Within this play the stage directions have an important role as they show the house of the Birling’s to be in suburbs showing it’s in a middle class area and that it “belongs to a prosperous manufacturer”. Also it seems to be showing the members of the family to be very pleased with themselves and happy, like Sheila “is a very pretty girl and happy with life” but later it is shown that she is not so happy.
There are other relevant areas which may not be recognized by the audience like the significance of the ringing of the door bell at that particular time right in the middle of Mr Birling speech in which he was explaining that “a man has to make his own way” and he also said that “its as if everybody had to look after everybody else as if we are all mixed up in a beehive and all that nonsense”. At this time I can perfectly imagine the audience would be thinking what a load of nonsense after the world wars every on was in a tight knit community in which every body was looking after every body else but I am not sure that all of the audience would understand the significance when the door bell rings straight into his speech which kind of cuts Mr Birling up like its as if the person at the door knew what he was saying and couldn’t bear to listen on, this gives an early impression to me and the audience of what may be coming next.
My interpretation of what the audience may feel about Mr Birling and his speeches is a person who is selfish and has no respect for others and seems to be too wrapped up in his own world to be bothered to even care about anyone else. Then comes his very confident speeches which for tell the future for the Birling’s which is to be very bright and is found to be a “very good time to be marrying” it is shown that Mr Birling has an answer for everything he has the solutions for all epidemics that may occur in the future “You’ll hear some people say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say-fiddle sticks!” here is moment when I can perfectly imagine the audience being dumbfounded because they just lived through two world wars and this man doesn’t have a clue he speaks of himself as a “hard headed business man, who has to take risks and know what he’s about”. This to me may show the audience how far they have come and what has now changed because it may seem that the barriers between society have been broken after the wars and Mr Birling philosophy is no longer being preached as everyone did believe in being a in a community where “everybody has to look after every body else like bees in a hive”.
The initial impression that the audience may find of the inspector may be a mysterious presence due to the fact his name Goole seems abnormal and gives a connotation of ghost or a spirit which may give the inclination that he’s from the future along with the fact that he knows everything about the Birling’s and he can manipulate them into admitting to the truth and it seemed to be him that moved the conversation along while not being intimated by any position or status of Mr birling which may be very weird for a man in Mr Birling’s position because all men in Mr birling position expect respect from everybody even the police but the inspector showed no sign of fear from Mr birling or any sign of intimidation. As well as this the inspector sometimes forcefully spoke to Mr birling “I don’t like that tone” and replying to this the inspector says “but you asked me a question” this would show to the audience that the inspector simply does not like Mr birling so he should not need to show any consideration towards people who think to much of them selves. Also it is stated by Mr birling that the manor of speaking of the inspector is very abnormal “I mean they don’t talk like that. I’ve had dealing s with dozens of them.”
The methods the inspector uses appear to be peculiar and different in that time as he is very abrupt and he controls the conversation he moves it along and stop it when every wants it seems to be his main aim to torment the family and make them feel guilty about the loss of life they have caused. The way the characters are manipulated is very clever as they are digging the grave for each other like Mrs Birling is telling the inspector that “I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have he should be made an example of. If the girl’s death is due to anybody than it should be due to him.” But she didn’t know it was her own son who was this man, this very cleverly done by the inspector made the mother drop her own son in it and tolled the inspector what should be done about him. The inspector makes the characters admit and confess that they’ve played a part in the death of Eva Smith.
When Gerald finds that the inspector is an imposter and a fake every think just turns around Mr and Mrs Birling and Gerald act like nothing has happened this would create great emotion and empathy towards Eric and Sheila but great anger towards the rest as a person has died all they can think about I the “public scandal”. It may not have seemed to be true that she died but it was proven that they all played a part which could break someone down so badly but this to these upper class people meant nothing. Now the audience would be able to sympathise with Eric and Sheila as they know that they have a learnt a lesson but it was a total waste of time for the rest of them. They think of them selves so happy that Mr Birling thinks everything can “go back to normal” that Sheila will marry Gerald although ten minutes ago they were groveling, Mr Birling was saying “ I would give thousands yes, thousand’s .” They all turn to Eric blaming him for it all when they all played a part but Mr birling is quick to clear his and his wife’s name from the scandal “there’s every excuse for what you’re mother and I did-it all turned out unfortunately that’s all”. The problem for Mr birling after the inspector leaves is the “public scandal” and not getting his night hood not the fact that a girl has died in the balance the anger from the audience would all come towards the hard headed business man who has just practically killed a girl but blames everyone so he can clear his own name this shows this man is no man but rather more a coward. The effect on Sheila is still the same as she questions “it doesn’t matter now of course but was he really an inspector” then replying to the question Mr birling says “well if he wasn’t then it makes all the difference” this shows to the audience the difference in characters between Sheila and Mr birling as the audience would know that Sheila has learnt a lesson out of it all but it all means nothing to Mr birling. And to back up Sheila’s argument Eric agrees “no, Sheila’s right. It doesn’t”. Mrs Birling thinks she was the only one who didn’t confess “he certainly didn’t make me confess” although throughout her speeches this seems to be very contradictory the whole atmosphere had changed when everything began to be questioned and the audience would feel that they are all in it and its total mess this would be the dramatic irony that the audience could tell what the problem was and who was to blame but the characters rested the blame on each other not on them selves. The audience would be sympathizing with Eric and Sheila as it is proven that a lesson has been learnt from their part but there would be more anger towards the rest of them as nothing has been learnt.
