1995. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions or moral values.
The expression "actions have consequences" is said and heard often, but rarely with the adjective "growing" between "have" and "consequences." However, the fact that actions have growing, prolonged consequences is the message J.B. Priestly relays in his drama An Inspector Calls. Set in 1912, the drama follows a night of revelations for the middle-class Birling family as an Inspector questions the members about the suicide of a young, alienated woman. Though she's never seen by the audience, the life and death of this young woman and how the Birling family connects demonstrate the cold, selfish, and impersonal society of early twentieth century England.
Each of the four members of the Birling family had some destructive stake in this young woman's, Eva Smith's, life. Arthur Birling, a hopeful, round business man with his eye on status, fired Eva from her job at one of his mills. Throughout the play, he insists on his lack of responsibility whatsoever with Eva's demise, justifying her termination with needs to keep operating costs low. Here, Priestly means for Birling to represent unsympathetic, every-man-for-himself capitalism. Arthur's wife, Sybil, is of the same stock. She too denies having anything do with Eva's death, yet it was she who, as a member of a charity, refused to help a pregnant Eva on her last legs. Sybil's uncharitable actions demonstrate the superficiality of that society. Positions in even well-meaning organizations are held for social status.
Mr. and Mrs. Birling's two grown children, though having inflicted Eva's life as well, provide contrast to their parents in that they feel guilt; they show evidence of having changed over the course of the night. The strongest of these two characters is Sheila. Sheila Birling had Eva fired from her job as a shopgirl out of impulsive jealousy of a pretty working-class girl. Unlike her parents, Sheila remorsefully accepts her responsibility. Moreover, as the night drags on, she encourages and fights with her unabiding parents to do the same. Perhaps with Sheila, Priestly means to show that society can change, that the provided-for classes can achieve sympathy and empathy if they only recognize the extending hand of their actions to the lower classes.
Though none of the Birlings directly wounded poor Eva, their ill-considered actions all played a part in her suicide. Through Eva and the Birlings, Priestly reveals the frigidity with which the upper classes can address those "beneath," as well as how tragic the consequences of unnoticed actions can be.
Each of the four members of the Birling family had some destructive stake in this young woman's, Eva Smith's, life. Arthur Birling, a hopeful, round business man with his eye on status, fired Eva from her job at one of his mills. Throughout the play, he insists on his lack of responsibility whatsoever with Eva's demise, justifying her termination with needs to keep operating costs low. Here, Priestly means for Birling to represent unsympathetic, every-man-for-himself capitalism. Arthur's wife, Sybil, is of the same stock. She too denies having anything do with Eva's death, yet it was she who, as a member of a charity, refused to help a pregnant Eva on her last legs. Sybil's uncharitable actions demonstrate the superficiality of that society. Positions in even well-meaning organizations are held for social status.
Mr. and Mrs. Birling's two grown children, though having inflicted Eva's life as well, provide contrast to their parents in that they feel guilt; they show evidence of having changed over the course of the night. The strongest of these two characters is Sheila. Sheila Birling had Eva fired from her job as a shopgirl out of impulsive jealousy of a pretty working-class girl. Unlike her parents, Sheila remorsefully accepts her responsibility. Moreover, as the night drags on, she encourages and fights with her unabiding parents to do the same. Perhaps with Sheila, Priestly means to show that society can change, that the provided-for classes can achieve sympathy and empathy if they only recognize the extending hand of their actions to the lower classes.
Though none of the Birlings directly wounded poor Eva, their ill-considered actions all played a part in her suicide. Through Eva and the Birlings, Priestly reveals the frigidity with which the upper classes can address those "beneath," as well as how tragic the consequences of unnoticed actions can be.
Your intro worked well, and your thesis addressed exactly what the prompt was asking for. You also gave the right amount of background on the novel, providing some details but still just the right amount to get the reader in the right mindset for the rest of your essay. I liked the insights into the play you had in the body paragraphs, although I'm not sure how much of the summarizing you could do without. It helped me out because I didn't remember the play all that well, but I'm not sure if you're supposed to assume your reader has more knowledge of plot than someone who read the play once six months ago. For me the summarizing works perfectly well.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if we covered this or not prior to this particular open prompt post, but your topic sentences could work with each other a bit more. You seem to split your two paragraphs based on the characters you talk about rather than the aspects of your thesis, and a plan to lead to a logical conclusion. Again, not sure if you knew this when writing, but just something to think about when looking back at the essay.
To begin, your thesis answers the question, but doesn't express how the woman is alienated based on gender, race, class, or creed. Maybe I missed this, because in my eyes she is in a different class, but I don't find that you stated this and I think it is very important in order to answer the question. Or rather is the family alienated? I am a tad confused with this part...
ReplyDeleteAlso, make sure every example and point relates back to your thesis and ultimately back to answering the prompt. I think you have a very good start, but by working with it a little I think you could help clarify some of the confusion I faced!
Yay, an Inspector Calls!Careful with the summary in the second paragraph, I think it would be sufficient to say that Birling was the example of the robber baron through unfeelingly trying to keep costs down and squash opposition. I don't know if you wanted this to fit in, but you could talk about the political leanings of the work and its purpose in that way. Throw in some "proletariat"s for some added zing. Great point about Shelia being the hope for change. I would bring up Eric as a contrast to her; he is sort of a symbol for impotent guilt.
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