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An Inspector Calls

J. b. priestley.

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on J. B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

An Inspector Calls: Introduction

An inspector calls: plot summary, an inspector calls: detailed summary & analysis, an inspector calls: themes, an inspector calls: quotes, an inspector calls: characters, an inspector calls: symbols, an inspector calls: theme wheel, brief biography of j. b. priestley.

Historical Context of An Inspector Calls

Other books related to an inspector calls.

• Full Title: An Inspector Calls
• When Written: 1945
• Where Written: England
• When Published: 1945 (play premiered in Soviet Union)
• Literary Period: mid-20th century British drama, social realism
• Genre: Mystery drama
• Setting: 1912; a comfortable home in Brumley, England
• Climax: Gerald returns to the Birling home after Goole has left, to report that the Inspector wasn’t actually a real inspector, and to hypothesize that the whole thing was a hoax—that there was no single girl that all of the Birlings had offended, and no suicide that they precipitated.

Extra Credit for An Inspector Calls

Ghoulish Goole. Many interpretations of the text consider the Inspector’s ghostly name to be symbolic of the mystery that surrounds his character.

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Mr Salles Teaches English

Here's a Free Grade 8/9 Inspector Calls Essay

With too much vocabulary.

How Does Priestley Present Selfishness in An Inspector Calls?

In the morality play, An Inspector Calls, Priestley presents selfishness through the seven deadly sins to expose how the bourgeoisie, or the Birling family, exploit the proletariat, who are victims of their sins. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticise the destructed and unequal society in 1912 to argue for a Socialist reform

Priestley primarily portrays selfishness through the sin of greed in Mr Birling where ‘a man has to make his own way’, during his speech. The use of the pronoun ‘own’ is effective as it connotes individualism and self-gain, thus highlighting Mr Birling’s devotion to benefitting only himself and that he prioritises his individual success. Moreover, his individualist principles reflect and embody ideas of Capitalism, the antithesis of Priestley’s message of Socialism, to reinforce his selfishness through his political beliefs. Mr Birling showcases this throughout the play, even during his daughter’s engagement where Gerald ‘was just the kind of son-in-law I (he) always wanted’. Interestingly, the use of the pronoun ‘I’ becomes almost stylistic for Mr Birling as he measures the importance by constantly referring back to his benefit. In this case, Mr Birling considers his daughter’s benefit as an afterthought, augmenting his selfishness as he portrays it through his societal role as both a father and a member of the bourgeoisie. Therefore, Mr Birling illustrates the pinnacle of greed as he desires success, wealth and reputation over anything where ‘there’s a very good chance of a knight-hood’, suggesting how he’s attempting to convince Gerald of his bourgeoisie status to boost his business, emphasizing his greed. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticise how disingenuous and inconsiderate Capitalist bourgeoisies were, as they embody political morals that focus solely on their own benefit and no one else’s. This may encourage Priestley’s audience in 1945 to share a hatred for Mr Birling’s political ideals of Capitalist greed and ownership to believe in a more Socialist society which Priestley promotes in this play. 

Priestley further portrays selfishness through the sin of lust in Gerald where he describes Eva Smith as ‘young and fresh’. The use of the descriptive adjective ‘fresh’ is effective as it connotes purity and fertility, thus Gerald uses a euphemism to suggest Eva Smith’s virginity at the time, illustrating Gerald’s selfish lust as he uses Eva to satisfy his own sexual needs and hedonistic tendencies. Moreover, the adjective ‘fresh’ suggests a food-like nature, suggesting Gerald’s misogynistic objectification towards Eva and that she is solely used to fulfil his selfish lust, implying that Eva, a female proletariat, is a victim of Gerald’s sinful lust. Therefore, Gerald uses his masculine, aristocratic role to exploit Eva Smith’s lack of agency as something to be used as a possession and to be consumed. Gerald also further demonstrates this, describing Eva Smith as having ‘soft brown hair and big dark eyes’, until he ‘[breaks off]’. The use of the stage direction represents an abrupt break-off in speech, representing that he only had a physical attraction to Eva, thus causing an emotional reaction when ruminating about it. Interestingly, Gerald almost embodies lust as Eva’s value is only determined by the sexual satisfaction that Gerald achieves, reinforcing his selfishness as he prioritises his own desires. Within Priestley’s childhood, he witnessed the ‘pompously religious men’ who were ‘ill-using young women’, and perhaps Priestley reflects this by constructing Gerald’s selfish and sinful lust to criticise how men misuse their social status to exploit inferior women who are vulnerable. Therefore, Priestley encourages the audience to criticise Gerald’s selfishness and ultimately also criticise the unequal society caused by the patriarchy so that he can further promote his Socialist agenda. 

