Inspector calls essay.
The play 'An Inspector Calls' was written by J.B Priestly. He
wrote this between 1944 and 1945. The play is set in 1912. We
know this as Arthur Birling was discussing with Gerald about a
friend who was setting sail on the Titanic the following week.
The setting was in the Birling's family home. The Birling family
represent wealthy successful middle class. Another character,
Eva Smith, represents working class.
This play is all about the class system. It is relating to how the
middle class and upper class treat working class. In this play
Eva Smith has committed suicide and the Birling family are
being inspected by Inspector Goole, to find out why she killed
herself.
Inspector Goole's function in the play was to reveal information
about how each of the characters had contributed to Eva,
Smith's death. We learn nothing about him as a person. We only
find out his views on society, which are that everybody should
be given a chance and treated equally.
The inspector's name, 'Goole,' is a deliberate choice. Ghouls are
interested in things unpleasant. This can be seen as a dramatic
effect in the play. The effect upon the audience is that the
inspector introduces something unpleasant to the previously
happy atmosphere. He quite literally inspects them: their
behaviour, motives and ability to perceive their capability.
Each of the Birling family members are questioned starting
with Mr Arthur Birling. He is actually a very naïve person that
thinks he knows everything. We know this because when he is
talking to Gerald he says "The Germans don't want war." The
audience knows that he is wrong because shortly afterwards
World War one began. Another example of his ignorance is
when he says that the Titanic is absolutely unsinkable. The
audience know that he is also wrong about this; of course his
views were shared by many others. The point though, is that
Eric, dismissed by his father as young and lacking knowledge of
worldly affairs, can see what might be in store. This has a
dramatic effect on the audience because they have a rapid
insight to the personality of Mr Birling. They quickly realise
that he gets things wrong and that they are likely to find out
some more about how he has misjudged thing. When Mr Birling
is first introduced to Inspector Goole he initially assumes that
it has something to do with a warrant due to his position on the
bench. He certainly does not think that is because of a possible
crime. Once he finds out it is not what he assumes he pauses.
This pause has a dramatic effect on the audience, who are
realising something is about to be revealed are intrigued by
what the Inspector ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
some more about how he has misjudged thing. When Mr Birling
is first introduced to Inspector Goole he initially assumes that
it has something to do with a warrant due to his position on the
bench. He certainly does not think that is because of a possible
crime. Once he finds out it is not what he assumes he pauses.
This pause has a dramatic effect on the audience, who are
realising something is about to be revealed are intrigued by
what the Inspector has to say.
We then go on to find out that a young girl has committed
suicide. The girl, named Eva Smith, worked at the Birling
factory but was discharged because she asked for more pay.
The inspector has shown a photo of Eva to Mr Birling but he
would not let anybody else see it. This gives the effect that
there is some mystery and adds to the curiosity felt by the
audience.
Mr Birling makes it clear that the dismissing her from his works
had nothing to do with her death. He says " I can't accept
responsibility, if we were all responsible for everything that
happened to everybody we'd had anything to do with, it would
be very awkward." This attitude is important as it is the exact
opposite of the view put forward by the Inspector in his final
speech.
Sheila was next to be 'inspected'. Sheila was a kind, good-
natured person. She shows this when Inspector Goole has told
her what had happened to Eva. She says "Oh-how horrible! Was
it an accident?" Also she says "I felt rotten about it at the
time and now I feel a lot worse." And to her father she says "
But these girls aren't cheap labour, they're people." Because of
this the audience like her because she seems nice and that she
is a good character. This has a good dramatic effect as liking
for a character has been established before we find out what
she has done.
We discover that Eva Smith had managed to find another job
at Milwards. She then had to leave her job there. Sheila had
gone into the shop that day and while she was trying a dress on
Eva was one of her assistants. The dress did not suit Sheila and
when Eva held the dress up against herself, Sheila became very
jealous because the dress suited Eva perfectly. Sheila had said
to the manager if they did not get rid of her then she would
never go near the place again.
The Inspector goes on to say that Eva had changed her name
to Daisy Renton. There is a dramatic effect when Gerald
reacts to this name. The audience know then that he also has
something to do with her. They already know that Gerald had
stayed away from Sheila in the summer. Sheila thought it was
because of another woman. The dramatic effect on the
audience is that they are curious to find out what has
happened, they can see it sets up a new line of interrogation
and therefore more revelations are to come.
Gerald had met Daisy Renton at The Palace Bar, where he had
rescued her from the notorious womaniser Joe Meggarty. This
part of the story underscores the play's message of how
apparent public respectability can be no more that veneer.
