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