Would You Agree That the Play Is One Big Metaphor Essay Example

time where women had limited rights. Prior to 1928, women were seen as merely decorative, unable to work or vote and financially reliant on men. Good looks were their only asset, without which their quality of life would suffer. The play illustrates the attitudes and actions of the middle classes during this time, depicting how they utilized their wealth to exert power and how they reacted to societal problems.

The core theme of the play revolves around an Inspector's unexpected arrival at a house, where he shares the news of a suicide. The Inspector proceeds to interview each family member individually. The interviews reveal to the family how their actions can heavily influence and impact other people's lives. The Inspector imparts moral lessons and tries to change the family's ways of thinking and acting. During the interviews, the family members reveal deep secrets, leading to conflicts and changes in their relationships. Upon the Inspector's departure, the family questions his authenticity and identity. After a few phone calls, they confirm that he was indeed a fraud. The play demonstrates the harsh reality of how Eva Smith/Daisy Renton had to live her life in poverty.

Eva, a powerless figure, faced constant misfortune despite her efforts. Her dream of living a luxurious life was never realized. The Birling family's wealth gave them immense influence, which they used to economically and sexually oppress her, leaving her with nothing.

Despite lacking financial resources, Eva displays an unwavering sense of dignity and nobility within her community. She understands her role in society and possesses a self-respect that cannot be purchased with money. When seeking help, Eva refuses stolen funds, demonstrating her awareness of ethical

principles. While she makes the best of challenging circumstances, eventually the weight of hardship becomes too heavy to bear and she reaches a breaking point.

She resorted to suicide as her sole means of escape, using bleach to alleviate her misery. Her troubles began when Mr. Birling terminated her employment at his factory due to her advocacy for better pay for both herself and coworkers. Despite Birling's affluence, he refused to part with even a few shillings, prioritizing his own interests above all else.

Following a strike that lasted for a week, the workers resumed their duties at an unchanged wage rate. Nevertheless, Mr. Birling took measures against those who incited the strike since he could not tolerate similar occurrences in the future and disapproved of their sway over his employees. Arthur used his power and superiority to terminate the girl's employment solely because she demanded a salary increase attributable to her meager pay. As popularly said, "You won't receive if you don't ask."

According to the character Birling, if you ask for more, you are seen as a traitor to your country and an obstacle to progress. This is evident in the fact that Eva was laid off simply because she asked. Birling has no sympathy and believes that asking for more can cause trouble and unwanted publicity.

Arthur exudes confidence, which is admirable as long as it doesn't border on arrogance. Referring to himself as a "hard-headed business man" on Page 6, he epitomizes the family's status as "Noveau Riche" or newly wealthy. His ultimate goal is to elevate the Birlings' social standing and gain acceptance in aristocratic circles.

Birling views everything through a business lens, even his

daughter's engagement as a profitable investment for the future. He hopes it will bring the Crofts and Birlings together, eliminating competition and leading to increased productivity and profitability. Birling expresses his approval of his future son-in-law and believes he is the perfect match for his family. (Page 4).

During his speech, it becomes clear that Birling is solely motivated by profit. Sheila appears distracted and needs to be reminded to listen to her father's words as she becomes absorbed with her ring. This behavior may stem from being accustomed to Birling expressing opinions that she doesn't agree with. Birling's ideas are often nonsensical, and he can be quite arrogant in his belief that everything should revolve around him and his pursuit of money. Despite this, he lacks a true understanding of things.

With airs and graces, Birling extols the present era as one of "steadily increasing prosperity," citing the technological advancements of their time and even the unsinkability of the Titanic, which tragically proved him wrong. His words reveal the power and authority wielded by the middle class, but also their lack of wisdom. Birling further declares that "The Germans don't want war," showing the audience the irony of his statement, given that the play was produced shortly after WWII. Despite their societal importance, the Birling family is not regarded as part of the elite, and Birling confides to his daughter's fiance that Lady Croft disapproves of their engagement, revealing his own ambition for higher status.

On Page 8, it is mentioned that there is a reasonable probability of being included in the next honours list. While the Birlings possess riches, influence, and social recognition, these are relatively

recent acquisitions. They do not belong to the established aristocracy and as such, lack the obligations that accompany their wealth. Their importance is their only sense of belonging.

Birling and Birling share the same perspective on life: money equals a better life. Birling's political stance is centered around the idea that an individual must take care of themselves and their own kin (Page 9). Essentially, Birling believes in self-preservation, putting himself and his family first above all else. Throughout the play, Birling consistently supports his wife, and they stand united in their opinions. This is evident from the start as Mrs. Birling's name appears in the stage direction.

