J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls "An Inspector Calls" is a dramatic play written by J. B. Priestley. The plot is based on a high-class family's involvement in a suicide of a low-class girl named Eva Smith. In this play, Priestley's main aim is to make the audience discover what's behind the mask of the high class, and also to encourage people to take responsibility for their actions. By using mystery, tension and suspense, this play becomes a thriller genre. Priestley wrote in a way that these were at maximum level all the time. As the story unfolds, the audience tries to discover which of the characters are responsible for Eva Smith's death. Just as the audience was getting tired of having discoveries, the whole play is given a violent twist so that this attracts the audience's attention. The length of sentences also reflects the pace of the actions. In the first act, long sentences and speeches are used to show the comfortable mood of the family. Later on, while the disturbance was increasing, the lengths of sentences were relatively decreasing. This caused a discomfort to the audience. The use of repetition in the play is significant. The repeated words are the most important ones in conversations, like "remember" in the speech of Inspector. This repetition brings both annoyance and attention towards the inspector. Also, these two feelings help the thrill to be increased. The setting of the scene is very simple, to make the audience focus on the characters and their actions. There are only one table, a few chairs and a phone that can be seen. The location doesn't change; it's
Criticism in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley "An Inspector Calls" has been called a play of social criticism. What is being criticised. Explain some of the dramatic techniques which Priestley uses to achieve the play's effects. "An Inspector Calls" has been called a play of social criticism as Priestley condemned the many different injustices that existed in the society between the first and second world wars.
and say and do. We don't live alone. We are members of a body. We are
J.B. Priestley's Inspector Calls. An Inspector Calls is a play set in spring 1912. The writer, J. B. Priestly, tries to build up a view of Mr Birling through the set. stage directions and in his speeches.
J. B. Priestly was born in 1894 in Bradford and he died on the 14th of
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about
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 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.
especially for a woman. Even if a woman did get a job they would get
An Inspector Calls is a play with lots of political messages as well as social messages. J. B. Priestley believed in socialism and he used large amounts of his plays to try and convince people to his way of thinking. It was written in a time when Britain was ruled by a Labour government and socialist policies were seen to be a good way to go. It was a common way of thinking at that time so Priestley's aim for the play was to influence the unconvinced in society.
in jeopardy than how he may have driven a young girl down a spiral to
Birlings, as they find out that they have all played a part in a young
the suicide of Eva Smiths death. The aim of the story is to, try to
J.B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls" in 1945 and set it in 1912. These dates are both relevant because he wrote his play in a world emerging from the Second World War, at a time when people were getting nostalgic about pre-world war one. Priestley used his play to try and show people that the idea of a community in 1912 was gradually being washed away by the upper classes and that the world needed to change rather than return to the egotistical society that existed in pre war England.
The story of Eva Smith is a dramatic one. JB Priestley is full of good
was genuine and this allows the audience to almost predict their own ending; how will the family react to the arrival of the real Inspector? Will they acknowledge this as a chance to admit to their mistakes or will they try and conceal their guilt? I thoroughly enjoyed studying An Inspector Calls and have learned a great deal about how society has changed and how moral ideals have evolved over time. I found the play effective although because of the way in which society has developed Priestley's morals may not be applicable to life today. As wealth and power have become increasingly more important socialist feelings of responsibility for one another have been progressively weakened.