Essay on Selfishness in An Inspector Calls
Here’s an essay sent in by Tayo, a subscriber. I’m snowed under, but some of you are revising hard. So I’ll take the time to give you this bonus post.
First, it is worth knowing that it is quite easy to get full marks on An Inspector Calls if you write really fast, and keep referring to society and its patriarchal problems.
Grade 9 is much easier:
Use these tables to work out what the grade should be. (If you think the features are less than those in the table, award it a grade 7). You’ve probably worked out that R stands for Response - so each column is a different exam answer.
They all come from a guide to An Inspector Calls which I am still writing.
Question: How does Priestley present selfishness and its effects in An Inspector Calls?
In the morality play 'An Inspector Calls', Priestley presents selfishness and its effects through the seven deadly sins. He uses the Birling family as a construct to display the vices and lack of virtues found typically in the Edwardian Era amongst the upper classes.
The sin of greed is embodied by Mr Birling. Priestley uses Mr Birling as a construct to place emphasis on greed and selfishness being capitalistic traits. Birling's avarice becomes apparent through his interactions with other characters, proclaiming "it's my duty to keep labour costs down. Our labour costs". Capitalism causes selfishness and Priestley challenges this through the characterisation of Mr Birling. The use of the personal pronouns "my" and "our" represent the individualistic nature of Birling and by extent, the ruling classes in the patriarchal society of 1912. The fact he sees it as his "duty" suggests that perhaps he is conditioned into being selfish by the pernicious effect that capitalist society has.
Further, Priestley constructs Birling in such a way to ridicule his speech with him attempting to project, what would seem to a 1945 contemporary audience, foolish viewpoints stating "The Germans don't want war" and that the Titanic is "unsinkable [...] absolutely unsinkable".
Priestley uses irony in a satirical sense to mock Birling's opinions, done so the audience bear witness to the complacent attitudes of the upper classes in patriarchal society. Selfishness has lead to Birling's complacency. Dramatic irony is employed at the start of Act 1, as Priestley wants to discredit Birling from the outset of the play so we do not trust what he says from then on.
Perhaps, Priestley uses the Titanic as a metaphor for the social class system, which engulfs society with selfishness. The Titanic being "unsinkable" is alike to the class system. Contextually, it too appeared "unsinkable", however just as unexpected as the Titanic’s sinking was, the class system 'sunk' with the newly elected labour government of 1945. Priestley appears to credit the rise of socialism through the fall of the class system because he views it as damaging society.
The inspector is used as a proxy to convey Priestley's socialist views and scrutinise the selfishness of the Birling family and the effect it has had: the death of Eva Smith. An instance is when Mrs Birling is revealed to have rejected charity to Eva Smith, abusing the influence and power she has. This presents Mrs Birling as the embodiment of the sin of pride. Her refusal of charity is an explicit act of selfishness. The pride she displays is elucidated when referring to Eva as "girls of that class". She is complicit in her own oppression: rather than challenging the patriarchy like female movements such as the suffragettes, she conforms to it in order to maintain privilege and her position in society. She inflicts this upon her daughter Sheila. The pronoun "that" being utilised to refer to Eva would cause disdain amongst the contemporary audience because it has a derogatory undertone.
Additionally, they have been in World War 2 in which British society united regardless of background and class to defend Britain. Selfishness presents its effect on Sheila. Because of her mother inflicting the patriarchy upon her, Sheila's own speech mirrors Mrs Birling's, "these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people".
Despite the socialist message, and what many would consider as Sheila reforming as a character, she too refers to working class women as "girls". It diminishes their identity to being women. Perhaps this is Priestley coupling selfishness with the patriarchy to educate the audience that it is poisoning the "famous younger generation" who are "impressionable". Priestley wants to convey that they should be moulded into socialists rather than be exposed to the selfish capitalistic system.
Priestley illustrates how he has crafted this play to appeal to society in 1945. Through the use of the Inspector, he displays the socialist message "we are members of one body". This Christian language is from the Eucharist. Many of Priestley's 1945 audience (about 80%) would be regular church-goers, and therefore would be familiar with such language. Priestley is showing that in order for society to be Christian, people must disassociate from being selfish and capitalist and turn to socialism. In Priestley's mind, a Christian society is a socialist society. To reject this, is to reject Christianity thus persuading the audience into similar viewpoints as Priestley.
