By Analysing the different reactions of the characters to the inspector's visit, discuss who or what he might be, and what aspects of society Priestley is inviting his audience to question

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Shehzad Rahman                10H

By Analysing the different reactions of the characters to the inspector's visit, discuss who or what he might be, and what aspects of society Priestley is inviting his audience to question

‘An inspector calls’ is an interpretation of J.B. Priestley view of the British people in the 1940s although the play was set in 1912.The play opens with the Birling family and their guest Gerald Croft at the dining table. Then Edna the maid told the family that ’an Inspector’s called’. From this the audience may think that this may be a crime play. However this is a play about moral, social issues, and how people think in the 1940’s. Priestley uses dramatic irony through characters such as Mr. Birling who thinks that the ‘titanic’ is ‘unsinkable’ and that ‘there isn’t a chance of war’. He also shows how the reactions of the characters change while the Inspector is there. From the beginning Priestley shows that the Birlings are not as perfect as they seem to be. He uses the inspector as an omniscient person who waits systematically to say the right thing.

Inspector Goole is taken to be central in the play. He is very commanding and authoritative.

‘He creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’.

 This shows how intimidating he is at first impression and that it sounds as though he has come with a purpose. The play also shows him as, ‘cutting through massively’. This shows that he dominates all the other characters and has no fear of anyone. For example when someone shouts he doesn’t shout back instead he speaks ‘coolly’.

When the Inspector visits the Birlings, Eric has a slight feel of guilt. While the inspector is interrogating Mr. Birling, Eric found out that Eva Smith lost her job. He shows sympathy for her when Gerald says that Mr. Birling ‘couldn’t have done anything else’. Eric then shows a bit of his guilt by saying that his Father ‘could have kept her on instead of throwing her out.’ This shows that Eric had a slight idea of where this was going to end up. Later on in the play Eric leaves the house for a while, which everyone hears and then his Mother wonders:

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         ‘Where can he have gone to?’

 This also shows that Eric is feeling guiltier about Eva’s death than before, but he can’t bear the thought of her dead.

Eric took on the blame quite early on in the play. He becomes uneasy when he thinks that Birling and Gerald know something about him, but responding to Gerald’s assurance that it was a ‘joke’ with ‘well I don’t think it’s very funny’. This shows his guilty conscience. Another show of guilt is how he leaves the house. His Mother thinks,

 ‘where can he have gone to?’

Priestley gives us clues ...

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