An inspector calls: Explain the part that each character played in the chain of events which led up to Eva Smith's suicide.
In 1945 J.B. Priestly wrote a play called Inspector calls. The play is set in a fictional town called Brumley and is about an Inspector investigating a suicide of a young woman named Eva smith. The investigation centres at an upper class household which is owned by a wealthy industrialist called Arthur Birling. Priestly uses the Inspector as a device to interrogate each member of the Birling family one at a time; this causes tension and has a massive effect on the play.
The first person to be questioned by the Inspector is Arthur Birling. Arthur Birling is the master of the house and is portrayed as a man who is quite common but tries to sound high-class. Also Birling is what was known as nouvelle riché because he became wealthy quickly through manufacturing because of the industrial revolution which began at the beginning of the 19th century. The play was set in a time where it was better to have inherited money rather than by making the money yourself.
In the play Birling is a selfish person because he always puts himself before others and all he cares about is getting a higher social significance which is one the reasons he wants his daughter to marry Gerald Croft. Also the marriage will be like a business deal and will destroy any change of financial hardship for the Birling family.
Another interesting character trait Birling has is that he is extremely sure of himself constantly and he always thinks he's right; however he is seen as unintelligent in the play because he says things like
'The Titanic - she sails next week...and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.'
Birling's attitude to things like the Titanic is one of the reasons why J.B. Priestly wrote the play in 1945 and set it in 1912. So he could show the outdated attitudes of the day as wrong and short sighted.
When the Inspector arrives at the house Birling tries to befriend the Inspector because he thinks he is more dominant and higher in status than the Inspector. Whilst Birling tires to belittle him, the Inspector refuses to be intimidated and is ignorant and rude to Birling, making the audience believe the Inspector is more powerful than Birling.
Arthur Birling set up the chain of events leading up to Eva Smith's suicide. Birling's role in the death was that he sacked her from a job when she had the cheek to ask for higher wages. Although Birling admits she was a good, hard worker and hadn't caused any problems before this. Birling shows no remorse for what he had done to her throughout the play.
In 1945 J.B. Priestly wrote a play called Inspector calls. The play is set in a fictional town called Brumley and is about an Inspector investigating a suicide of a young woman named Eva smith. The investigation centres at an upper class household which is owned by a wealthy industrialist called Arthur Birling. Priestly uses the Inspector as a device to interrogate each member of the Birling family one at a time; this causes tension and has a massive effect on the play.
The first person to be questioned by the Inspector is Arthur Birling. Arthur Birling is the master of the house and is portrayed as a man who is quite common but tries to sound high-class. Also Birling is what was known as nouvelle riché because he became wealthy quickly through manufacturing because of the industrial revolution which began at the beginning of the 19th century. The play was set in a time where it was better to have inherited money rather than by making the money yourself.
In the play Birling is a selfish person because he always puts himself before others and all he cares about is getting a higher social significance which is one the reasons he wants his daughter to marry Gerald Croft. Also the marriage will be like a business deal and will destroy any change of financial hardship for the Birling family.
Another interesting character trait Birling has is that he is extremely sure of himself constantly and he always thinks he's right; however he is seen as unintelligent in the play because he says things like
'The Titanic - she sails next week...and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.'
Birling's attitude to things like the Titanic is one of the reasons why J.B. Priestly wrote the play in 1945 and set it in 1912. So he could show the outdated attitudes of the day as wrong and short sighted.
When the Inspector arrives at the house Birling tries to befriend the Inspector because he thinks he is more dominant and higher in status than the Inspector. Whilst Birling tires to belittle him, the Inspector refuses to be intimidated and is ignorant and rude to Birling, making the audience believe the Inspector is more powerful than Birling.
Arthur Birling set up the chain of events leading up to Eva Smith's suicide. Birling's role in the death was that he sacked her from a job when she had the cheek to ask for higher wages. Although Birling admits she was a good, hard worker and hadn't caused any problems before this. Birling shows no remorse for what he had done to her throughout the play.
