Inspector Calls essay. Act 2. In what ways does Priestley make this such a dramatic and significant moment in the play?

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1. Read Act 2 from:

INSPECTOR: Mrs Birling, you’re a member – a prominent member- of the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation, aren’t you?

To

MRS B …” you have no power to make me change my mind”.

In what ways does Priestley make this such a dramatic and significant moment in the play?

Priestly uses many different techniques to make this a dramatic and significant moment in the play. This scene really outlines the generation gap present in the play. It is obvious thorough this extract that Mrs Birling is still clearly unaffected by the news of Eva Smith’s death, and her families partake in it.

It is clear of the differing views of the two generations, in the extract of the play especially, as from the beginning you can see Shelia’s acceptance of the need to be truthful, “Go, on mother you might as well admit it.” Priestly showing Shelia’s greater understanding of the situation unlike her mother who seems to still be in belief that she “...done nothing wrong.”It is conveyed that Mrs Birling sees Sheila and Eric still as "children" and speaks patronisingly to them. She tries to deny things that she doesn't want to believe: Eric's drinking, Gerald's affair with Eva, and the fact that a working class girl would refuse money even if it was stolen, claiming "She was giving herself ridiculous airs."She admits she was "prejudiced" against the girl who applied to her committee for help and saw it as her "duty" to refuse to help her.  Shelia’s response “(astonished) Mother!” highlights her shock that her mother had seen the deceased girl only two weeks previous to her death, again displaying the generation gap. Consequently adding drama through the growing differing views, especially in this extract between mother and daughter.

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From the stage directions you can see Mrs Birling unfamiliarity of the manner and question in which the Inspector asks her. She tries to talk “with dignity”, but from the beginning of the extract, she and Mr Birling both seem “bewildered and rather frightened.” perhaps highlighting their guilt and perhaps fear of what is to become of them, as well as a fear of the Inspector, this being the first time. Priestly in the play shows us the less empowering, vulnerable side of both Mr. and Mrs. Birling, making this a very significant moment in the play. Mrs ...

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Shows general understanding of some of the ways Priestley builds up the drama but the points are disorganised. With an extract question, time must be spent carefully reading and annotating the extract before starting to write. The annotations will then help with the structure of the essay. This question is about the Inspector "inspecting" Mrs Birling so the essay must stick closely to what she says and does in the extract. ***