AN INSPECTOR CALLS- J B PRIESTELY
SOCIAL, HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND HOW THIS IS REFLECTED IN ‘AN INSPECTOR CALLS’
STRIKES AND SOCIAL UNREST “Last month, just because the miners came on
strike, there’s lots of wild talk about possible
STRIKES WERE OCCURING ALL OVER THE
labour trouble in the near future. Don’t worry.
COUNTRY. IN THE SUMMER OF 1911, THE
We’ve passed the worst of it.” Mr B
MINERS’ UNION TOOK ACTION IN FAVOUR OF A
MINIMUM WAGE LEADING TO VIOLENT RIOTS. Mr B says: “It’s my duty to keep labour costs
down.”
STRIKES CONTINUED RIGHT THROUGH THE
PERIOD BETWEEN 1912 TO 1945 – E.G. THE Eric defends the strike: “Why shouldn’t they try
GENERAL STRIKE IN 1926.
for higher wages? We try for the highest
possible prices.”
TROUBLED FUTURE – 1912 - 1945 “There’s a good deal of silly talk about these days
– but – and I speak as a hard-headed business
BIRLING THINKS THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD – man, who has to take risks and know what he’s
PRIESTLEY IS DELIBERATLEY PRESENTING HIM AS about – I say, you can ignore all this silly pessimistic
FOOLISH TO AN AUDIENCE THAT HAS SEEN TWO talk. When you marry you’ll be marrying at a very
WORLD WARS, SOCIAL UNREST AND A good time. Yes, a very good time – and soon it’ll be
WIDENING GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR. an even better time.” Mr B
,AUSTERITY + RICH versus POOR “We employers at last are coming together to see
that our interests – and the interests of Capital –
AGAIN, THE AUDIENCE WILL KNOW THAT
are properly protected. And we’re in for a time
EVERYTHING BIRLING IS SAYING IS WRONG. THE
of
PERIOD BETWEEN 1912 AND 1945 WAS A TIME
OF AUSTERITY: WWI, FOR EXAMPLE, MEANT
steadily increasing prosperity.” Mr B
THAT INCOME TAX WAS DOUBLED, MEANING
LESS IN WAGES FOR WORKERS.
THE 1930S SAW THE GREAT DEPRESSION WITH
VERY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT.
"Here in a country rich beyond description there
are people poor beyond description" said by Will
Crooks, a Labour MP in 1908
TWO WORLD WARS “…you’ll hear some people say that war’s
inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks! The
TWO WORLD WARS THAT SAW THE GREATEST
LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO MODERN KILLING Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war…
And why? … Everything to lose and nothing to
TECHNOLOGY AND (IN WWII IN PARTICULAR) gain by war.” Mr B
PLANES BOMBING CITIES.
VERSUS
“fire, blood and anguish” (which was what the
two world wars created) The Inspector
, SHIPS, PLANES AND AUTO-MOBILES! “Look at the progress we’re making. In a year or
two we’ll have aeroplanes that will be able to go
BIRLING WAS RIGHT IN THE SENSE THAT anywhere. And look at the way the automobile’s
TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE – making headway – bigger and faster all the time.
CARS, AIRPLANES, SHIPS ETC. And then ships. Why, a friend of mine went over
HOWEVER, MUCH OF THIS PROGRESS WAS this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails
DESTRUCTIVE/TRAGIC – E.G. THE SINKING OF THE next week – forty-six thousand eight hundred
TITANIC, AIRPLANES / TANKS ETC. BEING USED AS tons - forty-six thousand eight hundred – New
KILLING MACHINES IN WARS. York in five days – and every luxury – and
unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.” Mr B
“But the way some of these cranks talk and write
SOCIALISM VERSUS CAPITALISM now, you’d think everybody has to look after
everybody else, as if we were all mixed up
BIRLING DID NOT BELIEVE IN SOCIETY AND
together like bees in a hive – community and all
COMMUNITY. HIS VIEWS WERE ENTIRELY
that nonsense.” Mr B
CAPITALIST WHICH ENTAILS THAT WEALTH
REMAINS IN THE HANDS OF THE FEW – THE “…a man has to make is own way – has to look
WEALTH IS NOT SHARED. IT BENEFITS THE RICH after himself – and his family too of course, when
OVER THE POOR. he has one – and so long as he does that he won’t
come to much harm.” Mr B
THE INSPECTOR (AND SHEILA AND ERIC) ARE
MORE SOCIALIST IN THEIR OUTLOOK. E.G. ERIC Versus
THOUGH IT WAS VERY UNFAIR THAT EVA SMITH
WAS SACKED FROM HER JOB. SOCIALISM IS THE “We are members of one body. We are
BELIEF THAT AS A SOCIETY, WE HAVE TO LOOK responsible for each other.” – The Inspector
AFTER ONE ANOTHER. IN PARTICULAR,
“…there are millions and millions and millions of
SOCIALISTS BELIEVE THAT THE RICH HAVE A
Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with
RESPONSIBILTITY TO LOOK AFTER THE POOR.
their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering
PRIESTELY HIMSELF WAS VERY and chance of happiness, all intertwined with
CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL INEQUALITY our lives…” The Inspector
IN BRITAIN. HE SET UP A NEW POLITICAL
PARTY, THE COMMON WEATLTH PARTY,
WHICH ARGUED FOR PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
OF LAND, GREATER DEMOCRACY AND A NEW
MORALITY IN POLITICS.
