J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

J.B. Priestley's An 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. The production starts with the

four Birlings and Gerald sitting around a table.

The table is laid out with fine china and champagne. This shows that

Mr Birling is trying very hard to impress Gerald and that they are

having a celebration of some kind. The table has no cloth because the

Birlings are trying to show off their fine furniture. Their maid,

Edna, is replacing these items with cigars, cigarettes and a decanter

of Port. This shows that Mr Birling is wealthy and can afford luxuries

and does not hesitate to show off. In the stage directions we are told

that their room ‘has good solid furniture…but is not cosy and

homelike.’ It has no antique furniture that shows that Mr Birling has

only recently acquired his money and has not inherited any family

heirlooms.

Mr Birling sees himself as a ‘hard-headed businessman’ and ‘I speak a

s a hard-headed practical man of business’ whose opinion is important

and that he is always right. Arthur Birling is very self centred man

and only thinks of what he will get out of events. When his daughter

,Shelia, is getting married the only thing he can think of is how

‘when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but working together

for lower costs and higher prices.’ The only reason he lets Gerald

marry Shelia is that he hopes that their companies may unite and he

may be able to get more money. He also thinks that he is always right

and that he can predict the future. He says that ‘the titanic…and

unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’ this is Ironic as the audience

knows that the titanic sank on its maiden voyage. Also ‘there’s not a

chance of war… Silly little war scares’ again we know that there was a

World war in 1914-1918 and another one in 1939-1945 so again we know