Priestley presents the effects of selfishness directly through the character of Eva Smith, as he constructs Eva to be a symbol of proletariat suffering in 1912. Through Eva being a victim of the sins, she ‘died in misery - hating life’. The use of graphic adjectives of ‘misery’ and ‘agony’ is effective as it depicts Eva’s gruesome and horrific suicide, further augmenting her suffering as a proletariat but also encouraging the reader to visualise her ‘agony’ and sympathise too. Moreover, the contrast between Eva ‘hating life’ and Sheila, the daughter of the Birlings, who is ‘excited [for life]’ illustrates how Eva’s suffering is determined by her proletariat status and her lack of economic independence is ultimately what leads to her demise. Interestingly, the method of Eva’s suicide using ‘disinfectant’ where she ‘burnt her insides’ is effective as it may symbolise Eva attempting to purify herself as disinfectant connotes cleansing. Therefore, Eva Smith believes that she is impure through the sexual exploitation of Gerald and Eric, implying the sin of lust. However, her supposed impurity may suggest that her suffering is a culmination of Birling’s selfishness, also presenting her as a victim of their deadly sins. Perhaps Priestley uses Eva Smith as a universal symbol of proletariat suffering as this may derive from the biblical nomenclature of Eva relating to ‘Eve’, perhaps showing the parallels of Eve representing mankind to Eva Smith representing the proletariat class and their suffering. By demonstrating a brutal death for Eva, Priestley consciously depicts the detrimental effects of the Birling’s selfishness and the destructive nature of the class hierarchy in 1912. Therefore, Priestley argues for a Socialist society which promotes social responsibility, so that as a society, everyone from each class can provide for one another, helping repair the oppressive class hierarchy. 

Overall, Priestley portrays selfishness through the Birlings’ that commit deadly sins towards Eva Smith, ultimately being symbolic of the proletariat's suffering. Priestley uses characters as direct embodiments and vessels of these sins to criticise 1912’s selfish society and promote his Socialist political agenda. 

My Comments

This is 937 words long.

It is almost impossible not to get a grade 9 if you write that much.

It doesn’t always make total sense because the vocabulary is trying too hard. Destructed is wrong. Bourgeoisie, bourgeois and a member of the bourgeoisie are sometimes confused. Upper class would score just as many marks, and you would always use it correctly.

Proletariat is often used instead of proletarian. Working class would do just as well, and you would always use it correctly.

I hate big, fat paragraphs. New paragraph for a new topic or idea. This helps the reader follow the argument, rather than get lost in it. The same is true, I suspect, for the student writing the essay.

Mr Salles Teaches English is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts which help you get top grades, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

ChatGPT Training

Can you correct any errors of vocabulary or grammar in this essay?

Your essay is well-written and articulate, but there are a few suggestions for refinement:

In the morality play, "An Inspector Calls," Priestley presents selfishness through the seven deadly sins to expose how the bourgeoisie, or the Birling family, exploit the proletariat, who are victims of their sins. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticize the destroyed and unequal society in 1912 to argue for Socialist reform.

Priestley primarily portrays selfishness through the sin of greed in Mr. Birling, where 'a man has to make his own way' during his speech. The use of the pronoun ‘own’ is effective as it connotes individualism and self-gain, highlighting Mr. Birling’s devotion to benefiting only himself and prioritizing his individual success.

Mr. Birling showcases this throughout the play, even during his daughter’s engagement where Gerald 'was just the kind of son-in-law I (he) always wanted.' The use of the pronoun ‘I’ becomes almost stylistic for Mr. Birling as he measures the importance by constantly referring back to his benefit.

Therefore, Mr. Birling illustrates the pinnacle of greed as he desires success, wealth, and reputation over anything where 'there’s a very good chance of a knighthood,' suggesting how he’s attempting to convince Gerald of his bourgeoisie status to boost his business, emphasizing his greed. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticize how disingenuous and inconsiderate Capitalist bourgeoisies were, as they embody political morals that focus solely on their benefit and no one else’s.

Priestley further portrays selfishness through the sin of lust in Gerald, where he describes Eva Smith as ‘young and fresh.’ The use of the descriptive adjective ‘fresh’ is effective as it connotes purity and fertility, illustrating Gerald’s selfish lust as he uses Eva to satisfy his own sexual needs and hedonistic tendencies.

Gerald uses his masculine, aristocratic role to exploit Eva Smith’s lack of agency as something to be used as a possession and to be consumed. Gerald also further demonstrates this, describing Eva Smith as having ‘soft brown hair and big dark eyes’ until he ‘[breaks off].’ The use of the stage direction represents an abrupt break-off in speech, showing that he only had a physical attraction to Eva, causing an emotional reaction when ruminating about it.

