Analyzing J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

Overview

J.B. Priestley's play An Inspector Calls is a dramatic masterpiece that explores the social responsibility and class divide in early 20th century Britain. Set in 1912, the play revolves around the wealthy Birling family and their involvement in the suicide of a young working-class woman, Eva Smith.

Social and Political Themes

Priestley skillfully weaves multiple themes into the play's narrative:

• Social Class and Inequality: The play critiques the vast disparity between the privileged upper class and the struggling working class, highlighting societal injustices.
• Moral Responsibility: Through the Inspector's interrogation, Priestley questions the characters' individual and collective responsibility for their actions and their impact on others.
• Capitalism and Exploitation: The play examines the exploitation of workers by capitalist industrialists, as exemplified by the Birling family's treatment of Eva Smith.

Dramatic Techniques

Priestley employs various dramatic techniques to convey his message effectively:

• Time and Setting: While set in 1912, the play was written in 1945, allowing Priestley to critique pre-World War I society through a post-war lens.
• Dramatic Irony: Mr. Birling's confident assertions about the impossibility of war and the strength of the capitalist system are proven profoundly wrong, creating dramatic irony.
• Symbolism: The mysterious Inspector serves as a symbolic representation of moral authority, challenging the characters' complacency.

Dramatic Irony Example

Birling: "...the world's developing so rapidly that it'll make war impossible."

This statement, made in 1912, is dramatically ironic as the audience knows World War I began just two years later.

Through its exploration of social responsibility, class divisions, and moral consequences, An Inspector Calls remains a powerful and thought-provoking work of modern drama.