Collective responsibility Essay Example for Free

Collective responsibility Essay The roles of the characters shift during the play as well. Sheila, who is described at the start as a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited, suddenly assumes the role of the Inspector. She starts to understand that the Inspector knows all the right answers and is intrigued as to how. After he leaves she takes on his role and starts questioning her parents. It is almost as if she is leaving her fathers capitalist ideas and is stepping into the Inspectors shoes, conveying his socialist ideas. This shows the audience how socialism is better than Capitalism. Sheila is forced to follow her fathers capitalist ideas, nut upon given the choice; she would rather follow the Inspectors socialist idea. Also in that time women were meant to be seen and not heard, but socialism has given Sheila the chance to talk and state her feeling. This again shows that socialism is the better of the two as it shows equality between everyone. This is also evident in Eric as towards the end of the play, as Mr and Mrs Birling seem to be celebrating that the Inspector is not real; Eric is still mourning Evas death. He also points out to his parents that they are to blame for Evas death too. This is shown when Sheila says it wont bring Eva Smith back to life, and Eric adds that we all helped to kill her, This shows that the younger generation are perhaps more mature than their parents. It also shows that the younger generations habits can be changed, yet the older generation might stick to their beliefs and ideas. Another point of view may be that this shows how the world is changing and that we must change with it. The people that dont change their ways will end up like Mr and Mrs Birling, bitter and old. One of the most important devices that JB Priestley uses is the Inspector himself, for he is the pathway to truth and is almost like Jesus in the way that he gives people the chance to change, but it is up to them to accept and make the necessary changes. The Inspector is almost like Priestleys socialist voice. The name of the inspector is of significant importance. Goole suggests a ghostly, phantom almost omniscient character as he seems to know the outcome of events beforehand. The inspector turns the family against each other and is almost the puppeteer of the whole play. He controls what the family do and say. This is evident at the end of act three when Eric needs a drink and Mr Birling refuses but the inspector says Yes! I know hes your son and this is your house but look at him. He needs a drink now just to see him through, at which point Mr. Birling allows him to have a drink. Sheila also realises the Inspectors ability to make people say what he wants them to. This is shown in act when she is talking to Gerald and she says I know. Somehow he makes you. The Inspector cleverly makes the Birlings and Gerald reveal their crimes; he only gives them a menial amount of information such as a name and somehow makes them confess everything. The Inspector pushes the blame of Evas death from one character to another, introducing the idea of collective responsibility. It almost seems like the inspector is the characters conscience or a lawyer cleverly putting forward a case. In act 3 Priestley uses the Inspectors speech to convey his socialist ideas. This speech gives an opposite message to that which Birling gave whereby he said that a man has a mind to his own business and look after himself and his own. He said that we are members of one body. This is an ironic reference to the army. This shows how Priestley believes that we are all part of one community and like parts of the body we should all learn to work together. I think it also shows that no one is any more important than another, like in a body each person has a specific, unique job in life and without everyone working together, we would not be able to function properly, and our world will collapse. His speech is almost structured like an argument. The Inspector shows both sides of the rich and poor, and leaves it up to the audience to decide the final verdict. The Inspector almost represents the wars. This is as when the first war came, no one responded or changed their ways, so another war was sent to make them pay in fire, blood and anguish. This very effectively sums up what the wars were about, and how people should have seen the error of their ways and changed while it was possible, but the Second World War tried to get the message across at the end which is almost shown as at the end, the Birlings find out that an inspector is on his way to question them on Evas death. This is also a very important and powerful statement, as it would seem that the Inspector is implying that the war was sent to punish people for not working together and at the same time was forcing them to do so. The war broke down barriers between classes and people all had to work together for their country, not for personal gain, so what the Inspector spoke of was largely accurate. I think Priestley used the idea of war to convey his message because it was a major issue when the play was written and everyone would have suffered from it and would care greatly about it. This shows that the audience should change their opinions about one another; it also shows that if they had stuck together and shown equality between one another, then maybe the wars wouldnt have happened. Also some people may think that this speech shows that although the war may be sent down to punish the people, it may also have been sent down to guide the people. To show them that they should respect one another and they will all eventually have to work together. Some may say that the war may have been a blessing in disguise. In conclusion there are many dramatic devices used to contribute the raising political awareness in this play, and to help emphasise J.B Priestleys particular view, which is that the world needs to stop being Capitalist and start looking at the world form a socialists point of view. I think that Priestley has done well in showing how Socialism will always be better than Capitalism and has used a variety of ways to shows this. Possibly one of the best device used is the juxtaposition between the Inspector and Mr. Birling for this directly shows his personal views on the difference between Capitalism and Socialism. He also tries to show this by having the Inspector say that we are all part of one community, while Mr. Birling says as if we are bees in a hive, as if the community is vulgar, while the Inspector is showing just how wrong he is. Priestly has constructed an almost complete contrast between Mr. Birling and the Inspector, one representing Priestleys opinions and the other representing Pre World War One social opinions. Mr. Birling is ridiculed in the play with his speeches about the future. Mr. Birling is very explosive in his speech, which shows the uncomfortable nature of Capitalism, and how it can be upset by minimal things. The Inspector is given authority in his speeches and shows he is always calm and in control. This shows the audience that of the two ideas socialism is the better. I think that the main dramatic device used is the idea of collective responsibility. This is a major theme of the play. As well as trying to make the Birling family take personal responsibility for Evas death he also wants them to know that together they killed her. Priestley wants the audience to take responsibility for their mistakes, he wants them to feel guilty and work together to make things right. The fact that Priestley questions the morality of the audience is what makes them interested throughout the play. The audience feel as if theyre the ones that are being judged, and questioned, and that they need to confess and accept their responsibility. This involvement and idea of responsibility in my opinion is what makes An Inspector Calls an incredible, thought provoking play.