Responsibility of Characters in 'An Inspector Calls'

‘An Inspector Calls’ is a play broadcasting the theme of responsibility throughout. The play is known as a morality play. This is when characters in the play personify a moral quality. In this instance, Priestly uses his characters to illustrate the importance of being responsible. Each character shows how they handle responsibility. The characters, in the play, also reflect different people in society, and how each person learns to handle their participation in Eva smiths death. This, in addition, links to the didactic message in the play. The intentions of a didactic message is to try and instruct the readers on morality. Priestly attempts to teach his readers the gravity of responsibility in our everyday lives, and the significance responsibility has on us. The author believes that we are a collective and need to be able to take responsibility for each other without letting anything divide us. He attempts to make this a detectable point throughout. His socialist viewpoints are reminiscent and also detectable during the entirety of the play from the storyline, to the characters. His viewpoints are further consolidated by Inspector Goole. He is perceived as an outspoken socialist, who acts as the mouth piece for Priestley, and the working class who have been neglected and disdained at this point in time.

Mr. Birling is arguably one of the least favourable characters in the play. His arrogance and pomposity screams louder than his words. Birling shows little to no responsibility in the entirety of the play. He repudiates the idea of responsibility: ‘If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we'd had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn't it?’ Birling dubs the idea of taking ownership for one’s actions as “awkward”. This provides the audience with evidence showing that Birling will not pay any attention to something that he believes does not concern him, affect him, or his reputation and here we can significantly see his selfishness. Priestley has used the rhetorical question to show how Mr. Birling believes the answer to be patently obvious and that taking responsibility is surely an absurd and “awkward” idea. This represents the part of society that simply have difficulty in comprehending taking responsibility. Mr Birling’s quote emphasis his idea that taking responsibility is just futile, unnecessary and would cause unneeded tension. The majority of the readers, at the time, would believe that finding something “awkward” is not a valid reason to take no awareness or blame. Birling’s capitalist views are persistently and painfully apparent during the whole play showing that Birling does not accept the ideas of others due to his immense ego, self-pride and ignorance. This further enhances the audiences’ dislike towards the conceited Mr. Birling, due to him not fathoming the idea of responsibility. Birling mentions this in Act 1. This is significant as it allows the audience to be able to know Mr. Birling’s outlook on responsibility from the start of the play, which he continues right till the end showing that he has not changed and not developed in terms of taking responsibility.

Mrs. Birling holds the same principles as her husband when it comes to responsibility. Upon realising her participation in the death of Eva Smith, she has already decided that she has no responsibility whatsoever to her suicide. She persistently blames the father of the child

‘Secondly, I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have… If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him.’ Yet again, a recurring theme between the older generations of the Birlings is not being able to fathom the idea of taking responsibility. Sybil uses the conditional connective “if” ‘if the girl’s suicide’ she is implying that nobody should really be blamed, however, if we do have to point fingers it should not be towards her. Sybil is still questioning her and her families involvement in Eva’s suicide by using “if.” Priestly has used this quotation in Act 2, the middle of the play, and has started to hint Eric’s involvement this grasps the audiences and quickly elevates the tension between all the characters. The irony is that she is blaming her son, yet when she finds out she refuses to believe it thinking he is not capable due to the fact that he is her son. The tension is also increased when Mrs. Birling begins to become agitated ‘Mrs Birling: (rather agitated now)’ these stage directions shows Mrs. Birlings frustration as people are not concurring with her views telling us more about her character: someone who is cold and cares about other people’s approval. Mrs Birling does not want to be affiliated with this scandal, as she wants the public to maintain the same image of her, which is a wealthy woman who is prominent member of the Women's Charity Organisation. Mrs. Birlings fear of a public scandal causes her to completely dismiss the idea of taking responsibility for the death of Eva Smith and subsequently her grandchild.

