Inspector Calls

The play also has some opinionated material within it. J.B. Priestley's opinion of matters mainly. He has a philosophical view on many things, adjoined to his political ones, and he has invented characters to portray these and he has invented characters to portray the opposite to these. The Inspector, throughout the play seems to be J.B. Priestley's "voice", the Inspector has the same opinions and ideas about his surroundings and people that J.B. Priestley has, "Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges". There is also a related piece of evidence for this belief, the Inspector's name. Inspector Goole, the full name spoken in the play, has a connection with J.B. Priestley and the story. Goole is the name of a town in Yorkshire, near Hull. I believe that when writing the play, J.B. Priestley looked for inspiration for the name and chose the name Goole as it also coincided with the Inspector's later apparent feat, knowing of Daisy Renton's death before it occurred. However, J.B. Priestley may not have acknowledged this at the time. The character that is Arthur Birling is the opposite of the opinion of J.B. Priestley. Arthur's ideas and philosophies are that "a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own". Arthur is perceived to be a horrible man, conscious only about his family's reputation and not necessarily their well being. J.B. Priestley as mentioned before took advantage of his situation while writing this play, he had the power to know what was going to happen before it had happened (To the play's perception). He added dramatic irony into the play. He also used it to make a fool out of Mr. Birling with, perhaps just from stereotypical aspect, but maybe J.B. Priestley knows a person quite like Mr. Birling? He uses dramatic irony with great effect and even manages to make slight humour out of a tragedy. Mr. Birling spoke "Nobody wants war" - "Everything to lose and nothing to gain by war", when the audience knows a while later two world wars were to occur. Arthur Birling also quotes the Titanic, saying that it's unsinkable. The Titanic, again a while later, sunk after hitting an iceberg.

The basis of whether or not "An Inspector Calls" is a morality play is a shady area compared to the detective story aspects of the play. I believe the story is a morality play in aspects, as "bad deeds" are apparent, as well as the recognizing and admitting of these deeds by certain characters in the play. This gives the story a "moral". I believe the story has many hidden morals as well as the main one of "Your deeds will find you out". Such as the "turning of the tables" on Mrs. Birling by the Inspector, when she finished saying how the father of the child that the young girl was pregnant with should be to blame and that an example should be made of him and how he should be severely punished the Inspector then discovers the father of the child. After a short while Mrs. Birling "catches on" that the father is Eric Birling, her beloved son. The Inspector then recalls on what Mrs. Birling had so intensely stated. Within the play many phrases are said, mostly by the Inspector (The author's voice), which can be comprehended to be morals. During the play the Inspector's words seem to really "hit home" with Sheila and Eric, they realize their mistakes and begin to get angry with themselves. What the Inspector said even seems to be affecting Mr. and Mrs. Birling, they too seem to realize what they have done even though they are reluctant to say so, and still believe that they are not "really" the cause of the young girls death. Mr. Birling throughout the play is portrayed to be pompous, selfish and harsh to others below him. Thinking himself to be very significant in the world, with him hoping to be on the honours list that year and all. However J.B. Priestley and the Inspector show him up for the idiot he really is. The Inspector shows how that each of the characters have used Daisy Renton possibly as a "stepping stone" and have not cared for her. When all of them seem to be coming together on the matter it is found out that Inspector Goole was not an inspector at all. Mr. and Mrs. Birling are delighted, no more troubles for them now; it was all a hoax, some silly joke. Then it is found out that Daisy Renton hasn't died, well, at least nobody knows of her. However Eric and Sheila realize that it wasn't all a hoax "Everything we said had happened really had happened". Then a while later after some more arguing, it is found out that a young girl has committed suicide and an inspector is being sent round to investigate. This leaves an eerie end to the play and a possible lead to another moral, will the Birling's tell the truth or will they lie?

I believe that "An Inspector Calls" is a detective story as well as a morality play. The story is well written, has a plot, has all the necessary ingredients for a detective story and is completely untrue. It is impossible for this course of events to take place in real life. However, there are many morals within the play. Some hidden some obvious, but they are there. It has an explainable moral. I believe that these factors warrant it being a morality play as well. So yes, I believe that "An Inspector Calls" is both a detective story and a morality play.

Is "An Inspector Calls" a detective story, a morality play or both?

Samuel Keates