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An Inspector Calls Context - Coggle Diagram
An Inspector Calls Context
Popularity
first performed in 1945
popular due to its style and genre
celebrated for Priestly's criticism and middle class hypocrisy
JB Priestly
witnessed a lot of poverty among working classes
raised with Socialist values
served in the army for 5 years and his experience of War haunted him forever
became a prominent Socialist using his platform to speak about class inequality and poverty in Britain
became a broadcaster for BBC-had to be careful not to criticise the government
co-founder of common wealth party
The Victorian Influence
the play demonstrates the destructive impact of Victorian values
charity-poor law giving money and support, workhouses and conditions
deserving poor-made effort to get out of poverty
women- fallen women, sexual exploitation and lust
hierarchy- harsh morals, very religious, role in hierarchy determined expectations you should fulfil
repression- double life, 'sinful activities' - Eric and Gerald
2 World Wars
Great War: 1914-1918
WW2: 1939-1945
unification and team work
lower and upper class families mixed-sharing and cooperation
everyone was at equal risk
Wars dismantled the class system because everyone had the same experiences. Conscription meant everyone was forced to fight. There was less difference between classes.
in 1914, people were Pro-War and men not in the army were publicly shamed. Propaganda movement-jingosim
attitude started to change as it wasn't 'over by Christmas' and literature started to reflect the gruesome reality of War
Government becomes more involved- end of 'laissez faire' attitude-protect people
Eg: rationing and evacuation
Beveridge investigated social security to help government reform social policies and recover from war
Identified the problems stopping people from improving lives and recommended measures
Great Depression
between both wars, it was the worst economic event since industrialisation
began in 1929 in America with the Wall Street Crash- where America's stock markets crashed which caused worldwide recession. Unemployment rose, banks failed, money lost its value
people of all classes had the same experiences-everyone suffered. Upper classes learnt what it was like to work and not be paid fairly.
1912
class system was similar to victorians
upper classes- luxurious homes/estates in the country to escape poverty
lower classes- rare to travel out of the city/village
people could identify your class by the way you looked and dressed
hygiene and sanitation was available to upper classes but lower classes lived in appalling conditions with children with very little education.
Women
lower class women needed to work to have any chance of supporting themselves
but work available was the lowest paid and lowest skilled as many had no education
unmarried women were almost ostracised from society
they were vulnerable and often lived in total poverty
many risked backstreet abortions rather than facing the stigma of having a child out of marriage
many were forced into prostitution if unemployed
many upper class men exploited their serving girls by having sex, many becoming pregnant but having to keep relationship secret or they'd get sacked
Rights
inferior to men- under control of Father's then their husbands
couldn't vote or own property (if unmarried)
expected to be quiet and agreeable
had to rely on husbands for economic and social security. Weren't entitled to equal pay
sexual and domestic violence was worse in 1912- no protection and abortions were illegal
Stereotypes of low class
them being dirty and sinful
fear of the poor began
upper classes convinced that the lower classes were all thieves, criminals and sinners who would pollute them and threaten the purity of the nation
many believed the poor only had themselves to blame for their troubles
believed the lower classes were stupid/idle
if the poor deserved it, it wasn't the upper classes job to fix it (links to Mrs B)
1945
after the war, the same stereotypes about the lower classes remained. Priestly tries to tackle this.
even though Britain had changed on the outside, many of its feelings and attitudes were present from pre-war times
upper classes still believed they were superior
country was still divided which was ignored
it is possible that Priestly thought that ignoring these prejudices was naive and harmful so he used his play to demonstrate the importance of eliminating class divides
Working Conditions
many working class families lived in slums
factories/workhouses were dirty and poorly lit- there was a lack of health and safety which caused the risk of dying
workers were unhappy with how they were being treated so they started to group together
tensions between employers and employees grew which met with strikes as Britain entered the 1910s
Politics
Labour Party set up in 1901
there was a growth in popularity of trade unions
growing tensions in other countries and relations with Germany were tense
Capitalism VS Socialism
Capitalism- competition between business owners and employers
Socialism- factors of production owned equally by everyone in society
Titanic
1912- Titanic sank
claimed it was unsinkable
it sank in mid April after striking an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean
controversy surrounding the rescue attempts- upper classes on lifeboats first, leaving staff and crew to drown. Lack of lifeboats
Suffragettes Movement
demanding for the right for women to vote
when these were ignored marches, protests and riots were organised
protests and riots grew more frequent, destructive and violent
however, women's rights came a long way by 1945 due to the war effort but they were still expected to make way for the soldiers returning home
number of divorces increased after war as women felt they should have a say in their own lives
An Inspector Calls
didactic play- teaches moral lessons
catharsis- emotional journey, feeling emotion as you go through
set in 1912
written in 1945
JB Priestly
dramatic irony
foreshadowing