"An Inspector Calls" by J.B. Priestley is full of lies and deceit. Write fully about the way Priestley exposes weakness and wickedness, not only in the characters on stage, but also in society.

Essay by ice2fire2High School, 11th gradeA+, April 2006

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J.B. Priestley sets the play in a lavish and happy environment. Without Priestley even telling the audience that the play is set pre war it is obvious because of all the available luxuries and fineries such as 'champagne glasses' and 'dessert plates'. The war caused great shortages in goods and food, which led to rationing. No one in 1945 (when the play was written) would have been able to create a luxuriant celebratory dinner. This cunning use of setting deliberately reminds the audience of some of the luxuries lost because of the war.

The play, "An Inspector Calls", uses moralistic irony to reflect on achievements made today. He reveals the weaknesses and wickedness not only in society, but in the individual characters; which I explain later. An 'Inspector Calls' could almost be referred to as a 'moral play'; a play with a moral lesson, although this phrase is usually used in reference to medieval plays.

The performance, 'An Inspector Calls' is about how a lack of equality in society can cause a girl's death; how a euphoric girl drove herself to suicide. J.B. Priestley is describing a girl's death throughout the play, but is really trying to prevent it from happening in real life. He is using guilt and sorrow by remorse to regurgitate the moral objectives and humanity of the people in 1945, after the mass slaughtering of millions of people during the war. This was the focal point for the play. The aspect of equality was the optimism which kept the British people fighting on. The British people felt if equality and rights were initiated then previous unemployment and poverty, in the 1930's would be abolished today. The reminder of equality made the people realise why they were fighting in the war. They fought...