Dramatic Functions Of The Inspector

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The Dramatic Functions Of The Inspector

An Inspector Calls is a play in which Capitalist and socialist views are expressed through a story using murder, deception and a exiting finish. A well connected, high class family are visited by a nosy “Inspector” who proceeds to split the family apart and put together their shocking story’s together, all in one evening of questions.

There are two main political ideology’s expressed in the play - “Capitalism” and “Socialism” The Birling household all begin the play representing Capitalism, and Mr Birling is the leader of this, maintaining the ideology all  through out the play even under questioning and persuasion from Inspector Goole.

Mr Birling: “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”

Eva Smith symbolises something in the play, put forward and encouraged by the Inspector - Socialism. Eva symbolises millions of working/lower class people who are treated differently and grouped because of who they are.

Inspector Goole: “There are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears…”

The Inspector narrates two stories, making them come together at times during the play. One story is that of the suicide of Eva Smith. One family member at a time the Inspector uses his well thought techniques in a way to make each person reveal how they were connected to Eva Smith. He also uses photographs to read peoples reactions and convince them who Eva Smith really was. At the end of the play the family come together and think up that the Inspector was a fake, but they are soon shocked when a phone call comes through - mysteriously about the same matter.

The other story narrated  is the one of the family and how they treated each other and Eva Smith. During the play you can see that the inspector is in charge because each individual knows that he has worked them out and so they may be a bit wary about how much/little they tell the Inspector. Goole reinforces his power by making Gerald reveal his affair with Eva, causing the engaged couple to split. The whole story is run by this one Inspector, and he sure does fill in the family on everything they didn’t know about each other.

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J.B Priestley uses the Inspector to create cliff hangers at the end of each act, thus creating tension, suspense and overall making people interested and drawn to the play.

At the end of the first act the Inspector creates a cliff hanger through his questioning of Gerald’s affair with Eva Smith. Gerald is trying to hide his involvement with Eva from the inspector and Sheila finds it rather hysterical.

Sheila: (laughs rather hysterically) “Why - you fool - he knows. Of course he knows And I hate to think how much he knows that even we don’t know ...

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