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Here's a Free Grade 8/9 Inspector Calls Essay

With too much vocabulary.

How Does Priestley Present Selfishness in An Inspector Calls?

In the morality play, An Inspector Calls, Priestley presents selfishness through the seven deadly sins to expose how the bourgeoisie, or the Birling family, exploit the proletariat, who are victims of their sins. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticise the destructed and unequal society in 1912 to argue for a Socialist reform

Priestley primarily portrays selfishness through the sin of greed in Mr Birling where ‘a man has to make his own way’, during his speech. The use of the pronoun ‘own’ is effective as it connotes individualism and self-gain, thus highlighting Mr Birling’s devotion to benefitting only himself and that he prioritises his individual success. Moreover, his individualist principles reflect and embody ideas of Capitalism, the antithesis of Priestley’s message of Socialism, to reinforce his selfishness through his political beliefs. Mr Birling showcases this throughout the play, even during his daughter’s engagement where Gerald ‘was just the kind of son-in-law I (he) always wanted’. Interestingly, the use of the pronoun ‘I’ becomes almost stylistic for Mr Birling as he measures the importance by constantly referring back to his benefit. In this case, Mr Birling considers his daughter’s benefit as an afterthought, augmenting his selfishness as he portrays it through his societal role as both a father and a member of the bourgeoisie. Therefore, Mr Birling illustrates the pinnacle of greed as he desires success, wealth and reputation over anything where ‘there’s a very good chance of a knight-hood’, suggesting how he’s attempting to convince Gerald of his bourgeoisie status to boost his business, emphasizing his greed. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticise how disingenuous and inconsiderate Capitalist bourgeoisies were, as they embody political morals that focus solely on their own benefit and no one else’s. This may encourage Priestley’s audience in 1945 to share a hatred for Mr Birling’s political ideals of Capitalist greed and ownership to believe in a more Socialist society which Priestley promotes in this play.

Priestley further portrays selfishness through the sin of lust in Gerald where he describes Eva Smith as ‘young and fresh’. The use of the descriptive adjective ‘fresh’ is effective as it connotes purity and fertility, thus Gerald uses a euphemism to suggest Eva Smith’s virginity at the time, illustrating Gerald’s selfish lust as he uses Eva to satisfy his own sexual needs and hedonistic tendencies. Moreover, the adjective ‘fresh’ suggests a food-like nature, suggesting Gerald’s misogynistic objectification towards Eva and that she is solely used to fulfil his selfish lust, implying that Eva, a female proletariat, is a victim of Gerald’s sinful lust. Therefore, Gerald uses his masculine, aristocratic role to exploit Eva Smith’s lack of agency as something to be used as a possession and to be consumed. Gerald also further demonstrates this, describing Eva Smith as having ‘soft brown hair and big dark eyes’, until he ‘[breaks off]’. The use of the stage direction represents an abrupt break-off in speech, representing that he only had a physical attraction to Eva, thus causing an emotional reaction when ruminating about it. Interestingly, Gerald almost embodies lust as Eva’s value is only determined by the sexual satisfaction that Gerald achieves, reinforcing his selfishness as he prioritises his own desires. Within Priestley’s childhood, he witnessed the ‘pompously religious men’ who were ‘ill-using young women’, and perhaps Priestley reflects this by constructing Gerald’s selfish and sinful lust to criticise how men misuse their social status to exploit inferior women who are vulnerable. Therefore, Priestley encourages the audience to criticise Gerald’s selfishness and ultimately also criticise the unequal society caused by the patriarchy so that he can further promote his Socialist agenda.

