An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

PrologueEva and worker are talking down on a lower floor of the

factory, the walls are a bleak white and the ceiling a dirty cream

with yellowish cream patches where smoke has gathered and rested on

the paint. The floor is a dirty grey and along the edges the floor is

beginning to wear revealing the cold stone underneath. There are worn

tables in rows with tools across them with large machines used for

cutting fabric by each table. In the comer of each table lays a large

sewing machine and sprawled across the table are bits of fabric.

Sittings on shabby worn wooden chairs by the tables are the workers.

They are dressed in skirts and white shirts. They are also wearing

aprons, which again they are a brighter white than the shirts yet they

are not clean.

(Eva throws down her tools and sighs)

Eva: I wish we didn't have to do this same boring old job every day.

Worker: Yes this isn't even well paid, we are told that we get paid

standard factory wages which may be true, but we work twice as hard

and twice as many hours to get the money.

Eva: I know what you mean, I'd love to be able to work normal hours,

and get paid enough to pay the bills and to keep me well fed.

Worker: I know what we will do, tomorrow morning we will get the girls

together and march up to Mr. Birling's office and ask for a raise!

Eva: Oh no, I couldn't cause that much trouble, besides I'm happy with

what I have, I'd hate to lose this job. We have to be thankful for

what we already have.

Worker: Don't be silly. Tomorrow morning we'll get our well-earned

money.

Next Day:

The scene is acted out in Mr...

... middle of paper ...

...de us see Mr. Birling as a cold old man.

In the book we are given the impression that he doesn't care about

people when the inspector says, "Yes, she was in great agony. They did

everything they could for her at the infirmary, but she died. Suicide,

of course." Mr. Birling only replies with, "(rather impatiently) Yes,

yes. Horrid business. But I don't understand why you should come here

inspector-" He can't accept the guilt or the blame, even at the end of

the play he believes the inspector to be a fake and a phoney, he

doesn't seem to understand the moral of the story. Mr. Birling is

ironic in the way that he claims and acts like he is the cleverest and

the "the famous generation who know it all." are inferior. Ironically

it is them that have got it right and have learnt from the ordeal and

they are the better people.