"We don't live alone. We are members of one body."
Priestley wrote the play in 1945 but explicitly set it in 1912. He invites his post-war audience to look back at the arrogant, deeply unequal 'bad old days' of the Edwardian era and judge them, knowing the bloodshed that was about to follow.
Click the eras below to see how Priestley uses history to manipulate the audience.
The year the play is set. Society is strictly divided by class. The government operates on Laissez-Faire capitalism (every man for himself). There is no NHS and no welfare state. If you lose your job like Eva Smith, you starve. The Titanic sinks this year, shattering the illusion of upper-class invincibility.
1894 - 1984
Born in industrial Bradford, Priestley saw firsthand how rich factory owners (like Birling) mistreated poor workers (like Eva).
He fought in WWI and was heavily gassed. He despised the arrogant "old men" who sent a younger generation to die in the mud. This anger fuels the Inspector's attack on Arthur Birling.
During WWII, he hosted a wildly popular BBC radio show called "Postscripts". His message of socialism and community was so effective that the Conservative government allegedly had it cancelled.
In 1912, women had no vote and few rights. Eva represents the working-class women who were entirely at the mercy of powerful men, exploited by Birling for cheap labor, and by Gerald and Eric for sex.
Sybil represents the traditional Edwardian woman. Even though she has high social status, she accepts that men are in charge and actively upholds the patriarchal rules that oppress other women.
Sheila starts as a compliant "doll" but transforms into a Suffragette figure. By handing back Gerald's ring, she becomes the "New Woman"—thinking independently and rejecting male control.