Gerald took Daisy to a quiet bar where he showed her
friendliness and care. They met a few more times when Daisy
let it slip that she was being evicted from a back room she lived
in. Gerald let her stay in a flat for six month in Morgan
Terrace, while a friend was away. Gerald then kept Eva as his
mistress. In the play he says " I suppose it was inevitable. She
was young and pretty and warm hearted." The affair ended in
September when Eva's stay had to come to an end at Morgan
Terrace. Gerald broke it off before he went away on business.
He gave her some money as a parting gift, to last her till the
end of the year.
Gerald's concern seems genuine , he is totally honest with the
Inspector. He does feel bad for Eva as he shows interest in
what happened after he broke off contact with her. He asks
the Inspector questions where and what she did. This suggests
that he had cared about her or was a caring person. The
dramatic effect of Gerald's attitude to persuade the audience
that Gerald is a good character.
Mrs Birling is a complete snobby. The quote that suggests this
is " In any case I don't suppose for a moment that we can
understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class."
It is quite clear here, that to Mrs Birling, working class are
virtually from another planet. Another example of Mrs Birling's
arrogance and lack of understanding is when she is talking to
the Inspector and she says " I realise that you may have to
conduct some sort of enquiry, but I must say that so far you
seem to be conducting it in rather a peculiar manner. You know
of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago
and that he's still a magistrate."
Eva Smith went to an organisation to which women in distress
could appeal for help in various forms. Mrs Birling was a
prominent member of the committee and refused to help Eva.
Mrs Birling said she did this because initially Eva had called
herself Mrs Birling. Also she said "I didn't like her manner.
She'd impertinently made use of our name, though she
pretended afterward to be the first name she thought of. She
to admit, after I began questioning her, that she also had no
claim to the name, that she wasn't married, and that the story
she told first, about a husband who'd deserted her- was quite
false. It didn't take me long to get the truth out of her."
Eva eventually told her the truth, which was that a young,
drunken man had got her pregnant but after a while she
refused money from him because she had suspicions that the
money was stolen.
When the organisation refused to help her, she felt she had no
way out. That was the last thing to happen to Eva before she
killed herself.
The dramatic effects in these scenes are particularly
noticeable when Mrs Birling is placing the responsibility for
Eva's suicide on the young man who got Eva pregnant. We don't
know who the young man is, although we have our suspicions. So
the Inspector encourages Mrs Birling in her desire to make an
example of example of the young man and make him give a
public confession of his responsibility. The audience can see
that this situation has something to do with Eric and that Mrs
Birling is going to be humiliated.
At the end of the act Eric walks in pale-faced and distressed.
The curtain falls. This is a dramatic device, the appearance of
Eric at this point, also confirms the audiences suspicions that
he is the culprit. They know something exciting is going to
happen in the next act and they look forward to it, with
curiosity and wonder.
In the next act Eric is 'inspected.' He is the one who got Eva
pregnant. Eric met Eva in The Palace Bar, where he had already
been drinking. He bought Eva some drinks and went home with
her. She didn't want him to but he threatened to make a row,
so she let him in. They met again a fortnight later and made
love again. Eva then found out she was pregnant. In his way
Eric does try to put things right. He offers her marriage, but
she refuses because she doesn't love him and he provide her
money until she refused to take anymore, when she discovered
that he had stolen the money from his father's office.
Eric was an insecure person. He shows this because of his bad
drinking habits. He is miserable for what he has done. This
shows he cares, and feels guilty for what he has done.
Priestly shows the level of blame that should be attached to
each character, by showing their different reactions. Those
who are most sorry tend to receive less blame in the end, than
those who refuse to acknowledge their responsibility and show
little guilt.
Sheila and Mrs Birling committed fairly similar crimes against
Eva. Both judged her and used their position in society against
her. However we feel less inclined to blame Sheila when we
realise she has learnt her lesson.
Gerald and Eric both used Eva in a similar manner, they both
considered her attractive. They both slept with her and
offered her money. Gerald was more considerate to her and
was more interested in her feeling and was sensible. However,
Eric was very drunk and forced her to let him into her home.
Eric felt miserable and guilty about what they had done. Gerald
was upset she killed herself but not for using her as his
mistress.
Mr Birling felt no responsibility or guilt from the start. He
didn't even show any emotion to her suicide. He only cared
about how the scandal would look in public, or how it might
effect his chances of receiving a knighthood.
If we consider each separate action, it seems clear that they
are all equally to blame. However blame and forgiveness go
together. The people you ban forgive the most, you blame the
least. Because of their remorse and guilt I blame Sheila least
and find Mr Birling the hardest to forgive and therefore the
most blameworthy.
