An Inspector Calls - A character study of the characters and how they convey the themes of J.B Priestly.
A character study of the characters and how they convey the themes of J.B Priestly.
Introduction
Historical knowledge
. The titanic sunk in spring 1912, Mr birling was very confident that it was unsinkable and wouldn't believe other wise.
. WW1. The great equaliser, which brought all the different classes back to into one nation and made everyone equal and have the same rights.
(The birling family considered their future bright, were all right look after our own)
The war was said to bring fire blood & anguish in to our lives. WW1 - a lesion of responsibility.
. In the early parts of the 1920's the suffragettes movement fought for equal rights for women and the right to vote equal to men. The all male parliament of this time made it difficult for women to get a work place or a place of power where men where came first.
. The Wall Street crash in 1929 caused major unemployment in the USA and caused a breakdown of profit in the UK. This caused Hugh inflation.
. The Jarrow March happened in 1936 on a desperate attempt to find jobs for the 200 men that took part they where known as the Jarrow marchers.
The socialist government won by a landslide in the 1945 public elections (labour government)
J.B.Priestly main themes
. The inspector represents anyone (i.e. the people)
. Responsibility - the main theme
. The personal responsibility for other people
. Get rid of the class divide
. Give everyone equal rights
. Learn to love fellow human beings
The inspector was less concerned with the legal side of things and more concerned the morality.
The audience's thoughts
The audience would have seen great luxury, in a wealthy family at a celebration in a lavish fashion. It would be obvious to an audience who spent the years of the Second World War without any luxuries.
As this play was written before the welfare state was founded
(Before the socialist won government) and employers had great power over their employees; Priestly was able to understand the impact of this play would have on his audience at that time.
At the end of each act he left the audience at the edge of there seats.
A character study of the main characters
Arthur Birling
Mr Birling is a very portentous character and he like's to get his own way. His narrow 'I'm alright jack' attitude will be his downfall. Birling soon realises the inspector isn't like any other policeman he has met and cannot assume this inspector will take his side
The audience realise almost immediately how arrogant this family is especially Mr Birling with his quote
'The titanic, she sails next week, New York in 5 five days - unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.............you'll be living in a world that will have forgotten all these Capital vs. Labour agitations and all these silly little war scares'
The modern audience familiar with the hardships of war are very receptive to the modern moral (responsibility), which he intended them to take from the play.
When Birling answers the inspector's questions he is often replied with more questions.
Birling: ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
The audience realise almost immediately how arrogant this family is especially Mr Birling with his quote
'The titanic, she sails next week, New York in 5 five days - unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.............you'll be living in a world that will have forgotten all these Capital vs. Labour agitations and all these silly little war scares'
The modern audience familiar with the hardships of war are very receptive to the modern moral (responsibility), which he intended them to take from the play.
When Birling answers the inspector's questions he is often replied with more questions.
Birling: ' They wanted the rates raised so that they could average about 25 shillings a
Week!'
Inspector: 'why'
During the time this play was written there was a lot of social unrest 'the poor getting
poorer and the rich getting richer'. The audience would consider Birling to be out of touch with everyday life. Seeing the family about him becoming more deeply involved, they are almost out of reach, so he is panicking more about them than his own failings. At the same time he is staring to segregate his family, by aiming his anger at them,
'You don't seem to care about anything, but I care I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List'
Sheila Birling
Sheila is portrayed as a young spoilt woman who through her own weakness (envy) helped to destroy Eva Smiths life. The Inspector's massive and strange personality quickly convinced Sheila he knew everything and that there was no escape. Leaving her feeling guilty and tearful.
'It didn't seem to be anything at the time. Don't you understand? And if I could help her I would...'
This progression from naïve innocence to mature understanding is clearly conveyed to the audience so that the contrast between Sheila and her parents could be fully appreciated.
'I behaved badly too, I know I did, I'm ashamed of it....
Sheila 's comment
'We hardly told him anything he didn't know, did you notice that?'
Would have had the audience wondering if inspector was a hoax or not and was J B Priestly intending the name 'Goole' (a ghoul being a evil imaginary being) to deliberately provoke more mystery into the character. It would seem she was the only person to respond to her responsibilities and not be totally wrapped up in her own life. Closely followed by her brother.
Gerald Croft
Gerald is an easy going well bred young man who is enjoying life. At his regular visit to the place variety theatre this is where he 'rescues Daisy Renton' who then becomes his mistress.
The inspector soon disrupts his easy manner.
The way Croft cast's off Daisy Renton / Eva Smith shows him to be shallow and thoughtless even though he comes off as having some compassion, therefore the 'best of the worst' characters in the play
'I didn't ask her for anything in return.'