SOCIAL, HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND HOW THIS IS REFLECTED IN ‘AN INSPECTOR CALLS’
STRIKES AND SOCIAL UNREST “Last month, just because the miners came on
strike, there’s lots of wild talk about possible
STRIKES WERE OCCURING ALL OVER THE
labour trouble in the near future. Don’t worry.
COUNTRY. IN THE SUMMER OF 1911, THE
We’ve passed the worst of it.” Mr B
MINERS’ UNION TOOK ACTION IN FAVOUR OF A
MINIMUM WAGE LEADING TO VIOLENT RIOTS. Mr B says: “It’s my duty to keep labour costs
down.”
STRIKES CONTINUED RIGHT THROUGH THE
PERIOD BETWEEN 1912 TO 1945 – E.G. THE Eric defends the strike: “Why shouldn’t they try
GENERAL STRIKE IN 1926.
for higher wages? We try for the highest
possible prices.”
TROUBLED FUTURE – 1912 - 1945 “There’s a good deal of silly talk about these days
– but – and I speak as a hard-headed business
BIRLING THINKS THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD – man, who has to take risks and know what he’s
PRIESTLEY IS DELIBERATLEY PRESENTING HIM AS about – I say, you can ignore all this silly pessimistic
FOOLISH TO AN AUDIENCE THAT HAS SEEN TWO talk. When you marry you’ll be marrying at a very
WORLD WARS, SOCIAL UNREST AND A good time. Yes, a very good time – and soon it’ll be
WIDENING GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR. an even better time.” Mr B
,AUSTERITY + RICH versus POOR “We employers at last are coming together to see
that our interests – and the interests of Capital –
AGAIN, THE AUDIENCE WILL KNOW THAT
are properly protected. And we’re in for a time
EVERYTHING BIRLING IS SAYING IS WRONG. THE
of
PERIOD BETWEEN 1912 AND 1945 WAS A TIME
OF AUSTERITY: WWI, FOR EXAMPLE, MEANT
steadily increasing prosperity.” Mr B
THAT INCOME TAX WAS DOUBLED, MEANING
LESS IN WAGES FOR WORKERS.
THE 1930S SAW THE GREAT DEPRESSION WITH
VERY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT.
"Here in a country rich beyond description there
are people poor beyond description" said by Will
Crooks, a Labour MP in 1908
TWO WORLD WARS “…you’ll hear some people say that war’s
inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks! The
TWO WORLD WARS THAT SAW THE GREATEST
LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO MODERN KILLING Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war…
And why? … Everything to lose and nothing to
TECHNOLOGY AND (IN WWII IN PARTICULAR) gain by war.” Mr B
PLANES BOMBING CITIES.
VERSUS
“fire, blood and anguish” (which was what the
two world wars created) The Inspector
, SHIPS, PLANES AND AUTO-MOBILES! “Look at the progress we’re making. In a year or
two we’ll have aeroplanes that will be able to go
BIRLING WAS RIGHT IN THE SENSE THAT anywhere. And look at the way the automobile’s
TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE – making headway – bigger and faster all the time.
CARS, AIRPLANES, SHIPS ETC. And then ships. Why, a friend of mine went over
HOWEVER, MUCH OF THIS PROGRESS WAS this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails
DESTRUCTIVE/TRAGIC – E.G. THE SINKING OF THE next week – forty-six thousand eight hundred
TITANIC, AIRPLANES / TANKS ETC. BEING USED AS tons - forty-six thousand eight hundred – New
KILLING MACHINES IN WARS. York in five days – and every luxury – and
unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.” Mr B
“But the way some of these cranks talk and write
SOCIALISM VERSUS CAPITALISM now, you’d think everybody has to look after
everybody else, as if we were all mixed up
BIRLING DID NOT BELIEVE IN SOCIETY AND
together like bees in a hive – community and all
COMMUNITY. HIS VIEWS WERE ENTIRELY
that nonsense.” Mr B
CAPITALIST WHICH ENTAILS THAT WEALTH
REMAINS IN THE HANDS OF THE FEW – THE “…a man has to make is own way – has to look
WEALTH IS NOT SHARED. IT BENEFITS THE RICH after himself – and his family too of course, when
OVER THE POOR. he has one – and so long as he does that he won’t
come to much harm.” Mr B
THE INSPECTOR (AND SHEILA AND ERIC) ARE
MORE SOCIALIST IN THEIR OUTLOOK. E.G. ERIC Versus
THOUGH IT WAS VERY UNFAIR THAT EVA SMITH
WAS SACKED FROM HER JOB. SOCIALISM IS THE “We are members of one body. We are
BELIEF THAT AS A SOCIETY, WE HAVE TO LOOK responsible for each other.” – The Inspector
AFTER ONE ANOTHER. IN PARTICULAR,
“…there are millions and millions and millions of
SOCIALISTS BELIEVE THAT THE RICH HAVE A
Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with
RESPONSIBILTITY TO LOOK AFTER THE POOR.
their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering
PRIESTELY HIMSELF WAS VERY and chance of happiness, all intertwined with
CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL INEQUALITY our lives…” The Inspector
IN BRITAIN. HE SET UP A NEW POLITICAL
PARTY, THE COMMON WEATLTH PARTY,
WHICH ARGUED FOR PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
OF LAND, GREATER DEMOCRACY AND A NEW
MORALITY IN POLITICS.
