J.B. Priestley's Use of Dramatic Devices to Convey His Concerns and Ideas in An Inspector Calls
John Boynton Priestly was born in Yorkshire in 1894. He left school at
16 in order to gain life experience and joined the army at the
outbreak of world war one. During his time in the army, he witnessed
much suffering. This heavily influenced his writing to question the
morals and responsibilities of society, which is a main theme in ‘An
Inspector Calls’.
Priestly’s main concerns at the time of writing ‘An Inspector Calls’
was the state of society and social inequality- there was a huge gap
between the rich and the poor. Priestly was also a socialist
(politically left wing) and most of the characters who Priestly is
trying to convey to the audience as bad people are capitalist
(politically right wing). This makes it even easier for him to put
across his ideas as he can give the characters very stereotypical
personalities.
The story opens up with the arrival of Inspector Goole and when he
starts asking the characters questions. However, he is much more than
just an inspector. Priestly uses him to reveal the moral conscience of
the characters and the responsibilities that they have.
The play was first performed in 1945, but it is set in 1912. Priestly
has done this for a reason. It is important that he has done this as
it allows him to use dramatic irony. This is where he can use
something in his play which the audience will know about but the
characters wont. For example, “the Titanic - she sails next week
absolutely unsinkable”. the audience already know that the Titanic
sank, but the characters don’t. This allows Priestly to mak...
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...ill do not know
this. This could also be another example and use of dramatic irony.
Seeing as the above scene is also the end of Act one, it gives the
audience a view of everything that has happened. It explains how
Gerald came to know the dead girl and it also explains Sheila’s views
on the inspector, “he knows. Of course he knows. And i hate to think
how much he knows that we don’t know yet”. This shows that Priestly
intends the inspector to be seen not just as an Inspector, but
something else, someone to reveal moral consciences.
During Act one, the playwright uses many different dramatic devices to
change your opinions of the Birlings. The use of dramatic irony in the
play makes the Birlings often seem even more absurd than they are.
Priestly also uses many different ways to involve the readers in the
plot.
one page 11) this indicates that he is a selfish man and cares for his
she needed more money. So she said to him give me 25/6 because of that
J.B. Priestley's Motives Behind An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1894. His mother
"And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don't need to know any
Examine Priestley's use of dramatic techniques to create tension in the play. Priestly was a socialist writer, and 'An Inspector Calls' is one of the plays in which he tried to display his socialist ideals in. The play was written in the 1940's, a little after the end of the Second World War, and it was first performed in 1946, in Russia, then later in England. Priestly had served in World War 1, and the terrible scenes he saw lead to him having socialist views. He was inspired by other writers whose views he shared, especially George Orwell and H.G.
Priestley's Social Message in An Inspector Calls The play an Inspector Call’s was written at the time of 1945 but is set in 1912. Priestley conveys a lot of social and important messages in this play. He conveys the messages through the character of Inspector Goole. One most important message that Priestley conveys is about Socialism.
JB Priestley’s intent in ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to convey the attitudes of socialism to the minds of the society in the Edwardian Era as he was a passionate believer of the concept. Priestley has attempted this through the employment of ‘Inspector Goole’ in the play. In the play drama is displayed through a variety of methods for the interest of the audience and the communication of personal views from JB Priestley.
Priestley’s Main Aim in An Inspector Calls JB Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ to enhance the message that ‘we don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other’. This is something Priestly felt strongly about and he succeeded in representing his views through the character of the Inspector in the play itself. He wanted to communicate the message that our actions, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, always affect others.
The Inspector, straight form his introduction, is commanding and authoritative. Upon his entrance he creates, “…at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”(PG.11) The Inspector continues to create this impression as he progresses through his speeches and through his interrogation of the family. The Inspector remains confident, sturdy and composed, while people around him crumble and fall to pieces. His ‘solidity’ is proven by the fact he remains on task despite numerous attempts from Birling to digress from the points he is making. The Inspector is told to appear ‘purposeful’; this is shown where he explains to Birling that Birlings way of thinking “Every man must only look out for himself,” is not the case, and all warps of society are interlinked. The view is best illustrated in the Inspectors final speech, where he says, “We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”(p.56). This idea is one that Priestley, himself believed in deeply, and many of Priestleys writing shared this very theme.
How Priestely Uses the Characters in An Inspector Calls to Show Us the Social and Political Situation in England in 1912
Goole. Some the Birling family are used to show how we are not to act
In this section at the end of Act Two we find out that Mrs Birling
family, but it must not be 'cosy’ or homely. The lighting is to be a
The Birlings are holding a party to celebrate their daughter’s engagement with Gerald Croft. The pleasant scene is interrupted when a rather shady looking Inspector gives them a visit, investigating the suicide of a young working-class girl in her middle twenties. Each family member is interrogated and they all find out that they are somehow linked to the girl’s death.
In Act 3 Scene 3 (the scene following on from the one in question) the