An Inspector Calls Themes

An Inspector Calls Themes

1. Responsibility

   • Eric and Sheila are the only ones who take responsibility
     • Sheila
       • Irreponsible to get Eva sacked
     • Eric
       • Realises too late that he is responsible for ruining Eva's chance to improve her life
   • Mr and Mrs Birling don't take responsibility for their children
   • Sheila takes responsibility for the family
     • Wants them to see the error of their way
   • Priestley's message
     • Take responsibility for your actions and accept the consequences
       • Inspectors speech
         • "millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths"
   • Mr Birling
     • community responsibility is nonsense. Business is more important than workers rights
   • Mrs Birling
     • no responsibility to the working class

2. Class and Society

   • Drives plot and shapes characters
     • Characters represent the classes
       • Working Class
         • Eva/Daisy
         • Edna
         • Inspector Goole
       • Middle Class
         • Birlings
           • Mr Birling
             • Worried that Evas death wont get him a knight hood
             • Thinks his authority and position makes him important
             • Uses Gerald to promte class
           • Mrs Birling
             • Only involved in charity for social satus
         • Limited sense of responsibility. Don't know. Don't care. Don't want to know
       • Upper Class
         • Gerald
   • Priestly thought class shouldn't matter.
     • Uses play to reveal unfairness in system
     • Uses Birlings as caricatures of the bad qualities in upper class
     • How priestly saw society
       • Priestly presents working class as victims

3. Family

   • Inspector causes a role reversal
     • Eric and Sheila become the parents when they accept their responsibilty
       • Sheila and Gerald are not the norm
   • Mrs B doesn't understand her children.
   • Tension
     • Mrs B and social etiquate
     • Eric and drink
     • Last Summer

4. Generational Divide

   • Inspector breaks the gender divide in the family
     • Learn from mistakes
       • chance for equal and fair society
   • Big divide in generations before the Inspector arrives
     • Challenge parents authorit
   • Gerald
     • young
       • has the same views as the older generation
         • Birlings views on buisness
         • Doesn't learn anything

5. Divide in Gender

   • Start out as steryotypes
     • Sheila
       • obsessed with pretty things
       • Protested from nasty things
       • proud and vain
       • Accused as hysterical
     • Men
       • Preoccupied with buisness
       • Gerald feels his duty to rescue women
         • Daisy in the bar
       • Sex
         • Expected to sleep around
         • men view as currency
         • Sex for power
         • Mistress
   • End of the play the males appear weaker and the females stronger
   • Link to relationships

6. Judgement/Judgement Day

   • Play teaches morals
     • MORALITY PLAY
       • Religious middle aged play teaching people how to behave and their sins
   • Inspector Goole
     • Could be God
     • Goole=Ghoule=Ghost?
     • In-Spectre?
     • Their conscience?
   • Seven Deadly Sins
     • Sloth
       • Eric
     • Lust
       • Gerald and Eric
     • Greed
       • Mr Birling and Eric
     • Envy
       • Sheila and Mrs Birling
     • Gluttony
       • All Birlings and Eric
     • Pride
       • Mr and Mrs Birling and Gerald
       • Sheila in the begining
     • Worth
       • All Birlings
   • "in fire, blood and anguish"
     • WWI setting
     • WWII audiance
   • Whole play leads up to judgement day

7. Love and Relationships

   • Dysfunctional relationships
     • Love is distorted
     • No love in their relationships
       • Priestly says that love has to be both ways
       • Loved his family, not returned
   • No trust
     • Sheila doesn't trust Gerald
       • More respect after the truth comes out
   • Link to generational divide
   • Everyone has their own secrets
   • Mr Birling doesn't believe in love
     • Ironicaly loves buissness and judging others and class
   • Erics relationship with Eva reflects his treatment in the family
     • Loved family
     • "I wasn't in love with her or anything"

8. Loss of Innocence

   • Eva/Daisy
     • Gerald used her as his mistress
       • Loss of virginity
         • Betrays her
       • Treats her well
     • Eric raped her?
       • "when a chap easily turns nasty"
   • All the Birlings and Gerald lose their innocence through the Inspector
   • Focus on Evas Apperance
     • good morals
     • Doesn't sin knowingly
     • Pure
   • Sheila matures throughout the play
     • "Your daughter isn't living on the moon"
     • Inspector breaks the norm for men by standing up for Sheila
   • Eric grows up too quickly
   • Unborn child loses a chance too live