Themes — Gender, Generational Conflict & Power

Beyond social responsibility and class, An Inspector Calls explores three further themes that are vital for GCSE success: gender, the generational divide, and power. Priestley weaves these themes together to create a play that challenges every aspect of the Edwardian social order.

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Theme 3: Gender

Women in 1912

In the Edwardian period, women occupied a subordinate position in society:

• Women could not vote — the suffragette movement was active but had not yet succeeded (women over 30 gained the vote in 1918; all women over 21 in 1928)
• Married women had limited legal rights over property and finances
• Women were expected to be domestic, passive, and morally pure
• A woman's reputation was her most valuable asset — once lost, it was nearly impossible to recover
• Working-class women had few employment options — factories, shops, domestic service, or prostitution

How Gender Shapes the Play

1. Eva Smith as a victim of patriarchal society

Every man in the play exploits Eva in a way that is shaped by gender: