Transcript A Brief Look at Morality PLays

An Inspector Calls:
Historical Background
Key words:
Capitalism – an economic system in which
trade and industry are controlled by private
owners for profit, and not by the state.
Socialism – a political system where wealth
is shared equally between people, and the
main industries (trade etc.) are controlled by
the government.
The play was written in 1945 and first
produced in London in 1946. It is
set, however, in 1912; two years
before World War I.
The Birlings represent a wealthy family
who were thriving in that period and
were ignoring the signs of trouble in
the future.
Several references are made to
historical events which Arthur Birling
is sure will never happen, but which
we know actually occurred.
Events leading up to 1912
Read the hand out carefully. This is full of
information that will give you an idea
about life in 1912.
Let’s highlight anything that may affect an
upper-class business man in 1912.
The Titanic (1912)
The White Star ocean liner, designed for
luxury cruising, was claimed to be
unsinkable. In 1912 on its maiden voyage
it struck an iceberg and sank. 1500 people
were drowned because there were not
enough life boats and nobody had planned
for such disaster. Its sinking is always seen
as a symbol of man’s stupidity in thinking
he can defeat the elements forever.
The First World War (1914 – 1918)
There were already signs that war was
coming in 1912. All the European powers
were fighting over trade issues. Russia
was trying to expand in the Balkans and
France. Germany, Britain and Italy were
all trying to gain colonies in Africa and the
East. Alliances were being formed: The
Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria and
Italy and the Triple Entente of Britain,
France and Russia.
Women’s suffrage


Suffrage is the right to vote
Suffragettes were women campaigners
for women’s voting rights (-ette indicates female)
 Women in England had been able to vote until the 1830s,
when changes in voting laws took away their rights to do so
 Women were not able to vote between the 1830s and 1918;
WWI helped accelerate the changes
 The Representation of the People Act of 1918: only women of
30 and over, who met “minimum property qualifications,”
were able to vote
 The Representation of the People Act of 1928: voting rights to
all women of 21 and over.
In addition, Birling refers to it being an
excellent time to be in business. This
may have been true to the
employers, but certainly not to the
employees.
Also, in 1929…
Industrial Relations
The gap between the rich and poor was
immense at this time. Work in the large
factories was hard and poorly paid. There
were some 15 million people working as
unskilled labourers and they had very few
rights. The Trade Unions had little power.
Unemployment
There was no unemployment benefit at that
time. The only option was to apply to the
Poor Board which might place a person in
the Poor House or to appeal to various
charities for help.
By 1945…
The Second World War ended on 8 May
1945. The holocaust and atom bomb
had changed the face of warfare
forever. People were recovering from
nearly six years of warfare, danger
and uncertainty.
By 1945…
Class distinctions had been greatly
reduced as a result of the two world
wars.
By 1945…
As a result of the wars, women had earned
a more valued place in society.
Copy into your books
Why 1912: DRAMATIC IRONY
One of the reasons for doing this was
to use dramatic irony (the audience
knows more than the characters do
on stage).
The audience had lived through what
Birling is discussing in his first
speeches and would know that he is
wrong and big-headed. This is the
exact effect Priestley was aiming for.
1912 vs 1945
If you find it frustrating listening to
friends who get details wrong now,
you can only imagine how frustrating
it must have been for an audience in
1946 listening to Birling’s 1912
speeches…
Quotes: What does Birling
get wrong?
So why 1912?
Why do you think Priestley set his play
in 1912?
Can you link the play to any other texts
we’ve studied? Explain your answer.