In what ways does 'Priestly' present the effects of the Inspector's visit on Sheila Birling in the play?

The first 200 words of this essay...

In what ways does 'Priestly' present the effects of the Inspector's visit on Sheila Birling in the play?

J.B Priestley uses a variety of dramatic techniques to portray the effects of Inspector Goole's visit on Sheila Birling. These devices include dialogue, physical action, stage directions and dramatic tension.

Priestley places Sheila at the moral centre of the play. The Inspector's visit takes her through an array of emotions in a very compressed time span which heightens Sheila's anxiety and speeds her transformation. The action is played out in real time i.e. the events unfold on stage exactly as they would in real life. Many modern dramas have copied Priestley's theatrical technique ("24" TV series, and some episodes of E.R). At the beginning Sheila is shallow and "very pleased with life and rather excited". She later admits that she had been "confident and pleased with herself". We know this, as she likes money and possessions- Gerald Croft's ring ("Oh it's wonderful") and clothes. But from this beginning, when this rich family are celebrating Sheila's engagement (which is more like a company merger in Mr. Birling's eyes), their entire world is turned upside down. Sheila feels everything most deeply and