise his importance to the inspector by mentioning gerald and his family name. he says, “perhaps i ought to explain first that this is mr gerald croft – the son of sir george croft – you know, crofts limited.” by mentioning gerald’s family name, it shows how mr birling is trying to intimidate the inspector. also, mr birling could be mentioning the croft name to try to make himself feel more in control of the situation and back in the superior position in the room. priestley uses the reaction of mr birling to the inspector to represent how people of the upper capitalist class use their positions of power as an excuse to be ignorant to their actions. priestley wanted make people aware of this to questions their own ignorance., - again, this is great. you show a clear understanding of the relationship between birling and the inspector and clearly explain the power dynamic in the room, at the end of the play, the inspector makes a big final speech to the birling family. it opens with a reminder that there are thousands of “john smiths and eva smiths” in the world. this reminds the audience that we all have to accept responsibility for our actions and realise it is not enough to only think of ourselves but we must think of others as well. the inspector then goes on to say that “we don't live alone. we are members of one body. we are responsible for each other.” these three concise sentences summarise the lesson priestley was trying to convey to the audience. by keeping the sentences short but powerful, it leaves a lasting impression on the birling family but more importantly, the audience. this links to the beginning stage direction of the inspector creating an ‘impression of massiveness’. he then warns the family (and audience) that if ‘men don’t soon learn their lesson they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish’. this is a reference to the many years of war that had taken place between when the play was set and when it was performed. it could be seen to be served as a warning to the people that they need to change their actions or history will repeat itself., - really good as well. you’ve focused in on specific techniques here and shown a clear understanding of how those techniques have effects., overall, this is a very good essay – it’s got a wide range of detailed quotes, points and pieces of analysis. it could be improved with a few moments where you zoom in on specific words and explore the meaning of them – think about mr birling saying he “can’t” take responsibility, or mrs birling saying she “won’t” take responsibility and the inspector saying “we are responsible.” this kind of link will push this essay up into the 8-9 category., what is the significance of the ending in an inspector calls , in effect, ‘an inspector calls’ has arguably three endings, or climaxes. the first is the final speech of the inspector, before he exits dramatically, walking ‘straight out’. the second is as the family think it all may have been a ‘fake’. the third represents the justice in the final words of the play., priestly ensures that the inspector says little in the way of moral judgment until just before he exits. this in itself increases dramatic tension – the audience is waiting for a confrontation which is dependent on all the facts of the story finally emerging. his final speech is based on the great moral authority he has gained through the entirety of the play and is in a sense cathartic. as an ‘inspector’, he is symbolic of the moral and legal authority of the police force. ‘inspecting’ carries the idea of sifting carefully though the actions of the birlings in a detailed and objective manner. priestley adds objectivity and legal precision to the inspector’s character; thus by the climax of his investigation, we, the audience, instinctively trust his moral conclusions also. there is a sense of relief in hearing the birlings finally being condemned for their actions., the inspector’s final speech is, in tone, almost a sermon. the frequent use of blunt, short diction is combined with imperatives which make him seem almost a preacher or a prophetic figure, as he tells the birlings to “remember this”, and tells them that “we are responsible for each other.” although he uses often the first person plural to emphasise their common humanity, he is also accusatory with his use of ‘you’ as he threatens them with what will come if they fail to learn this lesson. the imagery priestley draw from is biblical by nature. from the eucharist service, the inspector uses the biblical metaphor that we are all “members of one body”. the well-known nature of this metaphor makes it seemingly self-evidently true to the audience. the apocalyptic imagery that follows is equally well-known, as the inspector promises “fire and blood and anguish”. the tricolon is heavily emphatic and emotive – the birlings’ rejection of it, which follows swiftly, creates a further sense of their moral vacuity. this sermonic end to the inspector’s presence onstage makes him seem a didactic mouthpiece for the play – he speaks in effect as much to the audience as to the birlings. although it is a relatively brief and restrained speech, nonetheless it is a powerful end – it seems – to the drama., birling’s absence of moral epiphany is enacted in the second ‘ending’ of the play in the ‘huge sigh of relief’ he emits when he discovers that the inspector is not actually from the police station. he rejects the inspector’s final words through this stage direction which creates a dramatic hyperbole that it is impossible for the audience to miss. eva smith’s name suggests that she represents all of the ordinary humanity, eva suggesting eve of genesis, symbolically the mother of humanity, and smith being a stereotypical working-class surname. thus birling’s ‘huge’ indifference is, symbolically, to the suffering of any human being, particularly those who are his socially inferior. indeed, his estimations of people’s worth have been entirely based on their money or their social connections; early on in the play he attempts at first to threaten the inspector by explicitly ‘warning him that the chief constable, colonel roberts, is an ‘old friend’ of his. birling’s ‘relief’ therefore is that his place in society is not damaged after all – even though it is based on corruption and inhumanity towards whose who are weaker and more socially vulnerable than him. thus birling has learned nothing at all in the play., further, birling is ‘triumphant’ when he decides that the story is nothing more than ‘moonshine’. ‘triumph’ suggests victory and winning – birling’s delight is based on his perception that he will not be in any way held to account for his misdeeds. ‘moonshine’ is a dismissive colloquialism – priestley uses this to emphasise that there is no emotional impact whatsoever on birling for the suffering of eva smith and those whom she represents. this is accentuated by mrs birling’s suggestion that in the morning eric and sheila will be as ‘amused’ as they are. the tragedy of what happened to eva through her circumstances and through the undeserved actions of others is in effect diminished to a joke. priestley ensures that this anticlimactic interpretation of the play’s events by mrs birling is morally repugnant to the audience. the older birlings and gerald are villainesque, antagonistic figures., sheila is partly redeemed from the birling’s self-seeking immorality. sheila’s response to birling’s ‘relief’ is to accuse him of ‘pretending’ that all is well. this accusation of play-acting creates an ironic role-reversal, as though birling is the one childishly refusing to engage with reality, and she becomes the parent-figure who rebukes him for his immaturity. this childishness is not an indication of birling’s innocence, but of his lack of responsibility. sheila is the youthful one in the conversation, but she is the one who is vulnerable to the corruption of her parents, and she lacks meaningful power. partly also because of her gender, she is, like eva, the victim of birling’s philosophy of greed – and yet the awakening of her moral awareness is presented as a coming-of-age epiphany. she learns to reject the selfishness and inhumanity of her parents as she realises that all the working-class are intrinsically human beings. she absorbs the relatively complex moral didacticism the inspector represents with regards to the interconnectedness of human society. this is particularly shown by her quoting the exact words of the inspector’s apocalyptic list of consequences if the rich fail to heed the social situation: she quotes his words of ‘fire and blood and anguish’. although she shows no explicit awareness of the social apocalypse of which the inspector warns, she recalls what ‘he made me feel’. her emotional engagement is presented in ironic juxtaposition with her parents’ emotional disengagement. priestley redeems her partly to show the morally repugnant nature of the birlings’ lack of redemption, through juxtaposing their response with hers., the unrepentant birlings are presented by priestley as grotesque not only through their failure to realise their wrong-doing, but also, and more importantly in their seeking of moral superiority over eva smith and the workers she represents. the callous self-righteousness they exhibit is best portrayed in mrs birling’s rhetorical question, ‘why shouldn’t we’ when sheila asks how they possibly can continue as they were before. the fact she considers the question to need no actual answer indicates her moral blindness – it indicates her assumption that the rightr of the powerful to abuse the poor is irrefutable and self-evident. priestley, through the drama, shows how society creates moral indifference to the working-class., the superficiality is also epitomised in gerald’s statement that ‘everything is all right now.’ this bland cliché becomes ironically extremely emotive for the audience as we know that the lack of a moral compass for the birlings and gerald means that others will be treated just as eva was. the superficiality of this analysis has great dramatic power to repulse the audience – and perhaps to begin to effect the social change priestley desired., the third and final ‘ending’ is mysterious. at one level, it satisfies the audience’s hope that there will be justice for eva. by instructing the actors to look ‘guiltily’ around, priestly ensures that the moral indifference of the second ending is not the concluding note of the play. birling speaking on the phone when the person has ‘rung off’ indicates also that his social authority is over; creating the sense that there is justice has lost what he really cared about. the inspector’s semi-comical surname, ‘goole’ also seems relevant right at the play’s climax. there is the suggestion that he did indeed in some way represent supernatural forces intervening in the birlings’ lives to bring justice for eva. however, the play by its nature ends inconclusively. in effect, we are left on a cliffhanger wondering what the ‘real’ police inspector will do. perhaps this reflects priestley’s aim for the audience to think about the play’s social message. the ending of ‘an inspector calls’ is a strong statement of the responsibility of those who seek money and social rank at the expense of humanity. it is strongly didactic and powerful., check this essay.

