How does Priestley present his ideas about gender inequality in An Inspector Calls?
‘sort of token of their self respect’
‘make ‘em look prettier’
‘dough-faced, hard eyed women’
‘pretty and a good sport’
Within AIC, Priestley effectively presents gender disparities through his representation of the
attitudes that the seemingly more dominant male counterparts acquire and criticises their
prejudiced opinions on the stereotypical behaviours of women. Priestley clearly utilises the
inequality of power within the relationships between both Sheila and Gerald and Mr and Mrs
Birling, as the male seemingly serves as the voice, deciding what actions are to be taken
within the relationship. Despite this common ordeal within the Jacobean era, Priestley
successfully explores the inefficacy of this structure and uses irony to invoke a sense of
humour and further unrighteousness within the male figures and their beliefs.
Through Mr Birling and Gerald, Priestley explores an uneducated and prejudiced manner of
thought towards women, in which a shared belief that women ought to take pride and priority
within their appearances can be interpreted. As Mr Birling states that clothes are ‘a sort of
token of their self-respect’ and not just an item to ‘make ‘em look prettier’ within women,
hence suggesting a clear idea of disparity within the priorities that men and women acquire
and additionally implies that women lack the compacity for intelligence and significance
outside of their realm of obsession over appearance. To subvert this idea, Priestley
commonly creates dramatic irony within the austere beliefs that Mr Birling reveals,
specifically when stating that ‘Germans don’t want war’ when the audience is evidently
aware of the falseness of this statement, hence we are propelled to refuse the prejudiced
beliefs that Mr Birling holds, not only regarding the future, but also gender. Meanwhile,
Gerald similarly acquires a belief that women transgress through life with a sense of
simplicity and ignorance towards the realities of daily life. To specify, Gerald tells his wife
that ‘its bound to be unpleasant and disturbing’ when referencing the ordeals that Eva Smith
endured, hence supporting the common notion that women should be hidden from and
unknowledgeable of ‘unpleasant’ events. This further accentuates the disparities of abilities
and power within the Jacobean era, in which women clearly lacked sufficient capabilities to
voice their opinions and take part in communal discussions. Through Sheila, Priestley
explores an unlikability of this notion, as by Act 3, this subverts this submissive and innocent
characteristic and even goes as far as to criticise the male counterparts within her family,
stating ‘im ashamed of you all’, hence shining light, to the audience, on the possibility of
regressing the impertinent and discriminatory attitudes of influential and superior characters.
Meanwhile, through Sheila, Priestley effectively explores the passivity and simultaneous
naivety that women within the Jacobean era shared, while exploring the latter views that
men were ought to be the leaders and decision makers within these relationships. In Act 1,
Sheila makes the statement ‘is this the one you wanted me to have?’ which depicts her
abiding to a social superior and allowing the male counterpart to essentially withhold his role
as superior. Further in the play, Priestley depicts a slight obsession of appearance and
demeanour within Sheila, through her immediate question ‘pretty?’ when presented with the
demise and suffering of a young girl within her position, and further reveals her jealousy
originating from the appraisable appearance of Eva Smith, stating ‘she was very pretty’
instead of focusing on the emotional and internal mannerisms that contributes to Eva’s
personality. Similarly, Eric explores the same orientation of appearance, stating that ‘she
was pretty and a good sport’ which reveals how the decision of significance is derived solely
‘sort of token of their self respect’
‘make ‘em look prettier’
‘dough-faced, hard eyed women’
‘pretty and a good sport’
Within AIC, Priestley effectively presents gender disparities through his representation of the
attitudes that the seemingly more dominant male counterparts acquire and criticises their
prejudiced opinions on the stereotypical behaviours of women. Priestley clearly utilises the
inequality of power within the relationships between both Sheila and Gerald and Mr and Mrs
Birling, as the male seemingly serves as the voice, deciding what actions are to be taken
within the relationship. Despite this common ordeal within the Jacobean era, Priestley
successfully explores the inefficacy of this structure and uses irony to invoke a sense of
humour and further unrighteousness within the male figures and their beliefs.
Through Mr Birling and Gerald, Priestley explores an uneducated and prejudiced manner of
thought towards women, in which a shared belief that women ought to take pride and priority
within their appearances can be interpreted. As Mr Birling states that clothes are ‘a sort of
token of their self-respect’ and not just an item to ‘make ‘em look prettier’ within women,
hence suggesting a clear idea of disparity within the priorities that men and women acquire
and additionally implies that women lack the compacity for intelligence and significance
outside of their realm of obsession over appearance. To subvert this idea, Priestley
commonly creates dramatic irony within the austere beliefs that Mr Birling reveals,
specifically when stating that ‘Germans don’t want war’ when the audience is evidently
aware of the falseness of this statement, hence we are propelled to refuse the prejudiced
beliefs that Mr Birling holds, not only regarding the future, but also gender. Meanwhile,
Gerald similarly acquires a belief that women transgress through life with a sense of
simplicity and ignorance towards the realities of daily life. To specify, Gerald tells his wife
that ‘its bound to be unpleasant and disturbing’ when referencing the ordeals that Eva Smith
endured, hence supporting the common notion that women should be hidden from and
unknowledgeable of ‘unpleasant’ events. This further accentuates the disparities of abilities
and power within the Jacobean era, in which women clearly lacked sufficient capabilities to
voice their opinions and take part in communal discussions. Through Sheila, Priestley
explores an unlikability of this notion, as by Act 3, this subverts this submissive and innocent
characteristic and even goes as far as to criticise the male counterparts within her family,
stating ‘im ashamed of you all’, hence shining light, to the audience, on the possibility of
regressing the impertinent and discriminatory attitudes of influential and superior characters.
Meanwhile, through Sheila, Priestley effectively explores the passivity and simultaneous
naivety that women within the Jacobean era shared, while exploring the latter views that
men were ought to be the leaders and decision makers within these relationships. In Act 1,
Sheila makes the statement ‘is this the one you wanted me to have?’ which depicts her
abiding to a social superior and allowing the male counterpart to essentially withhold his role
as superior. Further in the play, Priestley depicts a slight obsession of appearance and
demeanour within Sheila, through her immediate question ‘pretty?’ when presented with the
demise and suffering of a young girl within her position, and further reveals her jealousy
originating from the appraisable appearance of Eva Smith, stating ‘she was very pretty’
instead of focusing on the emotional and internal mannerisms that contributes to Eva’s
personality. Similarly, Eric explores the same orientation of appearance, stating that ‘she
was pretty and a good sport’ which reveals how the decision of significance is derived solely
