Setting and Social Context
The play is set in an industrial city in the North Midlands, deliberately made vague by Priestley to represent broader industrial England. The time period spans significant social and political changes, from 1912 through both World Wars.
Highlight: The setting reflects the broader social landscape of industrial Britain, where class divisions were stark and social mobility was limited.
Definition: Socialism advocated for the distribution of resources, wealth, and power to create a more equal society, while capitalism maintained private property rights and individual wealth accumulation.
Example: The contrast between socialist and capitalist ideologies is represented through characters like the Inspector (socialism) and the Birlings (capitalism).
Quote: "A man has to mind his own business and look after himself" - Mr. Birling, representing capitalist ideology.
Vocabulary: Patriarchal society - A social system where men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, and social privilege.
The play explores several key themes:
- Class System and Hierarchy:
- Upper Class (The Crofts): Possessed most wealth and power
- Middle Class (The Birlings): Business owners and professionals
- Lower Class: Largest population but least power
- Gender Inequality:
- Women's rights remained stagnant since Victorian era
- Suffragette movement fought for voting rights
- Progressive changes: 1918 (women over 30 could vote), 1928 (all women gained equal voting rights)
- Social Change:
- Impact of World Wars on workers' rights
- Rise of welfare state and Labour Party (1945)
- Women's wartime contributions leading to social recognition
