“And I say there isn’t a chance of war”. – Mr Birling, Page 6
“The Titanic – she sails next week – forty six thousand eight hundred tons – New York in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”. – Mr Birling, Page 7
These two quotes alone show Mr Birling’s pompousness. Priestley has chosen to mention the Titanic because many people believed that it was unsinkable. Mr Birling in particular is shown to look foolish, as a result of his belief in Titanic staying afloat and war not breaking out.
“…A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course, when he has one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm. But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense”. – Mr Birling. Pages 9 & 10
In this second “lecture” to Eric and Gerald on pages nine and ten, he has a very capitalist attitude about the community and it makes him seem extremely self-centred.
Other plays of the time were mainly naturalistic or realistic, and were written by Shaw and Ibsen. The message in “An Inspector Calls” is still moderately relevant today. The ideas of the Labour Party are relatable and the message features in the cycle of poverty.
The Inspector is a representative of Priestly’s socialist views. He also acts as a catalyst to speed up the Birling’s realisation to their treating of Eva Smith.
Compared to the Birling’s dinner dress of tuxedoes and tailed jackets for the men, and evening gowns for the women, the Inspector’s dark suit is very plain. In the stage version of the play, the Inspector removes items or layers of clothing as truth is revealed. When looking closely at the Inspector and his character, I thought that he could perhaps be a time traveller as the suit described by Priestley resembles a de-mob suit worn by soldiers after World War II.
Readers of the play and the characters in the play are not really sure who the Inspector is. His name “Goole” suggests ghost or ghoul. By the end of the play, we realise that the Inspector is not a real member of the police force, and then we are left to wonder how he knows all the information he does about the family’s relationships with Eva.
(To Birling) “She was employed at your works at one time” – Page 12
The tone of voice that the Inspector uses when he is questioning the Birlings is very manipulative and the family perceives it as rude and impertinent.
The Inspector’s arrival is in the middle of Mr Birling’s speech.
Birling: “…and look after himself and his own – and –“ Page 10
Stage Directions: We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell. Birling stops to listen.
The doorbell is symbolic of the Inspector arriving and interrupting Birling’s speech in which he talks about “community and all that nonsense”.
The Birlings are dressed up for dinner, while the Inspector is wearing a plain, dark blue suit.
“He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period”
The Inspector already seems to know everything about the family. He is not at all shocked when the family’s truths are revealed, and his inquisitive nature upsets the characters, especially Sheila and Eric. They are most affected by the Inspector’s questions.
Inspector: “We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable” – Page 30.
The Inspector also manipulates the characters when he does not let others see photos. Gerald is the only person at the end of the play, who recognises that the Inspector is probably not a real police inspector and that the photos are probably of different girls each time.
Mrs Birling thinks that Sheila is overreacting and being hysterical, when it is actually the fact that Sheila has learnt her lesson in the way to treat people, and her elders have not.
The questioning of the characters is not completed in chronological order. This use of dramatic irony makes Mrs Birling look foolish as a result of her unknowledgeable approach to Eric and his social life.
Sheila: “He’s been steadily drinking too much for the last two years…”
Mrs B: (staggered) “It isn’t true. You know him, Gerald…”
Gerald: (apologetically) “I’m afraid it is, y’know…” – Page 32
Mrs Birling is made to look stupid and she later incriminates Eric before the Inspector questions him.
In the Inspector’s speech (page 56), the message that is given is that we are all responsible for each other. He also mentions “if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”. This relates to the fact that this whole experience for the Birlings has been a vicious nightmare, and that they will keep on living the nightmare until they learn their lesson in treating people and not relying on their social status and reputation.
The Inspector uses many persuasive techniques during his speech. To involve the audience, he uses third person personal pronouns, such as we. The use of three is used to emphasise points that should help the Birlings to learn their lesson.
“…Fire and blood and anguish…” – Page 56
Fire, blood and anguish conjure up the images of war, hell and power, and if the Birling’s do not learn their lesson, theire lives will be hell until they do.
“…Millions and millions and millions…” – Page 56
When the Inspector talks about being “members of one body”, it could be linked with the idea of Communion is church and remembrance.
The family’s response the Inspector’s speech is to blame Eric.
Birling: “…Most of this is bound to come out. There’ll be a public scandal..” _ Page 57
Birling is more concerned about his reputation and his possible knighthood, rather than caring about what happened to Eva Smith.
I identified four main themes that were developed in the play. The first was that of remorse and accepting responsibility. There is a clear contrast between the younger and older generations. This is clear because the elders seem stubborn, selfish and do not seem to accept their role in society. The younger generation (Sheila and Eric) seems to have more morals, and appear to be more open-minded about change.
