Priestley Was Concerned with the Inequality of Life – Those Who Had Much Abusing Those Who Were in Their Power. How Far Does the Action of This Play Demonstrate His Ideas?

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Priestley was concerned with the inequality of life – those who had much abusing those who were in their power. How far does the action of this play demonstrate his ideas? In ‘An Inspector Calls’ Sybil Birling is often seen abusing the power she has, especially when she refuses to help Eva Smith by giving her support from her organisation. “(Stung) I didn’t like her manner” shows the audience that Sybil is shocked by the manner of someone who is in a lower class than her. It gives us the impression that Sybil believes people in lower classes than her should talk to her with a better manner than someone of a higher class as Sybil sees herself as more respected than someone of a lower class. As well as Sybil, Arthur Birling is seen abusing the power he has over his workplace by firing Eva Smith for striking. “She had a lot to say… so she had to go” foreshadows Mrs Birling’s charity rejection as well as showing the audience that Mr Birling, being an upper-class man, wanted to control Eva and when she speaks out against him. In order to get Eva Smith sacked from Millwards, Sheila Birling abuses the power that her family has. Sheila manipulates Millwards in to sacking Eva Smith by using blackmail and financial threats by saying she’d “never go near the place again” and “persuade mother to close our account”. Sheila emphasizes her dislike for Millwards by calling it “the place”. The common noun shows that Sheila is insincere about the shop and thinks that it isn’t of a high standard that upper-class people would expect whilst Eva is working there. Sheila then goes on to say that if Eva was “some miserable plain little creature” she wouldn’t have done it. Through this Priestley is showing the theme of the class system as Sheila is using her higher class to get Eva fired. The adjectives “plain” and “little” along with the noun “creature” are disrespectful and

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