An Inspector Calls Act 1.

An Inspector Calls Act 1 Varun Gupta . Select one of the members of the Birling family. Write a character study, using text for reference, to show how Priestly uses the character to convey his own opinions and attitudes. I am choosing Sheila as my character because I believe that she has the most important part in the play when it comes to understanding the moral of the whole play. Unlike all the other members of the family, Sheila and Eric are willing to take the blame for what part they had to play causing the death of the 'so called' Eva Smith. Sheila's character is a rare one because she represents the younger generation of society. She believes that as well as her, the whole family should have part of the blame for the cause of the death. Straight away without any arguments she confesses and repents. All the others, apart from Eric, try their best to drift the blame to somebody else. I suppose even Gerald in a way blames himself for what he had done. It is the parents who are the older and 'wiser' generation. I believe that Priestly feels quite close to the character to Sheila and that he can almost relate to her. You can almost say that Priestly is Shelia in disguise. Sheila's most important speech is probably that long speech in which she describes what she had done and what she felt like afterwards. Sheila was obviously jealous of the girl and used her power to get

  • Word count: 879
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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An Inspector Calls - Act 1

How does JB Priestly use language and dramatic techniques to create tension and suspense whilst delivering a message to the audience in Act 1 of An Inspector Calls. JB Priestly uses a wide variety of language and dramatic techniques to create the feeling of tension and suspense among the audience to enhance the delivery of the socialist message and engage the audience in Act 1 of An Inspector Calls. Throughout the play Priestly continuously employs the use of dramatic irony, as well as creating contrasting lighting atmospheres and creates a variety of effects using different props and characters. The play was written in 1945 - just after the Second World War. Priestly wanted to make a dramatic point about social inequality by setting his play in 1912. The point was how social inequality was employed to the extent of neglect and abuse at this time among people in comparison to 1945, this is because the social responsibility was a lot stronger. There were rigid class systems in 1912, and people of a higher class were frowned upon if they mixed with people of a lower class. They thought it was socially unethical, whereas in 1945 the evacuations and workforce of the war didn't give the people any choice, but to communicate with each other and this lead to a less sturdy class system and more people mixing, even after 1945. Dramatic irony is used mainly in the text of Mr Birlings

  • Word count: 925
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The end of Act 2 of 'An Inspector Calls' is full of suspense and tension.

An Inspector Calls The end of Act 2 of 'An Inspector Calls' is full of suspense and tension. How does Priestley create these effects? J B Priestley's: an inspector calls is a 20th century mystery play set in 1912,before world war one. The end of Act 2 is full with suspense and tension as all the clues that have been dropped finally come to sense to the audience. Although it is not mentioned, Priestley makes it clear that the inspector knew that Eric Birling was the father of Eva Smith's child and had wanted for Ms Birling to declare what punishment she believed should be given to the young man "Make sure that he's compelled to confess in public his responsibility." The stage direction (with sudden alarm) adds to the tension that Priestley has successfully built thus far. When Sheila says "mother stop-stop" this creates tension and excitement within the audience due to the curiosity of what she may know. At this point in the play we are being drawn into what is happening on stage and being filled with curiosity of what the characters are talking about. In the play so far, the audience have learnt that Mr Birling had Eva Smith work for him before he had fired her; Sheila Birling had got Eva Smith fired from her new placement because she was in a bad mood and had believed that Eva smith was laughing at her (although the audience know secretly she was just jealous of Eva

  • Word count: 1371
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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How Does Priestley Create Suspense And Tension At The End Of Act 2 Of "An Inspector Calls".

How Does Priestley Create Suspense And Tension At The End Of Act 2 Of "An Inspector Calls" In this essay I will be talking about the different ways that Priestley pulled off the effect of creating suspense and tension to the reader in the last few pages of act 2 in "an inspector calls". I will start off with talking a bit about the plot so far in act 2. In this act the inspector unearths more secrets about the link between other members of the Birling family and Eva Smith. So far Mr Birling, Sheila Birling and Gerald have admitted knowing Eva Smith. We know that Mr Birling sacked her after she was one of the main perpetrators of a strike at his factory. We also found out that Sheila admitted to forcing Eva's boss in to sacking her while she was working at Milwards and Gerald admitted to having an affair with a girl called Daisy Renton who had changed her name from Eva Smith. One of the dramatic devices that Priestley uses in the last few pages of act 2 is the punctuation that is used to convey a tone or an expression. For example on page 48, when a hyphen is used at the end of a sentence. This shows that the inspector, which emphasises the point that the inspector is being serious, has cut off Mrs Birling. It also shows that the argument is getting more heated and less civilized because they are cutting each other off without letting them finish. An example of this is

  • Word count: 1787
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls In 1945 J.B. Priestley wrote 'An Inspector Calls' however it is set in 1912 and is written in a murder mystery style. J.B. Priestley explains throughout the story how all the members of the Birling family and Gerald Croft is responsible for the death of Eva Smith. Priestley makes the story interesting as he links up the events leading up to Eva Smith's suicide. Priestley also explains how we are responsible for each other in society. J.B. Priestley also brings ideas to life such as actors, staging and lighting. 'An Inspector Calls' was written in 1945 but set in 1912 to show the audience how industrialists like the Birlings and Gerald Croft were responsible for World War. Priestley believed in a welfare state, he wanted a welfare state because then the likes of Eva Smith would not depend on families like the Birlings. The Inspector arrives after Mr Birling's speech; he slams the door as he comes in. He slams the door to show he has come to look into and investigate their lives as well as to show how we are all connected in society. The play is set in a rich industrialist's dining room. The lighting is 'pink and intimate' as an engagement is being celebrated until the determined Inspectors arrival. When Inspector Goole arrives the lighting should be 'brighter and harder' as the Inspector has come to look into their lives. The colour screen play

