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'unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable' (mr birling)
stages play in April, 2 weeks later after the Titanic sunk
-dramatic irony, intended to make him look stupid
because he is symbolic of rich capitalists he wants them to look stupid as well
-capitalism can be 'sunk' and changed- looks vulnerable
-the Titanic could possibly represent the upper classes. Priestley wants to illustrate that their power and privilege will also be sunk by the peace and election which will follow the second world war- sink the 'titanic', of rich upper class privilege and capitalistic wealth
-Priestley would like the audience to be the iceberg- sink the capitalism (titanic) in this metaphor.
-in 1945 the 'unsinkable' was in fact getting rid of the greatest war time leader we ever had- Winston Churchill- a national hero, saved the country from conquest and Nazism etc
- Part of socialist message is that things are not inevitable, change for the better is possible. The titanic that appeared 'unsinkable' was then completely sunk- in the same way the political powers that existed before the war appear so powerful that they can't be changed or altered- they too can be 'sunk' (they were after the 1945 elections- labour landslide victory)
-The first World War- the war to end all wars- people believed that they wouldn't be another war like it because the price was so high, the catastrophes were so great- yet 21 years later in 1939, the world is at war again. It is the fault of arrogant businessmen like Birling who sacrificed their sons' lives in WW1 and did not learn the lesson- they ignored it- and allowed the conditions of war to permeate through the two decades after 1920- those in authority did not learn the lessons of the WW1 which is why Birling did not learn the lesson of Eva's death.
arthur birling's interpretation and symbolic use of his name
-corrupt and unfeeling, caring nothing for the people he has power over
-symbolises capitalism- CONSTRUCT to criticize capitalism. Inspector deliver's Priestley's message to be kinder and have a socialist society.
-Arthur is named after King Arthur- symbolises how much power he has in society as a rich manufacturer, magistrate and Lord Mayor.... ironic because King Arthur is a symbol of good rule- IDEALISED KING
'I'm talking as a hard headed man of business'
-Sheila's marriage- business
-an allusion to the 'hard headed man of business' was a phrase used by Sir Stanley Baldwin used twice during his election which he was voted in twice- shows how the business owners made profit from the war- happy to sacrifice people's lives in order to make a massive profit- war it the ultimate capitalistic dream. only make money- buy their stuff- prepare them in economic conditions.
-echoed by the Labour Party Manifesto of 1945- Sir Stanley's Baldwin's attack on the way the rich exploited people & accuses them of profiting from the war. Uses this language- to turn it into a drama his audience can relate to.
'THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE WON BY BOTH WARS' again, symbolically presented in the play as a direct link to the Labour Party's manifesto in 1945 which won a landslide victory, which addressed the people for uniting and rising up and defeat the common enemy. It doesn't credit the politicians and so the political intent is to persuade the audience to vote Labour and he wants to focus on the people- socialism.
The Inspector quotes and ideas
-Edna introduces him into the play- identifies with Eva by having her diary and possessions to expose the upper class. Edna announces the arrival of the Inspector and it isn't a coincidence that she does this as it allies him symbolically with the working class. She isn't in the play as much which reflects her lack of importance as a figure dependent on how much her employers pay her but also as a woman- can be seen to how Eva doesn't have a say in the play nor in society and when she does, it is unladylike by her- Sybil says it is 'completely absurd' for someone in her position to initiate such 'fine feelings'.
-The Inspector is a proxy/mouthpiece for Priestley's views- socialist message is that we are intertwined with everyone.
Priestley pulls him out in Act 3 deliberately to associate the socialist play with an allegory about the Christian doctrine of free will- from the lesson of Adam and Eve- it was too see if Birling/ Gerald would change and therefore associates himself as supernatural agent for God.
-Voting for socialism means rejected Churchill who was deemed as the great wartime Prime Minister. Churchill was arguably the most popular Prime Minister Britain ever had and he was therefore forever identified with war. An Inspector Calls is an anti-war play and so paves to way for socialism to triumph by rejecting war.
Like Priestley, his female audience rejected war therefore Labour won a landslide victory.
Scrooge-Birling Because Scrooge won the lesson 'we are responsible for each other'- future is altered and Tiny Tim lives. Similarly, if he family learns the same lesson then Eva will live and no second Inspector would be calling.
Inspector- Ghost of Xmas Yet To Come 'Goole'- clear reminder of a ghost- an allusion to Dickens' 'The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come'
Winston Churchill sacked Priestley from the BBC- where everyone tuned in and this demonstrates how the upper class dominated society and had too much power that they abused. Priestly, who stood for election, tried to create a future free of war and therefore he had a Number 1 radio show in 1945.
