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CONTEXT AND THEMES (JUDGEMENT (The Inspector calls is a morality play as…
CONTEXT AND THEMES
JUDGEMENT
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Arthur commits greed - money matters more to him than the welfare of his workers, which is shown when he fires Eva for asking to be paid more
Sybil commits a sin of pride - she is too proud to admit her mistakes to the Inspector, which leads to her condemning of her own son.
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Both Eric and Gerald commit the sin of lust by getting involved with Eva while she was working as a prostitute.
The Birlings treatment to Eva was selfish and cruel. Their actions were still morally wrong regardless pf whether or not there were any further consequences
MEN AND WOMEN
Sheila fits into the stereotype of a woman in Act One as she is only interested in her appearance. She is described as "still admiring her ring" rather than concentrating on her father's speech.
In Act 1, Arthur says that for women clothes are "a sort of sign or token of their self-respect"- Arthur believes in the stereotype that women are obsessed with clothes and their appearance, to an extent that they are linked to a women's "self respect". This could suggest that his attitude towards women is old-fashioned and patronising.
Eva felt that she had to lie to the committee about being pregnant otherwise she may be rejected from her appeal by having a sexual relationship before marriage. Gerald, however faces no consequences for having an affair, even though he is still unmarried.
Sheila challenges gender stereotypes by the end of the play as she becomes more assertive and willing to challenge her father. She goes against his wishes by breaking off her engagement with Gerald telling him "Don't interfere"
Arthur's treatment towards Sheila is different compared to Eva's. Arthur tries to protect his daughter from the Inspector's investigation because she is a "young unmarried girl". He doesn't try to protect Eva even though she is also young and unmarried - instead he dismisses her from her job for asking for more money. This suggests that working class women were treated more harshly than women of higher social status.
BRITAIN 1912 AND 1945
Arthur says that in 1940 there will be "peace and prosperity" this uses dramatic irony as the audience knows that in 1040 Britain was involved in WW2.
Women's lives have changed since 1912 and 1945 because women gained more independence by 1945 including being given the right to vote.
In Arthur's toast in Act 1, he reveals a political situation between Europe and Britain in 1912, which was that there was tension between Europe. He mentions that some people think that "war's inevitable" with Germany. He also refers to the miners strike which suggests that there has been a political unrest in Britain too.
Priestley set the play in 1912 so that he could use the audience's knowledge of the future to create dramatic irony. The audience is aware of Arthur's wrong predictions which emphasises his follishness. It also makes them aware of the Inspector's predictions about the future which are correct. This makes the audience more likely to believe his message about social responsibilty because he is shown to be right about alot of things.
FAMILY LIFE
A middle class woman in 1912 wouldn't work or do household chores. Instead they would plan parties, visit friends and have children. In contrast to this, a working class woman would usually have a job and do her own household chores.
Priestley shows tension in the Birling family before the arrival of the inspector by the fact that Eric gets drunk and behaves oddly such as when he "suddenly guffaws". This hints at his alcohol problem and causes tension - his parents "look at him" in surprise and Sheila speaks up to him "severely"
At the start of the play, Arthur has the most authority, which would expected of men in 1912 e.g he makes a speech which he expects his family to listen to. After that, the women leave to let the men talk which was a normal thing to do in that time. Sheila and Eric were also told what to do by their parents "Now stop it, you too" Sybil says.
The Inspector's visit reduces Arthur's authority within his family and increases Sheila's and Eric's. They both become more assertive as the play progresses and by the end they both challenge their parents. Sheila tells her father that the way he talks "frightens"her and Eric supports her by telling his parents that he agrees.
YOUNG AND OLD
Arthur hold the traditional view that the children should be obedient to their parents and not challenge them. He tells Eric to "keep quiet"
Shelia challenges her mother by contradicting her when she says that they don't want the details of Gerald's affair.
The older generation don't learn from the Inspector's visit. E.g When Sheila says to Sybil that she is acting like she did before she asks "why don't we?". The younger generation show more compassion: as Sheila and Eric believe that Arthur should not have fired Eva. In addition, the younger generation are shown as challenging the status quo e.g Eva asks for better pay. Arthur and Sybil don't challenge the society we live in.
Arthur tells Eric that he's got " a lot to learn yet" - this is ironic as Sheila and Eric are both portrayed as being wiser than Arthur and Sybil. Sheila and Eric understand that you must take responsibility for their actions, unlike their parents. Sheila is more perceptive, as she realises that Sybil is being trapped by the Inspector.
LEARNING ABOUT LIFE
Having learn't that a girl has actually died, the characters who dismissed the Inspector's lessons may take them more seriously because they could have legal consequences. It makes the Inspector seem like a mysterious or even supernatural figure, as he knew in advance that a girl would be brought to the infirmary, they may now be wondering how he knew this.
The shocking and violent imagery in the Inspector's final speech and the brutality of Eva's death means that the play is likely to have a lasting impact on the audience. This would have been the case when this was first performed as audience members would have lived through the horrors of WW2
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Inspector's final speech emphasises his message about social responsibility when he states that "We are all responsible for each other". The repetition of "we" at the start of the sentences leading up to the statement suggests that this is about the collective, including the wider audience. His message is reinforced by the simple and accessible language of the speech, which makes it more persuasive.
The play reflects Priestley's socialist views by emphasising that all people in society are equal. In the Inspector's closing speech, he reminds the other characters that "We are members of one body"
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