Topic > Depiction of abuse of authority in Jb Priestley's play: An Inspector Calls

Some individuals possess more authority than others. Having authority is beneficial and makes life more enjoyable, but although it brings so much ease to life, it can easily be abused to cause harm to others. In the play An Inspector Call by JB Priestley, there are three characters who abuse their authority over a weaker character. Eric abuses his physical power, Arthur abuses his economic power, and Sybil abuses her social bonding power over Eva Smith. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay First, it is evident that Eric abuses his physical power over Eva Smith. Eric doesn't love Eva but he's only with Eva to satisfy his desire: I wasn't in love with her or anything, she was a good sport. (Priestley, 49) He sees Eve as a sexual object and not as another human being. He forces himself on her, and takes advantage of her while he is drunk: I was in that state in which a guy easily becomes bad - and I threatened to start a fight. (Priestley, 49) Eric's wrongful act is committed by excessive consumption of alcohol, which takes away his control over himself, thus causing him to make a big mistake. Eric abuses his physical power over Eva, causing her to become pregnant. Secondly, Arthur abuses his economic power over Eva. Even though Arthur is wealthy, he is unwilling to share a small portion of his wealth with those who work hard to run his factory. He rejects their request when they ask for another three shillings: I refused. He said I couldn't consider it. We paid the usual rates, they could go and work elsewhere. It's a free country, I told them. (Priestley, age 12) Arthur cannot care about anything other than money, so he refuses Eva's request for another three shillings and instead fires her for it, even though Eva was one of the hard-working employees. Arthur is a big capitalist who believes he has no responsibility to help anyone, and therefore doesn't consider the situation Eva is in when he fires her. Arthur's abuse of Eva puts her in a desperate situation, bankrupting her financially. Finally, Sybil abuses her power of social connection over Eva. Sybil is the character who leads Eva to commit suicide by rejecting Eva's last cry for help: I ​​didn't like her ways. He used our name flippantly, although he later pretended it was the first one he thought of (Priestley, 42). Sybil comes from an upper class and is even more pompous and arrogant than any other character in the play. She has social ties, which provide her with great authority that can crush and torture someone as weak as Eve. Eva's plea for help in the Brumley Womans Charity Organization is the latest help she asks for as a poor street lady about to go into labour. Eva's explanation to Sybil about her desperate situation does not convince Sybil at all and Sybil refuses. to help her just because she doesn't have Eva's ways, the fact that Eva presents herself as Mrs Birling. As a woman who works in the charity organization, Sybil is supposed to help anyone who asks for help, but she rejects Eva for no apparent reason. It is not a reasonable excuse for Sybil to reject a poor person's request for help, just because the person's manner annoys her. Sybil cares more about her family's name than saving someone's life. Rejection from the charity brings Eva to the point where she can no longer carry on with her life. Like other characters, Sybil also helps lead Eva to her death, but Sybil's responsibility for Eva's death is slightly greater than the others,.