In 1912, if the family learnt their lesson-they represent the upper class- then we wouldn't have had the World Wars and so this is a further chance for the lesson to be learned by the audience.
'we are members of one body'
Christianity=socialism
deliberate echo of the holy communion which 80% of the 1945 audience would be regular church-goers.
symbolically- what would Jesus/Christians do? They would have to do good by fellow man and welcome others into a community and therefore Priestley's message is therefore a Christian would have to vote for a Socialist society.
-By marrying this socialist message to his Christian message he is presenting capitalism and Christianity as incompatible.
'Fire and blood and anguish'
-Inspector's final words which describes the both World Wars- direct link between capitalism and the desire of war and exploitation of the war.
-most anti-socialist capitalists would accept in Christian teaching and therefore using this Christian illusion makes the play more persuasive than simple politics- Priestley tells his audience that the only moral, Christian society must also be socialist.
IF MEN WILL NOT LEARN'- the Inspector is appealing directly to Priestley's female audience as war is a male idea.
-He leaves after this in Act 3 as a test to see if the Birlings would learn their lesson in the same way the audience would learn their lesson. It's like the test for Adam and Eve- don't eat the fruit and they eat the fruit and they are expelled from Eden forever- didn't their lesson and that is Priestley's challenge to the audience- are you going to change the new socialist state or are you going to head onto the third World War? The Inspector's abrupt departure at the end of this speech indicates that there is no room for discussion as the lesson is simple - the audience should now go and help others, and play their role in moving society towards a socialist practice.
-The Inspector's warning of 'fire and blood and anguish' is a prediction of war- anti war message in 1945. It foreshadows the bloodshed of the first and second world war to the Birling family. However. it also serves a dual purpose when applied in the context of a contemporary audience- warning to the younger generations and to the present Labour government- that they must consider the threat of another war specifically the emerging threat of nuclear war- triggered by the Hiroshima bombing, should capitalists remain to keep in power and control the structure of a influential society.
Further context of war and the Inspector's last words
-War is an economic consequence for capitalism, the 'lesson' is that in order to expand markets and defeat competition- Britain will go to war against its main economic rival- Germany. They are willing to sacrifice more sons more profit- appealing to middle class men which mostly was the audience. Devastating consequences for the upper class- lost more sons as officers led from the front and they were usually the sons of capitalists- suffered more causalities.
-It is a play written in 1945 and so it is a feminist play- massive flourishment of female empowerment- they had jobs and financial independence. Females didn't want to lose these jobs when the men came back- socialist- care for everybody.
'there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths'
-Eva symbolically represents all the working class she also represents the female workforce- women had the vote in 1945 but not in 1912
Women are therefore the ones who are most likely to reject the lack of power they have had and vote for a Labour government- socialist society.
Through the repetition of "millions", Priestley seems to open up the play from the limited scope of one family's dining room to a international systematic concern
context of eva
-the root of Eva's tragedy is that she doesn't have economic independence she is lucky to get the Millwards job because the vacancy only occurs due to the death of the previous worker through 'influenza'. Over a million women have been also lucky in the second world war as they took on jobs left by men conscripted into the armed forces- like in the first world war were they would lose their jobs if the government is dominated by capitalists.
-Women didn't have enough political power to change the 2nd World War and so it highlights the patriarchal society whether the independence was confined to the husband in 1912 and no other form of autonomy was given rather than through marrying well. WOMEN ARE COMMODITIES TO MEN
-Priestley is saying to prevent future wars we need women's votes, women's choice and women's free-will to get rid of a conservative government and replace it with socialist principles which looks after everyone. The use of the two deaths of Eva is symbolic for the second World War in which the characters refused to learn their moral lessons in the first war/death.
Eva Smith's name significance
-Eva Smith- common name- enormity of working class' common people.
'Eve' mother of all humanity
'Eva- means life giving or living- ironic because the context of the play is around the investigation into her death. Along with 'Daisy' 'Eva' was one of the most popular names in the 20th century which reveals that as well as being defined as an individual with unique and personal experiences throughout the play, Eva comes to represent the working class as 'one body'. Since Eve is blamed for both her and Adam's eating of the forbidden fruits, perhaps Eva's assertive nature and protests against the capitalism that Birling so defiantly promotes could represent her taking a bite from the forbidden fruit (breaking out of definite gender roles) for which she is then punished. Society accepts Eva as long as she plays by the patriarchal rules; if she does not, she is banished as Eve was from the Garden of Eden. Priestley is saying to practice your free-will and vote for a socialist government- written in 1945 and performed which was during the year of general election.