Perhaps Croft was the only one to believe this, the audience would plainly see a man lead Eva / Daisy astray, worth little sympathy from him.
There seems to be a strong class divide. Which Priestly would push to change. His wealth clearly gave him an ideal life and suited him. To agree with Birling comments; just for a peaceful life.
' Hear Hear my father would agree to that!'
His feelings for Eva were initially to help her situation but his life style would find the situation 'stiffening' in a short time. Forgetting her as quickly as she came into his life.
Eric Birling
Eric is portrayed as half shy, half assertive and also seen to me sulky when he doesn't get his own way. He reveals
He is the father of Eva's child he did not feel he should take most of the blame. He seems out of his depth.
' I was in a hell of a state about it'
Eric drinks far too much and his parents haven't noticed and he gets angry with Sheila when she says he's squally. He's not very forceful and when he disagrees with his father he backs off, showing his father is still in charge. He wanted to say more in reply to his father comment about the war, but was abruptly cut off.
Eric: ' yes I know-but still...'
Birling: 'just let me finish...'
J.B. Priestly gives Eric a double life, when he's drunk he is abusive and loud, behaving out of character. He threw his weight around when he met Eva Smith, but later he met her sober and realised she liked him anyway. He wasn't in love with her but liked her.
'No, she didn't want me to marry her - said I didn't love her'
The audience will see a young man whose character strengthens before their eyes. He accepts his part in Eva's death, but refuses to break down in front of his mother and father.
' You don't understand anything, you never did, and you never even tried...'
Sybil Birling
J.B priestly put many characters into this person. She rules her family from behind the scenes, has very little warmth for anyone and takes no responsibility for anything outside her narrow life. If she hears something she doesn't like she cuts into the person saying it.
'I must say, we are learning something to night'
The audience find it hard to like anything about her of course she can be pleasant when it suits her, on the occasion of the engagement party was generally enjoying her self.
'Our congratulations and very best wishes (smiling)'
In this play Miss birling is probably the most disliked character because she's trying to be somebody she's not a caring charitable woman who in many ways shows as much concern for her own family as her attitude to the 'lower classes
Showing no remorse at all over the Eva smith, until near the end of the play, she then quickly forgets it when there's a chance the inspector wasn't for real. The audience want to see her cave in to the inspector, and her pride too.
Eva Smith / Daisy Renton
Although Eva Smith is one woman, she is representing all women of her class and social environment. J.B priestly wanted to do away with class and show how much we need each other. Eva Smith case was a close up of any woman in poverty at this time.
Eva is described as a rather present and pretty young girl, whom the Birlings or Crofts either felt jealousy or abused her, Eva didn't do anything abruptly wrong to cause her to get into such a dilemma that she had to commit suicide.
She was a hard working young lady who could just about earn enough money to keep her self-reliance, like many people in that time.
I think all the the odds where against her once she had interacted with a higher class where J.b.Priestly wanted people to know how uneventful and cruel a lower class of life can be against the higher classes and how they don't realise it.
She also had morels (would not accept stolen money even though she was desperate). The inspector pushed the fact that she was a respectable person and he seemed to have sympathy and respect towards her.
Inspector Goole
The inspector I think isn't really a character but more a part of J.B.Preistly because the characteristics he has given the inspector e.g. morals, responsibility, the class divide, love thy neighbour and respect are his by nature. The inspector's massive and strange personality causes the audience to be captivated by his ability to reveal every fact.
By convincing the Birlings that they are selfish and the only way to show them that is to use the story of Eva smith (Daisy Renton) to make them feel guilty and responsible for what they have caused.
The inspector was very clever and said 'there are millions and millions Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us.' This targets many of the upper classes in saying that the lower classes are treated very unfairly and they didn't realise it. He suggests that everyone should be treated fairly and there shouldn't be any class divide and we are all responsible for each.
'If men will not learn that lesson then they will be taught it in fire blood and anguish. Good night.
His dramatic final speech was powerful and memorable, tone of voice, volume and gestures, left the audience with a strong impression of fair play and excellence.
Conclusion
J.B.Preistly's own political values could be brought into his writing and I think he reached the audience's reactions and thoughts would be taken home with them and maybe they would feel guilty for what they might have done in their past too. Priestly reached a greater audience than if he used a political platform to transfer his words across. The play itself is entertaining and exciting. The power this play has on the audience is amazing it really draws you into the Birling family and there involvement with Eva Smith.
Jamie Meikle 11gwe
GCSE course work
