Various dramatic devices are used to influence the audience. To show that Mr. & Mrs. Birling are not right in their views, that everybody does not have to look after each other – Dramatic irony is used to show that they themselves are wrong. ‘Birling: The Titanic, she sails next week….unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.’ This allows the audience to see that Mr. Birling isn’t right with whatever he says and it makes them grow a picture of what his mind is thinking and they can see it wrong.
Before the inspector arrival, the family seems strong & happy. The men are confident and jovial which sets a very positive atmosphere. There are some undercurrents of tension throughout the beginning before the inspector arrival between Eric and Birling. ‘Birling: What’s the matter with you?’, ‘Eric: (defiantly) nothing.’ They don’t seem to understand each other which also imply they are not very close. When Edna announces Goole’s arrival it affects the Birlings straight away. ‘Birling: An Inspector? What kind of inspector?’
For the stage direction, the stage would have been lit with bright colours to give the audience the impression of cheerfulness during the celebration of the engagement. But when the inspector arrives and tells the family that a young woman has committed suicide by drinking disinfectant. At that point, the lighting would have been toned down to darker & grimmer colours. After that when he starts to say further there could be spotlight on the inspector and darkness everywhere else to focus only on him.
To start of the discovery of everyone having a connection with Eva Smith/Daisy Renton, the use of doorbell is used before the inspector enters. This could be related to an alarm bell ring which indicates the revealing of shameful secrets of all the characters connected to the death of Eva Smith.
The inspector is apparently investigating the suicide of a young working class woman and under pressure of his interrogation every member of the family turns out to have a shameful secret that links them to her death. The main character in this play is inspector Goole, the name sounds like “ghoul” this is someone who has interest in death. HE also makes an impression of massiveness, solidity. He grows and remains very solid when every other character breaks down. He also uses the information he holds to create an impression of someone who is a n outsider, this makes him look powerful and mysterious.
The end of act one is ironic in retrospect, which would make the audience relate with the characters and allow them to feel what they are feeling, create suspense and allow the audience to believe the message in it.
During act one, the playwright changes our opinions of the Birlings, and because we can notice that one by one the inspector squeezes out all the secrets of all the characters, which then gives us a different point of view of them. It is discovered that every character in the play (except for the inspector) has something to do with Eva Smith and have their own dark secrets. ‘You don’t realize yet all yoou have done.’ This is what Birling says angrily to Eric because of the discovery of his despicable behaviour
So basically the playwright’s message is that we should care for people around us and not always for ourselves, encourage people to take responsibility for their actions, not to shift the blame on to others and always learn from your past mistakes, this makes it relevant so that you don’t repeat the same errors again in the future.
And I think that J.B.Priestly has succeeded in spreading the ideas he thinks and what he wants the world to follow to make it a better place to live.
