Summary GCSE Grade 9 English Literature Essay Inspector Calls Full Marks
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Course
English
Institution
GCSE
Grade 9 Essay used in the real exam that achieved full marks. Includes introduction, 8 main body paragraphs and a conclusion - adaptable to any question for Inspector Calls - hits the top level of all Assessment Objectives and perfect to use for remembering Grade 9 points or as an essay in itself t...
In the allegorical morality play An Inspector Calls, JB Priestley highlights how inequality in
society leads to social disruption, harm and tragedy. Priestley portrays a chasm between
social class in 1912, contrasting with the progressive socialist view emerging in 1945. Thus,
he promotes socialism to his audience in 1945, teaching that inequality leads to the downfall
of the individual and society as “one body”.
In Act One, Birling treats his daughter’s engagement as a business transaction, generating
profit. Therefore, he is used by Priestley as a construct to represent the greed of the
bourgeoisie in Edwardian Society in 1912. Birling tells Gerald “I look forward to a time when
Birlings and Crofts are no longer competing, but working together, for lower costs and higher
prices” This implies that the upper-class are consumed by greed and selfish pride: they only
provide for themselves and their “family of course…”
Priestley emphasises Mr Birling’s avarice to foreshadow how, by act three, he still hasn’t
learned his lesson. He says he’d still give “thousands, yes thousands” to bring Eva back to
life, but in reality, this is simply to cover up the scandal of her death, suggesting how those
members of the upper middle classes want to prevent any kind of scandal. Consequently,
Birling’s later downfall mirrors the downfall of all capitalist men who prioritise money over
well-being in Edwardian society, invoking fear in those men watching in the audience of
1945.
Moreover, Priestley shows how exploitation of workers leads not only to their tragedy, but to
society as a whole and to the corrupt capitalists. Under a capitalist system, inequality
dominates and Priestley wanted social responsibility at the front of everyone’s mind while
watching the play, to spark a change in these upper-class minds to inhibit the mistreatment
of the working classes. Birling fires Eva Smith as she had “far too much to say”. This
establishes Eva as a stalwart character, representing how the working classes suffer for
speaking out for their rights. It also establishes how Mr Birling, like Sheila, doesn’t like his
authority challenged. They both have Eva sacked. This causes the audience to sympathise
with the plight of the poor. Thus, the Birlings end up suffering and facing ramifications for
their actions.
Furthermore, Priestley depicts how gender inequality in society leads to tragedy. In 1912,
society was patriarchal, where women lacked autonomy and their status was determined by
their husbands. In act three, Eric describes Eva as “pretty and a good sport” exemplifying his
interest in her was for his own pleasure, rather than showing genuine care. The use of the
adjective “pretty” shows how males were concerned with appearance rather than other
qualities in a woman.
Eric also justifies his actions by explaining he was in a “state where a chap easily turns
nasty” Priestley uses this euphemism to highlight Eric’s exploitative nature towards Eva.
Therefore, Priestley uses Eric’s immoral and infantile behaviour to represent men across
society. It also reveals that Eric doesn’t feel fully culpable as he tries to justify his actions
rather than being fully accountable first. Priestley presents men in this unfavourable way in
the play to tell women in his 1945 audience that they need to vote to depose the
Conservative government and vote labour. He focused on women in 1945 as they had the
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