Discuss the role of the Inspector in J.B. Priestley’s play ‘An Inspector Calls.’ What is this characters main function and how effective is he?
‘An Inspector Calls’ was written by J.B. Priestley in 1945, but is set specifically in 1912. The Birlings, an upper-middle class family, are celebrating their daughter’s engagement to a business-rival’s son. Into this scene of celebration comes the Inspector, who is there to investigate the suicide of a young working class woman. In this essay I intend to examine the role of the Inspector in the play, looking at his main functions and how effective he is in his role.
The structure of the play helps to give the entrance of the Inspector greater impact on the audience. We are initially presented with the Birling family before the Inspector arrives, which means we are able to see if and how they are changed by the Inspector, and as one of the Inspectors main roles in the play is to change the attitudes of the Birling family and Gerald this means we are able to see how effective he is in doing this.
The Birling family are very typical of upper-middle class families in 1912. Birling is very dominant as the head of the household, as demonstrated by the way that most of the speech in the opening scene of the play is Birling. He also says (to Mrs. Birling) ‘now then Sybil, you must take a little (port) tonight.’ This shows that he is very much the head of the family, as men would have been in the time when the play is set. The audience at the time when the play was written would have found this high level of male domination rather odd, as it was written in a time when attitudes to women were changing quite rapidly.
At the beginning of the play, Birling expresses very strong views, for ...
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...s questioning on one character at a time, and get the complete truth out of them before he moves on. The other characters find this strange, and Birling demands to see the picture, which shows that they are not used to being treated like this. In 1912 Inspectors would have felt the need to do as the family requested, as the family were so influential, but the Inspector does not seem intimidated by Birling, which he is unaccustomed to.
The Inspector also has the role of showing the negative aspects of the family, and exposing the expense at which their life of luxury and selfishness comes to those around them.
The Inspector also has the role of changing the characters. He does this by confronting them with the consequences of their actions and exposing the expense to others at which their lives of luxury and selfishness come. This is effective on Sheila and Eric
‘ An Inspector Calls ’ is a play written by J Priestley in the year 1945 and but the play was set in the year 1912. The play is set right before World War One, in an upper-class house belonging to the Birlings, a high-status family, whose lives are suddenly affected by the death of a woman called Eva Smith. Throughout the play, there are 4 main themes; social responsibility, social class, and age. In the play, Priestley explores different social classes by presenting views from a range of characters with different social images and backgrounds. Priestley uses many devices such as irony and foreshadowing to
At the start of the play, we are introduced to the Birlings who are no
A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley In the introduction of Act One, we are given a few brief details about
'An Inspector Calls' is a morality play - a form of play developed in the late middle ages in which a Christian moral lesson was brought out through the struggle between the forces of good and evil - set in 1912, and revolves around the questioning of a family by Inspector Goole about the suicide of a young woman (Eva Smith) that the family knew.The author, J.B. Priestley is trying to show us what some people's arrogance and selfishness can cause without them even noticing. Priestley was a socialist, therefore by writing this play he was drawing attention to the bad things about capitalism. The Inspector was intending to teach the Birlings that ?...we have to share something. If there?s nothing else, we?ll have to share our guilt? Act One. By saying this, he is telling them they are all as guilty as each other of the suicide of Eva Smith, this also links to Priestley being a socialist because he is putting the Birlings to shame.
The theme of selfishness is central to An Inspector Calls. Priestley questions the morality of the Birling and Croft
Discuss the presentation of the character Arthur Birling in Act One of ‘An Inspector Calls’.
talks with. He is a man who has come to the Birling's house to do his
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.
A morality play is a medieval play designed to teach the audience right from wrong. JB Priestley uses An Inspector call to convey a moral message, which is that you should not judge people on their class i.e. lower working class/higher class. He also expands the views of socialism within the message; this is all made very clear by the use of dramatic devices. Although it is a morality play it is not in the traditional format. Priestley makes it very clear in what he wants the audience to think is moral and immoral. The play also conveys a strong political message. The play encourages the idea of socialism, a society in which responsibility and community are essential, also a place where the community all work together and are responsible for their actions. This is in contrast with capitalism. JB priestly wrote the play in 1945, but it was set in 1912 just before the war, it was later performed in 1946. The play was written after World War I and World War II, Priestley used this to his advantage, it makes the audience feel awful after what has just happened, the majority of the audience would have either lived through one or both of the wars. This helped Priestley promote socialism against capitalism.
That is probably why Priestley had created Inspector Calls as he had believed we are part of one community and that people should help each other to maintain a thriving community. This especially starts with that Priestley think we should give people from the lower class and women more respect if they were to function as a community, so all inequalities would remain absent. This reflects more on the audience to change and realize that they can also change in themselves and try to reduce the inequalities in their
In the play “An inspector calls” by J.B priestly, Mr Birling and Shelia Birling have contrasting attitudes to social issues. The author uses this to difference to highlight the diversity between generations and their reaction to situations faced. Arthur Birling is the father to Shelia Birling and is presented as the old fashion generation whereas Shelia is the young generation, who is more aware of the responsibility she has towards other people.The play begins with Mr birling and his family celebrating the engagement of Shelia and Gerald. The atmosphere is happy and light-hearted. Before the inspector arrives, Mr Birling is happy with life and himself “It’s one of the happiest nights of my life.” This shows that Mr Birling is quire selfish because he only thinks that it is one of the happiest nights of his life and not of Shelia and Gerald.
The Inspector is never wrong- in any of the situations that occur throughout the play- he is always right, and makes the other characters seem almost stupid if they do not agree with him. ?Don?t start on that. I want to get on?? That reflects off from the writer, Priestley, as being very determined to convey his message across to his audience.
...are lower class or upper class (‘[W]e don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.’). Priestley believed in socialism, he uses the Inspector to express his thoughts about this. This is the main message that he wanted the audience to take away.
The play "An Inspector Calls" was written by J.B Priestley in 1945, when the British people were recovering from over six years of constant warfare and danger. As a result of two world wars, class distinctions were greatly reduced and women had achieved a much higher place in society. It was due to this and a great desire for social change that Labour's Clement Attlee won a landslide victory over the conservative Winston Churchill. He nationalized the gas steel and electrical industries, established the NHS and introduced the Welfare State. The play was set in Brumley, a fictional industrial city, in 1912.The playwright believed passionately in the left wing perspective and his message is overtly political. He uses techniques such as "dramatic irony" and "direct mouthpieces", which define the genre of the play as non-illusory, to impart his left-wing message.