Therefore, Priestley encourages the audience to criticize Gerald’s selfishness and ultimately also criticize the unequal society caused by the patriarchy so that he can further promote his Socialist agenda.

Priestley presents the effects of selfishness directly through the character of Eva Smith, as he constructs Eva to be a symbol of proletariat suffering in 1912. Through Eva being a victim of the sins, she ‘died in misery - hating life.’ The use of graphic adjectives like ‘misery’ and ‘agony’ is effective as it depicts Eva’s gruesome and horrific suicide, further augmenting her suffering as a proletariat and encouraging the reader to visualize her ‘agony’ and sympathize too.

Moreover, the contrast between Eva ‘hating life’ and Sheila, the daughter of the Birlings, who is ‘excited [for life],’ illustrates how Eva’s suffering is determined by her proletariat status and her lack of economic independence is ultimately what leads to her demise.

By demonstrating a brutal death for Eva, Priestley consciously depicts the detrimental effects of the Birlings’ selfishness and the destructive nature of the class hierarchy in 1912. Therefore, Priestley argues for a Socialist society that promotes social responsibility so that as a society, everyone from each class can provide for one another, helping repair the oppressive class hierarchy.

That’s interesting! ChatGPT immediately decided to make the essay more concise - too many words to say what you mean.

It still isn’t using proletarian.

What is the term for a member of the proletariat?

The term for a member of the proletariat is "proletarian."

Rewrite the sentences which use proletariat incorrectly and replace it with proletarian.

Certainly! Here are the sentences with "proletarian" replacing instances of "proletariat" where needed:

"...exploit the proletarian, who is a victim of their sins."

"...illustrating Gerald’s selfish lust as he uses Eva to satisfy his own sexual needs and hedonistic tendencies, treating her as a proletarian."

"Moreover, the contrast between Eva ‘hating life’ and Sheila, the daughter of the Birlings, who is ‘excited [for life],’ illustrates how Eva’s suffering is determined by her proletarian status..."

"Therefore, Priestley argues for a Socialist society that promotes social responsibility, so that as a society, everyone from each class, including the proletarian, can provide for one another, helping repair the oppressive class hierarchy."

Go back to the essay that began this chat. Apply the following criteria to give it a mark out of 30 and explain why you have awarded that mark. Level 6 Convincing, critical analysis and exploration 26–30 marks Level 5 Thoughtful, developed consideration 21–25 marks Level 4 Clear understanding 16–20 marks

To provide a fair evaluation of the essay, I'll assess it based on the criteria you provided:

Convincing, critical analysis, and exploration (26–30 marks):

The essay demonstrates a high level of critical analysis, exploring the themes of selfishness and the exploitation of the proletariat in "An Inspector Calls" thoroughly. The writer successfully connects specific examples from the play to broader social and political contexts. The analysis is convincing and supported by well-chosen quotations. The exploration of Priestley's intentions and the societal implications of the characters' actions is comprehensive.

Thoughtful, developed consideration (21–25 marks):

The essay shows thoughtful consideration of the characters and their actions, delving into their motivations and the consequences of their behaviors. The connections between the characters' actions and broader societal issues are well-developed. The writer effectively explores the impact of selfishness on the proletariat, using specific examples to support their points. The consideration of Priestley's intentions and the historical context is well thought out.

Clear understanding (16–20 marks):

The essay demonstrates a clear understanding of the play's themes, characters, and Priestley's social commentary. The writer effectively uses quotes and examples to illustrate their points. The arguments are logically presented, and there is a coherent structure to the essay. However, there may be some areas where the analysis could be more nuanced or where connections between examples and broader themes could be further developed.

Considering the above criteria, I would award the essay a score of 25 out of 30. The essay provides a thoughtful and convincing analysis of the themes of selfishness and exploitation in "An Inspector Calls," exploring the characters' motivations and actions in the context of the play's social and political commentary. The analysis is well-developed, but there is room for a bit more nuance and depth in certain areas to reach the highest level of critical analysis.

Ok, that’s interesting. It seems ChatGPT has understood the wording, but not the marks of the mark scheme.

Let’s try again, without the marks.

Which group of words best describes the essay? Convincing, critical analysis and exploration: Thoughtful, developed consideration: Clear understanding

The group of words that best describes the essay is "Convincing, critical analysis and exploration." This is because the essay demonstrates a high level of critical analysis, providing a convincing exploration of the themes in "An Inspector Calls" and effectively connecting specific examples to broader social and political contexts. While the essay also exhibits "Thoughtful, developed consideration" and "Clear understanding," the emphasis on convincing analysis and exploration aligns more closely with the overall evaluation provided.

Like I said:

It is almost impossible not to get a grade 9 if you write that much!

But, what if you wrote the 567 word version?

