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AN INSPECTOR CALLS ESSAYS
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AN INSPECTOR CALLS ESSAYSHow does Priestley use the Inspector to voice his message on Social
Responsibility? - ANSWER Indeed, it may be said that An Inspector
Calls is a play more centred on themes and ideas than one driven by
plot. Hence, Priestley uses several devices throughout the text to convey
his ideas about social responsibility - juxtaposition being perhaps one of
the more significant strategies employed by Priestley to highlight his
ideas about the community and social responsibility. Thus, when Mr
Birling - a stereotypical construct of Aristocratic English society -
presents his monologue about the "unsinkable Titanic" and the
"scaremongers making a fuss about nothing", the audience is
immediately made aware of his ignorance and self-inflated, pompous
attitude, thus casting doubt over his capitalist ideas about "mind[ing] his
own business". This, then, is in direct contrast to the Inspector's
message on socialism, further highlighted by the clever timing of the
doorbell designed not only to unnerve the audience and the characters
but to create a conflict between Mr Birling and the Inspector.
This conflict between the Inspector and Arthur Birling serves as a
powerful dichotomy of ideas - between capitalism and socialism - and is
thus amply exploited by Priestley to highlight both the way things were in
British society during the Pre-World War 1 era, and the immense need
for change. This juxtaposition and power play, thus, add strength to the
ideas presented by Priestley. The use of the Inspector as author
surrogate gives further credence to the socialist ideal and is enforced
through Priestley's clever crafting of characters; Birling who is set up as
a sanctimonious, arrogant, yet ignorant fool is juxtaposed by the
Inspector - a modest, yet informed individual who represents the
common people; Mrs Birling who is clearly disliked by Priestley himself,
is portrayed as an egotistical, uncaring and self-import
How does Priestley use the character of the inspector to suggest ways
that society could be improved? - ANSWER The inspector is used as a
proxy for Priestley and embodies his socialist views to criticise
Edwardian society and perhaps more subtly as a propaganda tool to
convince the Upper Middle-class audiences to vote for the Labour Party.
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