an inspector calls

Alternative transcript:

the welfare of the poor. At the time there was no assistance for people. Priestly wanted this issue addressed and spoken about. He also felt that if people were more considerate of each other it would improve the quality of life for everyone. This explains social responsibility being a key theme of the play. Priestley wanted his audience to be responsible for their own actions as well as be responsible for the welfare of others. Age Priestley uses age to show he believed there was hope in the younger generation's ability to learn from things and change. The older character's behaviours and opinions are stubbornly fixed and never change. Mr birling refuses to change and Mrs birling isn't able to see the obvious about her and her children. Eric and Sheila are younger and accept their mistakes as well as offering the chance of a brighter future. Gender An inspector calls was written after WW2 after many men went away to fight in the war so their positions in work had to be filled by women. This helped change the existing perceptions on women. Men had to accept that women were just as capable as they were. As a result of this, many women enjoyed the new freedom of working and earning money. Not all men saw this change in society as a good thing and stayed stuck in the past. Priestley explores the impact of these new woman roles through the independence of Eva Smith and the sexist attitudes of Mr Birling. Class Before WW2, Britain was divided by class. Two classes were wealthy land and factory owners and the poor workers. The war helped bring these classes together and rationing meant that people of both classes were eating and dressing the same. The war effort also meant people from these classes were mixing together. This definitely wasn't the case before. Priestley wanted to highlight the inequality between the classes still existed and there was still more change to be done. Plot Act 1 The birling family celebrate Sheila and Gerald's engagement. Mr. Birling emphasises and talks about his capitalist views. An inspector arrives and reveals the suicide of a woman called Eva Smith. He questions Mr. Birling (who Eva had previously worked for and was dismissed by) and Sheila birling (who got her sacked from her next job at Milward's store). The act ends on a cliffhanger that Gerald knew Eva by a different name; Daisy renton. Act 2 The inspector then questions Gerald (who'd had an affair with Eva in the summer before, before she changed her name to Daisy Renton). Eric birling becomes distressed and leaves the room. The inspector questions Mrs Birling (who refused to help Eva when she came to Mrs Birling's charity). It's made clear that Eva was pregnant. At the end of the scene we realise Eric was the father of the child as he re-enters the room. Act 3 The inspector then questions Eric (who impregnated Eva and then stole money for her). The inspector gives a final speech on how 'we are responsible for each other'. The family discovers that the inspector may not have been real. The police then call to say another young girl has committed suicide and another inspector is on his way.