ChatGPT gives it the same grading:

The phrase that best describes the essay is "Convincing, critical analysis, and exploration." This is because the essay demonstrates a convincing analysis of the themes in "An Inspector Calls," including critical examination and exploration of the characters' motivations and the broader societal implications.

We can tell from this that it would get a lower mark in Level 6, but it would still be a grade 9.

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An Inspector Calls

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Leeds beckett university - ba media and culture.

Chartered English Teacher of over 13 years. | Experienced Tutor and Examiner.

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Notes || Exam Prep || Character Profiles || Themes || Additional Reading & Videos

This topic is included in  Paper 2 . You can find notes and guides for it below.

• Overview and Key Scenes
• Glossary of Key Terms
• Definitions Flashcards
• Guide to Paper 2
• How to plan and write a top mark essay
• Question Bank - Characters
• Question Bank - Relationships
• Question Bank - Themes

Additional Reading & Videos

• An Inspector Calls (2017 film version)

Character Profiles

• Eric Birling
• Gerald Croft
• Mrs Birling
• Sheila Birling
• The Inspector
• Capitalism vs Socialism
• Exploitation
• Generations Young vs Old
• Social Class
• Social Responsibility
• Wealth and Materialism

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If you’re trying to hunt down a top grade, you’re on the right track. This brilliant Text Guide contains everything GCSE English students need to write simply marvellous essays on J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls .

It’s packed with crystal-clear, easy-to-read notes on the plot, characters, themes, writer’s techniques and context - plus quick warm-up activities, in-depth exercises and realistic exam-style questions at the end of sections, alongside challenging questions for students aiming for Grades 8-9. Not only is this book packed with essay advice and engaging activities, it’ll also gives you access to our online Sudden Fail quizzes — ideal for putting your skills to the test! To round it all off, we’ve rustled up a classic CGP cartoon-strip summary of the text to help remind you of all the important plot points.

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• Key Stage: KS4
• Subject: English
• Years Covered: 10-11
• Level: 9-1 (GCSE)
• Media: Book
• Colour: Full Colour
• Publication Date: 2021
• No of Pages: 76

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An Inspector Calls: Key Quotations ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English Senior Content Creator

Key Quotations

Remember the assessment objectives explicitly states that you should be able to “use textual references, including quotations”. This means summarising, paraphrasing, referencing single words and referencing plot events are all as valid as quotations in demonstrating that you understand the play. It is important that you remember that you can evidence your knowledge of the text in these two equally valid ways: both through references to it and direct quotations from it. 

Overall, you should aim to secure a strong knowledge of the text, rather than rehearsed quotations, as this will enable you to respond to the question. It is the quality of your knowledge of the text which will enable you to select references effectively.

If you are going to revise quotations, the best way is to group them by character, or theme. Below you will find definitions and analysis of the best quotations, arranged by the following themes:

Responsibility

Capitalism versus socialism, generational divide.

Responsibility is one of the most prevalent themes within the play and the role of the Inspector is to highlight that all actions have consequences. He demands that the other characters be accountable for their actions and that they take responsibility for others. This message is also intended for the wider audience and for society in general.

 “... a man has to make his own way—has to look after himself—and his family, too, of course, when he has one—and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm” – Arthur Birling, Act I

Meaning and context

At the beginning of Act I, Arthur delivers several lengthy monologues and this quote is spoken to Gerald and Eric just before the Inspector arrives

This quote reveals Arthur Birling’s self-centredness and his narrow-minded view of society

His vocabulary reveals his sense of individualism as he believes that everyone should be responsible for themselves and their family and is devoid of any sympathy for those less fortunate than himself

“A man has to…”  alludes to his patriarchal   values, that men should have more power and privilege than women

“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges” – Inspector Goole, Act II

This quote is delivered in Act II by the Inspector and is directed to Arthur Birling

The Inspector argues that members of a society have duties and obligations toward each other’s welfare and have a collective and social responsibility  to take care of each other

As Arthur (and Sybil) hold prominent positions within society, the Inspector suggests they have an even greater duty of care toward others

Birling’s hypocritical views about personal responsibility are unfitting for a character who has held prominent public positions

While the Inspector alludes to ideas of “responsibility”, Arthur also repeatedly uses this word though he interprets responsibility in a very different way

“We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other… if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish” – Inspector Goole, Act III

This quote is from Inspector’s final speech in Act III to the Birlings before he exits the stage

This is the Inspector’s most significant and weighty statement in the play and Priestley warns of the dire consequences of evading social responsibility

The language here is carefully composed and moralistic  in tone 

The use of violent imagery and metaphor is powerful and suggests impending conflict

Priestley warns the audience (and society) of the consequences of evading social responsibility

An Inspector Calls is a play that deals with ideas of fairness and inequality. Priestley used the play to argue that the economic system of Capitalism prevented equality and social justice and that another system, Socialism , which aims to share out wealth, would be fairer for all.

