inspector calls social responsibility essay

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How is Social Responsibility Shown in an Inspector Calls

Categories: An Inspector Calls

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Updated: 25 October, 2024

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Introduction, social responsibility in 'an inspector calls', arthur birling, sheila birling.

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Smart, R. (2013). J.B. Priestley and the Art of Theatre. Routledge.
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O’Hagan, T. (1997). Masculinity and Irish Popular Culture: Tiger’s Tales. Palgrave Macmillan.

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“An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility Essay

Introduction.

“An inspector calls” is one of the plays produced immediately after the end of the Second World War in 1946. During this period, most scholars and human activists were majorly concerned with the welfare of the less privileged individuals within society (Priestly et al., 1992).

The poor individuals in the United Kingdom did not have people who could fight and address their grievances, leading to most leaving a low-quality life. Priestly wanted to address the issue of classism and how poor individuals can be empowered to climb up the social ladder. He advocates for successful individuals to help poor individuals to live a quality life in the community (Priestly et al., 1992).

Priestly also encourages that it is an individual’s responsibility to ensure that those close to them are safe and always available for each other when need be. This paper strives to highlight how Priestly has portrayed the theme of responsibility in different scenarios within the play.

Good neighborliness is when one cares about the well-being of those who are around them when things seem not to be okay on their side. One of the major points where Priestly portrays the theme of social responsibility is whereby Sheila feels a sense of duty when she realizes that she has a role to play in the death of Eva Smith. She tells Gerald to stop looking at her angrily since he also has once been involved in circumstances that are shameful (Priestly et al., 1992).

Sheila finally admits and agrees to be held culpable for her actions and talks out the truth. However, Gerald is also blaming her for various faults while he has declined to take responsibility for his actions that also contributed to the demise of Eva Smith (Priestly et al., 1992) . The target audience can learn the importance of taking responsibility for various aspects and how their actions may impact the well-being of other individuals.

When one lives a responsible lifestyle, members of the community will not be worried much about them compared to those who are careless with their lives. Priestley also explores the theme of social duty when Mr. Birling fails to take responsibility for various actions that led to Eva Smith’s death. His sentiments suggest that everyone should be held responsible for their own life and well-being (Priestly et al., 1992).

Individuals who take the responsibility of taking care of others mostly land into awkward situations in case an unlikely event with a devastating effect occurs to the individuals. Dr. Priestley strives to encourage the target audience to ensure utmost self-care and responsibility to maintain a good relationship with others within the community since there will be no unnecessary blames.

Putting one in an individual’s shoes is one of the major ways of understanding other people’s struggles. In the play, some of the characters also display social responsibility in some instances. For example, Erick feels socially responsible for some of his actions in the final parts of the play (Priestly et al., 1992). This indicates that Erick possesses some sense of social responsibility to ensure that other individuals within the society are always safe.

Erick’s mother and Gerald have withdrawn from being involved in Eva Smith’s incident, but he still insists that something could have been done to salvage Eva Smith’s actions that cost her life (Priestly et al., 1992). He takes Eva Smith’s Matter very seriously and even urges her mother to be responsible for the unfortunate occurrence too. The reader can learn that nobody can understand other people’s struggles unless they go through the same experience.

Responding quickly to other individuals’ struggles is also a major aspect of ensuring effective social responsibility and good neighborliness. Mrs. Birling, who is a close individual to Eva Smith as well, also elaborates on the theme of social responsibility when she fails to take control over the events that contributed to the death of Eva Smith. Even after being questioned by the inspector and the inspector elaborating that she had a responsibility to undertake during the process, Sybil Birling still does not want to take the responsibility. This can be seen when he negatively remarks on Erick’s sentiments by saying that he is ashamed of him (Priestly et al., 1992).

Telling Erick that she is ashamed of him indicates that she does not care about the inspector’s investigation and the impact the investigations have on other members close to Eva Smith (Priestly et al., 1992). This context enables the reader to stop being greedy and self-centered individuals and instead act responsibly when dealing with other individuals in the community.

In conclusion, responsibility is considered one of the most significant social characteristics since it enables individuals to care for other people. Human beings have universal rights, ensuring that no individual is subjected to circumstances against human rights.

Priestly also highlights how individuals in higher positions and social class should effectively use their influence by positively impacting community members. One should always adhere to the principle of supreme morality when dealing with fellow human beings. The target audience can understand that social responsibility begins with good and productive neighborliness.

Priestly, J. B., John Braine Priestly, & Bezant, T. (1992). An inspector calls . Heinemann.

