In what ways do Arthur Birling and Inspector Goole represent competing political arguments? by Amanda Reed

Capitalism

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-06 12:58:54 UTC

Capitalism is when a country's properties and businesses are privately owned

Beliefs:

private property: people have the right to own their own properties
self-interest: people do what they think will help themselves and do not regard others struggles
limited role of government: the government is only meant to defend protect and serve
competition: profit motive

Socialism

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-06 13:02:55 UTC

Socialism is when industries are owned by workers, rather than government or by a specific person

Beliefs:

altruism: the sincere concern for the good of others
cooperation: everyone does their job
social justice: wealth, jobs, and opportunities are given to each person equally

Private Property

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-07 12:39:37 UTC

Mr. Birling is a factory owner in Brumley who will do whatever he wants with his business. No one can tell Mr. Birling what he can do and what he can not do. He believes that he should have full control of his own workplace and industry and the government should not intervene. Throughout the play, he refers to himself "as a hard-headed business man, who has to take risks and know what he's about" (pp 6). He loves being able to run the industry himself and believes that others should take initiative in their own lives to run their own businesses.

Limited Role of Government

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-07 12:41:30 UTC

In capitalism there is a limited role of government which means the government should stay out of citizens businesses and lives unless they become a threat. Before Mr. Birling owned his own factory, he was an employee in another business. He said that "they worked us (employees) hard" and kept them "short of cash" because the government used to take large sums of their paycheck (pp 8). Mr. Birling never believed in the government gaining money for the hard work he was doing because, in his mind, he deserved that money. He likes talking about war because he believed it would never happen, which is ironic because two years later the world went into war. He says that "nobody wants war" and when people say "war is inevitable" he says "fiddlesticks" (pp 6) which highlights his capitalistic beliefs in the 1920s. He did not believe the government should or would go into war because there is no reason to do so when no one wants to be in war.

Self-Interest

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-07 12:42:14 UTC

Mr. Birling strongly believes in every man for themselves. He believes that what one gains and achieves is solely based on what one does himself. He believes that man "has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own" rather than living for the good of the country or others (8). To him, every man has to make his own way in society and if they don't, it is their fault for not working hard enough. When talking to his son, he tells him that it is about time he "learnt to face a few responsibilities" because if he does not he will not be able to succeed in life (15). Birling makes sure to make his own decisions that benefit himself even if it is going to hurt or damage someone else.

Competition

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-07 12:48:16 UTC

Competition is all about being profit oriented and everything is based on a profit motive. Mr. Birling frequently talks about money and ways to get his business more and more money. For example, his employees wanted "the rates raised" so they could make "about twenty-five shillings a week" and he "refused, of course" because that would mean his company has to lose more money (13). Furthermore, Gerald Croft, the son of a competing business, is marrying Birling's daughter and, even though he is happy for his daughter, he wants to make it into business. He hopes that Crofts and Birlings are "no longer competing but are working together-for lower cost and higher prices" (4). Even during one of the happiest times of his daughter's life, he is still motivated by the idea of a higher profit.

Altruism

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-07 12:57:08 UTC

One of the main aspects of Socialism is altruism: believing in the good of others. The Inspector believed the death of Eva Smith should be taken seriously and the Birling family should feel remorse for what they had done. When he initially talked to Mr. Birling, who said he had fired Eva months ago, he did not agree with his decision to fire her because he did not see "why she should have been sacked" because she wanted a raise, the Inspector would just "have let her stay" (15). Eva did no harm to the business or to Mr. Birling, if anything she was standing up for herself, with this said, Mr. Birling still decided to fire her. This did not sit right with the Inspector because she did nothing wrong and it may have been the reason she died. In the final moments of the Inspector's presence he says,

"We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they well be taught it in fire" (50)

This quote highlights his belief that taking responsibility and doing one's duty to another is very important, however if this is not understood nothing good will happen. Altruism carries socialist beliefs and the Inspector is an altruist.

Cooperation

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-07 12:57:15 UTC

In socialism, one should fulfill their duties and work for the good of the group. When the Inspector reveals the entire situation to each individual, they all are feeling some form of guilt, but yet, they blame each other instead of fully accepting their part in the death of Eva Smith. Before the Inspector leaves, he wants the family to "be able to divide the responsibility" once he leaves their home (49). Basically, he tells them they all must pull their weight because they all had some kind of involvement in events of the last few months of this woman's life.

Social Justice

amanda_reed1 — 2024-05-07 12:57:24 UTC

Social justice is when everyone is treated as equal no matter their class, ethnicity, or gender. The Inspector does not care if the Birlings and Crofts are higher class, they did a wrong and must be given consequences for that wrong. One of his most famous quotes is that "we don't live alone. we are members of one body" because everything people do, people do as a whole (49). He wants the family to understand that just because they have money, it does not mean they are above the law. They are going to be treated the same way the lower classes are treated because fairness is equality.

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