Gradually, as the play progresses, the audience interest increases as more and more is revealed about the family’s involvement with Eva Smith. Firstly we learn that Mr. Birling has sacked Eva Smith from his own factory because she asked for more pay. I think Mr. Birling couldn’t care less about Eva, he thought of the situation as strictly business.
“Well, it’s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I’d agreed to this demand for a new rate we’d have added about twelve percent to our labour costs.”
Secondly, Sheila got Eva Smith fired when jealousy arose with in her. This is when Sheila thought Eva was laughing at her at how she looked in an item of clothing. Sheila thought Eva would look much better in the dress than she would, so she complained to the manager and demanded she be fired; because of how well known and of a high-class she was the demand was met by the manager. At first Sheila did not care or realise what she had done but after knowing Eva had died she felt very guilty.
“Yes, that’s it. And I know I’m to blame and I’m desperately sorry but I cant believe- I wont believe- it’s simply my fault that in the end she- she committed suicide. That would be too horrible-
Thirdly, Gerald was involved after having an affair with her and then ending the relationship after he had used her. Gerald felt partly at fault, “She didn’t blame me at all. I wish to god she had now”, said Gerald after finding out she had died.
Fourthly, Eric was one of the worst of all; he had raped her, made her pregnant and also gave Eva stolen money. Eric felt absolutely terrible at what he had done and took full responsibility.
“I don’t see much nonsense about it when a girl goes and kills herself. You lot may be letting yourself out nicely, but I can’t. Nor can mother. We did her in all right.”
Lastly was Mrs. Birling, she was the one who refused to help Eva Smith when she needed the most aid. Mrs. Birling’s organisation rejected Eva even when she was pregnant only because she gave her name as Mrs. Birling (Eric’s wife). Mrs. Birling took least responsibility may be even none as this shows, “Simply because I’ve done nothing wrong- and you know it.”
All the characters had a link with Eva Smith but only some cared. Mr. and Mrs. Birling were only concerned about their reputations and business, on the other hand Eric and Sheila took full blame whilst Gerald was rather neutral, different from all the other characters.
J.B. Priestley also keeps the audience interested and fascinated through the family’s argument about who is most liable to blame for Eva Smith’s death. The audience concludes, like Sheila and Eric that they are all equally responsible for the death of Eva Smith. We see that Mr. and
Mrs. Birling are trying to force the accusations on to their own children, where as they feel; the death was caused by everyone in their family including Gerald.
Eric says, “I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her. The money is not the important thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters. And I still feel the same about it, and that’s why I don’t feel like sitting down and having a nice cosy talk.”
Another reason the play can be described as a “well made” play is because each act ends with a cliffhanger that keeps the audience interest alive. In act one, it ends with Sheila telling Gerald that the inspector knows of his involvement with Eva smith, known as Daisy Renton to Gerald. This leaves the audience animated and itching for what the inspector will say next.
In act two, the audience again is left with a question to be answered. This is when Mrs. Birling realises that Eric is the father of Eva Smith’s only child. All the eyes stare on to Eric; the question would be what would Eric have to say for himself as he enters the room?
Finally, in act three, again the audience are left at the edge of their seats when Mr. Birling announces to his family, that a girl has just died after swallowing some disinfectant and a police inspector is on his way to the house. After all the questioning from an unknown inspector, another inspector is on his way. This is how the play concludes, leaving the audience with unanswered questions. The play ends very dramatically, as the audience leaves the hall they start to imagine all sorts of possible endings and questions like, who was the inspector? Or did the girl really die? Keeping the audience interested in this way has to make ‘An Inspector Calls’ a ‘well made’ play.
Again the audience is curious when the Birling family is questioning the inspector’s true identity. After finding out there is no inspector in the police force named Goole, Mr. and Mrs. Birling start behaving as if everything is back to normal.
“This makes a difference, y’know, infact, it makes all the difference,” said Mrs. Birling after finding out there is no inspector Goole.
“I suppose we’re all nice people now,” says Sheila sarcastically.
We can only speculate who the inspector could be, he could be a relative or a friend maybe even something as unrealistic as guardian angel.
However, I think that inspector Goole is a symbol of the characters conscience because of the many hints given in the play.
Firstly, the inspector arrives just when Mr. Birling is talking to Eric and Gerald about how everyone should look after them selves and no
one else.
“A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”
Secondly, before the inspector arrives at least two people had thought of Eva. The two people were Eric and Gerald. Eric thinks of Eva when he says “I remember…” then stops and Gerald when Sheila accuses him of staying away from her all summer. Gerald knows he was with Eva and he was bound to think of her at that precise moment in time.
The audience is as curious as the characters about whether it was the same girl but we know that even if it was one girl or even more, all the characters had still done something wrong. Sheila and Eric both come to the same conclusion as the audience that they were all to blame.
Sheila says, “But you’re forgetting one thing I still can’t forget. Every thing we said really happened. If it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky or us. But it might have done.”
Where as Mr. and Mrs. Birling don’t care, all they are bothered with is that no one should find out what they have done.
‘An Inspector Calls’ has the characteristics of many different types of plays, which also helps to make it ‘well made’. The play could be described as a mystery, suspense, tragedy or even a crime detective sort of play.
It can be described as a mystery because in the end the audience are left with plenty of unanswered questions like ‘who was Inspector Goole?’
Also, it can be called a suspense play. This is because everything is revealed slowly throughout the play, allowing suspense to be created among the audience; never knowing what will happen next.
Another way the play can be expressed is tragedy. This because in the end as far as we know Eva smith dies and another inspector is on his way to the Birlings home to ask some questions. This causes tragedy among the Birlings, Gerald and especially Eva Smith.
Lastly it could be described as a crime detective play, this is because a detective arrives at the Birlings home because a crime has been committed which has been linked to the family. These are only some of the characteristics the play can have.
Another reason why this can be a ‘well made’ play is that it is a morality play. Morality plays were performed hundreds of years ago and are intended to teach the audience a lesson.
Most characteristics represent vices such as evil, greed and jealousy in Morality plays. All this is included in the play ‘An Inspector Calls.’
The characters in ‘An Inspector Calls’ can also represent vices:
Eric could be described as evil and lust. This is because he commits a rape, steals money from his father and is also a heavy drinker.
Mr. Birling can be a symbol of greed and ignorance. Nearly everything he says in the play is wrong. He also symbolises greed when he sacks Eva Smith over a dispute on money.
Sheila could stand for jealousy this is because she make the manager sack Eva Smith just because she thought that Eva was better looking than herself.
Mrs. Birling could be a sign of pride, this is because she goes on boasting about who she is and the inspector can not do anything to her that will make her feel guilty about the death of Eva Smith.
Gerald can represent dishonesty, this is because he lies all the way in the beginning; finally when he does tell the truth he ends up with Sheila breaking of the marriage, saying she needs time to think it over.
Which tells us dishonesty leads to a punishment.
In conclusion, I think I have shown various reasons why ‘An Inspector Calls’ is a ‘well made’ play. I agree that it is a ‘well made’ play because of all the devices and techniques used by J.B. Priestley to interest and engage the audience.
