Priestley, J.B.: 1894-1984

An Inspector Calls, 1945 - Thematic Parallels: Responsibility

Responsibility means being accountable for your actions, obligations, or duties, and accepting the consequences that come with them.
Priestley, J.B.: An Inspector Calls, 1945
The main topic is social responsibility and the moral duty individuals owe to one another in society.
The following books are thematically simliar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Clark, Brian: Whose Life Is It Anyway?, 1978, ~80pp
  This play examines issues of personal autonomy, responsibility, and the right to make decisions about one’s own life.
  - In both works, authority figures are questioned and undermined — showing that traditional structures (class hierarchy, medical paternalism) can be unjust. The individual’s humanity is endangered — Eva Smith’s life is disregarded; Ken’s right to die is denied.
- Forster, E. M.: A Passage to India, 1924, ~280pp
  This novel is about social responsibility, relationships between cultures, and the moral obligations individuals have toward one another.
  - Both authors show how power corrupts and how social systems sustain injustice — whether through empire (A Passage to India) or capitalism (An Inspector Calls). Both texts warn that without empathy and responsibility, societies will remain divided and unjust.
- Miller, Arthur: Death of a Salesman, 1949, ~110pp
  This play reflects on personal and societal responsibility, much like J.B. Priestley’s play.
  - Both plays argue that unrestrained capitalism leads to moral decay and human suffering. They blur realism to deliver a deeper social or psychological truth.
- Williams, Tennessee: A Streetcar Named Desire, 1947, ~100pp
  This play explores complex social and personal responsibilities and human struggles.
  - The plays expose self-deception as a social disease, showing how individuals and families construct false images to protect their status. They capture a society in transition, where traditional hierarchies are crumbling and the future feels uncertain.
List of general discussion questions on Responsibility (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Responsibility (pdf)