There are drastic differences that are seen in people who are born in different generations. One may argue that the younger generations are more impressionable and naive while the older generations are very hardheaded and assertive. By creating characters like Sheila and Eric with a large age gap between Mr. and Mrs. Birling in the play An Inspector Calls, tension is created through their differences clashing. J.B. Priestley’s use of contrasting characterization within the Birling family in the play An Inspector Calls creates tension and communicates his theme that one must take into consideration the consequences of their actions and take responsibility for them.

The Birling’s children, Erica and Sheila, are presumed to be very naive and still listening and agreeing with their parent’s words due to their ages. Yet, thought the play both Eric and Sheila prove to be mentally mature and responsible while directly reflect the inspector’s message. Eric Birling was caught up in the complicated situation relating to the death of Eva Smith through his role in impregnating her. Although he is ashamed, he steps up to the plate and confesses his actions and even admits to the fact that “I wasn’t in love with her or anything”, yet he understands that his actions did produce consequences and he takes responsibility for them. He insists on giving her enough money to keep her going, even though it included stealing money from his father (Priestley 50). This action was done unjustly, yet it shows how determined Eric was in order to fix his mistake and take responsibility for his actions- exactly what the Inspector teaches. Sheila Birling, the sister of Eric, also starts out by admitting to her role in the death of Eva. She expresses her sorrow and regret for her actions stating how “It was my own fault… and if I could help her now, I would” right away (24-25). Even though she did not take action like Eric did, she still takes responsibility for her actions and shows that she really does care about the consequences she was unable to attend to. As the play continues and everyone finds out that inspector Goole was a fake, the parents of Sheila and Eric both start to downplay the events of that evening. Suddenly the tension starts to rise as soon as the children speak directly against their parents stating “if you must know it’s you two who are being childish” (55). Sheila is so disgusted by the actions of her parents, that her character takes an unpredictable turn and she evolves into a brave young woman annoyed enough to scold her own parents. Even Eric states directly to his parents that “well, I don’t blame you. But don’t forget i’m ashamed of you as well. Yes- both of you” (54). The characters Sheila and Eric create tension in the play through their differences regarding their view on taking responsibility that contrasts greatly with their parents. The fact that the younger generation is standing up to the older generation and doing unconventional actions like scolding them, the main theme of the novel is clearly represented.