Priestley presents the effects of selfishness directly through the character of Eva Smith, as he constructs Eva to be a symbol of proletariat suffering in 1912. Through Eva being a victim of the sins, she ‘died in misery - hating life’. The use of graphic adjectives of ‘misery’ and ‘agony’ is effective as it depicts Eva’s gruesome and horrific suicide, further augmenting her suffering as a proletariat but also encouraging the reader to visualise her ‘agony’ and sympathise too. Moreover, the contrast between Eva ‘hating life’ and Sheila, the daughter of the Birlings, who is ‘excited [for life]’ illustrates how Eva’s suffering is determined by her proletariat status and her lack of economic independence is ultimately what leads to her demise. Interestingly, the method of Eva’s suicide using ‘disinfectant’ where she ‘burnt her insides’ is effective as it may symbolise Eva attempting to purify herself as disinfectant connotes cleansing. Therefore, Eva Smith believes that she is impure through the sexual exploitation of Gerald and Eric, implying the sin of lust. However, her supposed impurity may suggest that her suffering is a culmination of Birling’s selfishness, also presenting her as a victim of their deadly sins. Perhaps Priestley uses Eva Smith as a universal symbol of proletariat suffering as this may derive from the biblical nomenclature of Eva relating to ‘Eve’, perhaps showing the parallels of Eve representing mankind to Eva Smith representing the proletariat class and their suffering. By demonstrating a brutal death for Eva, Priestley consciously depicts the detrimental effects of the Birling’s selfishness and the destructive nature of the class hierarchy in 1912. Therefore, Priestley argues for a Socialist society which promotes social responsibility, so that as a society, everyone from each class can provide for one another, helping repair the oppressive class hierarchy.

Overall, Priestley portrays selfishness through the Birlings’ that commit deadly sins towards Eva Smith, ultimately being symbolic of the proletariat's suffering. Priestley uses characters as direct embodiments and vessels of these sins to criticise 1912’s selfish society and promote his Socialist political agenda.

My Comments

This is 937 words long.

It is almost impossible not to get a grade 9 if you write that much.

It doesn’t always make total sense because the vocabulary is trying too hard. Destructed is wrong. Bourgeoisie, bourgeois and a member of the bourgeoisie are sometimes confused. Upper class would score just as many marks, and you would always use it correctly.

Proletariat is often used instead of proletarian. Working class would do just as well, and you would always use it correctly.

I hate big, fat paragraphs. New paragraph for a new topic or idea. This helps the reader follow the argument, rather than get lost in it. The same is true, I suspect, for the student writing the essay.

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ChatGPT Training

Can you correct any errors of vocabulary or grammar in this essay?

Your essay is well-written and articulate, but there are a few suggestions for refinement:

In the morality play, "An Inspector Calls," Priestley presents selfishness through the seven deadly sins to expose how the bourgeoisie, or the Birling family, exploit the proletariat, who are victims of their sins. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticize the destroyed and unequal society in 1912 to argue for Socialist reform.

Priestley primarily portrays selfishness through the sin of greed in Mr. Birling, where 'a man has to make his own way' during his speech. The use of the pronoun ‘own’ is effective as it connotes individualism and self-gain, highlighting Mr. Birling’s devotion to benefiting only himself and prioritizing his individual success.

Mr. Birling showcases this throughout the play, even during his daughter’s engagement where Gerald 'was just the kind of son-in-law I (he) always wanted.' The use of the pronoun ‘I’ becomes almost stylistic for Mr. Birling as he measures the importance by constantly referring back to his benefit.

Therefore, Mr. Birling illustrates the pinnacle of greed as he desires success, wealth, and reputation over anything where 'there’s a very good chance of a knighthood,' suggesting how he’s attempting to convince Gerald of his bourgeoisie status to boost his business, emphasizing his greed. Perhaps Priestley does this to criticize how disingenuous and inconsiderate Capitalist bourgeoisies were, as they embody political morals that focus solely on their benefit and no one else’s.

Priestley further portrays selfishness through the sin of lust in Gerald, where he describes Eva Smith as ‘young and fresh.’ The use of the descriptive adjective ‘fresh’ is effective as it connotes purity and fertility, illustrating Gerald’s selfish lust as he uses Eva to satisfy his own sexual needs and hedonistic tendencies.