At the end of the play, we see the Birlings distraught after the Inspector's interrogation. Their selfishness and sins has lead them to this point. The Inspector has left by now in order for Priestley to show they are being given the time to exercise their free will, akin to Christianity beliefs.
However at the end, Gerald claims this has been a "hoax" and reverts back to his original marriage proposal; "what about this ring?". Sheila responds with "No. Not yet.". This introduces the possibility that Sheila has not fully changed. To be completely transformed, she would have had to completely reject the ring as it is a symbol of capitalism and selfishness. Because, she has not learnt her lesson, history must repeat itself, so a second girl has died, which alludes to the second World War ultimately dismantling society.
What Grade Would You Give?
Last time I tried Tilf.io it was reluctant to award grade 9. But, let’s see what advice and feedback Tilf.io will give.
Feedback from Tilf.io
In the morality play 'An Inspector Calls', Priestley presents selfishness and its effects through the seven deadly sins. He uses the Birling family as a construct to display the vices and lack of virtues found typically in the Edwardian Era amongst the upper classes. (Good introduction of the theme and context. Ensure to link back to the question by explicitly stating how selfishness is presented through these aspects.)
The sin of greed is embodied by Mr Birling. Priestley uses Mr Birling as a construct to place emphasis on greed and selfishness being capitalistic traits. Birling's avarice becomes apparent through his interactions with other characters, proclaiming "it's my duty to keep labour costs down. Our labour costs". Capitalism causes selfishness and Priestley challenges this through the characterisation of Mr Birling. The use of the personal pronouns "my" and "our" represent the individualistic nature of Birling and by extent, the ruling classes in the patriarchal society of 1912. The fact he sees it as his "duty" suggests that perhaps he is conditioned into being selfish by the pernicious effect that capitalist society has. (Excellent analysis of Mr. Birling's character and the theme of greed. Be sure to also discuss the effects of this selfishness as per the essay question.)
Further, Priestley constructs Birling in such a way to ridicule his speech with him attempting to project, what would seem to a 1945 contemporary audience, foolish viewpoints stating "The Germans don't want war" and that the Titanic is "unsinkable [...] absolutely unsinkable". (Good use of historical context to explain the dramatic irony in Mr. Birling's statements. Relate this back to the effects of his selfishness on his credibility and the perceptions of the audience.)
Priestley uses irony in a satirical sense to mock Birling's opinions, done so the audience bear witness to the complacent attitudes of the upper classes in patriarchal society. Selfishness has lead to Birling's complacency. Dramatic irony is employed at the start of Act 1, as Priestley wants to discredit Birling from the outset of the play so we do not trust what he says from then on. (You've effectively identified the use of dramatic irony. Link this technique more closely to the presentation of selfishness and its broader societal effects.)
Perhaps, Priestley uses the Titanic as a metaphor for the social class system, which engulfs society with selfishness. The Titanic being "unsinkable" is alike to the class system. Contextually, it too appeared "unsinkable", however just as unexpected as the Titanic’s sinking was, the class system 'sunk' with the newly elected labour government of 1945. Priestley appears to credit the rise of socialism through the fall of the class system because he views it as damaging society. (This is a strong metaphorical analysis that ties in well with the question. Ensure that the metaphor clearly connects back to the presentation of selfishness.)
The inspector is used as a proxy to convey Priestley's socialist views and scrutinise the selfishness of the Birling family and the effect it has had: the death of Eva Smith. An instance is when Mrs Birling is revealed to have rejected charity to Eva Smith, abusing the influence and power she has. This presents Mrs Birling as the embodiment of the sin of pride. Her refusal of charity is an explicit act of selfishness. The pride she displays is elucidated when referring to Eva as "girls of that class". She is complicit in her own oppression: rather than challenging the patriarchy like female movements such as the suffragettes, she conforms to it in order to maintain privilege and her position in society. She inflicts this upon her daughter Sheila. The pronoun "that" being utilised to refer to Eva would cause disdain amongst the contemporary audience because it has a derogatory undertone. (Excellent connection between Mrs. Birling's actions and the theme of selfishness. The analysis of language is insightful; continue to explore the effects of this selfishness on Eva Smith and the younger generation.)