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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An inspector calls

Introduction J.B Priestley keeps the interest of the audience throughout 'An Inspector Calls' in a variety of ways. Paragraph 1 J.B Priestley gives us a lot of clues in the play 'An Inspector Calls' which makes us feel that things are not quite as they seem. In the play we see that there is a lot of tension in the Birling household, and there are a lot of secrets kept amongst them. In the play at the engagement party we find out that there are a lot of arguments going on between the men and the women. Also we find out that Gerald had been avoiding Sheila all last summer and Sheila feels that she should know what had happened last summer. "Yes-except for all last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you." We also find out that Sheila needed a ring from Gerald for reassurance. Next we find out that Eric was hiding something because he says in mid sentence "Oh yes, I remember" but then he pauses and doesn't tell anyone about it. This suggests to us that he was hiding something from the beginning. Paragraph 2 In the play 'An Inspector Calls' J.B Priestley uses cliffhangers to attract the attention of the audience. Near the end of act 1 we see that Gerald and Sheila are having a conversation, Sheila is saying to Gerald "How did you come to know this girl- Eva Smith?" Gerald tells her that he does not know an Eva Smith, he only knows a Daisy

  • Word count: 2203
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls An Inspector Calls is set in 1912, and was written in 1947. During these years between these dates, Britain was involved in two world wars, which turned the world upside down and disrupted the old orders forever. Already an established writer, playwright and broadcaster, particularly known for his moral-boosting wartime broadcasts, J.B priestly used his reputation to explore the clash of the old and new orders and the difference between the upper and the lower class. He drew attention to the complacency of Britain after the Industrial Revolution and before the World Wars, supported gathering socialists movement, which began to see the world as a place where all shares responsibility for all. This contrasted with the view that each person is only responsible for him or herself and their family. Priestly sort to warn his audiences of the threat posed by carrying on as before, putting too much faith in outdated values and institutions. The first audiences of 'An Inspector Calls' were receptive to new ideas, which could mend the misery and deprivation of a war-torn nation. This was a society hungry to find ways forward to a better future. The contrast between these views continues in the present-day British politics. In 1987, just three years after Priestly died, Margaret Thatcher who was Prime Minister at the time said, 'There is no such thing as

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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an inspector calls

An Inspector Calls An Inspector Calls written by John Boynton Priestley was a play written in 1945 however was set in 1912. This is interesting because in 1912 World War I would start in 2 years time, making Mr. Birling's optimistic view that there would not be a war is completely wrong. This allows Priestly to relate to World War 1 and 2 using dramatic irony by referring to the two World Wars as the characters live in a world before the world wars while the audience lived in a post war world. Priestley deliberately set his play in 1912 because the date represented an era when all was very different from the time he was writing. In 1912, rigid class and gender boundaries seemed to guarantee that nothing would change. Meaning that the rigid class would stay rigid and the women would stay working at home cooking and cleaning. Yet by 1945, most of those class and gender divisions had been breached. Priestley wanted to make the most of these changes. Through this play, he encourages people to seize the opportunity the end of the war had given them to build a better, more caring society. During the 1930's Priestley became very concerned about the consequences of social inequality in Britain, and in 1942 Priestley and others set up a new political party, the Common Wealth Party which argued for public ownership of land, greater democracy, and a new "morality" in politics. The

  • Word count: 2555
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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An inspector calls

XXXXXXX XXXXX Mrs XXXXXX GCSE Twentieth Century Drama Coursework - An Inspector Calls How does Priestley use the Inspector to create a sense of impending doom for the Birling family in act one of An Inspector calls? There are several themes portrayed by certain characters including responsibility, community, guilt, egocentricity and denial. They are key ideas in Priestley's play An Inspector calls, and contribute to the general sense of imminent trouble. There is a great deal of contrast with regards to social events and historical context between the time the play is set in, 1912 - Pre World Wars, and the first staging of the place, post World war 2, 1945-46 (disputed). This difference is what fuels many ironic statements throughout Act one, mainly by Mr Birling (one example of this is his speech on page 4). The class Hierarchy also plays an important part in the play, as the Birlings are upper-middle class, and Act One conveys this impression of the stereotypes of class very well. The Impact of the staging suggests a money-orientated 'posh' lifestyle surrounding the family, which the audience would generally disapprove of because of the economic slump and more lower classes present post World War 2. The Birlings are an almost aristocratic family and they look down on any one who is below them in the social hierarchy. Priestley uses the inspector as a key dramatic device

  • Word count: 2269
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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An Inspector Calls

Analyse the Dramatic Events, which take place during Act 3 of 'An Inspector Calls'. 'An Inspector Calls' by JB Priestley, was written just after World War 2 in 1945, when Priestley was campaigning for a Labour government so that they could promote the rights of the working classes, but he set it in 1912 two years before World War 1. He did this deliberately so that his audience could see the events of the play, in perspective, and so that it would not look like political advertising. Priestley may have chosen this year because of the Titanic (The Unsinkable) which sank in its first voyage this shows how wrong Mr Birling can be. The play opens with the engagement party of Gerald Croft and Sheila Birling. Sheila is the daughter of a rich businessman, Arthur Birling. Mr Birling gives a speech in which he acts as if he knows everything. He says there will be no war and he also says that the Titanic is unsinkable. He is wrong because two wars have gone past and the unsinkable Titanic sinks. He also says that people should only look after themselves and not bother about anyone else. Mr Birling was so greedy that he fired a young girl Eva Smith just because she wanted a bit of a pay rise. Mr Birling thought that Eva Smith was a threat to him and his company. This started a chain of events. Sheila was extremely jealous of Eva Smiths prettiness. The plays message is that Mr Birling

  • Word count: 1322
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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