The older generation in the Birling family consists of strong characters: unlikely to sway in their ideas easily, hard headed, and arrogant. Arthur too is confronted about his dealings with Eva Smith, but immediately states that “the girl has been causing trouble in the works. I was quite justified (19). Here, he is seemingly ok knowing that she was forced to kill herself all because of something that started out with him originally and a sign of regret is not to be found. The younger generation, prominently Sheila is verbally pointing out her contrasting viewpoint directly saying (to Mr. Birling) “I think it was a mean thing to do” (21). Tension is created as a result of her comment, but in a way she forces her father to re-examine at his actions by him hearing an opposite viewpoint and internally contemplate her and the Inspector’s message. Another situation that increases the tension overall is when Sheila hears her father describe Eva as cheap labour, and automatically she jumps in stating “but these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people” clearly showcasing the differences in the mindset of the two generations (19). Lastly, Mrs. Birling gets confronted with her mistake and does admit to her actions. Her arrogance shows through when she plainly lays out her thoughts to the inspector that “if you think you can bring any pressure to bear upon me, Inspector, you’re quite mistaken. Unlike the other three, I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation… You have no power to change my mind” and like Mr. Birling does not have a hint of regret in her (44). Sybil Birling is blinded to the problems within her household and herself, and therefore tension is created when she directly contradicts the viewpoints of her children. The theme of the play is brought out because of this, when the children start to argue their point about accepting responsibility for their actions’ consequences.

Through tension between the characters, the main theme that we don’t live alone, are members of one body, and are responsible for each other is revealed. Sadly for this to be revealed, tension is built greatly dividing the Birling family- the younger vs the older generation. The children desperately try to get their parents to accept what they believe is the inspector’s lesson and purpose for visiting, yet Arthur and Sybil are set on the idea that they are just “the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke” (72). Although it may be true that the inspector is not real and the older generation will never learn, the main theme is being communicated successfully to the audience. By looking at Mr. and Mrs. Birling and the way they instigate an attack on themselves by their children, the audience feels disgusted by them and the theme reaches the audience.

• Science & Math
• Sociology & Philosophy
• Law & Politics

The Portrayal of Women in An Inspector Calls

• The Portrayal of Women in…

How Are Women Presented in An Inspector Calls?

In An Inspector Calls, J. B. Priestley highlights socialist ideas and ideals through the representation and treatment of women in the play. The upper-class women within 1912 society are shown to be respected and wealthy, but obedient to their husbands. However, the women of the lower classes are neglected and abused by men of the higher class.

How does Priestley Present Female Characters in An Inspector Calls?

Eva smith’s vulnerability.

One of the most important ways women are presented in An Inspector Calls is through the portrayal of Eva’s vulnerability in the workplace. Eva Smith works for Mr. Birling, a businessman who owns a factory that employs many people of the lower class. Eva Smith is fired from Birling’s factory after stirring up trouble and demanding increased pay due to unfair wages. “She’d had a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go.” This shows the ruthless behavior of Mr. Birling as he shows no compassion or understanding of her situation and states that she could “go work somewhere else.” The fact that she is considered to have had “too much to say” represents how women of this class lacked a “voice” in society.

Gerald’s Encounter with Daisy Renton

Another way to answer the question “how does Priestley present women in an inspector calls?” is through Gerald’s interview with the Inspector. He depicts his encounter with Daisy Renton in detail. He met her in a bar while she is cornered by an older fat man called Joe Maggerty. He describes the bar as a “favorite haunt of women of the town,” which alludes to the women at this establishment being prostitutes. It is degrading and insulting. He also describes the women as “dough-faced and hard-eyed.” Through this disrespectful language, it reveals Gerald’s demeaning view of women. In addition, the description of how she was cornered by Joe Maggerty’s “fat carcass” shows the exploitation that women experienced from supposedly “respectable” men.

Eric’s Attitude Towards Daisy Renton

Another way that women are shown to be mistreated is through Eric’s attitude towards Daisy Renton. One night, he uses his strength and power to overcome her in an abusive manner. He states, “I was in a state when a chap easily turns nasty and I threatened to make a row.” This suggests that this behavior was the result of being intoxicated and implies that this behavior would have been commonplace during this time. While the inspector interrogates Eric, he states that Eric “Used her for the end of a stupid, drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person.” The use of this simile clearly highlights the way women are treated like objects.

Mrs. Birling’s Hypocrisy

In addition, Priestley also shows the prejudice present within society. As a respected, well-known woman of the upper class, Mrs. Birling is assertive and powerful, but she is also lacking compassion which is suggested in the stage directions which describe her as “cold.” The fact that she is a member of the “Brumley Women’s Charity Organization” demonstrates that she wants to be portrayed ostensibly to the community as a feminist and an advocate.

However, we soon discover that Mrs. Birling is hypocritical and that unmarried women are unfairly judged by members of the upper classes. This is seen when Mrs. Birling states to a girl seeking help that she should “Go look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.” This shows Mrs. Birling’s elitist nature and how callous her demeanor is. She discriminates against the girl because she is a single mother with a child out of wedlock.

Sheila’s Transformation

Despite this negative portrayal of women, J.B Priestley uses the character of Sheila to give some hope for the future as he highlights the way in which Sheila grows and develops in the play. This is very important because at the very beginning of the play Sheila is very childlike and needing of her parents’ approval. Sheila’s development is also evident in the way her language matures.

At the start of the play, she is submissive and states, “Yes, go on, Mummy.” The word “Mummy” has very childlike connotations. By the end of the play, however, she states, “Now, Mother – don’t you see.” This is especially important as it indicates that she has become a more confident individual with independent ideas and strong morals. This transformation is a critical part of how Priestley presents female characters in An Inspector Calls.

