In the play, “An Inspector Calls” Priestly shows Mr Birling as a man who believes in status difference. He says “community and all that is nonsense”. The word “nonsense” suggests that he is a capitalist who does not believe in society and community, especially in JB Priestley’s belief that everyone should look after each other. Priestly shows Mr Birling as a man who thinks he is always right and is very confident about the predictions that he makes. “the titanic…unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”. “the world is developing so fast that it’ll make war impossible”. Here priestly is proving Mr Birling’s predictions are completely wrong as everyone know that the titanic had sank and that there was also world war I. These quotes suggest that Mr Birling is extremely convinced about his predictions and does not want to give it second thought. He is a narrow-minded man who cannot think further then his own predictions. Mr Birling is another one of those men who thinks he is always right. He says, “except of course in Russia, which will always be behind hand naturally”. Here he is thinking that what he is saying is going to happen and does not want to give it a second thought. Mr Birling is a typical businessperson who is always looking for his own benefit. “We were paying the usual rates and if they didn’t like these rates, they could go and work somewhere else”. Here all he cares about is his money and does not care about other people’s hard work. Mr Birling is patronising. He thinks that everyone else is mistaken and brainless except him. He shouts at Eric and tells him to face his responsibilities “it’s about time you learn to face a few responsibilities.” Here he is blaming Eric and telling him to face the consequences but does not want to do that himself.
The inspector is the major character in the play. He is the complete opposite of Mr Birling’s character and seems to be Priestley’s voice throughout the play. He creates an impression of massiveness, solidity and determination as he enters the dining room. The inspector is straight talking unlike Mr Birling who prefers to lecture people instead. The inspector is also very committed to his work and refuses the drink when Mr Birling offers him.
The inspector arrives at a time when the family is celebrating for Sheila and Gerald’s engagement. He walks in and brings shocking news in the celebration. His main job is to make the family realise their social responsibility and uncovers the family’s truth. He also tries to make them realise how each one of them killed Eva Smith and made a huge mistake in their lives.
The inspector lacks respect for people like Mr and Mrs Birling. He compares them to criminals and does not want to judge them by their status – “often if it was left on me, I wouldn’t know where to draw the line”. The inspector talks to them straight without any hesitations of whom they are. He does not respect Mr and Mrs Birling bearing in mind that they are respectable in the town, but instead he talks to them very ruthlessly. – “possibly, but if you’re easy with me, I’m easy with you”.
The inspector is against the difference between the upper class and the working class. “Your daughter isn’t leaving in moon. She’s here in Bromley too”. Here is he trying to make the point that she is leaving in the same place as everyone else. He is trying to say that she is leaving in the same place where Eva Smith once lived. The inspector hates the fact that Mr and Mrs Birling are always regretting the facts and tells them straight on their face without any hesitations. – “I think you did something terribly wrong – and that you’re going to spend the rest of your life regretting it.” The inspector also understands the nation’s responsibility thoroughly. – “but each one of you helped to kill her”.
Throughout the play the inspector is trying to give Priestley’s message that people should not be judged or treated by their status.
In the play, there is a huge difference between the young and the old generations. The old generation like Mr and Mrs Birling are regretting their mistakes and are not trying to understand the point that the inspector is trying to make. Instead, they are being stubborn and are refusing to understand their social responsibilities. On the other hand, the young generation like Sheila and Eric are showing more maturity then their parents and are willing to face the consequences for their mistakes. There is also a difference in their reactions when they find out that the inspector was fake. Mrs Birling says, “I felt it all the time. He never talked liked one”. This suggests that she is trying to say that if the inspector himself was fake then everything that happened was false as well and that they should all just forget about it. Mr Birling also thinks the same and infect he takes it all as a big joke! – “ he had a laugh of us all right”
Conversely, Sheila and Eric take everything very seriously. They have realised and learnt the message that the inspector was trying to teach them. Sheila who was the young lady of the family, immature and spoilt was the first one to realise her mistake. She changed drastically and was now a mature woman who is acting her age.
“I’m ashamed of it. But you’re beginning to pretend all over again that nothing much has happened”. She dislikes the fact that her parents are refusing to understand the situation and are taking the matter so lightly. “so there is nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn. We can all go on behaving just as we did.”
“So there’s nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn. We can all go on behaving just as we did”. Here she is talking exactly opposite to her mother. She trying to say that it does not matter whether the inspector was fake or not, the important thing is the message that he was trying to give which is not fake at all. It is not something, which can be ignored or taken as a big joke.
Eric is also supporting Sheila and is also understand the message. He too is trying to make the same point as Sheila – “you’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s ever happened”. However, unlike Sheila he is also blaming his parents for everything. – “but don’t forget I’m ashamed of you as well.” This suggests that he is trying to say that he has realised his mistake but his parents need to realise it as well. Yet again, he is trying to make the same point as Sheila and telling his parents “it’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.” He is saying the same as Sheila was saying that it is not important that the inspector was fake, it is important that Eva smith committee suicide because of them.
Priestly has written, “An inspector calls” in the form of a detective story. This is because the play is trying to give an important message about responsibility. If it were just written as a lecture then nobody would be interested in reading a story like that. The play reveals the truth slowly which draws our attention and people are engaged and listening to the story. Therefore, the play is written in a detective story.
In the play priestly seems to be trying to give a message to the whole society. He particularly is talking to those people who believe in status difference. He is talking to those people who are as Mr and Mrs Birling who are not yet willing t o accept their responsibilities. He is targeting the play to those people who think like Mr Birling who see people like Eva smith as cheap labour and working class. Priestly is also targeting people who use their power for wrong reasons such as Mr Birling, Sheila and Gerald.
Priestly has not made the play sound like a lecture, which keeps a reader’s attention. Priestly uses the technique of slowly revealing, the truth of each person one by one which makes the play fascinating to read. Priestly has avoided just moralising or lecturing us in the play instead, he has left us to understand our individual responsibility towards the society by reading the play. The message of the play is very clear even though it is said indirectly. This is because the play is written in a form where everyone who reads the play can put themselves in the shoes of the character for different reasons.
The tone of the play changes between the start and the end. In the beginning of the play, the atmosphere was joyful as the family was celebrating for Sheila and Gerald’s engagement. All the members in the family are happy and enjoying themselves. Everything changes when the inspector arrives. The inspector brings in bad news, which changes the atmosphere. As the inspector starts, questioning the truth slowly starts revealing and the atmosphere goes from bad to worst. To show the difference in the atmosphere the lights on the stage may have changed from soft light in the beginning to sharp lights towards the end.
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