Priestley was very specific with how he wanted his lighting; he demanded “the lighting should be pink and intimate until the inspector arrives and then it should be brighter and harder.” The lighting signifies the feeling in the room; softer tones are used to show the joyful tone in the house and the hard, bright, white shows intensity. Because the audience now knows there will be a twist in the plot, they are eager to find out what will happen next. Also the sound of the doorbell was a sound effect, it showed the audience that something will happen, so there is a curiosity among the audience to discover what will happen. This is what makes the audience want to carry on watching the play.
Before the entry of the inspector, the whole family is feeling particularly content with the engagement of their daughter, Sheila Birling with Gerald Croft, the son of a wealthy businessman. Just before the inspectors entry, Mr Birling explains to both Eric and Gerald that “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”, we can see here that Mr Birling is self-absorbed and selfish, Priestley portrays him as a typical aristocrat. When the inspector enters, the whole atmosphere in the room changes from a celebratory atmosphere to a tense atmosphere. This intrigues the audience, making them want to see more of the play.
Birling becomes increasingly agitated at the inspectors attitude towards him, Mr Birling’s tries to intimidate the inspector with his former position as “lord mayor”, he is very condescending to the inspectors social standing, this shows the audience that Mr Birling is a very pompous man. However the inspector is not deterred by Birling’s attempts to bully him. Through the inspector Priestley conveys his idea that there should be equality for all and “working class” individuals should not need to give into the demands of people who are there social superiors.
As the play continues, we can see changes in the characters; Eric and Sheila both become distressed after realizing they have played a part in Eva Smith’s suicide and seeing there mother and fathers ignorance and dismissal of the fact that they too are partly to blame. Sheila and Eric are a representation of what Priestley hopes the younger generations of higher society will become, their ignorance and snobbishness progresses to Knowledge throughout the play and they become more open minded.
Both Eric and Sheila begin to attack their parents, Eric blames Mrs Birling for the death of Eva Smith – “You killed her. She came to you to protect me- and you turned her away – yes, and you killed her and the child she’d have had too – my child – your grandchild – you killed them both – damn you, damn you”. Sheila continuously attacks both Mr and Mrs Birling for their self-centredness – “can’t you see, both of you, you’re making it worse?” After numerous attacks their ego disintegrates, until they realise “that man wasn’t a police officer,” and then they again disregard what they have done and return to there normal self’s. This frustrates Eric and Sheila who have learnt a great deal from what has gone on yet their parents have not- “I’ll tell you- whoever that inspector was, it was anything but a joke. You knew it then. You began to learn something. And now you’ve stopped. You’re ready to go on in the same old way”
At the end of part one, the audience have suspicions regarding Gerald’s part in Eva’s suicide, they also begin to rethink the inspectors role in the play because his attitude is awkward, not the attitude of your average police inspector. He is very secretive and the way he goes about accusing the Birlings of Eva Smiths murder is almost comical. His step-by-step unfolding of the story helps to further the plot. Therefore the characters themselves may be considered as the most crucial dramatic devices.
Priestley slowly unravels the story of Eva Smith’s suicide; this is a particularly effective way of keeping the audience interested. Priestley uses the unity of action, to keep the play controlled. When the inspector enters the room and begins the story of Eva Smith only Mr Birling, Gerald and Eric are in the room and only Mr Birling will recognise her name so he begins the story from when Mr Birling discharged her from his works. Then he continues the story when Sheila enters revealing that her getting Eva Smith fired from Milwards also played a part in her suicide. As Mrs Birling’s enters he reveals that Gerald’s affair with Eva Smith now called Daisy Renton was also partly responsible for her suicide. When Gerald leaves the inspector discloses information of how Mrs Birling refused Eva Smith’s plea for assistance from Mrs Birling’s mother’s committee, Mrs Birling blames her death on the young man who impregnated her – “he’d be entirely responsible – because the girl wouldn’t have come to us, and have been refused assistance, if it hadn’t have been for him. -” It is then revealed that Eric is the father of the baby. This constant shock and the turning points in the storyline keep the audience gripped on the play throughout.
So to conclude, it is clear that Priestley employs various dramatic devices such as lighting, sound and dramatic irony to depict his feelings and his political stance. Priestley uses a typical upper class family to set an example to the audience. Birling is a typical example of an introspective person who lacks morals. His go however is broken down gradually throughout the play and his views are at many times
