Priestley’s Inspector: Grade 9 Essay Sample
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HOW DOES PRIESTLEY USE THE INSPECTOR TO SHOW THE NEED FOR SOCIAL CHANGE?
In his modern morality play An Inspector Calls (1945), Priestley's Inspector delivers three crucial messages that show social change is needed. Firstly, he exposes the patriarchal mistreatment of women, secondly, he shows that capitalism brings war, and finally, he demonstrates that socialism is a superior alternative that creates a more cohesive society. This is in service of Priestley's broader intention: encouraging his post-war audience to support the socialist Labour party to bring about deep social change.
Priestley uses the Inspector to expose society’s misogynistic exploitation of women, revealing the necessity for gender based social reform. This is most evident in the Inspector’s cross examination of Gerald in Act II. Gerald self-fashions himself as a saviour responding to Eva’s ‘cry for help’. However, his carefully deployed narrative is punctured by the Inspector’s short, interrogative questions like ‘she became your mistress?’ that abruptly shatter Gerald’s self-serving retelling. The Inspector’s interruptions of Gerald’s dialogue thus reveals the need for social change by showing Gerald’s implicit sexual motivations, since the Inspector’s word ‘mistress’ implies Gerald prostitutes Eva. Even Gerald begins to imply his complicity when the Inspector pressurises him, as where Gerald claims he offered to help Eva once she ‘let slip’ that she was ‘desperate’ and didn’t ‘install’ Eva in Charles’s flat for sex. ‘Desperate’ implies he only offered to support Eva once he knew she was in utmost danger. The dehumanising verb ‘install’ also implies Gerald’s (perhaps subconscious) objectification of Eva, even if Gerald insists he was supporting her. A feminist interpretation would argue Gerald merely poses as a civilised hero rescuing Eva from the perverted visitors at Palace Bar, but the Inspector reveals Gerald is just as perverted and exploitative as the men he claims to be superior to. Therefore, Priestley’s Inspector shows the need for social change by revealing how even upperclass Edwardian men like Gerald patriarchally exploited women — they just did so insidiously and with confidence.
Priestley also uses the Inspector to critique Edwardians’ mistaken confidence in capitalism, showing a need for social change away from capitalism that brings war. Priestley delivers this message by contrasting Birling’s assertion in Act I that technology makes ‘war impossible’ with the Inspector’s last warning in Act III that capitalistic society will bring ‘fire and blood and anguish’. Birling’s firmly expressed declarative that the technological advancement that comes with capitalism makes ‘war impossible’ creates a comedic dramatic irony thickly felt by all in his 1945 audience who had just survived two World Wars, the first of which began two years after Priestley sets the play. Priestley therefore shows Birling, and the capitalistic worldview he represents, to be blind to the future that it brings: too much growth (Capitalism’s main purpose) is cancerous for society. However, Priestley contrastingly characterises Birling’s foil, the Inspector, to have almost divine foresight emphasising the superiority of the socialist philosophy he represents, therefore encouraging society to change to socialism. ‘Fire and blood and anguish’ is not hyperbolic — it is accurate to the terrors of the World Wars that saw social conflict expand to a global scale. This terrifying sense of expansion is mirrored by the Inspector’s similarly expansive polysyndetic sentence structure repeating the conjunction ‘and’. Priestley’s highly Christian 1945 audience would recognise the Inspector calls for social change by presenting the evils of capitalism to bring about the apocalypse (‘fire and blood’ alluding to the Bible’s Book of Revelation). Yet even a modern 2026 audience would feel the need for social change away from unrestricted technological growth, anxious about AI’s impact on society.
Priestley finally uses the Inspector to criticise the selfishness of a capitalist society, showing that changing to socialism promotes social responsibility and cohesion. Priestley suggests this by having the Inspector’s last monologue reverse Birling’s Act I monologue that a ‘man has to look after himself and his own and —’. Birling’s density of possessives like ‘himself’ and ‘his’, and creates a self-interested voice since it prioritises only what’s related to the speaker, Mr Birling — just like capitalism promotes self-interested growth. However, Priestley’s dramatic structure undercuts Birling’s monologue here since it summons the Inspector (Birling’s moral antithesis), cutting off his speech to imply the desperate necessity of changing from Birling’s social worldview. The Inspector’s last monologue flips this worldview on its head, the Inspector claiming that ‘we are one body. We are responsible for each other’. The Inspector’s metaphor implies changing to a viewpoint that sees individuals as inseparable from society as a whole. The anaphora of the inclusive pronoun ‘we’ is a direct contrast of Birling’s self-interested possessives, creating a feeling of togetherness as each repetition includes all in society — including the audience and even the Birlings. While capitalism might exclude the working classes, Priestley implies changing to socialism results in a society that considers the needs of all, including ‘hard headed businessmen’ like Birling. Some audiences might interpret the Inspector’s metaphor with the lens of Durkheim’s organic analogy, a theory positing that society functions as one organism. This implies the need for social change as neglecting any social sect hurts society at large, just like how a malfunctioning organ hurts the whole body — shown in the play where the Birlings’ selfish attitude accidentally ‘kills’ their ‘own grandchild’. Priestley’s message with the Inspector is clear: society must change from individualist to socially responsible for the betterment of all, even those with individualist attitudes.
