Topic > How social responsibility is shown in "An Inspector Calls"

IndexIntroductionSocial responsibility in "An Inspector Calls"Arthur BirlingSheila BirlingEricConclusionReferencesIntroductionIn the play "An Inspector Calls", Priestley conveys the theme of social responsibility through the words and actions of that of his character. Set in 1912 but written in 1944, just after World War II in 1946. Therefore, many writers of the time were troubled by the welfare of the poor. Zooming in on the situation, we can suggest that men were considered far superior to women, while a man represented the family and its legacy seen in a patriotic society. In addition to this we can suggest that in 1912 the upper classes only cared about themselves. In addition to that, in this essay we analyze how responsibility is shown in "An Inspector Calls" and how each character takes or does not take responsibility for their behavior, while being aware of the overall effect of social responsibility on some characters during the work. and how it would change the way they recognize the scene. Furthermore, we can see that when the Inspector enters, the lighting needs to be 'bright', where we see Priestley using the Inspector as a dramatic tool to heighten the tension throughout the show. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Social Responsibility in "An Inspector Calls" Arthur Birling The first character we are introduced to is Arthur Birling, who described himself as a "stubborn", practical businessman.' This quote describes how Arthur Birling is showing pride in his hard-won success; Arthur Birling treats Sheila's marriage as a "business opportunity", which sheds light on how irresponsible Mr Birling is towards his work and his family. Enlargement The adverb “very” in the quote “You will get married at a very good time” shows dramatic irony and false confidence in the readers' perspective; we can see that Priestly uses dramatic irony to make Arthur Birling seem foolish and untrustworthy, presenting a poor first impression of Arthur Birling's socialist vision which was Priestley's goal in Act 1. Furthermore, the adjective "stubborn" shows the first person perspective of a bourgeoisie showing its stubborn mentality, especially when it comes to increasing the salary for its work which it sees as "begging for land", this shows a metaphorical language supported by how much it is deprived of a few shillings, even though he has a surprising amount of wealth. This clearly demonstrates a hierarchical society where he recognizes that taking responsibility for others is not how he was taught to behave at a young age, which was his basis of rejection towards being socially responsible as he grew up and he didn't seem to consider how "higher prices" would impact his job; while exhibiting greedy behavior. Later in the play, we notice how Arthur Birling sees Eva as "girls of that class", the adverb "that" is used to show his euphemistic mentality towards the lower class and they are seen as "cheap labour" where he he perceives them as tools to profit and not as people, while showing his feeling of superiority compared to the working class. Furthermore, Arthur Birling displays a hierarchical attitude which influences his socialist attitude depending on the "class". Furthermore, he says, "I still cannot take any responsibility", the adverb "still" highlighting his constant refusal to confess his part in Eva's death while showing his "stubborn" mentality.Furthermore, the adjective 'does' in the quote 'It happened over 18 months ago' indicates that Arthur Birling believes that time erases responsibility and does not indicate socially responsible behavior towards the less fortunate. Later in the play, Arthur Birling says, "yes, yes, horrible affairs", it is seen as a repetition, meaning that Arthur Birling is attempting to alleviate the situation through his delusional way of speaking while showing his apathetic attitude towards his socially irresponsible actions; Priestley highlights how Mr Birling is an unpleasant character and unaware of how his actions might affect the people around him as he depends on his omniscient wealth to free himself from crimes; doing everything necessary to deny the role of social responsibility in Eva's death. Enlarging the quote "he certainly didn't make me confess - I hadn't done more than my duty", the word "my" shows his arrogance, while offering personal pronoun results and religious imagery on the noun "duty", this suggests he feels obligated to do so while attempting to strengthen his power throughout the family. Furthermore, Arthur Birling appears to prioritize acquiring knighthood, therefore encouraging the engagement between Sheila and Gerald because Gerald's family comes from upper class entrepreneurs, dramatically elevating Mr Birling's company in all aspects of a business, which neglects the probability of change. to be socially responsible. Zooming in, we can clearly observe the patriarchal society he lives in and the stark divide between the "older" and "younger" generations. In conclusion, we can distinguish the fear that he has towards the public scandal that would result from the inspector's investigation, and which would therefore damage the chances of a knighthood against him. Sheila Birling We are also introduced to Sheila Birling, depicted as a woman of the 1912 who had had no exposure to reality; he needs to assert his opinions. At the beginning of the play, Sheila is described as "pretty" in her "twenties", whose worth is demonstrated by her appearance but she develops into an emancipated and confident woman. One of the most prominent characteristics that Sheila displays is being infantilized by her family and by society. In addition to that, Sheila is described as a "pretty girl", the noun "girl" clearly shows that she has restrictions just like a "girl", even as an engaged woman. We can see that this juxtaposes Sheila's idea of ​​Mrs and Mr Birlings and how a woman of the same age should be more responsible for herself, but Sheila is actually not like that. We also get to see how Sheila slowly changes to become socially responsible. Evidence of this is shown when Sheila says, "I feel rotten about it", where the adjective "rotten" emphasizes how remorseful she is, which would mean that Eva is starting to adopt Priestley's message throughout the play . Additionally, Sheila uses the pronoun 'mummy' to evolve how capitalism within Sheila is innocent and perhaps childish. Therefore, brainwashing by a capitalist society would then lead it to have a horrible attitude towards the working class. Sheila later changes the word 'mum' to 'mother', which clearly indicates how Mrs Birling is not taking the social responsibility factor seriously, so she had to show a 'severer' tone towards Mrs Birling whilst showing a growing maturity and a growing political perspective throughout the show. . Additionally, we can see that Sheila displays her socially responsible behavior multiple times within the show. The adjective "amused" in the,.