An Inspector Calls: Themes

Responsibility
1. one of the main themes
2. Priestley is a socialist so wanted to teach the idea that We are all responsible for eachother
3. The theme of responsibility in the novel is cl;osly linked to Priestley's socialist, anti-capitalist views
4. Mrs Birling
  1. Her sense of duty is linked to her sense of propriety and her dislike of the working class
  2. She is cold hearted, and wants no responsibility
  3. "I accept no blame for it at all"
  4. When questioned, also refers to duty
  5. She wants to pin her responsibility elsewhere, and inadvertently blames Eric
5. The role of the Inspector is to convince each member of the family to accept their responsibility in Eva Smith's death
6. Gerald
  1. Despite Gerald's remorse, he still tries to avoid responsibility at the end of the play
  2. He uses his power over Eva in a positive way
  3. Gerald wants things to go back to how they were
  4. Gerald sides with the older generation, despite the audience's thoughts that he might change
7. Eric
  1. He treated Eva very unfairly, and feels a lot of remorse for this
  2. "The fact remains that I did what I did"
  3. Tries to convince his family to be responsible
  4. Like Sheila, Eric quickly wants to take responsibility
8. Birling
  1. Birling's idea of duty and responsibility is to himself and to profits
  2. "I can't accept any responsibility"
  3. He mocks the Inspector for talking like a socialist "Crank"
  4. Birling is very against the idea of helping others
  5. He thinks people should be responsible for themselves and no one else
9. Sheila
  1. After being questioned, Sheila admits and accepts responsibility
  2. At the end of the play, her and Eric are trying to convince the rest of the family to take responsibility
  3. "So I'm really responsible?"
  4. Sheila becomes responsible very quickly
10. The audience is also meant to learn responsibility from the play
11. The Inspector
  1. Throughout the play, he makes comments about responsibility, aimed at the characters and the audience
  2. "There are millions and millions ... of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, all intertwined with our lives"
  3. "We don't live alone. We are members of one body, we are responsible for each other"
  4. "There will come a time when if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish"
    1. This quote will deeply affect the audiences in 1946 who have lived through 2 world wars, and in this way, Priestley lends validity to the Inspectors statement about shared responsibility
12. The Older generation accepts no responsibiilty whereas the younger does

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An Inspector Calls: Themes

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