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IvyPanda. (2022, December 16). “An Inspector Calls”: Theme of Social Responsibility. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-inspector-calls-theme-of-social-responsibility/

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English with Mr Smith

An inspector calls – sheila and social responsibility, explore the theme of social responsibility in an inspector calls.

Social responsibility – the idea that people should take greater care of each other and have a DUTY to look after each other – is a key theme in the play. JB Priestley was a keen SOCIALIST who used An Inspector Calls as a vehicle to further his SOCIALIST AGENDA and to persuade audiences about the value of socialism. In the time leading up to the end of World War 2 when Priestley wrote An Inspector Calls (1945) society was demanding CHANGE . The war had brought people closer together and Priestley believed that society could go further and become more caring and socially responsible. By setting his play in 1912, a time that represented the ANTITHESIS (opposite) of what Priestley wanted, he was able to show audiences in 1945 a world that was dramatically different to the one that he wanted. Priestley, ultimately, wanted a move away from the greed and CAPITALISM that had come to dominate the United Kingdom (and world) and continue the development of a more socialist society. By presenting a range of mainly relatable characters, Priestley was able to draw attention to SOCIAL INEQUALITIES in an attempt to encourage the audience to REFLECT and LEARN .

One character that embodies Priestley’s desire for change is Shelia Birling. Sheila is able to redeem herself in the play because she learns so quickly. At the start of the play, Sheila is presented as a childish and self-centred character. She is described by Priestley in the opening stage direction as a character in her early twenties and that she is ‘very pleased with life and rather excited’. This is one of the first things that Priestley reveals about Sheila and it is important to note that he is drawing attention to the fact that she has a sense of innocence and naivety. She hasn’t really lived so far and she seems as though she is ignorant to social problems because she has been brought up by a family that is obviously quite wealthy, emphasised by the ‘suburban house’ and the father that is described as ‘prosperous’. Priestley has chosen to frame the play and Sheila within this capitalist context so later in the play when he reveals the impact that Sheila’s greed and selfishness has had on others it will demonstrate more powerfully the harshness of capitalism on the PROLETARIAT .

Priestley’s PORTRAYAL of Sheila as a fairly light-hearted, young character enables the audience to RELATE to her quickly. By being able to relate, Priestley hoped that the audience may see something of themselves presented in Sheila and the other characters on stage. More importantly, that the audience were able to learn from the characters. Most audiences would like to think of themselves as fundamentally decent people like Sheila; however, Priestley has Eric FORESHADOW Sheila’s ability to have a negative impact and disregard for others very early on in the play: ‘She’s got a nasty temper sometimes – but she’s not bad really.’ Eric’s assertion that she has got a ‘nasty temper’ seems like a very brotherly and innocent thing to say. However, as the play unfolds, the audience realise that it is this ‘nasty temper’ which contributes to the tragedy of Eva Smith’s suicide. What seems innocent and rather normal can have disastrous consequences. By drawing attention to her nasty temper, which really seems harmless, Priestley is able to encourage the audience to think more carefully about how they impact others and to realise that something which seems insignificant to them can be detrimental to others. Sheila seemed like a character who would not have hurt anybody, but we come to realise that even the most innocent characters are flawed.

inspector calls social responsibility essay

On the other hand, Sheila’s saving grace is that she learns very soon that her actions have contributed to the death of Eva Smith and she feels responsible for it. Her anger at her father and mother for their part in Eva’s death, and their refusal to take responsibility for it, is what makes Sheila a VEHICLE for Priestley’s socialist aims. Priestley knew that if society was going to change it was going to be the younger generations that were able to do it. Towards the end of the play, when Mr Birling is thrilled that the Inspector was not a real Inspector, Sheila reproaches them harshly: ‘I suppose we are all nice people now’. She becomes nearly as important as the Inspector at driving the plot forward and almost becomes Priestley’s SECOND MOUTHPEICE , either by emphasising what the Inspector has said, or by challenging their ignorance instead of him.

Sheila learnt the CRUCIAL LESSON from the Inspector’s visit. It did not matter whether he was a police Inspector or not, the characters had still done those things even if they hadn’t resulted in anybody’s death. Therefore, when the phone rings at the end of the play we know that Sheila is a character that has learnt from the experience and will deal with the investigation differently. She emphasises that people can change and can become more socially responsible. The play is not so much about being socially responsible but more about what happens when people have a LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY . Sheila is a character that has reflected, learnt and changed. Therefore, she is a character that EMBODIES THE SENSE OF HOPE that Priestley had in the younger generation creating a society that was more equal and that accepted their SOCIAL DUTY to others.