Social and historical context Flashcards
What were parent-child relationship like in 1912 then 1945?
Parents, and British people in general, were customarily more reserved in 1945 than they are today. They were even more reserved in 1912.
Name 4 of the most significant events between when the play is set and when it was written.
Between 1912 and 1945, the Titanic sank, the great depression hit, and Britain had struggled through two world wars.
If you were utterly bankrupt what happened to you? could you claim benefits?
In 1912 you could still be sent to a work house, this stopped by 1945.
Could Eva Smith vote?
Women were still campaigning for suffrage in 1912, but had it by 1945.
What message was Priestley trying to communicate through the play?
Priestley’s play was a call to his audience to believe in his new society as a better way to protect the poor and vulnerable.
What did the Labour party do when they came into power straight after WW2?
The Labour party then created the Nationalised Health Service, gave benefits for those poor who needed it and good housing for all as a basis for a moral society
When was the play first performed on the stage?
The play was first performed in 1946, just after a sweeping Labour election victory
What was life like for factory workers in 1912?
AIC is set in 1912, a time of immense inequality and there were no rights for workers, such as Eva Smith.
