An Inspector Calls - Important Themes a* Revision

An inspector calls - important themes

The Supernatural

* The inspector is not a real brumley police inspector

* His name “goole” is often pronounced as “ghoul”

* Not sure if he has something to do with Eva or not!

* The inspector was a part of the play to make the Birlings admit their guilt

Time

An Inspector Calls explicitly deals with the nature of time in its final twist: has the play, we might wonder, simply gone back in time? Is it all about to happen again? How does the Inspector know of the “fire and blood and anguish,” usually interpreted as a foreshadowing of the First and Second World Wars?

Social Duty

* “We do not live alone,” the Inspector says in his final speech, “we are members of one body.”

* He tries to make them understand that we should help each other regardless of social status, class, wealth or anything else

* We should think about the effects of our actions on others like example when birling sacked Eva

Eva got betrayed from

* Eric ( he loved her but gave her stolen money)

* Sheila (got her sacked just because she was more prettier than her)

* Gerald ( took advantage of Eva)

* Mr. birling (kept Eva as a n employee till she did not protest for her rights)

* Mrs. birling (denied help to Eva with her unborn child)

Cause and Effect

* Chain of events – as Eva’s death is not one person’s fault but a group working together in this case a family.

* This links in with Priestley’s fascination with time and how the circle of time is round and always comes back.

Responsibility and Avoiding It

* This is the main theme

* Message about general welfare which showed as contrast between the older and the younger generation as Sheila and Eric learns a lesson and Mr. and Mrs. birling don’t.

Youth and Age

* The play shows contrast between older and younger generation of Birlings

* Sybil and Arthur refuse to take any responsibility for their actions towards Eva

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