Additionally, they have been in World War 2 in which British society united regardless of background and class to defend Britain. Selfishness presents its effect on Sheila. Because of her mother inflicting the patriarchy upon her, Sheila's own speech mirrors Mrs Birling's, "these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people". (You've made a good point about the impact of war on societal unity. Clarify how Sheila's mirroring of her mother's speech relates to selfishness and its effects.)
Despite the socialist message, and what many would consider as Sheila reforming as a character, she too refers to working class women as "girls". It diminishes their identity to being women. Perhaps this is Priestley coupling selfishness with the patriarchy to educate the audience that it is poisoning the "famous younger generation" who are "impressionable". Priestley wants to convey that they should be moulded into socialists rather than be exposed to the selfish capitalistic system. (This is a nuanced observation of Sheila's character development and the lingering effects of selfishness. Strengthen this paragraph by discussing how this reflects Priestley's message about the need for societal change.)
Priestley illustrates how he has crafted this play to appeal to society in 1945. Through the use of the Inspector, he displays the socialist message "we are members of one body". This Christian language is from the Eucharist. Many of Priestley's 1945 audience (about 80%) would be regular church-goers, and therefore would be familiar with such language. Priestley is showing that in order for society to be Christian, people must disassociate from being selfish and capitalist and turn to socialism. In Priestley's mind, a Christian society is a socialist society. To reject this, is to reject Christianity thus persuading the audience into similar viewpoints as Priestley. (You've effectively contextualized the play's message within the era's religious beliefs. Ensure that the connection between selfishness and the rejection of Christian values is clear.)
At the end of the play, we see the Birlings distraught after the Inspector's interrogation. Their selfishness and sins has lead them to this point. The Inspector has left by now in order for Priestley to show they are being given the time to exercise their free will, akin to Christianity beliefs. (Good analysis of the play's conclusion and its relation to the theme of selfishness. Discuss more about the effects of the characters' selfishness on their development and the play's resolution.)
However at the end, Gerald claims this has been a "hoax" and reverts back to his original marriage proposal; "what about this ring?". Sheila responds with "No. Not yet.". This introduces the possibility that Sheila has not fully changed. To be completely transformed, she would have had to completely reject the ring as it is a symbol of capitalism and selfishness. Because, she has not learnt her lesson, history must repeat itself, so a second girl has died, which alludes to the second World War ultimately dismantling society. (An insightful observation on the symbolism of the ring and its connection to the theme. Expand on the implications of Sheila's response and how it reflects the play's message about the cyclical nature of selfishness and its consequences.)
Level: 5
Overall feedback:
Your essay provides a thorough analysis of the theme of selfishness in 'An Inspector Calls' and its effects on the characters and society. You have effectively used historical and social context to enhance your argument.
However, ensure that each point you make is explicitly linked back to the question, discussing not just the presentation of selfishness but also its direct effects as seen in the play.
Additionally, consider exploring the implications of the characters' actions and the play's resolution in relation to Priestley's message about societal change.
What went well:
You have a strong understanding of the characters and the themes of the play. Your use of context to support your analysis is particularly impressive.
Even better if:
To improve, make sure to consistently link your analysis back to the question, focusing on the effects of selfishness as well as its presentation.
Also, consider the broader implications of the characters' selfishness on the development of the play's message about social responsibility.
You can try Tilf.io for free to see if it gives you feedback which helps.
Tayo Assessed it Like This
Comparing it to a typical grade 9 answer, I have:
Quotes: 11
Explanations: 23
Methods: 8
Context: 27
Society: 12
Patriarchal/Patriarchy: 5
Thesis Statement: Y
Conclusion: Y
Words: 862
Although, I'm unsure if the number of explanations and context is accurate. Compared to the average features of a grade 9 response, I fall short with the number of quotes, explanations and word count. Judging by this, considering that other features are relatively close to grade 9 typical responses, I would award it a mark that would get a grade 8, so perhaps from the 23-26 out of 30 marks range.
I’ll give my feedback to paid subscribers in the next post, tomorrow.