Insight vs. Antiquated Views

This is also ironic as despite being a member of the younger generation, she demonstrates far more insight than the older leaders of the family, Mr. and Mrs. Birling, who are very antiquated and don’t care what the Inspector says to them. This contrast highlights how women in An Inspector Calls can embody progress and change, challenging the traditional views of their time.

Related Posts

• Canadian History: Women's Voting Rights
• Women in Ancient Greek Sport
• Women In Combat
• Roman Women
• 'An Inspector Calls' Themes: Money and Power

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post comment

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team

An Inspector Calls Themes

Read about the common themes in An Inspector Calls in our theme analysis and examples of student work.

The shadow of World War hangs over the play. Priestley himself served in the 1st World War, the play was written during the 2nd World War and, when the play was first being performed in the late 1940s and in the 1950s, the audience would be aware of the threat of a 3rd World War. When the Inspector warns of “fire and blood and anguish”, there is no doubt what he means. The play makes connections between the exploitation of the weak and vulnerable within society and the impending dangers to civilisation itself. Mr Birling’s prediction of a peaceful 1940 is deliberately absurd; for Britain, once France had requested an armistice with Nazi Germany, this was the lowest point of the war, a nation on its own facing defeat.

Essays About War

JB Priestly wrote 

'An Inspector Calls' is based in 1912, before the first and second world war, before the sinking of the Titanic and before women had any rights.

Responsibility

The Inspector’s mission is to make the characters accept responsibility for their actions in relation to Eva Smith. He arrives at the precise moment when Mr Birling is preaching a principle of individualism: ... “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own.” The Inspector clearly contradicts this view when, in his final speech, he states: “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.” His message has a real impact on Sheila and Eric- the younger generation. Priestley cannot have known that Margaret Thatcher, British prime minister throughout the 1980s, would uncannily echo Mr Birling’s words when she famously proclaimed “There is no such thing as society.” She said that in 1987; Priestley died in 1984.

Essays About Responsibility 

How does Priestley explore the theme of social responsibility in his play An Inspector Calls?

The apportioning of blame and responsibility are central themes in 'An Inspector Calls'.

Gender Roles

Mrs Birling holds a traditional view of marriage for her daughter, Sheila – a suitable marriage is what all young women should aim for. She takes no interest in Mr Birling’s business and is blissfully ignorant of her son’s drinking. Sheila shows much more independence of spirit in relation to her fiancé, Gerald. The ways in which both Gerald and Eric exploit Eva Smith sexually reveal the powerlessness of women – especially if they were poor – at the time. Women over 21 could not even vote until 1928! For girls like Eva a fall into prostitution was a very real prospect. With almost no access to birth control her pregnancy would be all too common, as would be her suicide.

Essays About Gender Roles

Relationship between men and women in An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly - In this essay, I will examine, compare, and contrast the roles of the three women in the play.

When the National Theatre in London famously revived the play in the 1990s, their stage set made clear the play’s symbolist intentions. The Birlings’ house stood at the back of the stage surrounded by children of the future, who were sitting in judgement on their actions. By the time of the Inspector’s exit in Act Three the house has collapsed into rubble. The Inspector could therefore be seen as a kind of time traveller. H.G. Wells, who wrote The Time Machine in 1895 is mentioned in Act One. It is Sheila who first senses that the Inspector seems to know everything. The National Theatre version showed him quite clearly coming from the future to judge the past. Indeed no crime can be investigated. The only criminal, strictly speaking, is Eva herself, since suicide was illegal in 1912. It is the moral consequences of people’s actions that the Inspector is concerned with. Setting the play in 1912, the year when Titanic sank, is Priestley’s way of ridiculing the idea of inevitable human progress without moral improvement. His first audiences in Blitz-shattered London would have clearly understood his message. The play is not therefore a straightforward detective thriller. It should be viewed symbolically, not naturalistically.

Essays About Symbolism

How does priestly make 'an inspector calls' a dramatic play?

'How does J.B. Priestly convey his message in an Inspector Calls?'

Miss Scoffham's English Blog for Amazing Students

11a – ewan’s aic essay.

An Inspector Calls: How does Priestly present ideas about gender in ‘An Inspector Calls’?

Ideas about gender are very persistent throughout the course of ‘An Inspector Calls’. Priestley believed that, at the time, women were seen as second class citizens and he disagreed with this biased and unfair treatment of women.

A character who suffers harshly at the hands of sexism is the character of Eva Smith, a lower-class girl. Throughout the play men use their status to abuse Eva Smith in ways that they see acceptable. For example, in Act 2; when Gerald explains to the Inspector how he met Eva Smith (named Daisy Renton at this point) he says “Old Joe Meggarty… had wedged her into a corner”. This shows how an upper-class man was able to take advantage of the lower-class women. Priestley criticizes this behaviour and by the use of “old” implies that this is outdated or a traditionalist view, which he opposed. Also, the use of “wedged” conveys that Eva Smith does not want to be there and that she had no choice in being there. This reflects Priestley’s abhor of this treatment of women as it goes against their own personal interests. Alternatively, the use of “wedged” and a speech made by the Inspector at the end of the play, “that lesson will be learnt in fire and blood and anguish”, suggests that Priestly feels, or is even trying to encourage, that women rise up against their injustice, which is an example of dramatic irony as, in the 20 th century, women name suffragettes fought for the rights of women.

