Examine and Comment on the Dramatic Effect of the character of the Inspector in J.B. Priesley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’
Examine and Comment on the Dramatic Effect of the character of the Inspector in J.B. Priesley's 'An Inspector Calls'
Written in 1945 by J.B. Priesley, the play An Inspector Calls is set in 1912 just before the Great War. This was a time of very great tension, especially between England and Germany, yet the British aristocracy still felt optimistic for the near future. There are frequent references to the war during the opening section of the play. The character of the inspector throughout the play is successful in dramatically uncovering the truths behind the often arrogant Birling family, using various methods which help create and maintain an ironic sense of sub-concious unease and keep the audience at the edge of their seats. The interogation finally reaches a climax of dramatic irony towards the end of the play, by which time the family seem to have lost their great sense of power and nobility. The inspector can be seen as a catylist for the evenings proccedings.
The play begins one evening at the Birling residence, involving the whole family who are brought together for a celebration of the daughter Sheila's engagement to Gerald. The festivities are interrupted by the arrival of the Inspector who begins the interrogation straight away, and it is apparent that he is there to gain some information from the family:
"Inspector: I'd like some information, if you don't mind, Mr Birling." (Act 1, Page 11)
From the very beginning the inspector attempts to portray himself as a real policeman; refusing a drink and using common police terminoligy. However, his attempts are thwarted by Mr Birling who does not seem to recognise him. This is the first major incoherence within the inspector's interrogation; that an influential man such as Mr Birling in a small village does not recognise him. As the Inspector progresses with his interrogation of the family, suspicions mount about his true identity. A more perceptive audience would notice these incoherences far more. Cleverly, the inspector is beginning to set the scene for the intense drama to come later on in the play.
His name is also suspicious. Inspector Goole, translated from Latin means ghost. J.B. Priestley also spells the name out letter by letter, emphasising the importance of the supernatrual element within the play and helping to initiate the sense of unease.
From entry the inspector is also very rude towards the Birling family. He adopts a pushy and disrespectful attitude to gain the information he requires. The inspector angrily asserts himself towards the Birlings in a very unpolicelike manner. It is fair to wonder if he was mortal whether or not he would be as pushy to a family of such high status because of fear of reprisal. Socialist J.B.Priestley has used the myserious inpector to air his views and to attack the British aristocracy using the same morals as they use themselves.
"Inspector: ...Two hours ago a young woman died in the infirmary...I had an idea it might be - from something the girl herself wrote." (Act 1, Pages 11 & 22)
This initially doesn't seem particularly significant, althoughwe can wonder if it is possible for the Inspector to hear about the suicide of Eva Smith, investigate it fully travelling to her last residence, read her diary, and travel to the Birling's house to interogate them all in two hours? The fact is that this is not humanly possible, yet his still knows so much. This also adds a sense of mystery.
Usually an inspector is sent to find out information about a crime and get answers to his questions. However, in this play, the inspector seems to already ...
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This initially doesn't seem particularly significant, althoughwe can wonder if it is possible for the Inspector to hear about the suicide of Eva Smith, investigate it fully travelling to her last residence, read her diary, and travel to the Birling's house to interogate them all in two hours? The fact is that this is not humanly possible, yet his still knows so much. This also adds a sense of mystery.
Usually an inspector is sent to find out information about a crime and get answers to his questions. However, in this play, the inspector seems to already know the answers to the questions, and so therefore we wonder why he is asking them. It begins to come clearer that his role is not just as an inspector in a whoddunnit mystery; he is there to make the family relive their experiences with Eva Smith and catalyse the demise of the Birling family. This is important. The inspectors role is as a catylist, and his pushy attitute suggests that he will force it out of them, and using cunning methods make them see to their own downfall. Shiela is the only one who realises what is going on:
"Sheila: No, he's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves." (Act 2, Page 33)
During the course of the interigation the inspector influences our attitude towards Eva using his very descriptive and graphic imagery of her death:
"Inspector: Burnt her inside out of course...Yes, she was in great agony. They did everything they could for her at the infirmary, but she died. Suicide of course." (Act 1, Page 11)
This acts as a way of gaining sympathy within the audience, generating compassionate thoughts about her death, and in turn allowing the tradegy of the death to be enhanced and amplified, making the situation seem much more dramatic than it really is. He makes her more of a victim. The exaggeration of the dramatic death of Eva is also used to initiate the dispute within the Birlings.
