In act one of “An Inspector Calls” how does Priestley use dramatic devices to convey his concerns and ideas to the members of the audience, as well as interest and involve them in his play?

“An Inspector Calls”, written in 1945 and set in 1912, is the story of one night in the Birling's family life when an Inspector calls. The Inspector brings the news of the death of a young girl and, over time, shows how each member of the family is partly responsible for the girls death. The date of setting compared to the date of writing is vitally important because in 1912 there was a substantial gap between the upper classes and the poor which is reflected in the fact that the Birlings do not care for those “below” them. Priestley was a socialist and uses the Inspector to voice his own opinions about how each and every person has a responsibility towards others in society.

The setting of the play is in one room and this allows the audience to focus on the play itself and what the characters are saying. The room is described as “Heavily comfortable” and this gives the impression of wealth and a high standard of living. Combined with the “pink and intimate” lighting, the audience get the impression of a happy and prosperous family that are celebrating some good news. However, when the Inspector walks into the room, the lighting is changed to be “brighter and harder” to match the change of mood that the Inspectors news brings to the celebration. The mood changes from one of happiness and celebration to a much darker tone of doubt, distrust and shock. This conveys Priestley's own concerns about social responsibility as the well-off Birlings are being shown the harsh reality of their own actions. The mood created by the lighting gives the audience a sense that something has changed and that the characters themselves may begin to change because of the Inspectors actions and speech.

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Before the Inspector enters the room Priestley uses dramatic irony through Mr Birling's speech. “... I say there isn't a chance of war” and “Titanic... and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” while at the time of writing, the audience knew that in fact, two world wars happen and the Titanic famously sunk on its maiden voyage. This gives the idea that Mr Birling believes he knows what's going to happen whereas in fact, the exact opposite is true. Just before the Inspector enters the room, he rings the doorbell with a “sharp ring” and this is the point where the pleasant, happy atmosphere is changed as the audience and character can sense that it is a turning point in the play. This links to the telephone used at the end of the play with a sharp ring that marks a sharp turning point again from a relieved and pleased atmosphere to one of worry and self-doubt. Both times this device is used it also shocks and surprises the audience who are not expecting the sudden change.

The Inspector arrives immediately after Mr. Birling tells Gerald and Eric that “a man has to look after himself and his own”. This timing suggests that the Inspector is going to challenge this view and it is how he will do it that interests the audience. The Inspector creates an impression of massiveness, solidarity and purposefulness which makes the audience believe that he is always correct and you couldn't argue with him. For example, the use of “all in good time” suggests that the Inspector is taking charge of the conversation and directing it where he wants it to go. The Inspector makes you feel that what he says is correct and that he knows a lot more than he is releasing; for example, Gerald asks if there is a reason he can not see the photograph and the Inspector answers “(coolly, looking hard at him) There might be.”. This is how Priestley wants us to feel about the Inspector as the character is voicing Priestley's own opinion and conveys the message of the play.

The Inspector uses a photograph to show certain characters what the girl looks like. However, he only shows one person at a time and some characters never see the photo. This allows the Inspector to follow “one line of enquiry at a time” and also keeps the audience focused on one event at a time. Therefore, Priestley (through the Inspector) can control the direction of the scene This means Priestley can convey his message through the Inspector clearly and without allowing other plot lines to affect the audiences thoughts.

At the end of the act, the Inspector mentions “Daisy Renton” and Gerald's unconscious reaction gives away that he is connected to the girl in some way although he then denies all knowledge by stating “I don't come into this suicide business”. The audience is aware that the Inspector knows that Gerald has been involved with this girl but instead of stating this as a fact, the Inspector allows the character to draw his own conclusions from his actions. Gerald's reaction leaves the act on a cliffhanger and the audience is left wondering how he has known the girl, thus keeping them interested in the plot of the play.

In conclusion, Priestley conveys the messages of social responsibility and morality very well to the audience of the time as they would be able to relate to the Birlings and how they might have felt. The dramatic techniques are vital to the play in conveying the messages to the audience, especially the fact that the audience knows about both World War 1 & 2 whereas Mr Birling feels they were not going to happen. I feel that the messages of the play are still relevant now and do take a place in modern society where the rich and poor tend never to get involved with each other. The audience leave wondering about their own responsibility in society and how their actions affect other people much like the Birlings' actions affected Daisy Renton.

By David Bruce