What this examination of the Inspector reveals is that, for Priestley, socialism is society’s most powerful tool for social change. The Inspector is Priestley’s main vehicle of expression criticising society’s individualistic, patriarchal, and capitalist tendencies, which the Inspector’s rigorous interrogation reveals must be changed to prevent further conflict and suffering.
KEY
Bolded: words of the question
In red: quote
Underlined: author method/ device
WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM THIS ESSAY?
AO1 (ARGUMENT & ESSAY STRUCTURE)
INTRODUCTION
Set out a three-part thesis that quickly outlines what each paragraph will argue.
Use the question's key words : "Priestley's Inspector delivers three crucial messages that show social change is needed".
Name the text’s genre in your first sentence: "his modern morality play". This shows awareness of form from the very start.
In your second sentence, explain the author's 'broader intention'. This works for any AQA English Literature essay introduction.
"This is in service of Priestley's broader intention: encouraging his post-war audience to support the socialist Labour party to bring about deep social change."
STAY ON THE QUESTION
This essay names the Inspector 23 times and 'social change' nine times, plus synonyms like 'social reform' and 'necessity'. It never drifts from the question.
Do this: circle the key words in the question and write them at the top of every page to remind you. Use them throughout your paragraph, but especially in the first and last sentence.
PARAGRAPH POINTS/ TOPIC SENTENCES
Use the key words of the question.
Use a verb that shows Priestley's intention: 'exposes', 'critiques', 'criticises', 'reveals', 'shows'.
Move from inside the play to the real world: first say what a character or moment shows, then what that teaches the audience about society.
Priestley uses the Inspector to expose society's misogynistic exploitation of women, revealing the necessity for gender based social reform.
Priestley finally uses the Inspector to criticise the selfishness of a capitalist society, showing that changing to socialism promotes social responsibility and cohesion.
Each topic sentence matches one part of the thesis in the introduction, so the essay delivers exactly what it promised.
Try this: "Priestley uses [character] to [verb] [idea], showing/revealing [message about society]."
ONE BIG ARGUMENT
Every paragraph proves part of one overall idea: the Inspector shows that society must change to socialism.
Try this: before you write, mentally finish the sentence "Overall, Priestley is arguing that…" Every paragraph should prove part of it.
CONCLUSION
Open it by answering the question in one clear sentence: "What this examination of the Inspector reveals is that, for Priestley, socialism is society's most powerful tool for social change." This is more interesting than ‘to conclude’.
Sum up all three paragraphs in one list: society's "individualistic, patriarchal, and capitalist tendencies".
End on why it matters, showing what's at stake if society doesn't heed the author’s message: "to prevent yet more conflict and suffering."
Don't add new quotes or new points. The conclusion pulls together what you've already proved.
Try this: "What this examination of [character/theme] reveals is that, for [Author], [overall argument]."
ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATIONS
Show the play can be read in more than one way. This essay uses:
A feminist reading of Gerald
A 1945 Christian audience
A modern audience worried about AI
A sociologist or philosopher’s idea (Durkheim here but you may also come across thinkers people like Freud, Jung, Malthus, Nietzche etc)
Try this: add one alternative reading per paragraph using an opener like 'A feminist reading might argue…', 'A 1945 audience would…' or 'A modern audience could…'
QUOTES
Keep quotes short and embedded in your own sentences. Add these to your stores:
"cry for help"
"she became your mistress?"
"let slip"
"desperate"
"install"
"war impossible"
"fire and blood and anguish"
"a man has to look after himself and his own and —"
"we are one body"
"hard headed businessmen"
"kills" / "own grandchild"
Zoom in on single words from longer quotes ("and", "his", "we"), but choose words that are worth zooming in on.
Pair quotes that echo or oppose each other, e.g. Birling's "war impossible" vs the Inspector's "fire and blood and anguish". This is a great way to spot contrasts and developments.
KEY THEME VOCABULARY
These sophisticated words work in almost any An Inspector Calls essay:
Gender: 'patriarchal', 'misogynistic', 'exploitation', objectification, male hegemony.
Class and politics: 'capitalist', 'socialist', 'individualist', 'self-interest', technological growth
Morality: 'complicity', 'social responsibility'
Try this: scatter them throughout Inspector Calls essays
AO2 (SUBJECT TERMINOLOGY, LANGUAGE, STRUCTURE AND FORM)
TECHNIQUE → EFFECT → MESSAGE (HOW → WHY)
Name the technique in an embedded quote, explain its effect, then link it to Priestley's message.
