In ‘An Inspector Calls’, the theme of social responsibility is interwoven with the plot, and occurs in many different ways, and in multiple instances, through the play. The main characters of the play are used as puppets, for Priestly to project his views on social responsibility, the different personalities all provide a platform for Priestley to prevent his socialist views, through Mr Birling, an ignorant head of family, Edna, the family’s maid, Sheila, a representation of the younger generation, and finally the Inspector, the most accurate representation of Priestley’s views about social responsibility.
Priestly firstly shows Mr Birling as on view of social responsibility. Priestly depicts him as someone greedy, as someone that thinks his only responsibility is to make large profits from his company, and that he owes little to his workers, therefore he has no obligation to treat them well. Priestly uses Birling as a device to demonstrate his ideas on how workers should be treated, through this it is evident Priestly disagrees with these views, as by presenting Birling as an inherently greedy person, and linking this greed to the death of a young girl, Priestly demonstrates the effects it can have to only think you owe responsibility to oneself and one’s family. Billing’s philosophy is shown through his confession; “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I’d agreed to this demand for a new rate we’d have added about twelve per cent to labour costs. […] So I refused. Said I couldn’t consider it,”. The audience of the play where aware of how workers used to be treated in1912, workers had no job security, and there was no employment pay for people whilst looking for jobs, and so the audience is aware that Priestly opposes Birling’s views. This, whilst being shown to an audience in 1945, would show how Priestly is showing the lack of social responsibility amongst company owners who share Birling’s views, and the possible detrimental affects that can have on people like Eva Smith, which is especially true as factory owners like Seebohm Rowntree who had conducted studies just 13 years before the play was released, which showed that the cause of poverty for most people was as a result of employers who paid low wages.
The character of Edna could also be an example to actively show how little the regard people had for those of lower classes, and their small amount of responsibility. Edna has very few lines, which emphasises her low statues, and the superiority the Birling’s had over her. Perhaps Priestly purposely did the, to demonstrate how, even after hearing how they affected Eva by not treating her feel, the older generations continue to ignore and disregard their responsibility to the “millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths” that represent Eva. The Billings lack of responsibly is shown when Mrs Birling asks Eva to “wait up” and make tea for the family. During 1912, servants like Eva would work for long hours, and finish work whenever their employers said to, and throughout the day they would follow their employers’ requirements. It is safe to conclude the Birling’s felt little responsibility to Edna, apart from paying her wages, and this is an example Priestley uses to emphasise the problem with those of a higher status, and their complete lack of looking after others and feeling responsible.
Priestly also demonstrates a different view on social responsibility through Sheila, who demonstrates the younger generation. Sheila is some who, after hearing how she affected the young girl, she changed her outlook on responsibility and became more aware. Priestley uses Sheila to demonstrate his idea that once you ensure the richer parts of society support the poorer parts, then society will overall be better off. He uses Sheila to prove a point that a hope for a fair society lies entirely with the younger generation; the young are more viable to change and ‘more impressionable’; which is a line expressed by the Inspector. Sheila’s evident change lies within her numerous quotes after the one straight after her confession shows how different Sheila’s views are to those of the elder generation; “if I could help her now, I would–“. Sheila’s newfound views are different to what would have been acceptable in 1912, where there were clear distinctions between different social ranks, and so the Sheila’s original attitude to Eva would have been acceptable, due to the clear divide between the rich and poor. So, by Priestley showing the play in 1945, when there was a strong need for social change, as a World War 2 had just finished, Sheila’s character would have been strongly appreciated and would have given hope that the younger generations at the time could grow a stronger future with the right guidance.
Another view that is demonstrated is that of the Inspector. The Inspector is effectively a mouthpiece for Priestly to project his views and thoughts of social responsibility onto. At the end of the play, after hearing about how all the other characters have failed to do their social responsibility, the Inspector delivers one final monologue; in this, the Inspector highlights the point that he gradually introduces more forcefully: we are all part of the same community, and that we are all responsible for each other, and the inequalities and injustices in our societies, this is fully displayed in his final lines, “We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.” The audience at the time will be aware of what the Inspector is referring to, the first World War, which is to happen two years after the play is set (1914-1918), and with the audience recovering from World War 2 (1939-1945), which had just finished, this idea would be very prominent for them. However, the conflict that truly represents this is the Russian Revolution (1917), in which the poorer people, who the inspector refers to as the “millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths”, overthrew the rich, aristocratic who were in power at the time, a representation of families like the Billings and the Crofts, as a result of their poor treatment and disregard, which is the exact concept Priestley is showing, and condemning, throughout the play.
In conclusion, Priestly tries to demonstrate how everyone should try to look after protect everyone in society, regardless of social status. He does this through Mr Birling, where he demonstrates the consequences that can happen if you ignore all social responsibility, to Sheila, where he shows you can learn from your mistakes, and change for the better, and to improve society; then to the Inspector, where he sums up his individual views about responsibility, all whilst giving an example of ‘the millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ throughout the play, with the character of Edna. Whilst the audience was aware of the context in which this was all taking place in 1945, Priestley’s views were well demonstrated, and overall an accurate representation of his views on social responsibility.