Context- an Inspector Calls

By 1912, the First World War was about to commence in two years. The British society was an unjust one, one where there were strong distinctions between the upper and lower classes, which has been reduced massively since. There was gender inequality as women were seen to be subservient to men, with all their role in society was to get married, have kids and poor women were seen as “cheap labour”, which, again changed since. The aristocratic class, or ruling class, were quite happy with the way life went on, saw nothing wrong with it, and thought there was no need to challenge the status quo.
The 1900’s and early 1910’s were known as the Edwardian period, as this was the time of the reign of King Edward the 7th. Although he died in 1910, the era is sometimes extended, as to include major world events: the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the start of WW1, or even the end of the war and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.
The Parliament Act of 1911 led to the reduction in power of the peers, which resulted from the conflict over the British Prime Minister’s, David Lloyd George, decision to introduce several unexpected taxes on the wealthy in Britain. This resulted in a change of Parliament through new parliamentary elections. Obviously, there were many people who did not support the act due to a reduction in benefits.
The British class system was rigid; as a change in the environment was created due to an increase in social mobility. There was an increasing interest in socialism, attention to the poor and the status of women. Industrialization also was growing rapidly and these changes were catalyzed by the start of WW1.