-Main character reminiscent of Eve- suggests we are all like her (working class). Eva also represents the female workforce- women has the vote in 1945 but not in 1912 and therefore women are the most likely to reject the lack of power they had- VOTE LABOUR.
-Daisy Renton- uprooted, innocent, beautiful dying (DAISY)- it shows her transition into the city and how 'uprooted' and 'vulnerable' she was- like a flower- exploited from the upper class and was easily targeted because of her gender and social class
Further context
-Capitalism is the economic system that we still live under society- 2 classes 'the working-class' The Birlings
'Middle Class' Eva, Inspector- different generations/different systems
-Inspector Goole and eventually Sheila and Eric start to challenge this belief in strict social and economic conditions. Eva is not just 'cheap labour'
In workhouses, destitute people were separated from heir families and were forced to work long hours- bed and basic food rations- influenced by a book called 'Self-help' by SAMUEL SMILES 1859. Smiles argued that poverty was mostly a product of irresponsible habits and people had a duty to look after themselves.
'She was elaborating fine feelings... completely absurd in her position' Mrs Birling
-Mrs Birling's attitudes towards class are so deeply embedded that her characterisation of Eva Smith is based entirely of her stereotypical understand of what it means to be working class.
Capitalism can be perceived as an outlook in life that has been indoctrinated with so intensely in nurture and so it is unable to abandon the conservative attitudes she evidently holds- only the young are 'impressionable' and so it fuels Priestley's hope for a new socialist world of justice and equality.
-Perhaps she is 'cold' in nature as a consequence of the discrimination she has faced in life as a woman, despite position of aristocracy but indeed she is suffering herself. Mrs Birling does not seem to understand that a working class person like Eva can have complex feelings and emotions and also have a certain standard of morality and dignity.
stage directions
'AN EVENING IN SPRING 1912' begins the play with a tragedy, sinking with the Titanic and so he isn't just trying to discredit Birling for his stupidity- he invites us to think of the play as a tragedy.
'spring' symbolic of rebirth, optimism and hope
audience can learn and vote for a socialist future
-'PINK AND INTIMATE' subtle ways of indicating the family is not harmonious and the attempt of intimacy doesn't work because they are too busy deceiving themselves or each other. 'PINK' shows they are looking through rose tinted lenses completely unrealistic approach and not aware of the suffering of lower classes. 'BRIGHTER' could symbolise hope and enlightenment and how their actions affect others.
-'BRIGHTER AND HARDER'
'HARD' foreshadows the Inspector is going to reveal the hard truth and show the family how things really are, 'BRIGHTER' could refer to Christianity- it reflects the 'light' Inspector is going to dictate to reveal the truth.
Further context II
-The link between the Inspector's socialist message and his allusion to war suggests that war is caused by capitalistic greed. A Marxist reading of the text may interpret this link as Priestley is reflected on the 20th century through a Marxist lens.
Marxist theory is that modern wars are caused by capitalistic nations that exploit those on the periphery through imperialists wars in search of new markets and resources- war is the extension of capitalistic thinking.
Birling exemplifies such thinking when his capitalistic rhetoric causes him to reach for higher social circles 'JUST A KNIGHTHOOD'.
One way of looking at the second world war is seeing the German invasion of Poland as a result of capitalistic thinking. Similarly, it was the Great Depression- a capitalistic crisis- that caused the Nazi Party to be elected in Germany and would have been within living memory of a contemporary audience.
-Birling's action serve as an example that the rich and powerful 'members' of society will overlook moral atrocities in order to protect their property and wealth rather than challenging corruption and oppression inherited from the long lasting chain of capitalists and corrupt governments from the past- whose practices are still implemented on a 21st century. The play functions as a critique of capitalism therefore how you respond to the play depends on your political perspective and so people with right-wing conservative views would have taken objection to its negative depiction of capitalism which is contextually linked to the removal of Priestley from the BBC due to his influence on a society dominated and intended to be under control by a capitalistic 'hero'- Winston Churchill
Thesis opening
In the didactic play, 'An Inspector Calls, Priestley explores.... as a quintessential (stereotypical) characteristic inherited by .... It is apparent in many characters who Priestley deliberately constructs to highlight the much need change on the post word war two audience's innate nature.
grade 9 interpretation of eva's death
-The Inspector killed the girl to teach the Birlings a lesson and like war it was the lesser of two evils. Events leading up to her death was caused by the already implemented system of capitalists and right-wing policies but the Inspector kills her to illustrate that this is the consequence of their aristocracy and to prevent Eva from suffering further from the hands of the Birlings.
