How does Priestley explore the importance of social class in ‘An Inspector Calls’? Write about: • some ideas about social class in the play • how Priestley presents the importance of social class.

Priestly explores the importance of social class by highlighting that it is not realistic to abdicate from a sense of communal responsibility when such a vast number of the population is going through such hardships. The Inspector says “One Eva Smith has gone- but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths”. The repetition of the word ‘millions’ as well as pluralisation of ‘Smiths’ adds emphasis to the quantity of working class individuals. Also, the polysyndeton used for the word ‘and’ adds power and authority to the Inspector’s dialect. Such linguistic device is usually used in the Bible as well as by powerful political leaders. In turn, the Inspector’s message that there are many individuals which suffer such lives as Eva, not to mention potentially sparked by the selfish behaviours of the privileged, is heard loud and clear. This message is stuck in the minds’ of the readers as well as the other characters within the play. Whilst the play is set in the run-up to WW1, it is directed at a post-WW2 audience. Therefore, Priestley uses dramatic irony throughout the play to demonstrate the ever growing importance of community rather than the more individualistic approach based on the privilege the Birlings’ lifestyle portrays. Due to both wars, there was a shift in attitude towards the rigidity of social class. There was an understanding that even the most privileged was not exempt from the horrors of the war and in such dire straits, a sense of community had become more important than ever.