J.B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls" in 1945. It was first performed in the Soviet Union. It is set in 1912 in Edwardian England. The play explores the moral and social issues of the time, of which many remain relevant. The focus is the wealthy Birling family and their interactions with the Inspector Goole, who arrives unexpectedly to discuss the suicide of a working-class girl named Eva Smith. Numerous themes are explored through this interrogation, including responsibility, social class and gender.
This guide is written for GCSE English Literature revision, including the AQA exam. If you need further support with the themes in J B Priestley's play or other topics in the curriculum, TeachTutti have a list of English Literature GCSE tutors who can help you revise.
Responsibility
Responsibility is a central theme in Priestley's An Inspector Calls. The Inspector challenges the attitudes of the Birling family and their impact on themes. Mr Birling is the head of the household, yet there is no responsibility in how he behaves: he prioritises his business and family, while ignoring the wider community. The Inspector challenges this, arguing that everyone is interconnected and our actions affect others.
Sheila and Eric Birling are the adult children in the Birling family. They gradually recognise their roles in society. This is particularly the case with Sheila: she is initially naïve and sheltered, but changes over the play, becoming aware of her actions and vowing to change. The younger generation contrasting sharply with the attitude of their parents, stressing the generational divide in attitudes toward social responsibility.
Responsibility is used by Priestley to critique societal attitudes in 1912, which was still relevant when he published the play in 1945. The message about collective versus individual responsibility remains relevant when discussing social ethics today.
Socialism
Social class as a theme is used to comment on the rigid class structures in early 1900s Britain. The upper class Birlings consider themselves superior and entitled to their wealth and status. For example, Mr Birling ignores the struggles of the working class, represented by Eva Smith, as he believes the success of his family is solely due to hard work and not societal structures.
The Inspector challenges this belief, showing that inequality breeds from the lack of empathy displayed by the Birling family and their refusal to acknowledge their impact on the working class. His socialist message is that social class shouldn't dictate moral responsibility towards other people, pushing the Birling's to recognise their privilege and resultant responsibility to those with a lower social position.
Sheila and Eric represent progress views in the younger generation as they begin to change their attitudes during the playing. They realise their complicity in maintaining harmful class distinctions. Sheila in particular represents hope for change at the end of the play when she rejects the views of her parents on class. This hints at a hopeful shift towards a more just and equitable society.
Gender
The expectations and limitations of woman are explored in the early 20th century. Mrs. Birling and Sheila highlight these gender norms: Mrs. Birling represents traditional views and she advises Sheila to tolerate the behaviour of her husband by remaining passive. The broader societal inequality is also shown through the dismissive attitude that Gerald and Mr. Birling display towards women.
Priestley uses Sheila's character to challenge these outdated gender roles. She becomes increasingly assertive and independent during the play, rejecting the patronising interactions from the men around her. Sheila evolves to expect society to treat her with equality, challenging her family to reconsider their views on gender norms.
Comparatively, Eva Smith's character shows the far greater challenges women face in the working-class where they are often marginalised and mistreated. Eva's fate and the indifference from the Birling family symbolise the broader societal disregard for women's rights, especially in the lower classes. Priestley uses the female characters to criticise the gender inequalities of early to mid 1900s and advocate for a more just society.
Moral conscience
Inspector Goole is the moral compass of Inspector Calls, encouraging the Birling family and the audience by extension to reflect on their own values. His presence disrupts the complacency of the Birling family as he confronts them with the result of their actions on Eva Smith. The inspector's question and his authority symbolise social justice when he urges them to consider the consequence of their actions on the girl's suicide.
Priestley advocates the importance of collective responsibility. He represents an ethical standpoint, in direct to the Birling who prioritise reputation and wealth. He stresses the “chain of events” that led to the girl's death, reminding each character that their choices have far-reaching consequences.
Time
Time is important as both a theme and to the play's structure. The play is set in 1912 but was written in 1945. This allows Priestley to use dramatic irony is showing the Birling family's ignore about events that have yet to happen, including Titanic's fateful demise and World War I. It stresses the danger of complacency and the inability to learn from past mistakes.
Priestley creates urgency and inevitability with time by compressing the investigation into a single evening. It is a reminder that speed is crucial when it comes to social responsibility and waiting too long to act can lead to irreversible consequences. There is a final twist where the predictions of the inspector come true, reinforcing that actions can't be undone.
The use of time by Priestley heightens the drama and stresses the importance of learning from history to avoid future mistakes in order to build a better society.
Morality and hypocrisy
There is often a stark contrast between the characters' public personas and their private actions. Mr. and Mrs. Birling pride themselves on being upstanding citizens. However, they are deeply flawed in their treatment of Eva Smith and others of lower standing.
The Birlings and Gerald Croft maintain their reputations at the expense of genuine ethical behaviour. The moral double standard is brought into focus by the Inspector’s questioning. He urges the character to consider the greater importance of having strong moral beliefs rather than focus on outward appearances.
Priestley uses this hypocrisy to suggest that social status and appearance do not always correlate with a true moral compass. He warns of the dangers of valuing reputation over doing what is right.
Guilt and responsibility
Guilt is present throughout the play and linked to the theme of responsibility. Characters react differently to the consequence of their actions due to guilt. For example, Sheila and Eric display genuine remorse and transform during the play. Meanwhile, their parents deflect blame and responsibility by refusing to acknowledge the role their actions took in Eva's death. This shows their moral rigidity and self-justification.
The Inspector is a catalyst by making each family member confront their guilt. The author argues that acknowledging guilt is an important first step towards personal growth and societal improvement. The theme of guilt also stresses that we need to be introspective and willing to accept our failings, rather than deny and defend the indefensible as with Mr. and Mrs. Birling.
Youth versus age theme
The generational gap between youth and age is clear between Mr. and Mrs. Birling and their adult children. The parents represent traditional values and resist change. They don't repent for the consequence of their actions and display self-righteous attitudes throughout the play.
In contrast to their parents, Sheila and Eric are more open-minded and evolve during the events of the play. They directly challenge the views of their parents and accept responsibility for their actions, displaying empathy. Priestley expresses hope for the future through Eric and Sheila, hoping that a younger generation can learn from their mistakes and become more compassionate and socially responsible. They contrast sharply with the stubbornness of the older generation, with the author implying that change will only happen in the hands of the young.
Final thoughts - Inspector Calls revision
The themes in An Inspector Calls include responsibility, social class, gender and generational conflict. The characters are encouraged to reflect on their actions and grow to build a better, fairer society. These themes will develop your understanding of the play and Priestley's critique of early 20th-century social norms. To learn more about the background to the play, you can read J.B. Priestley's biography.
If you want personalised support to revise and learn for your GCSE English Literature exams, TeachTutti have a list of qualified GCSE English Literature tutors. They can support you in learning An Inspector Calls and other topics in the curriculum.
This post was updated on 30 Nov, -0001.