The audience would feel most empathy towards the character Eva Smith especially near the end of act 2 in which the inspector summarizes all the events which seems to torture the characters especially Sheila “no no not that again I’ve imagined it enough already” this section pulls out all the problems that the Birling family caused to this girl and tries to make them all feel very guilty this also makes the audience hate the family even more for what they have done. I believe initially part of the audience would have felt that the Birling’s have learnt their lesson thinking no one could pass a thought like that by, but later in the play it shows that they can. The initial view point of Sheila would incorporate a spoilt girl who comes from a rich family although views from the audience may change for her as she upset about what has occurred but the others leave the thought like water under a bridge so in this part of the play there is more sympathy growing towards Sheila as well as Eva.
The initial connotation of play called “An Inspector Calls” is not what is anticipated due to the fact that this play takes into depth the matters and problem of society and poverty this play grabs the attention of the audience while teaching them a valuable lesson that society means nothing and “every body has to look after every body”. The play is also cleverly created in the fact that the inspector isn’t just an inspector, he gives the impression in the end of a some sort of time traveler or a spirit who is sent on behalf of the dead women to torment the people who played parts in slowly killing her. This ad’s to a brilliant twist at the end which literally pulls the house of the birling family down, because once they think they’re in the clear their dropped right back in it again the remarkable twist incorporates a great deal of suspicion to who on earth this inspector character is and what did he represent. The way J.B. Priestly creates suspense seems great in the way that he deals through the life of Eva Smith going throughout each character in the household making them feel guilty and horrible playing and toying with their minds because he already knows all the details and receives a confession every time but later some characters realize this “why-you fool- he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see”
Also I find it brilliant in the way that he jumps from each character to the next reading Eva Smith’s life story in order and telling what would be the build up for her to commit suicide right in the place where it all started in the infirmary and the way that every thing is timed as soon as the Inspector has finished questioning Mrs Birling the last words of Mrs Birling in act 2 were “Certainly I consider it you’re duty. And now no doubt you would like to say good night” this was after Mrs. Birling tolled to the inspector what should be done about this case and that the father of the child should be held responsible “dealt with severely” and “make sure he’s compelled to confess in public”. This to the audience would give the idea that the inspector would stereotypically go to the next suspect in the case away for the Birling’s or some of the audience may have already been putting two and two together and realizing who is to blame. But then Mrs birling says “I consider you to do you’re duty and now no doubt you would like to say good night” then the inspector replies very unexpectedly “not yet I’m waiting” he after being questioned for why he is waiting his answer is “waiting to do my duty” quoted from Mrs Birling’s earlier speech this is when I can imagine the suspense and tension in the audience begins to build up until they find that the accused is Mrs Birling's own son.
I believe the ending would matter a huge amount to the audience as it adds a totally different twists which derives from anything humanly possible this also may give the audience an inclination of a whole different story which could incorporates a totally different split genre from what is connoted from the majority of the play. For example half of it is a normal stereotypical play of an inspector with an investigation to carry out, to a very suspicious detective who wants to voice and put forward his non capitalist views to a science fiction time traveler. The audience’s initial point of view to why JB Priestly added this twist was to leave some very peculiar unanswered questions like who and what is the inspector. Also I find the ending very relevant as it seems that there was no death at all and at the time the majority of the characters were “jovial” “(jovially) but the whole thing’s different now” although a few minutes later once they get a phone call “they stare guilty and dumbfounded, the curtain falls.” Here the audience may feel glad in the fact that the Birling’s have finally got what was coming to them.
My final conclusion to the play is that JB Priestly simply wanted to tell the audience how far they have come from 1912 and to show the social barriers separating obnoxious upper class and midle class citizens from the lower class people. He tries to add his own views into the inspector showing that he doesn’t like the inspector or what he stands for Mr birling philosophy of life is like the opposite of the inspector because the inspector wants equality for everyone and wants everybody to look after every body else and that you shouldn’t be looking after you’re self and his own because this would have been true for most upper and middle class business men but in 1945 it was different because every one was in the same boat “we are all members of one body”. Also I think JB priestly is trying to make the audience empathies with the main character Eva Smith as she represents the lower class citizens “One Eva smith has gone- but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths John Smiths still left with us” here it is proven that the inspector is trying to teach them a lesson and the fact that the one Eva smith who had died represents the “millions and millions and millions” of lower class deprived citizens still left out their which need the help of every body else. My final point of view is that he achieves his motive where he entices the audience grabs their attention and teaches them a lesson by talking through the inspector to the audience and especially the upper and middle class citizens.
Produced by
Ikhlas Javaid