Another way that Priestly presents ideas about gender is through the anecdote that Sheila Birling tells in Act 1. She explains that she had Eva Smith fired from Milwards as she had looked better in a dress than Sheila had; “you might be said to have been jealous of her.” First of all, this shows Priestley’s belief that the upper-class were no different from the lower-class, as both seem as emotionally torn as the other (though at the time the upper-class would have denied as their status was what made them look good), which could have extended to how Priestly felt about gender, that men and women were no different from each other. As stated in the above brackets, the upper class wanted to look splendid in the eyes of others. However, during the 1900’s, women were seen as the possessions of men, which is highlighted by the fact that Sheila went to Millwards’; she even mentions to Gerald that it was “for his benefit” which tells us that she was only there to look nice for Gerald, which he is pleased by: “Good!” This shows Priestley’s distaste for the objectification of women during the 1900’s; he believed, and shows in the play, that this treatment of women leads to pathetic and “jealous” behaviour that will always leave a woman who is emotionally damaged, as implied by Sheila’s “jealousy” of Eva Smith, and physically damaged, as in the case of Eva Smith, who we know is supposed to have killed herself at the end of the play.

Finally, at the time that ‘An Inspector Calls’ is set, women were expected to have children at to look after them. This idea about the roles of women is put into conflict at the very end of the play. Eric tells us that “She thought she was going to have a baby,” which immediately places Eva Smith into what was expected of her at the time, however, she was not married and would therefore have been shunned by others, especially those of the upper-class (which was one of the reasons why Priestly was spiteful towards them). However, the fact that Eva Smith was expecting a child would have agreed with the audience at the time, who believed that that was the role of a woman. However, when we discover that Eva Smith, or a girl, has “just died in the infirmary” this destroys this view that women were responsible for looking after the child, which would have outraged the audience at the time. Priestly believed that it was unfair that people believed that women were solely responsible for the child: Mrs Birling even states “the father, of course” when asked who was responsible for Eva Smith’s death. This illustrates Priestley’s view that men were not as important as they believed (he even criticizes them by having Eric, the father, as a drunk, “he’s squiffy”, which highlights his own weakness) and that they also had a responsibility to bring up their children, whether in the upper or lower-class, which he tried to destroy the barrier between by writing ‘An Inspector calls’.

As we can see, Priestley was a socialist who believed in equality for all. At the time, women were seen as second class citizens and they had little say on how their lives were led. Priestley challenged this view by creating stark contrasts between the views of people at the time and the events that befalls the characters in the play; an example being Eva Smith, who would have been expected to look after the child, failed by killing herself and the child along with her.

Share this:

Leave a comment cancel reply.

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

• Arts & Humanities

Gender in An Inspector Calls.

Related documents.

Add this document to collection(s)

You can add this document to your study collection(s)

Add this document to saved

You can add this document to your saved list

Suggest us how to improve StudyLib

(For complaints, use another form )

Input it if you want to receive answer

Gender in "An Inspector Calls"

An Inspector Calls is set in England in 1912, prior to World War 1. At this time gender was very segregated and controversial. During the play, we see how each character is portrayed and how they develop, despite their gender. In this time period, women were viewed as subsidiary to men. This is presented through the role of Mr. Birling. He quotes “and I speak and a hard-headed business man.” Through this quote we can infer that he is trying to show his authority.

The quote is the further reiterated, “And I am talking as a hard- headed practical man of business.” The way the repetition is utilised, emphasized the dominance of men at this time. It suggests that women were incapable of being in charge as he used the word ‘man’ of business instead of optioning for person due to him not referencing to women.

Role of women in early 1900’s in Great Britain

During the early 1900’s in Great Britain, we are aware that the role of women was extremely controversial.

Each women had their own opinion on being discriminated l, although often, many upper class women accepted their role as being their husband’s ‘accessory’. They were usually part of a ‘picture-perfect’ image and were devoted to being stay at home mothers. An example of this would be Mrs Birling. However, numerous younger women were conscious of the role women played in society. For example Sheila Birling. At the beginning of the play, Sheila was conveyed as an immature, oblivious young women.

Proficient in: Plays

“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”

The quote ‘ who has put the ring in admiringly,’ implies that she is too infatuated with the materialistic item. It is then repeated ‘(Noticing that Sheila is still admiring the ring)’. Once again the repetition of the quote implies that she is unable to engage in the conversation and be present in the room. Or she is too dumb, despite being in her 20s. Nevertheless, Sheila demonstrates independence, as a woman, when she goes against her father, Mr Birling. This portrays the progression of the role of women. Here, the author uses dramatic irony, as we know, as the reader, that the role of women exceeds expectations and they ply a key role in civilisation from 1945 (when the play was written and performed). The quote ‘but these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people,’ is said by Sheila when she rebels against her father. This indicates that women have equal rights and are not insignificant objects.

Gender roles and class division

Gender roles are also strongly influenced by class division. The life of a working class woman and an upperclass woman were very different. In addition, their impact in society was very divergent. Mrs Birling is an upper class woman who does not work and does not struggle, as she gets everything she wants. She is a very obedient person who is largely focused on image. She’s concerned about her social status and as to what others may think of her. She lacks her own identities as during the play she is only referred to as her first name, Sybil, once. This is signified in the quote “I’m Mrs Birling y’know.” We can infer from this that this is said in the ‘same easy time’ as shown in the stage directions. Being said is the ‘same easy tone’ conveys her confidence as she is married to Mr Birling. The word ‘y’know’ ledgers to her high social status. On he contrary, Mrs Birling occasionally demonstrated independence, commonly towards Mr Birling. In the play, Mr Birling asked Mrs Birling to compliment the cook on the food that was made for dinner. However, Mrs Birling replies with “(reproachfully) Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things-“ In spite of Mrs Birling being a female and being discriminated against by society herself, she chooses to be oblivious to the fact and continues to remain persistent on class division and ensure that those who are below her, are aware of it.