Sheila in at first is perceived as a petty, young woman who is materialistic and childlike, however, throughout the play her character development is evident. After realising what she has done. Sheila is the first character in the play to defend Eva Smith and the working class by proclaiming ‘they’re not cheap labour, they’re people’ this statement juxtaposes her father’s capitalist propositions and that the working class are just labourers not worth much time nor money. The change can be seen when the once the naïve Sheila Birling could not generate her own beliefs and concepts and followed the capitalist crowd, to now someone who will stand up for the working class by not seeing a divide no matter the social status; we are all people regardless. Sheila begins to show remorse and regret when saying this quote and her socialist ideas begin to form. Priestley uses Sheila as an example that we can change and develop. He also uses Sheila to tell the audience that we can still take responsibility regardless of our previous beliefs. We can see Sheila standing up for what she has done and beginning to accept the consequences. Priestley uses Sheila to show change can become a reality. We should be able to construct our own sophisticated idea, however the pressures of society may daunt us and cause us to believe something else. Here Sheila shows us that we all have a voice and should stand up for what we believe in despite what others have to say.

Another character that shows social responsibility in the death of Eva Smith is Eric Birling. In Act 3, Eric shows that he is taking responsibility for his actions. He shows remorse and guilt when he fully understands what he has done. We can see Eric taking authority when he says 'I don't see much nonsense about it when a girl goes and kills herself. You lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but I can't. Nor can mother. We did her in all right.' Eric is aware that the rest of his family (other than Sheila) are being negligent to their contribution. They don’t comprehend that they played a role even if she didn’t kill herself or even if she didn’t exist at all. When Eric uses the phrase “You lot” it is deemed informal, especially at the time. Eric using informal language shows his distress of the whole situation. Also, here we can see the side of Eric (the squiffy and drunk side) that has slowly been hinted through the play and in Act 3 Eric himself shows us a clear representation of said side this shows how the character has progressed and how he has always kept a strong façade in front of hid parents but loses the act once he finds out their true colours. In addition, Eric uses short sentences to further emphasise his points. Here Eric also juxtaposes his mother and fathers views and has started to speak for himself. He doesn’t find humour in this situation unlike the others. Eric Birling can grasp the idea that he did contribute to Daisy’s death he is accepting the fact what he did is wrong and is willing to change, thus showing responsibility for his actions, which is what priestly is trying to say. Even if we are wrong, there is always hope for change and make up for our actions.

In The Inspector’ s final words, Priestley makes sure that the audience understand the message of social responsibility by reiterating his didactic message, and uses the Inspector as his mouth piece. This is why Priestly decided to place the quote in Act 3, so they audience would leave the theatre with the Inspectors words. In his speech he announces ‘We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.’ The use of the word ‘body’ implies that society is one, we all have a function and need to work together to survive. The noun also brings the audience together. We need to be responsible for one another and that ‘we don’t live alone’ we are together no matter how much we attempt to avoid this fact and cannot be ignorant of the people around us. The idea of “one body” is a direct link to Priestley’s socialist views, and for society to be at its optimum we all need to function to the best of our capabilities so that we will not be taught in ‘ fire, blood, and anguish.’ Here, Priestly is essentially using words that can be connoted with hell. If nothing changes and we do not understand the magnitude responsibility has on society and apply it, earth will be a living hell for generations to come. The daunting adjectives are used to frighten the audience that not taking responsibility will lead to a tortures future for society. The speech shows an instance of foreshadowing and dramatic irony. Inspector Goole predicts a clash between people which will result in a war that will occur not once, but twice that will last ten years in total and would have most definitely ended in fire, blood and anguish (WW I and WWII). A 1945 audience will have experienced the atrocity of the wars. This would have moved the audience as they would realize how easy it could have been to prevent the ghastly wars. The havoc the war caused could (in Inspector Goole’s eyes) been avoided all together if we had realised we are a collective and need not to cause a reckoning to innocent lives of multiple countries.

From the beginning to the end, we see characters accepting and declining their role of responsibility in Eva Smith’s suicide. Priestley is attempting to tell the audience whilst the play, characters, and storyline is fictional this does happen on a daily basis and is not fictional. We all need to take responsibility to avoid future tragedies occurring over, and over again. If we can all contribute to holding ourselves accountable for scenarios that have our involvement, we can slow the pace of catastrophes. Priestley hoped that his message was clearly expressed in his play to the audience who have hopefully left the theatre with the idea of responsibility in mind.