Priestley sets the play in 1912, with a patriarchal society to present the women as powerless due to the dominant patriarchal power of men and all women regardless of societal class are abused by the patriarchal power, like Sheila. He also critiques capitalism, another powerful force that exploits and ruin the lives of women and steal their emancipation. He promotes the contemporary audience to vote for a socialist government to build a welfare state to make sure women are not continuously exploited in the future and move away from the 2 dangerous forces that ruin the lives of women, capitalism and patriarchal beliefs. In Act 1, Sheila hints at Gerald being unfaithful to her when she says ' when you never cam near me' last summer. Sheila does not directly accuse Gerald which indicates the imbalanced gender dynamics and the precarious position of women in Edwardian society. She questions him in a socially acceptable way and avoids direct confrontation, highlighting her powerlessness and the dependence on securing marriage within a patriarchal society. Priestley's purpose here is to highlight the lack of education and independence given to women in this Edwardian society that their only chance of independence is through marriage. He critiques the archetype of downplay of women in 1912 and suggests that the contemporary audience should move away from this. Mrs Birling advises Sheila that 'men have important work to do' and women like us 'have to get used to that', It is a clear articulation of patriarchal expectations and the societal conditioning of women. Women have to sacrifice their emancipation and become subservient to their scrupulous decisions. Mrs Birling expects Sheila to understand this as natural and a necessary aspect of marriage just like herself. The phrase 'just as I had' reveals potential unhappiness and unspoken compromises with Mrs Birling's marriage. It hints at Mrs Birling also had to face similar behavior from Mr Birling. It implies that patriarchal norms can lead to emotional repression and inequality within families. Priestley uses Mrs Birling statement to critique the patriarchal structures that disadvantage women and normalize male dominance within marriage. It reinforces his belief of the unbalanced power dynamic and women are not even considered as equals in a patriarchal society. Women are not only dismissed and are expected to be subservient due to a patriarchal society, women are also exploited and their lives are ruined by capitalist men. Eric, a spoiled drunk 'chap' tells that he 'was in a state where a chap turn nasty'. It implies that Eric is trying to downplay this horrific exploitation of a women by attempting to explain his forceful behavior was due to a state of intoxication and it is seen as a casual tendency among men. Priestley critiques the abuse of patriarchal power of men and the rationalization of harmful behavior. He uses Eric as a construct to symbolize the men of Edwardian society and their exploitations of women, like Eva, and the ruining of their lives. He critiques the male entitlement and advocates for a fairer society with emancipation for women. Eric's exploitation of women also presents the ides of women are not given any education and their value depends solely on their class and their looks. It could be interpreted as the patriarchal entitlement to men allowed Eric and Gerald to use Eva for sex because she looked good and the arrogance that society would not question them as it was common. Priestley critiques this as he believes that the society should move away from the capitalist and patriarchal behavior by men and they should give women a equal voice. It serves as a warning to not regress back to the 1912 torture and we should improve society to be fairer to women. The Inspector warns the Birlings that 'millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths' are exploited by the upper class and ruining their lives, Eva committing suicide serves as a construct and Priestley uses her tragedy to show the prominent effect of the patriarchal power of men through Gerald and Eric and the capitalist exploitation for pure profit by Mr Birling to criticize and highlight the horrific behavior of upper class man which led to her suicide. Her violent death conveys how terrible and inhuman the actions by the upper class men and this behavior is also directed to other women which is not questioned in an Edwardian society. Priestley critiques the exploitation and wants the contemporary audience to vote for a socialist government as the audience was majoritively females. Through presenting Sheila and Eva, the women in the play, as exploited, it resonates with the audience and pushes them to take initiative and vote for a socialist government to allow emancipation for females. He does this as Eva's death is not enough to evoke initiative and only conveys sympathy. Combined the exploitation of women regardless of societal class advocates Priestley's idea of escaping the patriarchal discrimination and capitalist exploitation of women and build an equal society. At the ending of the play, in Act 3, Gerald ask Sheila 'what about the ring'. Priestley highlights the powerlessness of women in 1912 through Sheila's response 'no not yet' . It could imply that Sheila has learnt the Inspector's lesson is open to change, but she is hesitant as a women cannot independent make decisions unless she is married into a high status family. It could also imply that is is not going to marry him and change her views and not become subservient to a male dominant patriarchal relationship. Priestly uses this ambiguous ending to challenge his audience to consider whether superficial resolutions can truly address deeper moral issues. It makes the contemporary audience question whether Sheila would succumb to societal pressures, despite her learnings and development in moral conscience. In conclusion, Priestley warns the Edwardian society through a didactic play, to move away from a patriarchal and capitalist society to prevent the continuous exploitation of women and highlights the problems for women, such as powerlessness and emotional disregard. He warns the society and warns the contemporary audience to vote for a socialist government to build a welfare state so women are not exploited and are valued more than just their looks.