The character of Eva smith was a working class woman in 1912. She often faced many challenges due to her low social status. In addition, she is a female. Priestly presents Eva Smith as a very vulnerable character. We can infer that Gerald and Eric both took advantage of her. They were both highly attracted to Agee despite her being lower class. Gerald describes her as “young and pretty and warm – hearted.” From this description we can depict that Gerald was very interested in her appearance. This suggests that he used Eva and was inconsiderate of her emotions implying that women in 1912 were bought to be negligible. Eva was viewed as unimportant by many people. “But I think she only had herself to blame.” Mrs Birling is uninterested in Eva and overlooks her as a person until she learns that Eric was the father of Eva’s unborn child. Eva was also called ‘A girl of that sort.’ This portrays women as a ‘sort’ instead of individuals. I believe Priestly used this quote to create dramatic emotion upon the audience to enable them to sympathise to the way women lived with no rights in this time period.

Gerald Croft

Another example of a strong male role is Gerald Croft. In the play Gerald is to marry Sheila Birling (daughter of Mr Birling who owns ‘Birling and Co.’) form the text we can guess that s main factor in the reasons for Gerald and Sheila’s engagement is due to business between ‘Crofts Limited’ and ‘Birling and Co’. I’m his is referred to in this quote: “thought Crofts Limited are both older and bigger than Birling and Company- and now you’ve brought us together.” The quote suggests that Gerald does not have true feelings for Sheila. This signifies that Gerald is not respectful of Sheila and is not considerate towards female emotions. Priestly is emphasising he forehand for women. The was Gerald is discussing business with only Mr Birling displays the dominance men had.

How men are more dominant in the play

In conclusion, there are many examples of how men are more dominant and the lack of power women have throughout ‘An Inspector Calls’ A quote from Eric demonstrates this: “-well I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty- and I threatened to make a row.” The leadership of men is conveyed on this quote as Eric is capable of getting Eva in trouble when he attempts to go against her will. It also indicated how useless women were, having now rights or authority – especially for the working class. Priestly uses language to create an affect on the reader. For example, colloquial language is utilised with the word ‘chap’ to present the location and time period of when the play was written.

Cite this page

Gender in "An Inspector Calls". (2022, May 13). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/gender-in-an-inspector-calls/

"Gender in "An Inspector Calls"." PaperAp.com , 13 May 2022, https://paperap.com/gender-in-an-inspector-calls/

PaperAp.com. (2022). Gender in "An Inspector Calls" . [Online]. Available at: https://paperap.com/gender-in-an-inspector-calls/ [Accessed: 2 Aug. 2024]

"Gender in "An Inspector Calls"." PaperAp.com, May 13, 2022. Accessed August 2, 2024. https://paperap.com/gender-in-an-inspector-calls/

"Gender in "An Inspector Calls"," PaperAp.com , 13-May-2022. [Online]. Available: https://paperap.com/gender-in-an-inspector-calls/. [Accessed: 2-Aug-2024]

PaperAp.com. (2022). Gender in "An Inspector Calls" . [Online]. Available at: https://paperap.com/gender-in-an-inspector-calls/ [Accessed: 2-Aug-2024]

• The Role Of The Inspector In An Inspector Calls Pages: 5 (1364 words)
• An Inspector Calls Gender Quotes Pages: 3 (854 words)
• An Inspector Calls Generation Gap Quotes Pages: 10 (2826 words)
• Essay on "An Inspector Calls" by J B Priestley Pages: 13 (3655 words)
• What made him write An Inspector Calls and why set it before World War One Pages: 10 (2988 words)
• How would an audience respond to An Inspector Calls in performance Pages: 8 (2186 words)
• An inspector calls is set in entirely one room Pages: 10 (2983 words)
• Dramatism in "An Inspector Calls" Pages: 2 (482 words)
• An inspector calls Pages: 5 (1465 words)
• An Inspector Calls Crime Story Essay Pages: 2 (571 words)

An Inspector Calls: Themes ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Exam responses that are led by ideas are more likely to reach the highest levels of the mark scheme. Exploring the ideas of the text, specifically in relation to the question being asked, will help to increase your fluency and assurance in writing about the play.

Below are some ideas which could be explored in An Inspector Calls. This list is not exhaustive and you are encouraged to identify other ideas within the play. Below you will find sections on:

Responsibility

Capitalism versus socialism, generational divide.

Responsibility is one of the most prevalent  themes within the play and the role of the Inspector is to highlight that all actions have consequences. He demands that the other characters be accountable for their actions and that they take responsibility for others. This message is also intended for the wider audience and for society in general.

Knowledge and evidence:

• The Inspector demands each character be held accountable and admit personal responsibility  for the chain of events which led to Eva’s death:
• Each character had an individual connection with Eva, regardless of how fleeting , and their actions will have influenced her fate
• Sheila is the first character in the play to accept responsibility for her actions, which demonstrates her courage and empathy  
• Eric initially offers marriage to Eva which shows some attempt at responsibility:
• However, as the father of her child, he ultimately fails in his duty to protect both of them 
• The Inspector urges the characters (and the audience) to consider their social responsibility , arguing individuals have a civic duty to ensure their actions must benefit the whole of society:
• Through the Inspector, Priestley argues that members of a society have duties and obligations towards the welfare of others 
• He suggests they have a collective and social responsibility to take care of each other
• As Arthur and Sybil hold prominent positions within society, the Inspector suggests they have an even greater duty of care towards others:
• While the Inspector alludes to ideas of responsibility and duty, Arthur and Sybil also repeatedly use these words though they interpret them in very different ways
• In contrast, Priestley presents Eva as having a greater sense of moral responsibility than all of the other characters
• A pivotal part of Act III is when the Inspector leaves, as it provides an opportunity for the characters to reveal if they have learned anything from his message:
• Only Eric and Sheila have grasped Inspector’s message; Arthur, Sybil and Gerald are blind to it

What is Priestley’s intention?