“Working together, for lower costs and higher prices” – Arthur Birling, Act I

This quote is from Act I and is directed toward Gerald Croft

Arthur Birling is discussing his delight that one day Gerald’s family business will no longer be seen as rivals and that they may eventually join forces

Arthur’s priorities are those of business and he believes he needs to make as much profit as possible, regardless of the consequences

He has no sense of responsibility or concern that his workers may need higher wages to live

He believes his wages are fair and treats the pay strike at his factory with contempt for it threatens his profits

“but these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people” – Sheila Birling, Act I

This quote is from Act I and Sheila directs this quote to her father when he is discussing the workers in his factory

Working-class women would have been one of the cheapest forms of labour available to factory owners

Although Sheila appears somewhat self-interested at the beginning of Act I, there are early indications (as evident in this quote) that she is a caring character

This quote reveals her sensitive nature and her compassion and empathy for others less fortunate than herself

The use of the word ‘but’ shows how she has interrupted and challenged her father’s views here and as the play progresses, her dialogue increasingly demonstrates an assertiveness towards her parents

Priestley explores the idea of generational change in An Inspector Calls: younger characters are more open to social and economic change, and as a result are in conflict with their parent’s generation, who are stuck in their ways.

“Everything’s all right now, Sheila” – Gerald Croft, Act III

This quote is from the end of Act III and Gerald directs this line to Sheila in the hope that she will take back his engagement ring

Offering the ring again to Sheila at the end of the play suggests Gerald has not learned anything from the Inspector

The use of the adverb ‘now’ shows that he believes that it is possible for everything to return to normal

When Gerald realises there are no consequences for his behaviour, he no longer cares 

As Gerald falls between the younger and older generations, the audience will have hoped that he would have redeemed himself, but by the end of the play he reverts to his original stance

For Priestley, guilt is the result of accepting the personal and social responsibility of one’s actions. It is noteworthy that younger characters in An Inspector Calls express guilt, but not the older generation, suggesting that they are not willing to see their own flaws or those of the society they live in.

Paired Quotations:

“I know I’m to blame - and I’m desperately sorry” – Sheila Birling, Act II

‘I can’t stop thinking about it ’– Sheila Birling, Act II

These quotes are from Act II, after Sheila’s confession in Act I

Sheila is portrayed as both sympathetic and courageous as she is the first character (apart from the Inspector) to empathise with Eva Smith’s predicament

The personal pronoun ‘I’ is repeatedly used here to show that Sheila acknowledges her own personal guilt

However, the Inspector insists that the guilt, as well as the responsibility, must be shared by all

Sheila’s language becomes increasingly emotional and she continually displays genuine remorse for her actions

 “I’m very sorry. But I think she had only herself to blame” – Sybil Birling, Act II

This quote is from Act II and Sybil Birling directs it toward the Inspector

Sybil is portrayed as one of the least compassionate characters in the play

She refuses to express any guilt for their treatment of Eva

She continues to fail to see or acknowledge that she has done anything wrong

The older generation is sharply contrasted with the younger generation, as they are able to demonstrate their capacity for change and accept their social responsibility

Priestley uses the characters in An Inspector Calls to criticise the inequality and unfairness of the British class system and argues that the privilege of class blinds people to their immoral behaviour.

"Girls of that class" – Sybil Birling, Act II

Sybil makes incorrect assertions about the working classes and views them as morally and socially inferior

She ignorantly links class with morality and cannot believe Eva, as a working-class girl, would refuse stolen money

Sybil’s hypocritical  stance means she overlooks her own selfish and immoral actions and others belonging to her class

Priestley explores the inequality between male and female characters in An Inspector Calls to criticise his society’s suppression of women’s rights and the mistreatment of women in general.

“I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty” - Eric Birling, Act III

This quote is from Act III and is said by Eric Birling during his confession

While an audience may view Eric as a sympathetic character, his treatment of Eva reveals how he has also abused her

Eric hints at the potential for sexual violence and reveals Eva did not want him to enter her room until he became ‘nasty’ and issued a threat

This quote exposes the vulnerability of women who can be easily exploited by wealthy men like Eric

“I did keep a girl last summer. I’ve admitted it. And I’m sorry Sheila.” – Gerald Croft, Act II

This quote is from Act II and is during Gerald’s confession about his affair with Eva/Daisy

The three-part list in this quote suggests Gerald feels that it is all over and done with and he and Sheila can simply move on

During his confession, Gerald he appears more concerned that his affair has been discovered, rather than having betrayed his fiancée

Gerald’s confession of having a mistress is overlooked by Arthur and Sybil

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Author: Nick Redgrove

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

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An Inspector Calls Context: Social Class

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

2 September 2024

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A simple worksheet for lower ability students on the subject of social class. Students read the information on the first side and then respond to the tasks that follow.