The character of Birling is portrayed as a woman who is rather aloof and deems herself to be socially superior to her husband. Because of this, she possesses a particular outlook on life where she tends to look down on others. The play portrays numerous instances of snobbery, such as labeling Eva as "a girl of that class" and mentioning that her husband was a Lord Mayor just two years prior, while also being a magistrate. Even though Eva later secured a job at the renowned designer fashion department store called Milwards, where she worked with trendy and high-class individuals, all that came to an abrupt end when Sheila Birling arrived at the store.

Sheila, being angry, upset, and jealous, had a defenseless girl removed from the store just for smiling while trying on a dress she did not look good in. Sheila saw the girl smile and thought she looked pretty and able to take care of herself. However, Sheila couldn't find any sympathy for her. Being a regular

and high-valued customer at the store gave her power and influence, which she used to get the girl dismissed.

During the play, the character undergoes a significant transformation. Tired of her life as Eva Smith, she assumes the alias of Daisy Renton while working as a prostitute in order to make ends meet. She eventually meets Gerald at the Palace Bar, a popular spot for sex workers, and the two become romantically involved. Though he uses her for sex, she remains his mistress for a time.

Despite the Inspector's claim on page 56 that Gerald had some affection for Daisy and made her happy for a time, their affair ultimately came to an end. However, during the few months that it lasted, Gerald reciprocated Daisy's feelings and provided her with both a place to stay and affection. Unfortunately, when the affair became inconvenient for him due to his business obligations, he discarded Daisy and destroyed any remaining delight and joy in her life.

Life couldn't get any worse for her until she met Eric Birling, an alcoholic, at the Palace Bar. Their encounter lacked emotion and wasn't about making love; he only used her for sex. Despite the situation, she was actually grateful to him. Eventually, she became pregnant and although Birling didn't love her, he offered to stay with her and support their child.

After meeting Eric, Eva/Daisy discovered that he had given her stolen money from his Father's company to sustain her daily living. She refused the funds upon learning their source and also believed that Eric was inexperienced and too naive to raise a child. Despite Eric being a caring and gentle person, Eva/Daisy recognized that

their supposed 'love' was a big sham. She was vulnerable at the time but knew that Eric needed to learn more about life before he could nurture a child, and alcohol definitely wasn't the solution.

The end of their relationship led to her seeking help from a local organization that assists women in need. It was during this time that she encountered Mrs. Birling, who was a board member and acted in an arrogant and superior manner while rejecting her case, just as she had done before.

It is acknowledged by Sybil that she harbored prejudices against a certain woman. Her power and authority over women fueled this prejudice, given her address as Mrs. Birling. Sybil claims that the woman used their name without any right to it, when the contrary was true. The woman had been in a relationship with her son and was also carrying Sybil's grandchild. This highlights the selfishness, ignorance, and self-centered arrogance of the older Birlings. When questioned by the Inspector, Sybil shifts all the blame onto the father of the baby, oblivious to the fact that he is her own son.

On page 48, the Inspector asserts that the responsibility for the death of the girl lies with the child's father, who should be severely punished and make a public confession. The Inspector considers him to be the "Chief culprit." However, earlier on page 22, the Inspector suggests that he will be lenient if treated kindly. Prior to departing, he delivers a final speech encapsulating Priestley's concepts: "I don't need to know anymore. Neither do you."

The girl's horrific death was caused by the collective contribution of each of you. Remember and never

forget that. This quote from page 55 emphasizes this point.

When bidding farewell to the Birlings, he stresses that while one Eva Smith may have departed, there are numerous others facing comparable challenges. This is reminiscent of the biblical tale of Adam and Eve, and the common usage of names like John and Smith in contemporary culture further underscores this notion.

The Inspector believes that everyone has the chance to change their ways, despite past mistakes. It is crucial to be mindful of how we treat others as our actions can impact countless lives. Gerald acknowledges that there may have been multiple women mistreated, and each experience could lead to devastating outcomes like Eva's. This aligns with Priestley's assertion about the treatment of lower-class women during the time of the Inspector's intervention. The Inspector warns the Birling family that if they do not learn from these experiences, they will face dire consequences.

As night falls, it becomes clear that the turmoil described by the Inspector occurred during World War I. The war was caused by the division of European countries into two opposing alliances, with Serbia serving as an ally to Russia, Britain, and France. Both Britain and France had pledged to defend Belgium.

Austria, Germany, and Italy formed a alliance. When Austria attacked Serbia, Russia declared war on Austria and Germany invaded Belgium. This caused Britain and France to join the war resulting in millions of fatalities. Had these countries been able to live together peacefully, the war could have been avoided. Priestley wrote his play during World War Two indicating that the lessons from World War One were not heeded leading to World War Two.