Explore Eva Smith's encounters with each of the members of the Birling family and Gerald. Show how J. B. Priestley uses these encounters to expose society's attitudes to working class girls like Eva.
             In 'An Inspector Calls', J. B. Priestley reveals the flaws of society and the darker side of capitalism as well as the bias of class and social status. As a firm believer in the concepts of socialism, he uses this play to expose society's poor attitudes to the working class of the period. This play focuses on the Birlings, a rich, upper class family during the reign of King Edward VII. Their treatment of Eva Smith reflects on how many of the working class may have been treated by their social superiors. Many upper class families of the time were only concerned with individual gain and profit and it is this superfluous materialism which Priestley tries to uncover. Her encounters with each of the members of the family prove that class and society were exceptionally important issues of the time and class mixing was not socially tolerated.
             The Inspector is Priestley's tool to expose society's weaknesses in the play. He appears to know everything about the family's involvement with Eva before they reveal their secrets. Although he knows everything about her, unlike the other characters, he has never met her. He claims to have learnt about their involvement through her diary but this cannot account for his depth of knowledge. It is because of his omniscience that he seems quite unreal or supernatural. He does not fall into society's trap of treating his social superiors with exceptional civility as he realises they may be his social superiors but, they are his moral inferiors. He is concerned with the idea of community and society and how we should all take care of each other. Priestley wanted to ensure that society started to take responsibility for its attitudes to others and espec...