"The anaphora of the inclusive pronoun 'we'" (technique & quote) → "creating a feeling of togetherness" (effect) → Priestley shows socialism "considers the needs of all" (message).
Useful verbs for the effect step: 'implies', 'creates', 'mirrors' (especially for structure), 'emphasises', 'suggests'. Use these to prevent yourself from ever lapsing into description instead of analysis.
Many people forget the ‘why’ part: get in the habit of asking yourself why the author creates the effect, how does it relate to their message for society?
TERMINOLOGY TO STEAL
Language: 'verb', 'possessive', 'inclusive pronoun', 'interrogative', 'declarative', 'metaphor', 'allusion'
Sentence structure: 'polysyndeton', 'anaphora', 'interrupted sentence'
Play structure: 'contrast', 'interruption', 'undercut', 'reversal', 'Act I vs Act III'
Drama: 'morality play', 'voice', 'dialogue', 'monologue', 'dramatic irony', 'foil', 'entrance', 'audience'
LANGUAGE
Be precise: name the word class or sentence type if you can. But, if you don’t know, AQA will let you get away with ‘word’ (not all exam boards are so generous!)
Add an adjective before the technique that shows the effect straight away: 'dehumanising verb' ("install"), 'inclusive pronoun' ("we"), 'firmly expressed declarative' ("war impossible").
Zoom in on one word and ask what it implies: "install" suggests Gerald treats Eva like furniture. Many successful AQA English Literature essays feature single word analysis.
STRUCTURE
Structure works at two levels: how a sentence is built, and how the whole text is built.
Sentence structure:
Polysyndeton: the repeated "and" in "fire and blood and anguish" makes the sentence expand, just like war spreading across the world.
Anaphora: the repeated "we" in the Inspector's final speech builds a sense of togetherness.
Interrupted sentence: Birling's "his own and —" is cut off by the Inspector's arrival.
Play structure:
Contrast between Acts: Birling's Act I speech is overturned by the Inspector's Act III speech.
Undercutting: the Inspector's entrance undercuts Birling's monologue, showing his worldview is about to be challenged.
Dialogue share/ structure: the Inspector's questions break up Gerald's story, showing who is in control.
Do this: find a moment at the end of the play that echoes or reverses a moment at the beginning.
FORM (DRAMA)
This essay always remembers it's analysing a play, where meaning comes from how characters speak and how an audience watches.
Genre: the introduction calls it a "modern morality play", a play designed to teach its audience a moral lesson.
Voice: Birling's possessives "create a self-interested voice", so how a character speaks and how their tone is heard by the audience.
Dialogue: the Inspector's "cross examination" of Gerald shows power passing between characters as they speak.
Monologue: Birling's and the Inspector's long speeches are set against each other.
Dramatic irony: the 1945 audience knows Birling is wrong about war, making him "comedic" and discrediting his views.
Dramatic foil: the Inspector is Birling's opposite.
Entrance: Birling's speech "summons the Inspector".
Do this: write 'audience', never 'reader', and ask how a line would sound when spoken on stage.
CHARACTERS AS CONSTRUCTS
THIS IS CRUCIAL!
Treat characters as Priestley's tools for representing groups and ideas, not as real people.
Phrases to use:
'Priestley uses [character] to…'
'[Character] represents…'
'Priestley's mouthpiece'
'a vehicle for Priestley's ideas' (the conclusion calls the Inspector "Priestley's main vehicle of expression")
'embodies' / 'symbolises'
Do this: after analysing a quote, ask "who in society does this character stand for, and what is Priestley saying about them?"
AO3 (CONTEXT)
LINK CONTEXT TO PRIESTLEY'S INTENTION
Don't just state what society was like. Explain how the author felt about that social feature and what he wanted his audience to do.
Not this: "Edwardian society was sexist."
This: Priestley wants his audience to recognise how 'respectable' men like Gerald exploited women, and to take responsibility for changing it.
Not this: "The First World War began in 1914."
This: Priestley, who fought in the First World War, uses Birling's "war impossible" to show his 1945 audience where capitalist complacency leads, urging them not to repeat it.
The introduction does this from the start: Priestley's "broader intention" is to encourage his audience to "support the socialist Labour party to bring about deep social change."
PRIESTLEY'S VIEWS TO USE
He was a socialist who believed capitalism hurt society.
He wanted Britain to build a fairer society after the Second World War.
He set the play in 1912 so his 1945 audience could see how wrong the Birlings' attitudes were.
He wrote a "modern morality play": like medieval morality plays, it exists to teach the audience how to live. It has a didactic message.
Try THIS
Use phrases like 'Priestley wants his audience to…', 'Priestley warns…' or 'Priestley urges…' so your context always explains his message.
Context is your superpower for AQA GCSE English Literature: there’s a reason it’s assessed for almost every question (other boards don’t do this). Context and author intention go hand in hand.
