Example ‘An Inspector Calls’
essay 1

How does Priestley use the Inspector to suggest the need for social change in ‘An Inspector Calls’?

In ‘An Inspector Calls’, by characterizing the Inspector as a powerful man of moral authority despite his lower social class than the Birlings, Priestley suggests that social change is of more importance than capitalism which is synonymous with suffering and immorality. Priestley also suggests that it is necessary for society to change and begin taking social responsibility in order to prevent the grave consequences of suffering, particularly for those of a lower social class. Priestley uses this as a vehicle to catalyse his own 1945 audience to embrace the social change that Priestley argues socialism will bring about.

In ‘An Inspector Calls’, Priestley uses the Inspector as his mouthpiece to convey how the capitalist society brings about suffering and immorality. Priestley suggests that social change must occur. In the stage directions during the exposition, the lighting is described as “pink and intimate… brighter and harder.” The use of the colour noun “pink” conveys the rose-coloured perspective of both the Birlings and the 1945 audience that saw 1912 as the “good old days.” Moreover, the use of the noun “intimate” conveys the blissful ignorance of the Birlings and how they are unbothered by the plight of the poor. However, when the Inspector enters, the lighting becomes “brighter and harder” which suggests that the Inspector will shine a light on, or reveal, the harsh reality of the cruelty during the Edwardian period to both the Birlings and his audience. This implies that to Priestley, the ignorance and complacency of those in the upper class was wrong and even harmful. Later on in Act 1 during Mr Birling’s rant about himself and capitalism, he criticizes socialism by saying that it is as if “we are all mixed up like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” Here, Priestley uses a simile to convey Mr Birling’s harsh beliefs about socialism. By comparing it to bees, Priestley conveys how to Mr Birling, socialism is a harmful political belief in the way that bees can sting and harm people. Moreover, the use of the noun “nonsense” emphasises this harsh perspective which would the audience most likely disagree with. Through this, Priestley clearly displays the typical views of upper class men in 1912 and his grievance with their beliefs. Moreover, the Inspector’s arrival interrupts Mr Birling’s speech which could symbolically display how the Inspector puts an end to Mr Birling’s capitalist views and will enter and reveal the issues with them and the highly stratified class system they brought about. Through this, Priestley displays how socialism will replace capitalism in 1945. As the Inspector begins questioning the Birlings, he describes Eva’s suicide and how she was “burnt… inside out.” Here, Priestley uses shocking and vivid imagery in order to frighten the Birlings and catalyse their acceptance of social responsibility in order to bring about social change. To elucidate further, the Inspector’s power is displayed through the act of persuasion due to his belief that the Birlings could be forced to understand the need for societal change and that they must reach this conclusion of their own accord. Priestley uses this to convey how some audience realisation in his audience who romanticized the 1910s – aiming to rid society of this belief. Furthermore, Priestley characterizes the Inspector as similar to the Judeo-Christian God in the way that he cares more about morality and social change than he does about criminality. This presents the Inspector as having the utmost moral authority and an omniscience which suggests that what he says and represents (socialism) is important. This is also clearly displayed through his description of having a sense of “massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.” Here, Priestley uses a triad of abstract nouns in the stage directions to connotate the merit of social change. The noun “massiveness” suggests that the Inspector and what he stands for is big and important. The noun “solidity” implies that he, and the need for social change, is grounded in truth and can form a strong foundation for the change in the way that solid rock is unmovable. Also the noun “purposefulness” implies that social change and the Inspector have a purpose and are necessary. Through this, Priestley conveys the merit of social change as it can bring about a more equal society for all.
Finally, throughout the Inspector’s investigation of the Birlings, he criticizes each of the family members for what they did to Eva most harshly, arguably, by telling Eric he used Eva as “a animal, a thing, not a person.” This metaphorically conveys how he dehumanised and treated her inhumanely. Moreover, the noun “thing” suggests he treated her as though she was of little importance. Priestley uses this to convey the issues with the treatment of the lower class women by upper class men in 1912 and the suffering it caused. Collectively, the Inspector is used to convey the issues with a capitalist society and the suffering it causes and therefore illustrates the need for social change.

In ‘An Inspector Calls’, Priestley uses the Inspector to convey the grave consequences of not taking social responsibility and embracing the need for social change in his didactic morality play. In the Inspector’s final speech, he states that “there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths… we don’t live alone… we are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.” Here, Priestley uses double repetition and polysyndeton to emphasise the sheer number of people that were living in poverty in 1912. Moreover, the name Eva is evocative of “Eve” who was the beginning of all woman which suggests that Eva represents all the poor working-class women in 1912 and their suffering. The use of the collective pronoun “we” conveys the collectivist idea that the audience and not just the Birlings must take social responsibility. Finally, the use of the metaphor of the “body” suggests that as each part of the body must work together to fulfil a specific function, society as a whole must also change and help each other – the fates of all people are interlinked. Through this, Priestley conveys the importance of social change, as it brings about a more equal society. He does this to encourage his 1945 audience to embrace the change that Clement Attlee and the Labour government will bring about.

In ‘An Inspector Calls’, Priestley uses the Inspector as his moral mouthpiece to illustrate the need for social change that socialism can bring about. He implies that if society doesn’t heed this call, they will be taught it in “fire and blood and anguish” which uses hell imagery and is evocative of the world wars to appeal to the Christian morality of the audience.