How does Priestley explore the importance of social class in An Inspector
Calls?
Key
AO1 (12 marks) AO2 (12 marks) AO3 (6 marks)
By 1945, British society had changed as a result of the two world wars, a period where the
working classes had really shown their worth. Between 1945 and 1951, both the NHS and the
welfare state had been established. The play, delivered to the 1945 audience, acts as a
warning against reverting back to Mr Birling's outdated views (prevalent in 1912), and as a
reminder of the ever-evolving political system, and the possibility of overturning the
seemingly ‘unsinkable’ capitalist government and ingrained hierarchy of class in society.
In the play’s opening act, Priestley has Birling bathe in his Edwardian hubris and arrogant
bourgeoisie delusions: in an after-dinner speech, Birling asserts that there's ‘everything to
lose and nothing to gain by war’ and declares the Titanic is ‘unsinkable, absolutely
unsinkable’. Exploiting the fact that the play is set in 1912, Priestley places comments
steeped in dramatic irony in Birling’s mouth: Birling dismisses the likelihood of war (‘the
Germans don't want war’) - the self-evident foolishness of which immediately throws his
entire worldview into question, and forces Priestley’s anti-war purpose to the audience
(indeed, he founded a campaign for nuclear disarmament; he is an anti-war writer).
Furthermore, Priestley is able to instantly discredit Birling’s reasoning behind this statement:
it would have been well known to the 1945 audience the scandal of World War One, when
many businessmen made a fortune out of the war, whilst the lower social classes selflessly
sacrificed their lives on the frontline. This could suggest that capitalism can only thrive on war
and destruction to build the economy, ruthlessly discarding the lives of the working classes in
order to benefit those of the Bourgeoisie. To Priestley this is obviously unfair, and he
continues to push his message to the audience later in Birling’s same speech. The repetition
of ‘unsinkable’ shortly following crafts the didactic nature of ‘An Inspector Calls’ and acts as a
symbol of Priestley’s controversial views. On the one hand, the repetition could simply exist to
emphasise Mr Birling’s delusions of grandeur and expertise; however, it could also imply a
double meaning. Not only was the Titanic seen as ‘unsinkable’ in 1912, but so was Winston
Churchill by 1945. Priestley is perhaps suggesting to the audience that just like the Titanic
was sunk, so can capitalism. He implies that the future can only be brighter and, indeed, in
the 1945 elections, the great World War leader that was Winston Churchill was ‘sunk’ and
replaced by the labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee - only a success for Priestley and
socialism alike.
Later in the play, Priestley uses the construct of Inspector Goole as his proxy to enable the
audiences to resonate with the social divisions still present in 1945 and reflect on the
difference in class between Eva Smith and the Birling family. In Act 3, the Inspector mentions
how there are ‘millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’, implying how
the vastness of the working-class contrasts with the select few in power, who control the lives
of the many. Priestley may be using this statement to emphasise the overtly classist nature of
the capitalist system, making obvious his own socialist views.
Throughout the play, Priestley is able to highlight how this flaw in society exacerbates social
differences, as well as the ignorance of the Bourgeoisie. He conveys this through his portrayal
of Gerald and the Birlings and their ignorance to the difficult lives of the poor. One example of
such class distancing would be when Eric is found to have stolen fifty pounds; a scandal of
which Mr Birling feels the need to cover up rather than reclaim the money lost, juxtaposing
the Birlings’ affluent lives to the ‘young women’ – like Eva – who survived by ‘counting their
pennies’.
Moreover, just before the Inspector leaves the scene, he warns the Birlings (who represent the
upper class of 1912) that if they were not to listen, they would ‘be taught in fire and blood
and anguish’. However, it is not only Goole who holds the Birlings to account, but the entire
Calls?
Key
AO1 (12 marks) AO2 (12 marks) AO3 (6 marks)
By 1945, British society had changed as a result of the two world wars, a period where the
working classes had really shown their worth. Between 1945 and 1951, both the NHS and the
welfare state had been established. The play, delivered to the 1945 audience, acts as a
warning against reverting back to Mr Birling's outdated views (prevalent in 1912), and as a
reminder of the ever-evolving political system, and the possibility of overturning the
seemingly ‘unsinkable’ capitalist government and ingrained hierarchy of class in society.
In the play’s opening act, Priestley has Birling bathe in his Edwardian hubris and arrogant
bourgeoisie delusions: in an after-dinner speech, Birling asserts that there's ‘everything to
lose and nothing to gain by war’ and declares the Titanic is ‘unsinkable, absolutely
unsinkable’. Exploiting the fact that the play is set in 1912, Priestley places comments
steeped in dramatic irony in Birling’s mouth: Birling dismisses the likelihood of war (‘the
Germans don't want war’) - the self-evident foolishness of which immediately throws his
entire worldview into question, and forces Priestley’s anti-war purpose to the audience
(indeed, he founded a campaign for nuclear disarmament; he is an anti-war writer).
Furthermore, Priestley is able to instantly discredit Birling’s reasoning behind this statement:
it would have been well known to the 1945 audience the scandal of World War One, when
many businessmen made a fortune out of the war, whilst the lower social classes selflessly
sacrificed their lives on the frontline. This could suggest that capitalism can only thrive on war
and destruction to build the economy, ruthlessly discarding the lives of the working classes in
order to benefit those of the Bourgeoisie. To Priestley this is obviously unfair, and he
continues to push his message to the audience later in Birling’s same speech. The repetition
of ‘unsinkable’ shortly following crafts the didactic nature of ‘An Inspector Calls’ and acts as a
symbol of Priestley’s controversial views. On the one hand, the repetition could simply exist to
emphasise Mr Birling’s delusions of grandeur and expertise; however, it could also imply a
double meaning. Not only was the Titanic seen as ‘unsinkable’ in 1912, but so was Winston
Churchill by 1945. Priestley is perhaps suggesting to the audience that just like the Titanic
was sunk, so can capitalism. He implies that the future can only be brighter and, indeed, in
the 1945 elections, the great World War leader that was Winston Churchill was ‘sunk’ and
replaced by the labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee - only a success for Priestley and
socialism alike.
Later in the play, Priestley uses the construct of Inspector Goole as his proxy to enable the
audiences to resonate with the social divisions still present in 1945 and reflect on the
difference in class between Eva Smith and the Birling family. In Act 3, the Inspector mentions
how there are ‘millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’, implying how
the vastness of the working-class contrasts with the select few in power, who control the lives
of the many. Priestley may be using this statement to emphasise the overtly classist nature of
the capitalist system, making obvious his own socialist views.
Throughout the play, Priestley is able to highlight how this flaw in society exacerbates social
differences, as well as the ignorance of the Bourgeoisie. He conveys this through his portrayal
of Gerald and the Birlings and their ignorance to the difficult lives of the poor. One example of
such class distancing would be when Eric is found to have stolen fifty pounds; a scandal of
which Mr Birling feels the need to cover up rather than reclaim the money lost, juxtaposing
the Birlings’ affluent lives to the ‘young women’ – like Eva – who survived by ‘counting their
pennies’.
Moreover, just before the Inspector leaves the scene, he warns the Birlings (who represent the
upper class of 1912) that if they were not to listen, they would ‘be taught in fire and blood
and anguish’. However, it is not only Goole who holds the Birlings to account, but the entire