Mrs B: “…No you haven’t. Simply because I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it. – Page 44
Mrs Birling will not accept that her committee should have helped Eva when she asked, and not left her alone to commit suicide.
Another theme is that of social class and status. Priestley has created the Birlings to be posh and upper class. This is portrayed with the Edwardian costumes and the description of the dining room. This play is also an attack of the classing system. It shows that Mr and Mrs Birling have no humanity and that Eva is better working and has better morals than the Birlings do.
Mrs B: “People of that class…”
Deceit and lying features heavily in “An Inspector Calls”. Sheila finds out that Gerald lied to her when he said that he was busy working, when in fact he was seeing Eva Smith, or Daisy Renton as she called herself. Sheila also lies about Eva being impertinent in Milwards, when really Sheila was just jealous because Eva was prettier than she was. As a result of Sheila’s jealousy, Eva was dismissed from Milwards. Eric probably tells the most lies in this play. He says that he is not a drunk, and that he did not steal any money that he gave to Eva. He also denies using prostitutes, which as Mrs Birlings finds out to her horror later in the play, is not true. When Birling asks Edna to turn up the lights when the Inspector enters, it exposes the family, and builds up the idea of interrogation.
The Inspector is extremely skillful when he handles the photograph. His skill adds to the character that is created by Priestley, and tension and suspense build up for the audience and readers.
All the action in the dining room helps to focus attention on the characters and not the surroundings. It is lavish and it shows the Birling’s class. Instead of exploiting people, the Birlings should help. They should also realise that it is a worse life outside, and that they need to understand society. They lead insular lives and do not live in the “real” world.
Entrances and exits are controlled with great detail. Acts are stopped at a moment of tension; for example, Eric retires to bed so that Mrs Birling can drop him in it with the Inspector. At the beginning of acts, new suspects are questions and you learn more about the missing character; Eva Smith. You also learn that Eva did not take stolen money from Eric that shows that she is morally better than an upper-class family.
There is a circular structure to the play. It starts with the end, then moves on to the beginning, then ends with the end again. It can be compared to a never-ending nightmare, which the Birlings must live until their morals and treating of people improves.
The Inspector took items of clothes off as the truth was revealed. A comparison is that layers of guilt are being stripped away and that everything is coming into the light. Sheila is dressed in Edwardian clothes, and the Inspector is dressed in a 1940’s de-mob suit.
In the stage production by Stephen Daldry, the house is in the corner of the stage. The Inspector is placed on the other side of the stage and the Birlings go to him to be questioned. This shows the Inspector’s power over the family. The Daldry production also portrays the house as a cocoon from the outside world, and when the Birlings realise their wrongs, they will come to the outside world.
Birling’s self-satisfied speech on pages 10 and 11 shows how he really perceives the world. He expects a knighthood and to him, Sheila’s marriage to Gerald equals profits. He wants the Birlings and the Crofts to join forces to make more money. He mentions all his duties in the community and he seems to show off about them.
Mr B: “I was an alderman for years – and Lord Mayor two years ago – and I’m still on the bench…” – Page 11
The Inspector is not impressed by Birling’s arrogance and greed and does not take in to account Birling’s social status.
Mr Birling is also made to look like a fool when he mentions the Titanic, war and unemployment. He is adamant that these disasters will never happen, and it shows his naivety. He lies to make himself and his family look good.
Mrs Birling is also made to look stupid when Eric’s truths are revealed. It proves that she knows nothing about her son being a drunk, a thief and a womaniser.
Mrs B: “First, she called herself Mrs Birling –“ – Page 43
I think that Eva called herself Mrs Birling is because she knew Eric was the father, and either that they were engaged to be married as a result of the pregnancy, or that they already were married.
Mrs B: “…so I told her it was her business to make him responsible. If he refused to marry her – and in my opinion he ought to be compelled to – then he must at least support her” – Page 46
Mrs B: “She said that the father was only a youngster – silly and wild and drinking too much…” – Page 46
Mrs B: “Secondly, I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have. If, as she said, he didn’t belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape. He should be made an example of. If the girl’s death is due to anybody, then it’s due to him. – Page 48
In the quotes above, Mrs Birling describes Eric’s lifestyle. Mrs Birling refuses to believe the Inspector when he suggests that perhaps Eric was the father and that it was Eric who stole money, but as Eric enters the room, the truth is unveiled. She is also shown to be deluded and a fool.
The methods Priestley has used to convey the moral message are mainly the ideas of social responsibility and he uses many persuasive techniques. Dramatic irony is also used to show his message especially when Mrs Birling is being questioned. Many different ideas can be used when staging the play. The Inspector is usually parted from the family to show his power and the house is shown to be lavish and upper class. The Inspector is shown to be well built and powerful over the family, and the family’s intimidation is shown especially with the younger generations who learn their lesson, but the older generation does not.