Gerald uses his masculine, aristocratic role to exploit Eva Smith’s lack of agency as something to be used as a possession and to be consumed. Gerald also further demonstrates this, describing Eva Smith as having ‘soft brown hair and big dark eyes’ until he ‘[breaks off].’ The use of the stage direction represents an abrupt break-off in speech, showing that he only had a physical attraction to Eva, causing an emotional reaction when ruminating about it.

Therefore, Priestley encourages the audience to criticize Gerald’s selfishness and ultimately also criticize the unequal society caused by the patriarchy so that he can further promote his Socialist agenda.

Moreover, the contrast between Eva ‘hating life’ and Sheila, the daughter of the Birlings, who is ‘excited [for life],’ illustrates how Eva’s suffering is determined by her proletariat status and her lack of economic independence is ultimately what leads to her demise.

By demonstrating a brutal death for Eva, Priestley consciously depicts the detrimental effects of the Birlings’ selfishness and the destructive nature of the class hierarchy in 1912. Therefore, Priestley argues for a Socialist society that promotes social responsibility so that as a society, everyone from each class can provide for one another, helping repair the oppressive class hierarchy.

That’s interesting! ChatGPT immediately decided to make the essay more concise - too many words to say what you mean.

It still isn’t using proletarian.

What is the term for a member of the proletariat?

The term for a member of the proletariat is "proletarian."

Rewrite the sentences which use proletariat incorrectly and replace it with proletarian.

Certainly! Here are the sentences with "proletarian" replacing instances of "proletariat" where needed:

"...exploit the proletarian, who is a victim of their sins."

"...illustrating Gerald’s selfish lust as he uses Eva to satisfy his own sexual needs and hedonistic tendencies, treating her as a proletarian."

"Moreover, the contrast between Eva ‘hating life’ and Sheila, the daughter of the Birlings, who is ‘excited [for life],’ illustrates how Eva’s suffering is determined by her proletarian status..."

"Therefore, Priestley argues for a Socialist society that promotes social responsibility, so that as a society, everyone from each class, including the proletarian, can provide for one another, helping repair the oppressive class hierarchy."

Go back to the essay that began this chat. Apply the following criteria to give it a mark out of 30 and explain why you have awarded that mark. Level 6 Convincing, critical analysis and exploration 26–30 marks Level 5 Thoughtful, developed consideration 21–25 marks Level 4 Clear understanding 16–20 marks

To provide a fair evaluation of the essay, I'll assess it based on the criteria you provided:

Convincing, critical analysis, and exploration (26–30 marks):

The essay demonstrates a high level of critical analysis, exploring the themes of selfishness and the exploitation of the proletariat in "An Inspector Calls" thoroughly. The writer successfully connects specific examples from the play to broader social and political contexts. The analysis is convincing and supported by well-chosen quotations. The exploration of Priestley's intentions and the societal implications of the characters' actions is comprehensive.

Thoughtful, developed consideration (21–25 marks):

The essay shows thoughtful consideration of the characters and their actions, delving into their motivations and the consequences of their behaviors. The connections between the characters' actions and broader societal issues are well-developed. The writer effectively explores the impact of selfishness on the proletariat, using specific examples to support their points. The consideration of Priestley's intentions and the historical context is well thought out.

Clear understanding (16–20 marks):

The essay demonstrates a clear understanding of the play's themes, characters, and Priestley's social commentary. The writer effectively uses quotes and examples to illustrate their points. The arguments are logically presented, and there is a coherent structure to the essay. However, there may be some areas where the analysis could be more nuanced or where connections between examples and broader themes could be further developed.

Considering the above criteria, I would award the essay a score of 25 out of 30. The essay provides a thoughtful and convincing analysis of the themes of selfishness and exploitation in "An Inspector Calls," exploring the characters' motivations and actions in the context of the play's social and political commentary. The analysis is well-developed, but there is room for a bit more nuance and depth in certain areas to reach the highest level of critical analysis.

Ok, that’s interesting. It seems ChatGPT has understood the wording, but not the marks of the mark scheme.

Let’s try again, without the marks.