Slide one: print single sided Slides two and three: print back to back

This could be used as cover with a class already familiar with the plot. There are some sample answers for those unfamiliar with the play.

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Capitalism vs Socialism

Use this player and a teacher will talk you through this page..., to understand priestley’s political views, it is important to understand two of the major “wings” of the political spectrum: capitalism (right wing) and socialism (left wing.), understanding the difference between the two means understanding the difference between the inspector (socialist / left wing) and mr birling (capitalist / right wing.), society should work together to support each other, we should take responsibility for those less fortunate than us, wealth should be shared so that everyone has opportunities, people often earn more money because they were born into privilege and this stops some great people from being able to achieve, people who are successful are not always deserving, cooperation will help society advance, society should only reward those who have done well, we should take responsibility for ourselves (and our families), wealth should be kept by the people who've earned it, because wealth is earned, privilege is deserved. society shouldn't stop people from being privileged - in fact we should encourage it, people who are less successful are less deserving, competition between people will help society advance, what are capitalism and socialism, capitalism: capitalis ts argue that businesses should be free to comp ete, the rich should be free to keep what they've earned and the government should just stay out of it. power should be held by the rich - after all, they've earned the money and proven themselves to be the most worthy people in society. to some extent, capitalists argue that capitalism is the best form of democracy , except that you don’t vote, you buy., however, within capitalism in its pure form there would be no free education, no minimum wage, no social health care, no welfare state – you’re on your own. a proper capitalist would argue that the b enefits system just makes people lazy , while the fear of failure drives people to succeed. if you take away the fear of poverty, what reason have people go to succeed, capitalists believe that the government should just protect society from revolution and enforce the most basic laws. in some ways capit alism is a form of social darwinism – where the strongest should be encouraged to survive, while the weakest should be trimmed to ensure they do not drag society backward., socialism: socialists argue that essential indus try and public serves should be communally owned and managed to ensure that the products and benefits are shared equally amongst society., socialists argue that competition doesn’t work because people have advantages that come with their position at birth. rich kids will more often go on to succeed more easily, not because they're more able but be cause they had better opportunities ; poor children will be less successful , not because they're less able but because they had fewer advantages . socialists argue that capitalism is inherently unfair and this unfairness inevitably makes society unstable. many would also argue that the great achievements of human history were no born from competition, but cooperation; we didn't build society out of people fighting, we built it by teaching people not to fight., under socialism individuals can own their own goods (social ism is not communism) but electricity companies, social networks, train companies, schools, hospitals, prisons, etc… should all be owned and managed by the state, for the people – not for profit. also, thin gs like the minimum wage, free education and free healthcare allow people to become productive members of society, they don't drag society backwards., how do they appear in the play, capitalism: george birling perfectly summarises the capitalist ideology, and he has a number of quotes throughout the opening pages that support this. fundamentally, he believes that people who are poorer are worse off because they’re irresponsible, incapable, less developed, or less deserving of better conditions. he believes that people should earn their way to the top, in the same way he did - and if he can do it, anyone ca n ., also, t hough he never says it, i could imagine him arguing that you don’t see a lion giving an injured gazelle a head start life is tough and the fittest should be allowed to rise to the top without being sh ackled by socialism society is fair, it just doesn’t seem way to the unskilled, alcoholic layabouts who can’t get themselves a decent job he believes that he pays them enough to feed them, and from there: they’re on their own, socialism: the inspector is a kind of socialist pin-up; a hero of the left wing. he uses his position to educate the characters in the play and make some of them – the young (who even he admits are more prone to socialism than the older generation) – believe in his socialist agenda., he believes that we are all here together, and that, regardless of your beliefs about why poor people are poor, he argues that they deserve help. he would argue that a young single mother, even one who got herself pregnant irresponsibly, needs our support because without it her child will grow up to become just as irresponsible as she was., he believes that we need to see society as a mass of people who work together: “ and i tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish .”, key quotes & references, “ but the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up, together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense .” – mr birling (act 1) he’s calling socialists cranks - a kind of patronising term for mad people - and denounces the very ideas of socialism, by saying that the entire system is weak, annoying and subhuman (insect like, like bees.) capitalists also attack socialism as they say it degrades human individuality, suggesting that socialists require us all to live like one enormous machine with no individual rights. mr birling’s comparison to bees supports this - he’s saying that if we were to live collectively, as the inspector wants, we’d be no better than a hive of insects., “ but take my word for it, you youngsters – and i’ve learnt in the good hard school of experience – that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and – “ – mr birling (act 1) this again shows how he thinks he knows it all, as he thinks of himself as an elder teaching the younger generation which will succeed his, evident by his use of the term ‘youngsters’, and portrays his arrogance and capitalist views, and he’s cut off right after by the sharp ring of the doorbell. this is inspector goole, who, like the doorbell, cuts off the assertions of birling like a sharp ring, implying that it may somehow cause pain – to the edwardian hubris, and is used by priestly to show that mr birling is disreputable, as it abruptly cuts him off., “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and…” we hear the sharp ring of a front doorbell mr birling perfectly summarises his capitalist sentiment when he tells gerald and eric that “a man has to mind his own business .” here, he is instilling in gerald a set of masculine values that are, basically, just about being selfish. by adding the phrase “his own” he attempts to make it seem less selfish by bringing a family into it, but, fundamentally: he’s telling his son and soon to be son-in-law to look after themselves. it is at this point when the stage directions announce the arrival of the inspector with a “ sharp ring of a front doorbell” – the sharpness bringing about the man who will now correct mr birling’s attitudes. it’s also worth noting that the inspector is described as imposing and powerful and that these are things that masculinity would have traditionally valued so it’s fair to say that the inspector, despite his care and compassion, is no less ‘traditionally masculine’ than mr birling, “well, it’s my duty to keep labour costs down” – mr birling (act 1) he makes it seem as if he has a moral obligation to be rich, and stay upper class, as if capitalism, or his purist view on it, is what keeps society together. this is a common view of capitalists, and