Another key method of interogation used by the inspector to keep the drama at a constant high is by keeping the focus on the family. By making the inspector dodge the questions which could reveal background about his identity, J.B.Priestley manages to sustain the sense of mystery with the inspector as no more information about him, apart from his name and a few other irrelevant details that can be lerned. He manages to keep the questioning focused towards the family, and dodges the questions put to him with short yes/no answers:
"Birling: And are you suggesting now that one of them knows something about the girl?
Inspector: Yes.
Birling: You didn't come here just to see me, then?
Inspector: No." (Act 1, Page 18)
On the same point, J.B.Priestley has also made the central focus of the play to be the characters and not the stage setting by only using the one dining room and so, reducing ambient disturbances so to not distract the audiences attention to the irrelevant features and so, in turn, to keep the drama at its heights.
The bias of the inspector and his vivid descriptions of Eva's death also help to uncover new information as this often aggravates Mr Birling's reactionary temper, causing him to blindly argue back and reveal more. This anger is a very useful tool used to reveal hidden truths and lies.
The manner in which these methods are used also helps to create excitement and anticipation. The general way in which he seems to conduct his inquiry is with one member of the family at a time:
"Inspector: It's the way I like to work. One person and one line of inquiry at a time. Otherwise theres a muddle".
(Act 1, Page 12)
In doing this, the inspector manages to create sub-plots within the play, which heightens the excitement as different truths are revealed upon the entry of the each family member. This also, during the play, seems to take the form of a cycle of events repeated on the interrogation of each culprit which helps dramatically to gain the audience's attention and to keep the atmosphere within the theatre tense as the audience witnesses this repetition and anticipates the next revelation within the inquiry.
The inspector manipulates the argument of the questioned by arguing in a very objective manner, asking for their opinion of how they think they should be treated. Once the inspector has gained enough information he will put their views into the context of his arguement about how the questioned has treated Eva, asking them whether or not that is how they would like to be treated.
By doing this the inspector is attempting to broaden the family's perspective on their own actions, giving them a chance to realise their own faults. The inspector also emphasizes the importance of thinking and acting as a community, reflecting J.B. Priestley's socialistic views again.
The photo is another useful technique of the inspector which he uses to trigger the character's memories of their involvement with Eva and make them relive their experiences. However his methods of showing a photo are rather suspect. He only lets one person see the photo at a time and every time replaces it in his pocket. How do we know that it is just one photo, when it could be several different photos of different people the family has been involved in and there could be no connection whatsoever. J.B. Priestley has used the photos as a clever tool to heighten the mystery and to keep the audience wondering, and so in turn making the play much more dramatic.
The inspector also manages to induce dramatic irony during the last sub plot within the play in which he prompts Mrs Birling to condemn the father of Eva's Child, which ironically is Eric. Using his methods as mentioned before the inspector cleverly induces anger within her, leading to her frequent outbursts of abuse about the father. Moreover the inspector also questions Mrs Birling on the responsibility of such a man:
"Mrs Birling: Then he'd be entirely responsible - because the girl wouldn't have come to us, and have refused assistance, if it hadn't been for him-
Inspector: S he's the chief culprit anyhow.
Mrs Birling: Certainly and he ought to be dealt with severely-
Inspector: No hushing up, eh? Make an example of the young man, eh? Public confession of responsibility, um?" (Act 2, Page 48)
As it is very apparent here the inspector is building up the hatred and curse, creating more and more anger within Mrs Birling, leading to her discovery that Eric is the father. Almost instantly she tries to contradict what she has just said in a failed attempt, showing her own and indeed the family's, great hypocrisy. She becomes very anxious and frantic. Seeing the plight of Mrs Birling is rather pleasing to the audience, a sign of the inspectors great influence.
