"An Inspector Calls is a modern morality play disguised as a detective drama." Show how Priestley uses the conventions of the detective story to put over a moral message to the audience.

Chris Monk GCSE English Coursework

“An Inspector Calls is a modern morality play disguised as a detective drama.” Show how Priestley uses the conventions of the detective story to put over a moral message to the audience.

The fact that ‘An inspector calls’ is a modern morality play disguised as a detective drama, means that the play is written with a unique style. Priestley assists the conventions of the detective story with his intelligent tool of manipulating time. This construction gives a strong moral message to the audience. Priestley includes some basic conventions, such as a protagonist, a victim and also suspects to indicate to the audience that the play is similar to a detective story. One of the reasons that the action of the play is based on an investigation is to not only engage the audience and sustain their interest, but to also create tension and anticipation before the final revelation is revealed. A standard morality play gives messages to the audience that usually teach them a certain lesson that can be used in real life. The resolution of Priestley’s play is evidence that there is a morality message to be conveyed. The swift, surprising, ending of the play suddenly puts the audience in the characters’ minds. Priestley uses this effect to his advantage by being able to aim the moral message to the audience.

The playwright includes the conventions of a detective story in his play, in order to create advantages that are made as a result of a detective story. The mystery of the play is first introduced when Inspector Goole makes his surprise entrance to the scene of the Birling’s large, suburban, house. In addition the tension of Scene 1 is enhanced when Goole makes hints that in the future he may need to interview more than just Mr. Birling. For example in Act 1 the inspector gravely advises Gerald: “Then I’d prefer you to stay”. This line entices the audience to begin speculating about future twists in the plot of the play. Furthermore, when the inspector firstly introduces murder to a respectable family, an element of mystery is introduced as the audience begins to speculate how the family may be linked to it. As more suspects are gradually questioned about their knowledge of the victim; the audience is informed about her life because the inspector is able to recollect and tell the audience how she was progressively guided to her disturbing death. This use of technique by Priestley engages the audience because the story of Eva Smith’s life is slowly revealed until a great climax is reached. The Inspector also uses recapitulation in the play to summarize the previous story and re-inform the audience. This gradually creates tension as the audience is unaware of who will next be linked to the suicide of the victim.

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The combination of suspects and suspense is a convention of a detective story that is essential in making the play interesting for the audience. The suspects that are involved in the death of the victim are: ‘Arthur Birling; Sybil Birling; Sheila Birling; Eric Birling and Gerald Croft’. Each of these suspects is shown by the inspector to be involved in the life and possibly death of a poor, working girl. The inspector reveals the suspects gradually so that the audience is stunned when many members of the family have been found out to have played a part in a single girl’s life. In addition, suspense is created for the audience when suspects are revealed dramatically. This method makes the play interesting throughout for the reason that innocent-seeming members’ of a wealthy family are accused of making a girl commit suicide. Inspector Goole also carries out his enquires in a secretive style; an example of this is in Act 1 when Gerald exclaims: “Any particular reason why I shouldn’t see this girl’s photograph, Inspector?” The Inspector’s secretive actions develop the suspense of the play as everyone is made a suspect. Also because the audience is unsure of the potential surprise, they are kept on the edge of their seats and are also interested throughout the play. Priestley makes his protagonist a probing, charismatic investigator so that he can apply pressure to the suspects. This allows him to cut through concealments in order to discover the truth. An example of the Inspector’s authority and effectiveness with the suspects is when he indicates that Sheila Birling was also involved: “All she knew was- that a customer complained about her- and she had to go.”

In order to put over a striking, moral message to the audience, the plot is developed towards the conventional detective story climax. This denouement is enforced by Priestley when connections between suspects and the life of the victim are steadily exposed; this point consequently shocks the observing audience and maintains their attention. As the plot develops the suspects are exposed by the detective and are consequently left feeling responsible and also slightly puzzled. For instance in Act 3 Eric admits: “And I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her.” Priestley effectively uses this convention of a detective story to create guilt before the twist is revealed at the end of the play. The ending of the play and any confusion is then resolved when the mystery is suddenly solved. This leaves the audience and the characters a moral message to think about. A detective story plot, (a start, development and end) is effective at engaging and satisfying the needs of a theatre audience watching the play. A developing plot builds up tension and then swiftly releases it in a surprising climax.