right wing people in general: that they have a responsibility to work for their own ends; that it is their duty to compete for the best, as it is through competition that society advances. socialists think progress is achieved through cooperation, capitalists believe that progress is achieved through competition., “look, inspector – i’d give thousands – yes, thousands-” – mr birling (act 3) still as capitalist as he was before, as he thinks money can cover for a dead girl. he, like scrooge, only sees things in terms of their material worth. also, depending on how this line is delivered it could be seen as a bribe to the inspector, the inspector, (massively) “public men, mr birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.” – inspector goole (act 2) inspector goole is saying that ‘public men’, such as mr birling, who has societal responsibilities, have great responsibilities, due to their great power. this attitude could also be applied to celebrities today – they earn a lot of money and have a place in the public eye, but doesn’t that mean they also have a responsibility to behave in a socially responsible way, “don’t stammer and yammer at me again .” – inspector goole (act 2) this is demonstrative of the fact that the inspector is unconventional for the edwardian era, as he doesn’t care about class differences. he's using direct, imperative language to mr birling, but also colloquialisms like "yammer" which emphasise how much the inspector insists on remaining his own man., “you see, we have to share something. if there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt” – inspector goole (act 2) the inspector is highlighting how the birlings share nothing, but if they should share something, it should be their guilt over their actions, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to cope with it. he’s saying that the responsibility is not hers alone., inspector’s closing speech: this is the key moment for the ins pector and socialism in general “but just remember this. one eva smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of eva smiths and john smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. we don't live alone. we are members of one body. we are responsible for each other. and i tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they well be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. good night.”, the inspector’s final speech opens with a long, complex sentence that reminds us of all the “eva smiths and john smiths” there are in the world, and which emphasises the extent to which the themes of the play are not specifically about this situation. also, the warning travels across time – from 1912 to 1945 – and it is increasingly true again today after a decade of austerity has left the use of food banks and zero-hours-contracts rising. the use of emotive language “hopes and fears … suffering … chance of happiness” all twig at the audience’s heart strings while the use of polysyndeton – the repetition of “and” in the phrase “think and say and do” – allows the actor to emphasise the key point: that our thoughts and actions and words all help to create the world we share., priestley follows this with three simple sentences, which summarise his lesson. the use of the simple imperatives breaks up his main point and makes his lesson clear and concise – “we do not live alone… we are members of one body” – so that with the right delivery it seems too obvious to argue with. it also allows an actor to break between each point which would allow them to add gravitas to the performance – perhaps even looking out across the auditorium to remind the audience of their involvement in this sham., the inspector goes on to make a prediction about what will happen if “men will not learn that lesson.” (here, we have to assume that he is referring to “mankind” and not just “men,” though it’s worth noting the irony of the fact that the character in the play who learns the lesson most successfully is actually a woman.) but, he claims that if the lesson is not learnt then we will learn it in “fire and blood and anguish.” this is a reference to the decades of war that would be fought in the years between when the play was set and when the first performance occurred. in this respect, priestley is using quite a cheeky strategy: he’s making the inspector prophetic – almost divine – in 1912, but only because priestley knew what went on to happen. it’s also interesting, however, that priestley is suggesting that disaster is inevitable if humans don’t change the way we behave. in this respect he is similar to karl marx, the founder of communism and a key socialist thinker, who argued that it the poor would inevitably rise up against the rich if equality wasn’t pursued. both thinkers, marx and priestley, claim that change must happen or disaster will inevitably strike. for the audience the dramatic irony of the inspector’s prophecy would have been very powerful, while his use second use of polysyndeton makes the list seem longer and emphasises the extra item: “anguish.”, after this, almost as a joke, the inspector leaves with a courteous “good night,” which could be seen as the edwardian equivalent of a mic drop., how are socialism and capitalism presented today, capitalism: the western world today is primarily run with a capitalist agenda. big businesses exert more power than they have ever done before. today, the richest 26 people have more money than the poorest 3.5 billion – half the world’s population., in 2019, t he combined wealth of the ten richest people in the world is greater than the entire worth of countries like saudi arabia, switzerland or turkey . and s ince the lockdown began, the richest of them (jeff bezos) has seen his wo rth almost double. at the moment it would seem that the richest individuals are more powerful than many governments, which is why we are, primarily, a capitalist society. in america socialism is seen as a toxic philosophy, and many people use the word as an insult., capitalism has many benefits, however: although it is unfair, capitalism is allowing humans to develop new technologies at an astonishing rate. some would argue that because humanity is facing catastrophic ecological disaster we need to concentrate wealth into small areas to allow those people to develop the technologies needed to escape., for example, elon musk (age: 45; wealth: $ 87bn ; primary source of wealth: paypal) is currently investing a lot of his money developing electric cars, which will help reduce carbon emissions and could slow global warming. he is also developing spacex which is looking to start mining asteroids to extract natural resources that may allow us to live more successfully on earth, or to develop colonies on other planets should earth become uninhabitable. capitalists would argue that musk is doing a better job at managing a large fortune than many governments., socialism: the western world today is primarily capitalist. at the moment, the rich are getting richer at a frightening rate. at the same time, ecological disaster looms. socialists would argue that, regardless of our wealth, we all contribute to global warming and deforestation; we are consuming the planet at a terrifying rate and this even more true for the richest parts of the world., some socialists may argue that it doesn’t really matter how many electric cars we have, or how successful our genetically modified crops are; it doesn’t matter how much we reduce, reuse or recycle; the bitter truth is that our planet cannot cope with 7 bn people. and the only proven way of managing population growth is to equalise wealth and opportunity. poorer families tend to have more child ren, and so it makes sense that we equalise wealth and opportunity to bring population down., in short, a socialist would argue that capitalism – which has consumption at its core – has gone far enough; we can’t carry on consuming in the way we are doing. the rich are rich enough, and wealth doesn’t fairly reflect contributions to society – some of the richest people on earth are oil barons, who contribute to the global warming which threatens all our lives., socialists argue that the time has now come when we need to work together to support one another and work towards a better future. if we don’t do this, then we a re all – rich and poor alike – doomed..

