An Inspector Calls
Task: “An Inspector Calls” by J.B Priestly is sometimes spoken of as a day with a message. What do you think the message is and how does Priestly convey it through the characters and their actions?
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At the beginning of this play, the Birling family are celebrating the engagement of their daughter Shelia Birling to Mr Gerald Croft. Everyone is happy when an inspector calls round to investigate a suicide case. “An Inspector Calls” by J.B Priestly is sometimes spoken of as a play with a message. I think this message is that we are all responsible for our actions because they affect others. We eventually discover that all the characters in the play have something to do with the suicide.
The first impression we get of Mr Birling, even before the inspector arrives is that he seems not to care about others and is more interested in himself he says “a man has to make his own way-has to look after himself”. He likes to lecture people and speak his mind. His initial reaction to Eva Smith’s death is he acts completely unconcerned “yes, yes” and does not seem to care. Mr Birling had fired Eva unfairly from his factory and when he finds out he started off the chain of events that led to the girls death, we are not surprised he feels no guilt. He then feels relief that there will be no scandal when he finds that there is no girl in hospital. He is happy because he may still get his knighthood and acts as if nothing had happened. At the end he shows his views on responsibility - look after yourself and do not care about others. Before the inspector arrives he makes several predications that the audience know are wrong such as when he says the titanic is unsinkable. He also says the possibility of war is impossible. Priestley uses this to persuade the audience his views on responsibility are also wrong.
