The Theme of Responsibility in An Inspector Calls Essay -- An Inspecto

The Theme of Responsibility in An Inspector CallsJohn Boyton Priestly (1894-1984) wrote An inspector calls in 1945and it was eldest performed in 1946. The play was set in 1912. Priestlywrote this play to send out a message of responsibility to the people.Priestly believed that even in 1945 they were lock in the same as theywere in 1912, which is why Priestly choose to set the play in 1912,along with various other reasons, such as he cute the audience tohave the benefit of dramatic irony.During the Second World War, the people had united to fight one commonenemy. This unity was that he wanted us to understand and believe in.He wanted to give everyone a choice. Should we go back to the way itwas before the First World War, when everything was based on category,where an individual had to look solely after themselves, and no oneelse, or should we move forward, walk into the society where everyonelooks for one another, where we all are equal and we endure together? Hewanted people to choose. He demonstrates the difference with the oldergeneration representing the society where you care for yourself, andsome of the younger generation that represents a spick-and-span society where youcare for one another.Priestly used dramatic irony to discredit Mr. Birlings pronouncementsin the opening scene. When Mr. Birling, head of the family and a sizeable business man, talks of things that the audience knows iswrong, such as his opinion of the unsinkable titanic, we begin todoubt Mr. Birlings opinions, because we already know that the Titanicdoes in fact sink.At the time of which the play was set in, there were bitter divisionsbetween the rich and the poor, industrial t owns such as Brumley were... ... was to change, he knew the adults werestuck in their own reality and will never change so he puts his hopeinto the children. However, Priestly also knew that some of thechildren like the adults will not agree with his ideals, which iswhere Gerald comes in. Gerald is safe l ike Mr. Birling as he does notthink that he has done anything wrong. For these reason I dislike him.J. B. Priestlys message (told via the inspector) tells us that weshould have collective responsibility, and share our duties equallybetween us all. Do we really want to fail in a world where those ofhigher class choose our fate, or do we want to choose our own fate?His message is still relevant today, as I think we still live in asociety such as the one Priestly desires, we still need to learn hismessage, as we need to remember our responsibility for others andourselves.