Oxford Debating Society: Does Socialism Work?

This is strictly for those interested in the themes beyond the play..., below are two videos from the oxford university debating society, in which john redwood (a tory politician) attacks socialism, while jeremy corbyn supports it. though the two speeches are full of waffle, it is interesting to see just how much the two sides struggle to find any common ground. it's as though a lot of the debate these days has ceased to be intelligent, insightful or about actual ideology and has become a sparring match where only one side or the other can be right., throughout his speech, corbyn is far more sincere and angry - i think he sounds a bit like the inspector - while redwood jokes around about socialist ideals, ridiculing them in a way that really does make him sound a little like birling is it fair to say that birling & redwood have the luxury of treating social issues as though they're jokes because they're privileged; while the inspector & corbyn's sincere anger - which can come across as being a little pompous - comes from an understanding of the suffering of the poor, a few notes:, - john redwood calls it socialism vs freedom, as he sees socialism as a thing that oppresses us while, he says, capitalism offers anyone the chance to achieve, - he talks about how capitalism has been responsible for creating the huge range of products and opportunities that we enjoy in the west, - he talks about socialism as being like a traffic light, that just stops everyone, regardless of whether people are waiting; while capitalism (or freedom as he calls it) is like a roundabout that allows people to go when they're ready, - corbyn's big change comes at 1:28, after he's responded to redwood, and then he really goes for the heartstrings, - there is a common attack against socialism which is based on the idea that it doesn't work - in its purest form (which is communism) it hasn't worked in russia, venezuela, china and a number of other countries - but it is worth saying that this was almost always communism and not socialism. and it's always worth remembering that socialism is a spectrum, which means that there are all kinds of levels of it. in extremis it might not work, in moderation it certainly does: free education is the perfect example. really, the question isn't socialism or capitalism, it's how much of either capitalism or socialism is the right amount, it's also worth reading some of the comments underneath each video if you really want to understand the depth of anger that exists between capitalists and socialists in today's world..