J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

The character Mr Birling in ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B Priestley is a greedy, arrogant and selfish ‘hardheaded businessman’, father of two, Sheila Birling and Eric Birling. Through Mr Birling Priestley shows what upper middle-class men were like in 1912. I believe Priestley set the play in 1912 and first performed it in 1946 because this date represented an era where everything was different. In 1912 there was a strict class system and gender roles, Priestley took the chance the end of the war had given them to create a different, more equal society.

How does JB Priestley present the older and younger generations differently throughout the play ‘An Inspector Calls’ (45 mins)

Throughout the study of JB Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’, it is easy to identify that there are many points in which this text both conforms and subverts to the conventions of the mystery genre. The author explores the archetypal mystery genre through firstly, the dead body and murder of Eva Smith, as well as the clues and motives that are revealed throughout the investigation. This is further followed by the series of intertwining characters, and the inquiry of their involvement in the death. However, this typical mystery text can be contradicted by the fact that this death was not a murder, but a suicide case, changing the expectations to instead of who killed her, but what were the lead up in events to result in Eva killing herself.

In Act One of 'An Inspector Calls' how does J.B. Priestley use dramatic devices to convey his concerns and ideas to the members of the audience, as well as interest and involve them in his play?

“An Inspector Calls” is originally a play by J B Priestley in 1945, and has been represented in a variety of diverse ways, as a book, a play and many films.

the end of the Second World War. The play is set in 1912, just before

‘It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did that matters’. In this essay, I am going to discuss how various characters influenced how and why Eric changed over the course of J.B. Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’. He loses all respect for his parents, and they stop respecting him. This contrasts to Shelia and Eric, who end up mutually respecting each other by the end of the play. Eric is also the character who learns the most from Inspector Goole’s investigation, as evidenced by his regret towards Eva’s suicide.

At the beginning of the play `An Inspector Calls’, Sheila Birling is presented as an Edwardian woman with not much power but being the daughter of a prosperous and hard headed businessman gives her a little power in the society.

Sheila is the most influential and pivotal character of the play “An Inspector Calls”. Sheila shows how and to what degree a person or people in society can change and how it can affect people around each other and the world.

In this essay I am going to be exploring the role and function Priestly gives the inspector in “An Inspector Calls“. I am going to break down his role in the play, explore his effects on the other characters, analyse his stage presence, show his intention in coming to the Birling household and also how Priestly utilises the inspector’s personal qualities. I am also going to express whether I think, in the play, the inspector is supposed to be a real person or something other.

The play ‘An Inspector Calls’ was written in 1945, by J.B. Priestley, yet set in 1912. At this time, society was mainly capitalist with industry and agriculture owned privately. Wealth is not evenly shared and there is a distinct divide between upper and lower class people. The play is set around a wealthy, upper-middle class family, headed by Arthur Birling a factory owner. In the beginning of the play, we see the family celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald, the son of Lord and Lady Croft. This is well supported by Mr Birling who sees this marriage as a business deal, a time where his company and the Crofts would be able to merge, benefiting the Birling’s greatly. However, we see a drastic mood change when Inspector Goole arrives, bringing news of the suicide of Eva Smith.

“An Inspector Calls” is a play written by J.B. Priestly in 1945. The play, which is set in 1912, illustrates the vast status difference in society at the time. Priestly wanted to show to the audience a more dramatic look at the relationship between the wealthy and the poor.

An Inspector Calls was written in 1945 the year the second world war ended but set shortly before the first world war in 1912 because he wanted to show the class divide before the war and the arrogance that the upper class or upper middle in Mr Birling’s case had and to try to stop us from going down that path again like the Inspector did with Eric and Sheila. Priestley uses the play to show others his socialist views and how he wants everyone to work together and look out for one another. Priestley opens the play in the Birling’s dining room “dessert plates and champagne glasses, ect.., and then replacing them with decanter of port, cigar box and cigarettes” many of the things on the table such as the champagne glasses and the port shows that the Birling’s must have been wealthy as they wouldn’t have been able to afford it all without being rich.

An inspector calls is a play which is used as a warning illustrates the clear division between higher and lower class but also between the two different generations. When we are first introduced to Mr Birling and Eric it is apparent that neither of them enjoy each others company and that they do not sustain a healthy father son relationship. Both character have different priorities as Mr Birling chooses business and welfare over his son, whilst Eric chooses drinking over socialising with his family. Mr Birling, a very conceited man, illustrates the greed of wealth and reputation in the higher class society, so much so that he pushed his son away to allow his future son-in-law Gerald to take main priority.

The inspector is not self-centred and we know little about his personal self, in contrast again to Birling’s ‘dominance’ of dialogue in Act 1 and use of the pronoun ‘I’ – the inspector is interested in social justice and finding a solution to the problem. He is deliberately designed to be a foil for Birling as he is less egotistical and more concerned about Eva Smiths death, showing a caring attitude which is at odds with the birlings selfishness and portrays Birling as a villain, for his lack of remorse.