An Inspector Calls (31/34)

J.B Priestley presents a hierarchical society within ‘An Inspector Calls’. The
power and influence that stems from wealth in the early twentieth century is
clear from the outset with Mr Birling’s belief that his daughter’s marriage to
Gerald Croft and subsequent climb up the class scale would have a direct
impact on his bid to be knighted.

Arthur Birling is also key within the play when it comes to presenting the
capitalist tendencies of society at the time the play was set. He presents a
standpoint of ‘every man for himself’ and his refusal to even consider Eva
Smith’s proposal for fairer wages only consolidates this. He also states that
next they will be asking for ‘the earth’ which shows his complete lack of
empathy for the plight of the working class. The initial events of the play
focusing on both Arthur and Sheila’s roles in Eva’s demise showcase the need
for a ‘safety net’ in society and highlight how impossible life was for the
working class at the time should they find themselves unemployed.

In direct contrast to this, Priestley uses the character of the Inspector to

present his own socialist viewpoints. The notions of the socialist manifesto are
laid bare in the Inspector’s final speech when he proclaims that we are ‘all
responsible for each other’. The idea of collective responsibility is perpetuated
throughout the play as we understand the individual roles the Birling (and
Croft) family played in Eva’s tragic end. ~Though throughout the play, it is
presented as collective responsibility for the death of Eva, the point Priestley is
intending to make is that if we truly act as ‘one body’, the likelihood of such
events occurring is decreased. Priestley believes in a fair society where wealth
is shared and those in need are provided for. The extent of the problems facing
the working class at the time is further emphasises through the ’millions of
John smith and Eva Smiths’ referenced by the Inspector. It is important to
Priestley that the audience understands the issue is to a large scale and not
unique to Eva smith and the Birlings.

The impact the actions of one individual can have is shown in the structuring
of the play. The events are revealed one at a time to both the audience and the
characters which depicts the domino effect of the interlinked circumstances on
Eva. However, the real intention of the structure of the play is to highlight how
many occasions there were when a different choice, a different decision could
have stopped the course to Eva’s suicide in its tracks.

Priestley furthers his use of the Inspector to present the danger of this
capitalist society when Goole claims the lesson will be learnt in ‘fire and blood
and anguish’. The use of this triplet emphasises the strength of Priestley’s
viewpoint that a selfish society is one that ultimately leads to its own demised
and ends up, as shown by the choice of religious imagery, Godless.
Finally, we see Priestley’s desperate attempts to educate the audiences of the
need for collective responsibility with the continued use of dramatic irony. The
audience knowing about events such as the Titanic or workers’ strikes
propagates the idea that the Birlings know nothing and reinforces the
viewpoint that we must learn from past mistakes, something that an audience
that has lived through two world wars would surely appreciate. The ignorance
of the Birlings and parallel criticisms of capitalism are further highlighted by
the omnipotence of the Inspector Goole who, with his socialist, forward-
thinking standpoint, is always one step ahead.

Anthology Poetry (28/30)