• Priestley emphasises the importance of both personal and social responsibility :
• He insists this extends beyond the confines of a family unit and spreads to society as a whole
• It could be argued that some of the acts committed by the Birlings and Gerald may not individually seem to have been so terrible to drive Eva to suicide:
• However, Priestley emphasises that individual actions may well begin a chain of events which may have devastating consequences

An Inspector Calls is a play that deals with ideas of fairness and inequality. Priestley used the play to argue that the economic system of Capitalism  prevented equality and social justice and that another system, Socialism , which aims to share out wealth, would be fairer for all.

Knowledge and evidence: 

• Priestley presents a powerful social message in An Inspector Calls which is explored through the competing concepts of Capitalism and Socialism:
• While Capitalism seeks to benefit the individual, Socialism is focused on benefiting society
• Priestley depicts the comfortable, affluent life of the Birlings who thrive on Capitalism :
• This is contrasted with the distressing account of Eva, who is forced to live a wretched life due to their greed
• Despite being a good worker, Eva is exploited and marginalised  by those within the privileged Capitalist system
• Priestley maintains that such a system creates and perpetuates  inequalities in society and prevents social mobility:
• Eva is trapped in a cycle of poverty and despite her attempts to improve her situation, she cannot overcome it
• His message that “we are all part of one community” is firmly established
• He has no sense of responsibility or concern that his workers may need higher wages to live
• He treats the pay strike at his factory with contempt since it threatens his profits
• Through the Inspector, Priestley presents the Birlings and Capitalism in a negative light:
• They are individualistic , self-centered and amoral, placing profit and greed above the rights and concerns of others
• Priestley seeks to expose this selfishness and to encourage others to look after one another and to work towards a society where all members are treated more equally and fairly

Priestley explores the idea of generational change in An Inspector Calls: younger characters are more open to social and economic change, and as a result are in conflict with their parent’s generation, who are stuck in their ways.

• Priestley attempts to reveal the inadequacies of Arthur and Sybil as parents:
• They fail to acknowledge Sheila and Eric as adults and offer little support during the evening’s proceedings
• They ignore Eric’s alcoholism which may in part be due to their indulgence
• They attempt to shield Sheila from hearing sordid details about “women of the town”, despite Sheila being already aware of such realities
• Priestley portrays Arthur, Sybil and Gerald as fully entrenched in upper-class notions of superiority and unable to change:
• Arthur and Sybil mock the foolishness of Sheila and Eric for having been so affected by the Inspector
• Eric and Sheila do not share the sense of relief as the others when the Inspector is discovered to be a fraud, as this is irrelevant to them
• While he displays genuine remorse for his treatment of Eva, by the end of the play he reverts to his original stance 
• The older generation is more concerned with protecting their social positions and continues to perceive themselves as upstanding members of the community
• Gerald falls between the younger and older generations:
• In contrast, the younger generation is used to demonstrating their capacity for change and their acceptance of social responsibility:
• Sheila challenges her parents for not learning from the Inspector, thus illustrating a greater capacity to learn from her mistakes
• The younger generation present a symbol of hope
• Through Sheila and Eric, Priestley offers optimism to the audience that the younger generation is capable of change:
• Priestley depicts the younger generation as more compassionate and empathetic which suggests they will no longer avoid their social responsibilities 
• Priestley suggests the younger generation will avoid the errors of the previous generation:
• He suggests the selfish and exploitative Capitalist system will be replaced with a more Socialist agenda

For Priestley, guilt is the result of accepting personal and social responsibility for one’s actions. It is noteworthy that younger characters in An Inspector Calls express guilt, but not the older generation, suggesting that they are not willing to see their own flaws, or those of the society they live in.

• The Inspector contends that if the characters are to learn anything from his message, they must express their guilt:
• For the Inspector, the admission of guilt requires self-reflection and this is an important step in encouraging the characters to change
• For Priestley, their guilt is both individual and collective:
• At an individual level, he believes each character compromised their morals in their treatment of Eva
• At a collective level, they represent the upper classes who have enabled the lower classes to be exploited and mistreated for their own gain 
• Sheila is the first character to express her guilt and it is instantaneous:
• While Sheila acknowledges her guilt, the Inspector insists that the guilt, as well as the responsibility, must be shared by all
• Similarly, Eric eventually expresses his guilt, though he is only willing to do so in the last act:
• While he could appear to express a stronger sense of guilt than the others (through his emotional outburst), his immaturity may suggest he is unable to feel it as keenly as his sister
• While Gerald appears to express sincere and honest regret during his confession about Eva, his guilt is only temporary:
• He attempts to justify his actions towards Eva to make himself appear less culpable
• When he realises there are no consequences for his behaviour, he no longer cares
• This could be contrasted with his confession to Sheila over his affair with Eva, as he appears more concerned that his affair has been found out, rather than having betrayed his fiancée
• Arthur and Sybil are the only two characters who refuse to express any guilt for their treatment of Eva:
• They continue to fail to see or acknowledge that they have done anything wrong
• For Priestley, the guilt felt by the characters and society as a whole must be personal and collective, if the change is to occur
• At an individual level, Priestley suggests we are responsible for our personal conduct toward others
• At a collective level, Priestley suggests we should ensure all groups are treated fairly and equally

Priestley uses the characters in An Inspector Calls to criticise the inequality and unfairness of the British class system and argues that the privilege of class blinds people to their immoral behaviour.

