Generation Gap Theme in An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley Essay Example

One of the main themes presented by Priestly in an inspector calls in the generation gap, who the two generations have different ideas of responsibility, the way they treat for perceive others and changing their actions in the future. This concept at the time would make the audience question if there was a divides society with differences between the different classes which was a growing topic when the play was performed in 1945.

Priestly portrays Eric as a half shy middle-class man of the younger generation. At the start of the play in Act1 Sheila calls Eric ‘squiffy’ as he is drunk. However, Mrs Birling replies with ‘What an expression, Sheila! Really the things you girls pick up these days!’ This implies the lack of understanding or compassion for Eric and his drinking problem as Mrs. birling just dismisses it showing the lack of understanding between the two generations. The phrase ‘these days’ implies that the phrases Sheila has picked up are new or unfamiliar to Mrs. Birling further showing the generation gap as the younger generation have picked up more modern phrases while the older generation still speak in a more old and formal way. Later, in the play when Mr., Birling is being interrogated by the inspector he says. ‘He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out’ This shows that Eric sympathizes with the strikers and Eva as he says he could have not fired her. This further implies that the younger generation in general have more social responsibility and more empathy than the older generation, who do not care much if not at all and have little to no social responsibility. Towards the end of the play in Act 3 when the inspector has left Eric says, ‘And it doesn't alter the fact that we all helped to kill her.' The adjective ‘all’ suggests that Eric is not blaming it all on one individual like the older generation, instead he is saying they all did things that helped caused Eva Smith’s death. Additionally, the phrase ‘doesn’t alter’ implies that Eric is taking responsibility for his actions as he knows he cannot change them showing that the younger generation can take responsibility and the older generation cannot.

Priestly portrays Sheila as a selfish and generic upper-class woman of the younger generation at the start of the play, who is willing to change their ways later in the play. Sheila’s selfish ways were first portrayed at the start of the play when Gerald gives her an expensive engagement ring she says, ‘Now I feel really engaged’. The adverb ‘Now’ implies that Sheila did not feel engaged before showing that she needed the ring to feel engaged. Additionally, the word ‘really’ implies that she may have felt a little engaged before, she now feels really engaged because of the ring. All of this shows she was materialistic which is a selfish trait implying she was selfish. A bit later in the play when Sheila was being interrogated by the inspector she says ‘No, not really. It was my own fault.’ This implies that Sheila is taking responsibility for her actions as she says the death of Eva was her fault showing that the younger generation take responsibility for their actions unlike the older generation who blame it on everyone else. Towards the end of the play when everyone is trying to dismiss Eva’s death Sheila says, ‘There is nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn?’ The word ‘sorry’ implies that Sheila thinks that every should still feel bad for what they have done to Eva and take responsibility. Additionally, the word ‘learn’ suggests that as well as everyone taking responsibility for their actions, they should learn what not to do in the future. In this quote, Sheila has taken the role of Priestley’s mouthpiece since the inspector has gone showing how the younger generation have changed towards the end of the play.

Mr. Birling is portrayed as a typical upper-class man of the older generation who has very capitalist views and is not willing to change. At the start of the play Mr. Birling says ‘Now you three young people, just listen to this... by the time you’ll be living in a world that’ll have forgotten all these Capital versus Labour agitators and these silly little war scares’ The word ‘silly’ implies that Mr. Birling sees the war talks as hoaxes and that they won’t happen showing his lack of understanding and naiveness. The word ‘little’ shows how big Mr. Birling thinks the scale of the war talks are further showing his lack of understanding. The phrase ‘forgotten all these Capital vs Labour’ agitators shows that Mr. Birling thinks that no one will vote labour as he is a strong capitalist supporter. Later on, in the play Mr. Birling says ‘ I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’ The word ‘cover’ shows that Mr. Birling doesn’t want to take responsibility, instead he wants to cover up what he has done wrong showing that he is selfish. This is reinforced with the phrase ‘as soon as’ implying that he wants to keep his reputation at all costs not caring one bit about Eva. This idea is further reinforced when Mr. Birling says, ‘You’re the one I blame for this.’ This shows that Mr. Birling cannot take responsibility for his actions which is a common theme in the older generation. The word ‘one’ shows that he cannot take responsibility for his actions as he is blaming it all on one person. This is reenforced with the word ‘blame’ showing he thinks it was all one person’s doing unlike the younger generation who say that they all helped to kill Eva.

Priestly portrays Mrs Birling as a cold-hearted upper-class woman who is unable to change or take responsibility for her actions. In Act 2 Mrs Birling says, ‘Girls of that class.’ This shows Mrs. Birling’s cold heartedness and lack of care for Eva. The word ‘that’ suggests that Mrs Birling thinks she is on a whole different level to Eva believing she is more superior to her. This would have been a common belief of the upper class at the time as the country at the time was very capitalist. Later on, Mrs Birling says, ‘As if a girl of that sought would refuse money.’ The word ‘sought’ reenforces the idea of Mrs birling being very classist and snobby, thinking she is superior to everyone with less money. The phrase ‘as if’ implies that Mrs Birling thinks its almost impossible that a girl would refuse money showing her stereotypical capitalist views on the lower class. Towards the end of the play, Mrs Birling says, ‘But I think she has only herself to blame’ This shows that Mrs Birling like Mr Birling does not care about Eva and does not take responsibility for her actions. 

Priestly portrays Gerald as a well-mannered upper-class man who is a mix of both the older and younger generation. Just before Gerald is about to be interrogated by the inspector he says ‘We can keep it from him’ This shows that like the older generation, Gerald cannot take responsibility for what he has done so he has resorted to hiding the truth. However later on when he finds out what happened he says ‘I’m rather more – upset – by this business than I probably appear to be’ This shows that unlike the older generation, actually cared about Eva up to a point. This separates him from the older generation. However, towards the end of the play Gerald says ‘Everything is alright now Sheila.’ This shows that Gerald has completely forgotten what he has done and is dismissing it. This implies that he has learned nothing.

In conclusion, the generation gap is one of Priestley’s biggest topic in an inspector calls because when the play was performed in 1945 after the second world war, it was a time where the divisions of classes were being lost and more equality acts were being put in which the two generations in the play had very different views on.