“How does Priestley present life for women in
an Inspector Calls?”
Writing in 1945, JB Priestley’s play ‘An Inspector Calls’ is a political diatribe that exposes the
experiences of women in the Edwardian era. He portrays the life of the working class as
bleak and harsh and contrasts it to the privileged girls from the bourgeoisie. This highlights
how they live a life of merriment, and they are so wrapped in a lavish lifestyle that they are
unaware of the harsh reality of working-class women. This is to show the audience the
attitudes of classism and individualism that are adopted by the upper class which are the
reasons why the disenfranchised suffer at the cost of them.
It is through the stark contrast of lifestyle between the wealthy girl Sheila and the working-
class girl Eva Smith that Priestley presents that women who are protected by a superior male
figure have a smoother unproblematic life in a patriarchal society. This is evident through the
stage directions of lighting, ‘pink and intimate’ to the dreary conditions of Eva’s lifestyle,
‘dingy little backrooms’ This suggests that the fortunate wealthy girls are surrounded by a
sense of warmth and love because they have a sufficient flow of income to provide
themselves with a privileged lifestyle. The colour ‘pink’ symbolises the rosy tint implying that
the life they live is almost a dream that makes your eyes widen. Moreover, it romanticises
their lives showing the inside perspective of a wealthy family and how they seem to present
a warm endearing aura. However, the profound contrast to ‘dingy’ creates a dark bleak
atmosphere accentuating how it is unwelcoming but women like Eva have accepted it and
are more than grateful for the space they have. The vivid imagery creates a sense of dimness
and dampness that is a cold environment which reflects her emotions of sadness and her
poverty. Furthermore, Sheila’s introductory stage direction is ‘very pleased with life’. The
intensifier ‘very’ conveys the perfection in her life because she does not need to work for a
steady sufficient income as her father, Mr Birling is a ‘hard-headed’ businessman. This
means she has the freedom and leisurely time to go to ‘Millwards’ and shop for new dresses
and hats to renew her wardrobe and satisfy her wants and needs. Whereas Eva is ‘a girl on
the streets’. This euphemism represents how Eva is a prostitute and speaking about this
topic was often viewed as taboo because it was improper. The setting of the ‘streets’
symbolises the harsh dangers of this profession because, in a patriarchal society, it was not
considered proper for women to be outdoors without a chaperone. Also, the contrast ‘girl’
which symbolises her innocence and purity to ‘street’ is a representation of a dull brutal
environment shows that she is out of place and does not belong but has no choice but to as
prostitution is her source of income- the only reason she is living. Lastly, in act one the
Birling’s are celebrating Sheila’s engagement to Gerald Croft in this party they use props such
as ‘champagne’ and ‘ring’ which are symbolic of wealth and luxury. The fact that Sheila has
access to prestigious worthy drinks like ‘champagne’ shows her life of opulence. Also, the
ring is a symbol of wealth, and she is ‘rather excited’ which is shown by gaining her mother's
approval, ‘Mummy look at the ring isn't it a beauty’. This moment emphasises that wealthy
girls like Sheila have the time to cherish loving moments with their families as they have that
steady wealth from their lineage (Mrs Birling is an upper-class woman) and her father’s
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