An Inspector Calls
The play "An Inspector Calls" was written by J.B Priestley in 1912. Priestley uses the play as an model of what can happen if we are unaware to the feelings of others. Priestley believed strongly in socialism and he used a few of his plays to try and influence people to be Socialist. The audience does not find a great amount out about the Inspector and nothing is clearly told to us; we are given sign from the way he acts and what he says and are forced to piece these jointly to form our own thoughts about his character and his intentions.
"An Inspector Calls" is a play about relatives called the Birling family. They were celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling, when they were enjoying themselves, an inspector comes, and turns the happy night into unhappiness.
Every character gives a first impression, and Sheila is one of them. "Sheila is a pretty young individual in her twenties, satisfied with life and rather excited" My first impressions when I heard Sheila's quote was that she's an juvenile, naïve girl, and she's joyful and enjoying her life.
When Sheila heard about Eva Smith's death, she begins to be gentle, and her character starts to alter. "Oh-how horrible. Was it an accident?" this quote is showing that she starts to be concerned, and she starts asking more questions to know more about the girl maybe she could help. The dash means that she paused, and this shows how shocked she is.
Sheila's reaction to questioning was quite tough, "but these girls aren't cheap labour-they're people" Sheila was defending the girls, she's doing what she believes is correct, and she doesn't agree with what her dad, ...
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When Sheila heard about Eva Smith's death, she begins to be gentle, and her character starts to alter. "Oh-how horrible. Was it an accident?" this quote is showing that she starts to be concerned, and she starts asking more questions to know more about the girl maybe she could help. The dash means that she paused, and this shows how shocked she is.
Sheila's reaction to questioning was quite tough, "but these girls aren't cheap labour-they're people" Sheila was defending the girls, she's doing what she believes is correct, and she doesn't agree with what her dad, Mr Birling, he didn't care about Eva Smith when she wanted to get paid more money so he sacked, he was talking like they weren't human beings, she's saying this like she knows how these people feel.
Sheila begins to feel that the inspector was blaming her and the family, so she got angry and said "what do you mean by saying that? You talk as if we were responsible?" she starts to protect herself and her family, because she cares about them all and she doesn't want any of them to be in trouble.
After the inspector was departed, Sheila was quite puzzled "that's all" she said this like she wanted to be asked more questions, and she's not sure that she did the right thing by saying the truth about what she did to Eva Smith, it's like she expected to be asked more questions or something else happens like get blamed for it and goes to jail, and she feels like she disserves it.
When Sheila heard that inspector Goole was not a real inspector, she said "(bitterly) I suppose we're all nice people now." Bitterly shows that she's being sarcastic, and she didn't mean what she said, she meant the reverse. She said this because when they said the truth about everything it makes them nice people, but it doesn't, and she thought that they all were a nice and a perfect individuals, but her thoughts were wrong after she heard what everyone in her family had done.
Sheila's character changed from a girl who had a perfect life, to a caring girl. She couldn't keep the truth from the inspector because he seems to know it already.
Mrs Birling sounded very classy and unfeeling when I read her first quote "a rather cold woman". Mrs Birling was very calm when the Inspector arrived "My husband has just explained why you're here, and while we'll be glad to tell you anything you want to know, I don't think we can help you much" this quote shows us that Mrs Birling doesn't care about whatever the inspector wants, and she doesn't want to help much, because she knows that she doesn't have anything to do with this girl. She thinks that it was Eva's fault for using her name (Mrs Birling) and she should find the real father of the baby. She didn't want to take any responsibility about Eva.
When the inspector begins to ask Mrs Birling the questions, she answered angrily. "Well, come along-what is it you want to know" this shows that she wants the inspector to ask the questions as fast as possible because she wants him to leave quickly; she's wasting her time for nothing. This suggests that she doesn't care about the poor girl, and she doesn't want to help. She has other stuff to do in the house which is better than this waste of time.
When the Inspector leaves Mrs Birling was ashamed of her son Eric, because of his drinking problem. "(Coming to life) I should think not. Eric, I'm absolutely ashamed of you" Eric has brought shame to the family and she's going to be embarrassed if people will know about it, so she gets angry. This tells us that she loves Eric and he's the youngest, and she didn't expect this to happen from him.
When Mrs Birling hears that Inspector Goole wasn't a real inspector, she was surprised and worried, "I felt it all the time. He never talked like one. He never even looked like one." She didn't know that he's not a real Inspector; if she did she should've said it. She was trying to look like she wasn't fooled by him, like everyone else did.
Mrs Birling's character doesn't seem to change in the play; it stays the same cold woman.
