Priestley constructs Gerald and Eric as a microcosm of the upper class men, to criticise the upper-class men who exploit women in a patriarchal society. He also constructs Mr and Mrs Birling, representing the upper class, as dismissive and ignorant towards Eva and Edna who symbolise the working class in 1912. Finally, through Priestley's proxy – the Inspector, Priestley suggests how social class goes against Christianity, therefore encouraging his predominantly Christian audience to go against social class and vote for the Labour Party in 1945 to eliminate social class and capitalism. Priestley employs Mr Birling as a construct to show the stupidity of the upper class men by using dramatic irony. Mr Birling says 1912 is "a time of steadily increasing prosperity" which the 1945 audience know was not true as there was great depression in 1929 which caused low prosperity. He also says "there isn't a chance of war" because "aeroplanes" and "ships" will "make war impossible". This dramatic irony further emphasises his stupidity as the 1945 audience know this very advance in planes and ships is what made world wars possible. He also says how "Titanic" is "unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable." Priestley carefully stages the play in April of 1912 so the 1945 audience knows that two weeks after, the Titanic would sink, this and the repetition of "unsinkable" further highlights just the arrogant upper class men's stupidity. The Titanic could symbolise class system in the Edwardian era as the Titanic is physically divided into classes. When Titanic sinks, passengers from different class were either dead or all on the same lifeboat, implying that "Titanic" serves as the wall between the division of classes. Perhaps Priestley constructs the Inspector as his proxy to 'sink' the upper class who believes they are "unsinkable", creating a more equal society where there is no social class divide. Alternatively, Priestley could be asking the audience to be the "iceberg" that sinks capitalism and class system, sybolised by the Titanic, by voting for the Labour Party in the general election in 1945. The Titanic could also sykbolise the British manufacturing industry, which seemed "unsinkable" in 1870 and has been 'sunk' by 1945. Priestley could have done this to teach his contemporary audience that they too have the power to 'sink' social class and capitalism, even if they seem "unsinkable" now. Futhermore, Priestley criticises upper-class men who exploit working-class women through the construction of Eric exploiting Eva. Priestley describes Eric as saying that he was "in that state when a chap easily turns nasty" when he was sexually asasaulting Eva. The use of "that" instead of "a" implies how this "state" of upper-class men sexually assaulting working-class women was common to all men in the Edwardian era. THe use of "a chap" instead of the personal prononun "I" implies Eric is distancing himself from his responsibility, as if all chaps are like him. Priestley may be criticising the upper-class men who not only exploit working-class women, but also, take no responsibilities for their actions. This is reinforced by "that's when it happened." The verb "it" shows how Eric avoids naming the sexual assault. Priestley may be suggesting how upper-class men know it is wrong to exploit working-class women but still exploit women and escape their responsibility, abusing their power in a patriarchal society. Priestley also constructs Eric to "hate these fat old tarts" in the "palace bar" showing how upper-class men does not respect women and see women as their commodities and properties. This is reinforced when Eric says he "wasn't in love with her" and he only sexually assaluts her as "she was pretty and a good sport". The noun "sport" implies how Eric sees the working-class women as his entertainment, just like people watching sport games for entertainment, dehumanizing the working class. A "sport" game also does not last more than a few hours, suggesting that Eric uses Eva for sex and abandons her once she fulfilled his purpose. Priestley may have done this to criticize the objectification of women by the upper-class men in a patriarchal society, to teach his 1945 audience the damaging effect of the exploitation of working-class women, as this leads to Eva's death, and to invite his audience to dissociate with the upper classes who exploits the working classes. Moreover, Priestley constructs Mrs. Birling through the construction of Mr. and Mrs. Birling, who represent the upper class. Priestley exposes the others dismissive and ignorant attitudes of the upper classes towards the working class. Edna who is a working class woman is a working-class victim of represents.In Act 1, Moreover, In Act 1, Priestley constructs Edna as a victim of the social class system and the dismissive and ignorant attitudes of Mr Birling to criticise the social class system and the ignorance and lack of respect to the working classes of the upper classes in the Edwardian capitalist society. When Priestley introduces the characters, Edna is last to be mentioned. Priestley describes "the four Birlings and Gerald are seated" and then at last describes "Edna the parlourmaid". Priestley immediately establishes that she is not of any importance in the eyes of the Birlings and Gerald, who represent the upper classes. Priestley emphasises this by describing her as "the parlourmaid," suggesting she is only seen as her profession. Priestley would be exposing how the upper classes almost do not treat Edna as a human who has a personality, instead they use the working classes for their own purpose, just like the Birlings uses Edna to be their maid, Eric treats Eva as his entertainment, and Mr Birling treats Eva as a tool for making profit for his business. Edna also calls Mr Birling "sir." The repetition of repeated use of "sir" highlights how stark the class divide was in the Edwardian era. Mr Birling is also abrupt with Edna and speaks to her in fragments, saying "I don't know him," implying how he wants to quickly end the conversation so he can get back to his own pleasant evening. He also tells Edna to "show him in here. Give us some more light." The imperative verbs "show" and "give" highlights Mr Birling's and by extension the upper classes' lack of respect and care of Edna, and by extension the working classes. Finally, through Priestley's proxy - the Inspector, Priestley presents how social class divide is anti-Christian. During the Inspector's final speech, he says "We are members of one body." This metaphor implies when one member of society is affected it affects the entire community, which is a socialist view. The is a deliberate echo of the holy communion. As 80% of the 1945 audience would be regular church goers, this biblical allusion is instantly recognizable. The adjective "one" suggests how there should not be a division in society like a social class divide. By linking this socialist message with the Christian message which even the most anti-socialist and classist capitalists would already accept in Christian teaching, Priestley suggests how capitalism and the social class system is anti-Christianand therefore his predominantly Christian audience should go against the social class system and vote for the Labour Party in the 1945 general election to eliminate capitalism and social class. In conclusion, Priestley constructs Eric as exploiting Eva and viewing her as his commodity to criticize how the upper-class men abuse their power and exploit the working class women. He also constructs Edna and Eva in order to reveal the ignorance of the upper class towards the working classes as if the working classes are just tools for them to use and abandon. Finally, Priestley reveals that the social class systems should not exist according to the Christian teaching and therefore encourages his predominantly Christian audience to go against capitalism and class system by voting for the Labour Party in the 1945 general election.