Both Ted Hughes and Wilfred Owen present a desensitisation to conflict in
their poems. In ‘Bayonet Charge’, Hughes uses the simile ‘numb as a smashed
arm’ which indicates an overfamiliarity with gruesome imagery such that a
‘smashed arm’ becomes fodder for comparison. This desensitisation as a result
of overexposure to conflict is, somewhat unsurprisingly, also seen in
‘Exposure’. Owen describes the feeling of there being ‘some other war’ going
on as the extreme conditions of the trenches left him numb to the surrounding
chaos. Owen also questions ‘is it that we are dying’ which further embeds the
idea that soldiers in both poems had become desensitised towards the
conflicts.
The impact of war on nature is also presented in the two poems. In Bayonet
Charge we are presented with the imagery of fields of clods and yellow hare
caught up in the chaos. The impact that war and man have had on nature in
this poem is clearly detrimental. Contrastingly, in ‘Exposure’, it is the weather
that is affecting man. The soldiers are almost mocked by the ‘melancholy’ and
‘nonchalant’ attitude of the weather to the devastating conflict of WW1 and
the life threatening conditions of the snow storm.
A further comparison of the two poems is that both feature questioning of the
purpose of war. Bayonet charge the isolated soldier wonders if he is imply part
of a heartless machine or ‘cold clockwork’ and struggles to find ‘the reason’ for
his circumstance. The oxymoronic ‘patriotic tear’ he sheds further embeds the
sentiment that the men are no longer assured of the justification for the
conflict and this is cemented with the use of a list and ‘etcetera’ to throw away
the ideals of ‘king, honour, human dignity’ which, at one time, seemed
paramount.
Similarly, in Exposure, the soldiers begin to question why they have been left
to suffer. They feel as though the sentiments and patriotic push behind the call
for conflict have died down back at home and the ‘shutters are now being
closed on them. The idea that ‘nothing happens’ and that the façade of
patriotism has been removed by the men on the frontlines is explore across
the two poems, despite the difference in time period they were written./ The
first-hand account from Owen and that of Hughes’ grandfather show that the
effect of war on questioning authority and purpose did not change.
Finally, both poems are split into equal stanzas to give the impression of
order. This contracts with the depiction of chaos and conflict within both
poems. The pair differ in pace however, with Hughes using enjambment to
replicate the rush of being mid-battle and only slowing the pace for a moment
to consider the reason behind it all before a caesura marks the start of the rush
again. Owen, in contrast, presents a slow monotonous tone to his poem, even
repeating lines to show how tiresome he found the conditions of simply
waiting around to die.

Unseen Poetry (23/24)

In ‘Autumn’, the changing of the seasons is presented as a negative
occurrence. The poet uses the extended metaphor of theft personifying the
season as cunning’, with the wind as ‘his accomplice’. This is further enhanced
with the use of a simile, explicitly comparing autumn to an experienced robber.
This gives the impression that through the arrival of autumn we are losing
something of value that something is being taken away, pertaining her to the
months of summer. The inevitability of the event is shown through the use of
enjambment throughout, highlighting how unstoppable the events were.
The inevitability of autumn is also seen in the personified reaction of the earth.
The act changes the temper of the earth and leads the sky to ‘glow red with
quiet rage’. The negative reaction from the world truly shows how out of
control it is and further embeds the idea that autumn is ‘grabbing’ what it likes
and getting away with it. This is all solidified in the hyperbolic suggestion that
autumn ‘chills the world’. The poet clearly feels the reader needs to
understand the vastness of autumn’s impact on the world.
The negativity of the changing seasons is seen again through the use of
unpleasant imagery. The depiction of ‘dead leaves’ and the ‘branches shake’ in
autumn’s presence create a sense of dread and paint the changing of the
season as a traumatic event.
Autumn attempts to compensate for the ‘air of chaos’ created by its arrival
with a ‘multitude of colourful distractions’. However, this only solidifies the
semantic field of treachery and leaves the reader to feel further distraught
towards autumn. The extended personification of the season evokes a real
emotional response from the reader and transitions the beauty of autumnal
landscapes to an event that devastates the earth, sky, trees and nature
undeniably.

Unseen Poetry (8/8)

Both Autumn and Today focus on a contrast between two seasons. In Autumn,
we see the theft by Autumn of summer and Today showcases how the arrival
of spring ‘releases the inhabitants’ from the entrapment of winter. The two
poems portray one season in a positive light- summer as a treasure to be
stolen and spring as ‘so perfect’- and another negatively. Autumn is shown as a
thief whilst winter is depicted by Collins as keeping people trapped indoors
through the use of a snow globe as symbolism.
Similarly, both poems depict negative events which is an unusual attribute for
a poem about nature. Bold uses the extended metaphor and personification of
Autumn thieving all the good of summer from the world, whilst Collins
contrasts the beautiful imagery of ‘gardens bursting with peonies’ with violent
actions. The poet feels compelled to ‘rip the little door’ to this canary’s cage off
its hinges and take ‘a hammer’ to the paperweight. It is clear that Collins feels
trapped by winter, like the canary in the cage and uses this imagery to present
the freedom of spring.
Contrastingly, Bold instead focuses on the deceitfulness of autumn and how it
steals all the joy from the world unashamedly.
Both poems use enjambment to present an image of the uncontrollable
nature of the changing of the seasons.
To conclude, both poems contrast two opposing seasons and use violent
imagery to do so. The structure of both poems is intended to present the
inevitability of this.