Social Class in An Inspector Calls: Priestley's Message

Social Class in An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls is a play about social class. It was written by J.B. Priestley in 1945 but set in 1912, and the play begins with a family celebration. Priestley examines ideas about social class through the way the Birlings think and how they behave towards the lower classes.

The Birling Family and the Wealthy Elite

In this play, we do not find any characters from the lower class except for the maid. We perceive only the wealthy: the Birling family—Mr. Birling, Mrs. Birling (parents), Sheila (daughter), and Eric (son)—and Gerald Croft, Sheila’s boyfriend. However, we hear about the lower class at each stage of Eva Smith's life (a young girl who committed suicide), and we pay attention to the attitudes that the Birlings and Gerald Croft held toward her.

Class Hierarchy and the Honours List

Firstly, the author uses capitalization to develop the theme of class hierarchy. By saying, "I might find my way into the next Honours list. Just a Knighthood, of course," it emphasizes that Mr. Birling is focused on his family and his social status, in conjunction with his interests in improving his social position. In 1912, there were stronger class divisions. The wealthy class thought there was no need to change the way things were. We can see class injustice in characters like Mr. and Mrs. Birling. By 1945, there was a great ambition for social class to change because people wanted more equality between both classes.

Prejudices Against the Working Class

When Mrs. Birling is discussing the moment when Eva approached her charity, she says: "As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!" This suggests that Mrs. Birling refers to Eva Smith as a 'girl of that sort.' She clearly has preconceptions about working-class girls, suggesting that they lack morals and will always take money.

The Vulnerability of Eva Smith

Mr. Birling sees Eva as just one of "several hundred young women" who worked at his factory. This shows that, in his view, all of his workers have no value. By saying "they keep changing," he shows the audience he did not even care if he dismissed Eva, as she was just cheap labor to him. Therefore, by making the victim of the play a working-class female, Priestley highlights the vulnerability of the working class in those times—something that was socially acceptable. This idea also links to the play's theme of gender differences.

Priestley's Message on Social Change

In conclusion, J.B. Priestley manages to convincingly transmit his message about social class through the way he presents the high class (the Birling family), the middle class (the Inspector), and the lower class (Eva Smith and the maid). The author tries to make the audience reflect on how things were in 1912 and to see if they are still being so discriminatory regarding the difference between classes, and to see if they changed the way people thought through the years between 1912 and 1945.