An Inspector Calls The Context Starter Magazine Questionnaire

An Inspector Calls The Context

Starter – Magazine Questionnaire Go through each of the questions on the questionnaire and answer them as truthfully as you can.

Starter – Magazine Questionnaire How did you score? Mostly a’s: Wow. You are exactly the sort of person JB Priestley was targeting in his play, An Inspector Calls. You think you are the only one that matters! You do not have social responsibility and you will probably have a lot in common with Mr and Mrs Birling. Let’s hope you don’t meet the Inspector – for your sake! Mostly b’s: You are aware of other people but sometimes put yourself first. You have some social responsibility. You would probably get on well with Gerald Croft in An Inspector Calls. JB Priestley would be a little disappointed with you. But you perhaps have the potential to change. Mostly c’s: You are a selfless person. You always put others before you. You have clear social responsibility. Eric and Shelia Birling had to go through the whole play before they reached the stage you are at now. JB Priestley would be proud of you!

Discussion Discuss the following topics: What are your thoughts? The NHS (the National Health Service) Strikes (for example teacher, firemen, train driver, lawyer strikes) Benefits

Benefits The government spends £ 159 billion on benefits every year. How much of a percentage do you think goes on the following: Unemployment Housing Pensions Disabilities

Benefits The government spends £ 159 billion on benefits every year. How much of a percentage do you think goes on the following: Unemployment – 1. 6% Housing – 5. 2% Pensions – 48% Disabilities 3. 3% The other 40% is spent on smaller benefits such as maternity leave for mothers, child benefit for all parents and benefits for the elderly.

Who’s to Blame Read through the sheet ‘Who’s to blame’. With your partner discuss and write down who you think is the most to blame.

Context On the next few slides there a number of notes that you will need to understand why the play was written and help you with your future revision. Do not try and write everything down, just what you think you will need to remember.

Context Why is context important? To help you fully understand the text as personal views, beliefs, events and attitudes from the period will have influence the content, plot and themes of the play. So, to fully understand ‘An Inspector Calls’ you will need to understand what happened in Britain at the time it was set.

The Play is set in 1912, Edwardian England. 2 years before WW 1. This was a time of strikes, food shortages and political tension. Play was written in 1945, just after WW 2 (when the country was in a similar state!) Play’s moral message = we should think of others, work together and be treated equally. Play is set in the fictional (not real) town of Brumely; a Northern town, like Bradford had many factories, owned by rich people who paid very little for the back breaking work.

Socialism In the play, the country is run by Capitalists who believed that each person had to look after themselves – this resulted in unequal treatment of people i. e. lower class. When Labour came to power for the first time (just before the play was published) they established the idea of Socialism. This meant: Everyone should think of others, not just themselves. Everyone should work together for the greater good. Everyone should be offered the chance to be treated equally i. e. no class system for example.

Political Issues 1912 1945 2014 Minimal health care and benefits. Some benefits including unemployment benefit available. Some free health care. NHS and a variety of benefits available. Political parties very much orientated to benefiting the upper classes. Political parties Current labour party more concerned (working class) with the good of the orientated. country after War.

Employment With the Capitalists in control, England had NO welfare system i. e. no benefits if you were unemployed. For those lucky enough to be employed, there were no unions or laws that helped and protected people at work. There was no minimum wage. The average number of hours worked was up to 65 (we only work, on average, 39!) Employers could basically treat their workers as they wanted! Factory owners paid pittance for back breaking, excruciating work. People who tried to take a stand against the pay would find themselves out of a job, as there were plenty of people waiting in the unemployment line who wouldn’t grumble.

Social Class 1912 1924 2014 Huge difference in wealth between upper and lower classes. Difference is smaller, due to War and aftermath of rationing Wealth is much more evenly distributed, although there still are some ‘rich’. Lower classes worked 11/ 12 hour days with few breaks. Many rich did not work at all. Most people worked to re-build Britain. Working conditions were improved. Power more evenly distributed. Strong trade unions for workers. Working day much shorter. The rich had all the power, and the poor had little to none. Power is equal

Men and Women had fewer rights than men at the time. They hadn’t yet won the right to vote. They were not expected to work unless they were the lower class. The lower class women would have to work to survive; they were seen as cheap labour. ’ The higher class women were simply expected marry. The eldest male of any home would be the breadwinner and also be the person in charge at home: their word was LAW. A wife or daughter would never argue or answer back to the husband or the eldest son. Women were subservient to men.

Gender Issues 1912 1945 Women were second Women can vote, -best to men, with although women still ‘obey’ men. no power to vote. 2014 Equality between the sexes. Upper class women did not work. They had some power, but still had to obey their husband. Many women were Most women work housewives. at various levels and However, many did jobs. not want to give up their war jobs. Lower class women worked for less pay than lower class men. Still a difference in pay between men and women. Equal Pay Law 1970.

Gender Issues 1912 1945 Many poor women Benefits in place were forced into and so less prostitution, as there prostitution. was no benefits. Having a child out of wedlock was heavily frowned upon. It could result is disownment. 2000 Similar to 1945. Still heavily frowned Common to have a upon, although less child out of wedlock. disownment.

Equality During Edwardian England there was a divide between the rich and the poor: Upper, Middle, Lower class system. 87% of all the money in England belonged to only 5% of the population. The Upper classes believed there was no need to change anything about the way the Capitalists ran the country. Divisions/conflicts explored in the play: - Rich vs Poor - Capitalism vs Socialism - Employed vs Unemployed - Men vs Women - Parents vs Children

What families lived on during Edwardian Times Working Class Budget Middle Class Budget £ 1. 12 per week £ 5. 75 per week Rent 0. 33 Rent 0. 66 Social Club 0. 01 Rates and Tax 0. 23 Funeral insurance 0. 04 Servant’s wages 0. 34 Coal 0. 04 Washing 0. 50 Wood and lamp oil 0. 03 Food and cleaning materials 1. 50 Soap and soda 0. 04 Repairs, replacements 0. 19 Meat 0. 16 Wine, beer, spirits 0. 17 Husband’s dinners 0. 15 Coal, gas 0. 38 All other food 0. 16 Total 0. 96 Total 3. 97 Leftover 0. 16 Leftover 1. 78

1912 vs. 1945: Importance? Priestley deliberately chose to set his play in 1912. The date represented an era that had made many advancements towards social change, but was in many ways still similar to 1912. In 1912, there were rigid class and gender boundaries that made sure that nothing would ever change. Yet, by 1945, many of these class and gender divisions had been broken. Priestley wanted to make the most of these changes.

1912 (SET) VS 1945 (WRITTEN) WW 1 would start in two years time. Mr Birling’s optimistic view that there would not be a war is completely wrong. WW 2 ended 8 th May 1945. People were recovering from nearly 6 years of warfare, danger and uncertainty. Strong distinctions between upper and lower classes. Class distinctions had been greatly reduced due to the 2 wars. Women were subservient to men. As a result of the wars, women No real role except wife and had earned a more value place mother (high class). in society. Ruling classes felt nothing need to change with the ruling of the country. Great desire for social change. After WW 2 Labour won victory over the Conservatives – Socialism began.

1912 vs. 1945: Importance? Priestley wrote this play to show people how much had been achieved in 33 years. He wanted to inspire the audience to break these boundaries further. Through his play, An Inspector Calls, he encourages people to seize the opportunity given to them by the end of the war, to build a better, more caring society.

Why 1912? By setting the play in the past, Priestley can make use of dramatic irony – the audience knows what happens after the events in the play but obviously the characters don’t.