The way they are dressed also shows the class of the Birlings, They’re not wearing diner jackets but wing collars and Sheila and Sybil are wearing smart, comfortable dresses. This implies that the Birlings are trying to show their money and how classy they are.
Gerald is attractive, self confident and classy he has this by inheriting his money of his family whereas the Birlings have made their money by working hard. Eric is half shy, half assertive and well protected by his family, he wants to be like Gerald.
The champagne glasses show there is a celebration of Sheila and Gerald’s engagement but more when Gerald gives Sheila the ring, he doesn’t put it on her finger though, this shows its not a loving relationship. Sheila is really excited about the marriage but for Gerald its more for the business and money. I think Arthur wants the marriage to go on for business as well, he says to Gerald “we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together - for lower costs and higher prices” Gerald agrees to this, so Birling is quid’s in on the marriage as he wants the Birlings and Crofts to join business and make more money.
The Inspector uses the photograph to show the proof of who Eva Smith/Daisy Renton is. The Inspector makes Birling and Sybil feel guilty by showing them the photograph. Sheila doesn’t know who Eva Smith was until she is shown the photograph and realises straight away what she part she played, she cries and runs out of the room. If there was no photograph Birling and Sheila would not of confessed to what happened. I think Priestley does this to show a concern of responsibility to impact on the lower class, which has never happened to the Birlings before.
The doorbell sound effect is a dramatic device, as soon as Birling is saying “that a man has to mind his own business and look after him self and his own - and -” Priestley is emphasising this is a important. The role of the Inspector is to act as a conscience, he is there to show we have responsibilities for others. Also when we know Gerald is involved in the death as his reaction to when the Inspector says that she had changed her name to Daisy Renton. Sheila picks this up when the Inspector leaves the room. Sheila says to Gerald “so that’s where you were last summer” Gerald has nothing to say. Priestley uses dramatic irony as the Inspector is talking to Sheila when he says this, Only Sheila and the audience see Gerald’s reaction to the name. Another sound effect is when the phones goes at the end of the play, Arthur says an Inspector is coming round, this is a bit bizarre.
Priestley wanted the lighting to be “Pink and intimate” so that the audience understands it’s a close family occasion, to celebrate Sheila and Gerald’s engagement. When the inspector arrives the lighting is “brighter and harder” it’s a sense that someone has come in from the outside bringing with him the concerns of the wider society. This indicates that the Birling family cannot just be concerned about themselves as the Inspector will teach them.
When Sheila and Eric exit the room leaving Gerald and Birling to have a chat, Birling wants to tell Gerald in confidence about his potential knighthood. Then the irony of when Arthur says ’as if we’ll be in trouble with the police.” Only Gerald and Birling know that they are in trouble with the police. When Sheila challenges Gerald about Daisy Renton Sheila realises that it has been only them two and the audience knowing about it, the dramatic device is the cliff-hanger holding the audiences attention.
There are many doubts about then Inspector, is he even an inspector, with a name like Goole which could sound and look like ghoul meaning ghost you can understand them having doubts. When the Inspector shows the photograph he could be changing the photograph every time he shows it to a different person. I think this because when he shows it to Sheila he checks around him to see if anyone’s looking then Gerald ask to see and he wouldn’t let him. And the timing of when he rings the doorbell these are all dramatic devices.
I think in Act 1 J.B Priestley uses dramatic devices to convey his concerns about English society to show his concern that we all have a responsibility to consider the effect of our actions on others.
