An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley The opening scene presents the Birlings upper-middle class family at ease and perfectly contented with their law-abiding lives. It is 1912 and the family are seated at the dining table celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft. However, secrets are to be unfolded concerning the Birlings that will reveal the important message of social responsibility, of which they are lacking. The naïve family is brought to question after the suicide of a young woman and they are forced to face facts they would rather ignore by a mysterious Inspector Goole. Before the Inspector arrives, the family are completely oblivious to the events to come, and ignorant of their own actions. Mr. Birling; the head of the house, seems bumptious as the celebration of his daughter's engagement suggests that he sees it to be economically in his interests. "Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together" (Mr. Birling is an industrialist). "Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time now". Gerald Croft; the son of a business rival of Mr. Birling, appears; at the beginning of the play, to be a respectable, well-bred, upper-class man who is getting married to Sheila Birling. Following the basic storyline, he has a secret that was involved in the death of Eva Smith/Daisy Renton that is uncovered. However, his secret also affects Sheila. Sheila Birling, the elder of the two children and most sincere. Unlike the other members of the family, her character develops when realisation hits her, and she becomes guilty. Eric; Sheila's younger brother, also s... ... middle of paper ... ..., very little body language, and he should hold eye contact with intense stares. He must show that he can't be intimidated as Mr Birling attempts to, almost as they meet. "I was an olderman for years and lord mayor two years ago- and I'm still on the bench!" informing the inspector that he is a public figure and a magistrate, more used to handing out punishment rather than being questioned himself by the police. Mr and Mrs Birling are both angry with the inspector; they are social climbers and believe that they are beyond criticism. Personally, I believe that Mrs Birling is the most to blame for Eva Smiths death. As you can survive changing and loosing jobs, and broken relationships, but Mrs Birling refused her charitable support, which would make the difference to Eva between a new start at life, or death.
The story of Eva Smith is a dramatic one. JB Priestley is full of good
This coursework focuses on how each character contributes to the suicide of a poor girl Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about
... is far more than he seems. He is also a 'mouthpiece' for the writer of
one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm. But the
worked for him and asked for a pay rise and was fired from her job by
or two, or a few German officers have too much to drink and begin to
talks with. He is a man who has come to the Birling's house to do his
especially for a woman. Even if a woman did get a job they would get
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley "An Inspector calls," by J. B. Priestley was written in 1946 and set in 1912. Priestley was a politician and a socialist who believed in equality and equilibrium for all, sex, race and class. Priestley had a long but arduous life, 1894-1984. He lived through both world wars, the unsinkable Titanic sank in 1912, the general strike in 1926, labour government resigning in 1931, and the two destructive atom bombs dropped on Japan in 1945. Priestley deliberately set the play in 1912 because the audience watching the play had to have lived through all of this and would have empathised with him.
and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of a body. We are
Birlings, as they find out that they have all played a part in a young
Eric's admission confirms that Inspector Goole's visit was justified and that valuable lessons were learned. This confirms that Inspector Goole is indeed conveying the social message. He proves to be a powerful force, a catalyst whose skilful and disciplined investigative approach is both instrumental and victorious in initiating positive change in the hearts, the minds and the attitudes of Eric and Sheila and thereby increases our optimism and faith that disadvantaged people will in the future be treated with dignity and respect which was what Priestley always wanted.
Mr Arthur Birling is the man of the house he has his wife Sybil, his
make him a better writer, and he felt that he 'must spend at least the