Priestley uses other techniques to depart his play from the detective story. In the play we can observe that Priestley avoids some conventions of a detective story because there is an absence of a crime. This is because the victim Eva Smith was not murdered but instead possibly driven to her devastating suicide. Furthermore, a crime is when the guilty suspects are punished, whereas a moral wrong doing is when no punishment is given and there is a moral lesson to be learnt. (Priestley selects a moral wrong doing to steer away from the detective story). A main part of the play is the passionate final speech that is given by the Inspector before his departure. A quote from this speech is: “But remember this. One Eva Smith has gone”. The speech portrays a message to the characters that their actions did actually happen although there were no consequences this time. In addition, the play is a morality play disguised as a detective story and therefore the speech also gives a Moral message to the audience and the Birling’s: “And I tell you that the time will come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.” The inspector has a message about Eva Smith’s death; it is that in the end you will have to face the consequences of your actions if you do not treat people well. A moral message is used to teach a lesson; in the play we can observe that Sheila and Eric are changed by the speech and are sorry for their actions.

This moral message would be extremely effective for an audience in 1946, when the first production of ‘An Inspector Calls’ appeared in London. Firstly in 1945 the first atomic bomb was used and the war was ended. This means that the audience was aware of the damaged areas in London which are near to the theatre. Therefore the audience was forced to think of the violent events in the 20th century. This point will remind the audience that there is a terrible threat of another war and also, if humans do not get on together, we are in a century where technology is a tremendous force and can destruct immensely. This relation of historical context is used by Priestley to make the impact of his moral message more effective on the audience. In 1945 and 1956 religion was a very important thing in people’s lives. The last lines of the inspector’s speech are memorable as it is a reference to hell. In addition, Priestley uses the fact that the play is set in 1912 to his advantage. Two of Birling’s speeches at the start of the play show that he is incorrect. For example: “The Titanic… New York in 5 days - and every luxury - and unsinkable.” The audience is aware that the Titanic does actually sink and Birling is inaccurate with his theories. This creates an element of speculation because Birling may also be incorrect about the success of the sweet-seeming evening and his new family.

The ending of the play is evidence that Priestley is doing more than simply entertaining the audience with a detective story. Priestley creates this extra interest for the audience by using surprises such as the unexpected departure of the Inspector following his spectacular last speech. Furthermore the audience’s interest is maintained when no arrests or punishments occur; this act also creates suspense before the revelation is revealed. Priestley uses other twists in Act 3 to sustain the dramatic tension. The greatest example of a twist is the phone call at the end of the play. This allows the audience and characters to speculate what the meaning of the mystery Inspector will be. The telephone call makes the audience realise that the Inspector was used to send a powerful moral message to the audience. Also they are made to think about their actions in the future as the Birling family have just been given the opportunity to. Priestley draws attention to Eric and Sheila who separate from the others because they are remorseful of their actions and have learnt a lesson. For instance: “Whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did what I did.” Finally, Priestly hints that the Inspector is fake or even imaginary and is only used to portray a message. The inspector’s name -‘Goole’ which could be perceived as ‘Ghoul’- leaves the audience asking the question: ‘Was the Inspector real?’

The successful combination of a modern morality play with a detective drama is able to put over a moral message to the audience. Whilst the conventions of a detective story continue throughout the play, Priestley includes special tools such as his manipulation of time to sustain the audience’s interest. Also the audience is engaged because of the gradual development of the plot that leads to a dramatic climax. This final twist is able to deliver the essential, moral message which Priestley uses to teach a lesson to the audiences for usage in their lives.

By Chris Monk