Which group of words best describes the essay? Convincing, critical analysis and exploration: Thoughtful, developed consideration: Clear understanding

The group of words that best describes the essay is "Convincing, critical analysis and exploration." This is because the essay demonstrates a high level of critical analysis, providing a convincing exploration of the themes in "An Inspector Calls" and effectively connecting specific examples to broader social and political contexts. While the essay also exhibits "Thoughtful, developed consideration" and "Clear understanding," the emphasis on convincing analysis and exploration aligns more closely with the overall evaluation provided.

Like I said:

It is almost impossible not to get a grade 9 if you write that much!

But, what if you wrote the 567 word version?

ChatGPT gives it the same grading:

The phrase that best describes the essay is "Convincing, critical analysis, and exploration." This is because the essay demonstrates a convincing analysis of the themes in "An Inspector Calls," including critical examination and exploration of the characters' motivations and the broader societal implications.

We can tell from this that it would get a lower mark in Level 6, but it would still be a grade 9.

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An Inspector Calls: A* / L9 Example Intro + Paragraph

Here are some samples of an essay on An Inspector Calls, on the theme of responsibility. I wrote these myself as a teacher to show students an example of the standard required to get a high level at GCSE. I’ve also broken down the structure below so you can see what to put into each paragraph and how to organise all of your ideas – this is the most important thing for getting a high level in an essay !

Thanks for reading! If you’re stuck on An Inspector Calls and need more help, you can access our full course .

How does Priestley explore the theme of responsibility in the play?

EXAMPLE INTRO:

Responsibility is a very important theme in An Inspector Calls, as the Inspector reveals one by one that all the Birling family are partly responsible for Eva’s death. Eva represents the lower classes, and Priestley uses the tragic ending of her character to spread his message about social responsibility, a message which is delivered by the Inspector himself, who acts as a mouthpiece for Priestley’s own views on socialism and equality. Overall, the audience realizes that their actions affect other people’s lives, so they are responsible for looking after and caring for everyone in society.

An Inspector Calls: Character Revision

EXAMPLE MIDDLE PARAGRAPH:

Point (one sentence that answers part of the question, your idea)
Evidence (quotes/references that prove your point)
The technique (language features/dramatic features/structure features)
Explanation (analysis – how/why the evidence proves the point)
Development (context/alternative interpretations)
Link (linking back to the argument/thesis in the Intro)

Priestley uses Mr Birling’s character as an example of the selfishness of the middle classes and their lack of responsibility to others. In the play, Mr Birling believes he is only responsible for himself and his family. This is demonstrated when he says “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”. This suggests he only believes he is responsible for himself and his family because when he says “mind his own business” he is showing a lack of care for other people’s problems. This is also a double entendre as it could also relate to work and business. Priestley also uses alliteration in the play to indicate Birling’s lack of care for others with the noun “man” and verb “mind”. This makes the quotation stand out and highlights that independence is a crucial part of Birling’s character. Birling also reveals his lack of care for others when he says “Community and all that nonsense” and he needed to “keep labour costs down”, as he is saying that he does not believe that everyone should look after each other. He says this in a superior and dismissive tone which indicates his smugness and shows that he thinks he is better than everyone else. This would be bad in terms of responsibility as it suggests that he doesn’t care for others as much as himself and doesn’t have any respect for the inspector or his ideas. I think Priestley demonstrates Arthur Birling in this way to represent the views of upper middle class men of that time, in 1912 when the play was set the middle classes were often capitalists and saw themselves as superior to the lower classes, who they exploited. Priestley makes the audience dislike Mr Birling and view him as selfish, which in turn makes them feel more positive about socialist attitudes, where every member of society is viewed as equal.

Thanks for reading! If you’re stuck on An Inspector Calls and need more help, you can access our full course here .

Are you studying ‘An Inspector Calls’ at school or college? Don’t worry – we have a complete course that will help you get to grips with the text. It includes:

2 Hours of Video Lessons
Extensive Support Material

JB Priestley embedded strong political messages in his play, and you need to understand those well to be able to write a high level essay or exam answer on the text. This course will enable you o revise the major characters and social messages in the play, and go deeper into the themes and context so you can get the most out of each essay