“Because you’re not the kind of father a chap could turn to when he’s in trouble- that’s why” this is what Eric says to his father when they discover he has a drinking problem. That is when we realise there is lack of communication between the older and younger generation in the play. They seemed to hardly know anything that was happening and what Eric was doing which lead to tragic consequences, eventually everyone finding out that Eric was the one who got Eva Smith pregnant. Most teenagers today lack communication with their parents similarly to the play represented by Eric, and Priestley wanted to show this through the play that we should be closer to our families.
Another issue that still remains today is prostitution. In the play we find out Eric has casual sex relationships with prostitutes, this is still a huge problem today that is often talked about. Gerald Croft has an affair, which is committing adultery and is against the law in the words of the bible, Mr Birling didn’t seem to be bothered what kind of a man he really is only that he is of a higher class which would improve his business. Gerald was able to tell Sheila the truth in the end because of the Inspector, Priestley shows this is the right thing to do and far better than living with the guilt. The Birlings are like any other family and the play shows us their problems that we can relate to, if not just be thankful for the life we have got.
“The Titanic she sails next week…every luxury and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” Mr Birling says this so solemnly at the celebration of his daughter Sheilas engagement. He really believes in himself. But we know that the Titanic ended up sinking proving Mr Birling wrong. J.B Priestley uses Dramatic Irony to show how Mr Birlings opinions are wrong and he doesn’t listen to anyone else but himself, suggesting he is a pompous, self-satisfied man. A fool. This is still relevant today because people often think highly of themselves mainly of what class they are and believe they know more than anyone else. People like Tony Blair or George Bush.
For this play J.B Priestley uses ‘real’ time, meaning the timing is exactly as you see it and there is no end of act or three days later. Directors like to use this sort effect because it is a good way of making the performance more dramatic and real. Also in the play you have a taste that there is life going on in the outside world such as when the telephone rings or in the theatrical version when there are children and the old woman outside the house. The audience are then more involved in the play as they are gripped to the storyline.
The play is very dramatic because Priestley creates a lot of tension throughout the play keeping us interested at all time. The family are shown to be very happy at the beginning celebrating an engagement then the Inspector arrives unexpectedly and talks about the family’s involvement with a death of a girl. The tension is very unbearable because, how does the Inspector know all of this? Everything about the family is revealed to us. When the Inspector gives his last speech it is very dramatic and powerful because the use of words such as “ we and us” and he also uses phrases to warn them that if changes are not made then the future will be one of, “fire, blood and anguish!” The readers are very puzzled at times as they are made to think one thing and then it turns out to be another.
Another reason why the play is very dramatic is Priestleys way of making the audience take a dislike to a particular character. The first time we see Mr Birling and when he talks he seems to be over-confident, when the Inspector comes he is very arrogant and rude towards him. Mr and Mrs Birling are very similar because they only think about themselves, when we find out that she refused to help Eva Smith we see how selfish she really is. Also when Sheila tells her mother not to say anymore she carries on, knowing best and realises what a mistake she had made. As an audience we love this sort of thing when the character is proved wrong and they end up making a big mistake.
Throughout the play we are always making assumptions of what is going to happen next, or asking questions about the characters. At the end when there is a telephone call Mr Birling comes in saying, “ That was the police. A girl has just died-on her way to the infirmary after swallowing some disinfectant and a police inspector is on his way here to ask questions” the play then ends. The twist is such a shock to us and we end up asking even more questions “who really is the inspector?” His name Inspector Goole…sounds as if he could be a ghost. Or could he be God?
Inspector Calls could have been a Catholic Priest as Priestley was a very religious man and it ties in with his name. The Inspector uses religious language in his final speech, “their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering,” this could be connected in some way to the fact he could be God. Another possibility of who the Inspector was, is some kind of journalist who knows something about the Birling family and is trying to piece bits of information together to get some kind of story.
J.B Priestley was a very religious man and through this play he wanted to make a few points across to the readers. Although he wrote the play in 1945 he set it deliberately in 1912 because at that time it represented the sort of society everybody wanted to leave behind. He was very concerned about the living conditions of the lower class, represented by Eva Smith and the way the upper class behaved. Using the Inspector he challenges each of the characters that represent a part of society. Priestley wanted to put the point across that we should help each other. In the end he shows that the younger generation realise that they should change their ways whereas the Inspector intimidated the older generation, they laugh it off and carry on as they were.
The Inspector is able to crack beneath the surface of the ‘happy family’ act and is shows us what they are really like. Each character is accused of selfishness and is sort of a punished by the Inspector for example he reveals Geralds affair with Eva in front of Sheila and Mr Birlings fears for his family’s reputation at the inquest. This is why the Inspector’s last speech gives them a warning but only Sheila and Eric realise this.
The audience are encouraged to think about their own lives and how they could be improved. The inspector’s last speech really made a difference he was able to change Sheila, although she found out he wasn’t real, “ No because I remember what he said, how he looked, and what he made me feel. Fire, blood and anguish. And it frightens me the way you talk, and I can’t listen to any more of it.” This shows she has changed and learned something. Although he was only able to change the younger generation, I think in some way the older learned their lesson in the end as well. Priestley shows us that we all have responsibilities and we need to think about others as well as ourselves, otherwise it could lead to terrible consequences.
