Tension in An Inspector Calls

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James Trebilco                                                                 10D/V

                                       An Inspector Calls

        In the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, J.B Priestly successfully maintains tension. I intend to show how he has done this by using quotes and stage directions from the play as well as relating the play to similar texts and political and social backgrounds of the time.

        Priestly uses his characters to keep the audience captivated.
Arthur Birling is a prosperous manufacturer. He is a pompous and solemn man. He’s in his mid-fifties. Sybil Birling is also about fifty years old and seems to have come from a family with a higher social position than her husband. She is austere and cold. Their daughter Sheila Birling is pretty and in her twenties and she is pleased with her life. Eric Birling isn’t very sure of himself. He’s in his twenties. Gerald Croft, a very confident man, has just become engaged to Sheila. As soon as Inspector Goole a purposeful and impressive character enters he makes a big impression on the audience and the family.

        The level of conflict alters as the play goes on. It starts off with low levels where, Eric questions some of the points raised by Arthur but is overpowered by him. The older generation feel it’s their duty to advise the children. When the inspector is interviewing Arthur, Eric sides with the workers. He doesn’t understand why they couldn’t have more money. Eric doesn’t realise how much he has benefited from the workers having a low wage, but he is more humane than his father. After the inspector leaves the children are affected by what the inspector has shown them. The parents, on the other hand, are too set in their ways and are more affected by the fact that it could have been a scandal rather than the principle of the affair.

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        The inspector keeps very mysterious throughout the play. By doing this he keeps the characters and the audience guessing. He always seems to have control. A policeman would normally have treated Arthur Birling with great respect but when he tries to influence the inspector saying that he plays golf with his superiors the Inspector is not phazed. It makes the audience realise this is someone different. He also seems to know the answers before he asks the questions. The audience realise that the family is involved with the girls’ death before the family does and so they want to see ...

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