• Class plays a significant role in An Inspector Calls and is a major influence on many of the characters and events
• The immense inequality between the classes is firmly established at the start of the play:
• The description of the Birlings’ opulent  home is sharply contrasted with descriptions of the workers in Arthur’s factory
• Sybil could be viewed as making incorrect assertions about the working classes (of whom she has no knowledge) and views them as morally and socially inferior:
• She ignorantly links class with morality and cannot believe Eva, as a working-class girl, would refuse stolen money
• Sybil’s hypocritical  stance means she overlooks her own selfish and immoral actions and those belonging to her class:
• She believes her class affords her the superiority to decide who is and is not deserving of charity
• She overlooks Gerald keeping a mistress and ignores her son’s immoral conduct with Eva
• Priestley demonstrates how the working classes, especially women, could be exploited and abused by those with wealth and power:
• Both Gerald and Eric abuse their power and status in their relationship with Eva and both men discard her when it suits them
• Gerald is entrenched in the views of his class system:
• This prevents him from genuinely empathising with Eva’s plight or that of the working classes in general
• Priestley demonstrates the fixation of the upper classes on their status and their poor morals
• Priestley further conveys the hypocrisy of the upper classes and the abuse of power over the working-classes
• This is clearest in the treatment of working-class girls by young, wealthy men

Priestley explores the inequality between male and female characters in An Inspector Calls to criticise his society’s suppression of women’s rights and the mistreatment of women in general.

• Gender is an important element within the play and it impacts most of the behaviour of the characters
• Eva would have been viewed as ‘cheap labour’ and therefore more at risk of being exploited and abused by employers because of her gender:
• Working-class women would have been one of the cheapest forms of labour available to Arthur
• Similarly, Eva is exploited by her gender (and class) by wealthy men and women:
• Sybil and Sheila use their power to suppress  another woman
• Both Gerald and Eric take advantage of Eva as a working-class girl and there is an imbalance of power in respect of social position and influence
• Gerald emphasises how Eva was in desperate need of his assistance and portrays himself as being chivalrous  in rescuing her
• Sheila can be viewed as a woman who is redefining the role of women at a time when women’s rights were being sought through the suffragette movement:  
• At the beginning of the play, she plays a typical role within her patriarchal society  and is obedient to her father 
• This can be contrasted to her behaviour as the play develops and she begins to challenge her father and refuses to take back Gerald’s engagement ring
• Priestley uses the male and female characters in the play to comment upon traditional gender roles:
• Sybil is presented as mainly subordinate  to her husband, while Sheila is beginning to challenge this traditional role
• Eva is presented as an assertive  female character
• Priestley also highlights the suppression of women’s rights and how men and women can abuse their power:
• The Birlings and Gerald Croft all take advantage of Eva in different ways because of her gender

It is crucial that you develop the skills to find your own ideas and arrive at your own meanings and interpretations to the text. Try to take a more exploratory and discursive approach to your reading of the play as the examiner will reward you highly for this approach. For instance, you could begin to develop your own interpretations by using sentence starters such as: ‘Priestley may have used the character of Sheila to highlight ideas about …’ 

You've read 0 of your 0 free revision notes

Get unlimited access.

to absolutely everything:

• Downloadable PDFs
• Unlimited Revision Notes
• Topic Questions
• Past Papers
• Model Answers
• Videos (Maths and Science)

Join the 100,000 + Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Author: Nick

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

• An Inspector Calls

Quick Reply

Related discussions.

• inspector calls aqa
• GCSE English lit paper 2 Inspector calls question
• eng lit aqa 2024 predictions gcse
• AQA English Lit Paper 1 GCSE
• 2024 GCSE exams
• Flashcards needed
• GCSE English Lit Predictions
• predictions for gcse english lit aqa
• How does Priestley explore the importance of social class in An Inspector Calls?
• How does Priestley use the character of the Inspector to suggest ways that society co
• Edexcel english lit 2024
• INSPECTOR CALLS EXAM IN 2 DAY- tips and feedback on 40 markers and the essay too?
• Aqa english literature gcse predictions?
• English literatrue gcse 2024
• WJEC Eduqas English Literature 2024
• Can someone please give me feedback on this essay?
• any predictions for aqa english lit paper 2
• English Literature
• English Literature help!!!

Last reply 5 days ago

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 1 month ago

Articles for you

Best video resources for revising GCSE or A-level English

Finding a university place in Ucas Clearing 2024: 10 top tips to help you get ready

Top 10 tips for Ucas Clearing 2024

Bringing business people into the classroom: what students learn from industry professionals

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

An Inspector Calls: How to Approach the Exam Question (Gender)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

20 November 2023

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Detailed lesson on AQA GCSE Literature Paper 2 Exam Essay Structure and lesser Characters in the play. It includes:

• General essay tips
• Mark Scheme
• Exam questions + exam questions resource with 14 questions
• Eric model essay resource as a guide
• Example paragraph
• Examiner’s commentary
• Step-by-step approach to an exam question on gender
• Analyses of quotes with bullet-point guidance
• General historical context on gender
• Essay plan including building a clear thesis statement
• This can be easily adapted to your class or to other exam boards, hence no AOs on slides

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 50%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

AQA GCSE English Literature: An Inspector Calls Bundle

* Detailed lessons and resources including: * Act One recap * Essay structure and 'lesser' characters * How to approach a theme question * How to approach the exam question on gender * Planning and structure * Colour-coded model responses * Easily differentiated * Adaptable to other exam boards

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: