An Inspector Calls: The Theme of Capitalism

Hi! I’ve done an essay on the theme of capitalism and how this is implied to show how capitalists stay h these selfish remarks to try and encourage his audience to support socialism rather than capitalism. If can, I would appreciate a grade and score. :smile:

How does JB Priestly present the theme of capitalism in the pay An Inspector Calls?

In Priestley’s post-war enigmatic play, the theme of capitalism is conveyed throughout these misogynistic aristocrats: symbolical through the inheritance of the Birlings. Priestley portrays this to implicate the selfishness attached by capitalists’ attitudes towards society which he attempts to get his temporary audience to support socialism rather than capitalism.

Firstly - Priestley’s allegoric play dictates the theme of capitalism throughout the Birlings, firstly past down by the host of “Arthur Birling”. Mr Birling is indicated to appear as this “hard, headed, business man” who acts upon his wife as her “social superior”. The triadic phrase emphasises his obsessive nature revolving around his “business” and is imposed to not sympathise towards others: for example his own family. The alliteration through his “hard, headed” appearance inflicts upon this capitalistic stereotype which am be interpreted that Priestly distinguished between the socials and capitals within society by based judgements towards one’s appearances. The auditory imagery of this exemplifies the selfishness inherited within the capitalist community which is provoked throughout the Birlings’ genetic consumption. Magnifying further - the physical symbolism of “hard” associates with his stubborn and hubristic aristocrat which further evokes how capitalists are selfish towards the community: especially under classes. This would have been inspected through the Edwardian audience as normality throughout this era because the men in society were figured as these “social superior” within society. The sibilance implicates his deceitful nature within society which stimulates the contemporary audience’s development of the socialists view compared to capitalists because of the way Priestley depicts the selfish nature of Birling mimics his purpose of crafting the theme of capitalism: to change the audiences view to socialism rather than capitalism.

Furthermore, the theme of capitalism of Birling is also quoted through his simile of the “community” being “like bees in their hive”. The use of animalistic terminology depicted upon society highlights Birling’s selfishness as a part of the capitalist nature within society due to the metaphoric comparison of us becoming this collective community. Although Birling highlights these socialist trends throughout the caricature play, he displays them with implicit capitalist senses which dirt penetrates the theme of capitalism which Priestley opposes as his ideology is expressed as a socialist himself. This is where it outlines Priestley’s purpose of the theme of capitalism being constructed through Birling and his selfishness inheritance in a capitalist’s stereotypical nature as Priestley’s aim of appealing towards the audience for a socialist society is further explained through his ideology itself: socialist. Priestley could also be implied that creating the character of ‘Arthur Birling’ could perhaps be tempted to connect this selfish protagonist to King Arthur which had been an capitalistic dominance over society once which lets the audience intake this internal characteristics which further makes the audience feel as if they should oppose this capitalistic ideology and take this socialistic statues instead.

Simultaneously - the theme of capitalism is also obtained through Birling’s daughter of Sheila who is also inherited by this theme of capitalism, however is almost controlled by her father to follower this inheritance of capitalism. Oreoes try again portrays this to encourage the contemporary Edwardian audience to turn socialist by implicating capitalists’ attitude and narcissism towards society: selfishness. Perhaps Sheila is portrayed to again implicate an aspect of socialism throughout her speech of when she is arguing with her dad - commanding that women are not “cheap labour, there people”. This socialistic view exemplified through Shiela evaluates her character wanting to become apart of the socialist community rather than her inherited one which seducing her of her selfishness. The term of “labour” could reflect on the end of 1945; labour won the election. Priestley could be emphasising that if one of the members of capitalistic views have changed to socialistic viewing than anyone can; it’s about Priestley getting his purpose out there on changing the audiences minds to socialists - not capitalists. However - Sheila is put under slight restrictions on her statues in society as she does inflict this selfishness further on it act 1 scene 1 where she provokes her “furious temper” towards Eva Smith when she admits her “jealousy” towards Eva’s “pretty” appearance. The abstract noun of “jealousy” connotes towards her selfishness in society as a capitalist’s daughter as she is implicates to become quite hubristic like her father which centres around herself entirely. This act of narcissistic remarks upon the working class (symbolising through the character of Eva) further elaborates on the selfish nature which inherits throughout our capitalistic families and community - SHEIN throughout the Birling’s family.

Priestley emphasises this inheritance through the Birling’s to indicate towards the Edwardian audience this egotistical attachment to a capitalist’s daily representation which is implied encourage the contemporary audience to support socialists views rather than capitalists views: or else this is the furtive generation which will grow and inherit further on. The theme of capitalism is provoked through Sheila’s judgemental attitude towards the working class as she compares Eva to this “miserable plain little creature”. The importation of zoomorphism contribute to the mid capitalistic inheritance as she slightly mirrors her father’s selfishness nature as well as he does, Sheila promotes this social stairs more effectively which further shows that Sheila is looking down in the lower classes as “miserable , plain little creature”. The triple adjective through the animalistic imagery provokes Sheila’s hubristic nature which stimulates her selfishness towards others such as the working class of Eva. The obscured adjective of “plain” implies how Sheila visions the working class as this untalented and omnipotent members of society which could be interpreted that she is dehumanising their social statues for her own sake: self-absorption. This would have been seen as a typical stereotype during the Edwardian era as Sheila is indicating this inheritance capitalist statues from her father clearly which evidently proves Priestley’s purpose of catching the audience and trying to change their viewing to socialism rather than capitalism; almost foreshadowing the suturing generations to come to outcome the possibility of a capitalistic dominance over society.

Alternatively - the theme of capitalism is also provoked through Mrs Birling and her selfishness towards society. She is implicated to appear in the expedition of the didactic play where she reassures Sheila the men’s “time and energy on their business” and how Sheila “will just have to get used to it just as I had”. The inflicted acceptance of the patriarchal nature during the Edwardian century implies these resurrected gender roles and how woman were yet again portrayed as a underclass citizen compared to a man himself. Priestley conveys the theme of capitalism through Mrs Birling’s repetitive association with the euphemism of “business”. This displacement evoke through “business” underlines the obscure nature through capitalists and how they indicate selfish remarks against others; only care about themselves. Priestley constructs this through Mrs Birling to attempt to target the audiences’ attention and get them to support socialism rather than capitalism. The imported euphemism supports Priestley’s viewing over capitalism and how they provoke these selfish remarks as they surround themselves with the likes of their reputation and their money making scheme of “business” rather than supporting the most vulnerable.

Furthermore - Priestley’s crafting of the theme of capitalism is placed through Mrs Birling’s selfish pointers towards Eva Smith due to “girls of that class”. The stereotypical projection here classifies Mrs Birling as this feminine dominance and could be provoked that she implicates these masculine traits towards the Inspector to portray her prideful character but also her class statues as this threatening remark. This discrimination against Eva Smith by Mrs Birling further elaborates on her selfishness profile of a capitalistic woman in society and how it could be hinted that this inheritance could have been passed down to Shiela as her jealousy is passed to her daughter. This evidently proves Priestley’s point of capitalism as it is inherited throughout generations which is provoked here. This would have been made as a blasphemous crime towards the patriarchal itself during the era because of the fact that woman were supposed to look up at their husbands, not take control which is what Sheila and Mrs Birling themselves are further and currently attempting now. This further leaves the audience to look upon socialists rather than capitalists because of Priestley’s construction of inheritance of capitalism and the theme of this is portrayed to highlight capitalists’ selfishness towards society and the consequential impacts this will have on the rear further; especially if it is left with this ideology.

In conclusive terms - the theme of capitalism is implicated through the caricature play throughout these misogynistic aristocrats: symbolical through the inheritance of the Birlings. Priestley portrays this to show the selfishness attached by capitalists themselves towards society which he attempts to get his audience to support socialism rather than capitalism.