Priestley wrote An Inspector Calls within a week after the finish of World War II, expressing the urgent need for social change. Like many others, Priestley was a changed man upon his return from fighting in World War I. After witnessing the impoverished and the aristocratic fighting and dying side-by-side, more...
he was horrified to observe the rise of social inequalities after the war. With the onset of another war, Priestley felt the need to speak out on the issue..
Not only will Americans of today relate to the play's call for personal and social accountability, they will delight in the twists and turns of Priestley's plot. The social messages intertwine with the intrigue, much in the way that Dickens and Shaw weave stories of social consciousness into engaging narratives. This makes An Inspector Calls an ideal fit for the holiday season, giving audiences the depth of language and complex issues they have come to expect of Remy Bumppo along with the sheer entertainment of a thrilling mystery.