English Literature - An Inspector Calls - Social Responsibilty

How does Mr Birling show the theme of Social Responsibility? - Pt. 1

How does Mr Birling show the theme of Social Responsibility? - Pt. 1

Capitalism Vs Socialism

• You’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were mixed together like bees in a beehive’ - shows his intolerance of socialism and the political mindset of the 1910s. It shows the narrowmindedness and stubborn behavior of the rich bourgeois.

• ‘It’s my duty to keep labor costs down’ (Act 1) - implies his business requires him to exploit his workers, feels a ‘duty’ to his business, not to the workers. It highlights that neglect and inhumanity come hand in hand with capitalist business.

How does Mr Birling show the theme of social responsibility? - Pt.2

Honor of family

• ‘ A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - ad his family too’ - reveals that men are born with an obligation to themselves alone

• Use of parenthesis highlights the priorities of a typical capitalist family, it’s always themselves first.

How does Mr Birling show the theme of Social responsibility? - Pt.3

Rejection of accepting responsibility

• ‘I can’t accept any responsibility’ - It demonstrates how Mr Birling doesn’t want to be accused of any mistake and doesn’t want to feel regret.

• ‘There’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did - it turned out unfortunately, that’s all’

• noun - excuse - connotes a pathetic reason - shows how desperate Mr Birling is to excuse himself of blame.

• ‘Unfortunately’ and ‘that’s all’ - highlights the heartlessness of the Upper class, Eva death is merely an inconvenience to him rather than being something he should g

How does Mrs Birling show the Theme of Social Responsibility Pt.1

Ignorance and Lack of Responsibility

• ‘make sure he’s compelled to confess in public to his responsibility’ - claims to have a firm moral code and values consequences for her wrongdoings.

  BUT……

• ‘But I didn’t know it was you, I never dreamt’ - shows that Eric is the father, as a result she sacrifices her moral societal code for protecting her son. shows how the upper class is hypocritical and superficial.

How does Mrs Birling show the theme of social responsibility Pt.2

Neglect of responsibility

• ‘ We’ve done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases’ - semantic field of virtue suggests charity work brings a false sense of accomplishment

• She enjoys the recognition, but doesn’t care about those who come to her by referring to them as ‘girls of that sort’

How does Mrs Birling show the theme of social responsibility Pt.3

Contrast with Sheila

• ‘‘Well, Why should we’-Act 3 - shows the heartlessness and how futile it is t bring change upon the older generations, they will always turn back to their old ways,

• ‘So nothing really happened’ (Sheila) Act 3 - says this sarcastically to her mother who acts as if nothing happened, she doesn’t feel remorse and wants to continue with their parties.

How does the Inspector show the theme of social responsibility

‘ There are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths left with us’ - semantic field of connection emphasises the dismissal of societal class, we are all the same, society is the reult of everyone’s combined actions, we all have an equal part to play. Priestley’s mouthpiece, also political speech,.

How does Sheila show the theme of social responsibility

• ‘probably between us we killed her’ - direct admission of guilt, Sheila’s honesty and bluntness is a refreshing change from parents deceit and and ambiguity.

• ‘He’s giving us the rope so that we’ll hang ourselves’ - macabre - reveals the state of her shaken mind and the severity. Acknowledges the Inspector’s role of bringing justice and bringing the downfall of the Birlings.

What was Priestley’s intentions?

• Priestley shows his audience that all actions have consequences, regardless whether you live in isolation.

• He uses the theme of social responsibility to advocate for a welfare state.

• Priestley suggests that Mr Birling’s lack of compassion and lack of responsibility are tied to bis class and capitalist idealogies.

• Priestley uses Mrs Birling to suggest the hatred and hypocrisy of social responsibility as it comes from classism and prejudice, she doesn’t want to associate herself with the lower classes.

• Priestley suggests that the upper classes are governed by bigotry and are unrepentant in their actions.

• Priestley shows all institutions as intrinsically corrupt.

• Priestley suggest that those who fail to help others is an act of cruelty like the 1912 laissez-faire government.