The structure of the play mirrors that of the two world wars. The initial arrival of the Inspector is portrayed as being due to society’s capitalist flaws and therefore represents WWI. Then, the intermittent duration between WWI and WWII is highlighted as the characters’ opportunity to change and accept greater social responsibility.
However, the characters fail this and the phone call to the Birling residence, at the end of the play, is symbolic of WWII as this is the “fire and blood and anguish”, which the Inspector warned the characters about.
Priestley suggests that WWII occurred due to humanity not heeding the need for greater social responsibility for their actions, and that the world wars were a direct result of “if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.”
Therefore, Priestley’s underlying message is revealed; to stop society failing again, the audience needs to take action and reconstruct society to be more responsible than it was in 1912. The world wars were, as suggested by Priestley, caused by the greed and capitalist attitudes of society. However, the Birlings chose to dismiss the Inspector as “socialist or some sort of crank”. Therefore, Eva’s
‘second death is caused by Birlings’ refusal to admit responsibility after the Inspectors exit. This repeating of events (Eva’s death) is a reflection of the repeated World Wars.