But it is also at this point during the build up to the dramatic irony of Mrs Birlings response that Sheila can sense what is going to happen, as she frequently butts in on the interrogation expressing her alarm:
"Sheila: Mother-stop-stop!
Birling: Be quiet, Sheila!
Sheila: But don't you see-
Mrs Birling: You're behaving like a hysterical child tonight.
.....Sheila: Now mother - don't you see?" ( Act 2, Page 48-49)
She has anticipated the revelation and it is clear that she is trying to act as a mediator, although unsuccessfully. This largely emphasizes the dramatic irony, which could have been avoided if arrogant Mrs Birling had listened to her daughter. It is also clear thoughout the previous lines that the inspector's influence on Sheila has been so great that her views have been manipulated. She begins to side with the inspector and act as the voice of conscience:
"Mrs Birling: Ill tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of the child. Its his responsibility.
Inspector: ...She came to you for help, at a time when no woman could have needed it more...
Sheila: Mother I think it was cruel and vile.
....Inspector: Who is to blame then?
Mrs Birling: First, the girl herself.
Sheila: For letting father and me have her chucked out of her jobs!" ( Act 2, Pages 45 & 47)
Once the inspector has finished his interrogations he begins to express his opinions on the matter. It is at this point when J.B. Preistley is able to express his final moral message rather more explicitly, conveying his political and socialistic views:
Inspector: But just remember this. Once Eva Smith has gone- but there are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with out lives, and what we say and do...We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. (Act 3, Page 56)
This passage is rich with textual value. He considers the importance of caring for each other and our responsibility for each other. 'We are members of one body' also suggests a heavenly element as Christianity commonly refers to those exact words. This passage also suggests that Eva may also not be real: Generally the names Eva Smith and particular, John Smith are used to refer to a random character, like the name Joe Bloggs. This also suggests that the issues that have been raised during the play are applicable with any member of society, and it also helps to enhance the textual message. With the inspector,s final statement it is now evidently clear that the play is less of a 'detective thriller' but more of a moral fable.
Following the departure of the inspector there is an atmosphere of disbelief. It is a time of realisation for the family; everything has been destroyed in one night. The intense drama of the inspector now only slightly prevailing. The overall reaction of the family, excluding Eric and Sheila, seems to be one of great shock.
On the final entry of Gerald, he returns with the news that there is no such inspector Goole. For a small period the Birlings seem quite relieved, arrogantly excusing the inspector as a fraud sent by a business rival to bring down Mr Birling. However, the audience's reaction is one of shock, we are still left pondering the question of who the inspector really is?
Moments later, the last dramatically ironic element of the play occurs when a real police inspector calls the house:
"Birling: That was the police. A girl has just died - on her way to the infirmary - after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police inspector is on his way here - to ask some - questions-- (Last few sentences)
The family are again left in shock. The realize that they have to relive the whole nightmarish experience over again. This final point, shockingly effective, raises the major questions again. Who is he? Where did he come from? Why? The audience is left unanswered, keeping the questions more prevalent, letting them all take home a moral message. Society matters, and thought for others needs and care is essential if we are to live happily lives. And if people carry on in their arrogant selfish manner "then they will be taught in blood, fire and anguish." War.
J.B. Pristley is particular. He has used the inspector to make them relive their experiences for the audience to hear, and so must be seeking some sort of judgement from the audience. "An Inspector Calls" is only the process in which the transfer of a message is made; from J.B. Priestley to the audience. So therefore we can see the play as one big story of morality; where mankind went so wrong and eventually caused the two most disastrous wars in history. This is why the historical context of this play is so important. He has written it post-war with the ideas and stories fresh in his mind so that he could successfully convey the deep feelings involved with such a dramatic play. "An Inspector Calls" is a story about J.B. Priestly designed with the key task of airing his views on morality and how things should have, and could have, been done. It becomes evident that he views the conflict between the greedy aristocracy and the working class as the cause of much misery. "An Inspector Calls" is the reliving of the Great Wars with a message, using the inspector, and the associated drama, to make his point.
