Questions and Answers on "An Inspector Calls"
. What do we learn about each of the characters on stage in the opening stage directions? How might the actors show that the characters and pleased with themselves? In the opening stage direction we learn that four members compose the Birling's family. This family has a maid, called Edna. Arthur Birling is Sheila and Eric's father. He is a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech. Sybil, his wife, is about fifty and is rather a cold woman and her husband's social superior; and is the daughter of a more important family. Her daughter, Sheila, is a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited. Her brother, Eric, is also in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive. Also in this stage direction it is presented Sheila's fiancé, Gerald Croft, who is described as an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much that easy well-bred young man-about-town. 2. What tone is set in the opening exchanges between the characters? The tone set in the opening exchanges between the characters seems to be warm and kind. The whole family is celebrating a special ocassion, the engagement between Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft. 3. What does Sheila's engagement to Gerald mean to Arthur Birling? Sheila's engagement to Gerald means a
An Inspector calls - Sheila and Mr. Birling.
An Inspector calls Sheila and Mr. Birling have very different characteristics. Sheila, being a much younger person is quite impressionable, whereas Mr. Birling is not he believes in the solid way of what he thinks is right must go ideas. Sheila attitude and views change as the as the inspector goes on, while Mr Birling refuses to change what he thinks altogether. Their differences in characteristics are shown in their reactions to Eva death, told by the inspector as he goes through all the suspects the Birling family and the Gerald and to each other. Mr. Birling is the father of Sheila Birling and considers himself of having a very high status in society. He is a self made man, being prosperous factory owner, a local magistrate and ex-Lord Mayor of Brumley. He regards himself as being reasonable and what he sees fit as being fair. His first priority is to make money it my duty to keep labour costs down and he pays his employees no more than the going rate. However, as the story continues, we are shown how Sheila sees her father being a stubborn businessman and thoughtless. Sheila on the other hand is shown as being young, attractive, sensitive and straightforward character. She is one of the very few characters in the play that is impressionable, and acutely affected by what the Inspector reveals about her family through the story. Mr Birling and Sheila's characters are
Compare and contrast the different generations in 'an Inspector calls'
Compare and contrast the different generation's response to the Inspector The different characters in 'an inspector calls' fall within different generation categories. The young being Eric ad Sheila, the old being Arthur and Sybil and Gerald who lies in between these two. They all have differing reactions to the inspector's presence and I believe the link is in their ages or generations. An Inspector Calls was written in 1946 but set in 1912. At a time when capitalism was ruling the country and people like Arthur Birling effectively rule the country. The setting of the play was very significant as it allowed the use of dramatic irony, especially when Birling speaks about the future. "We're in a time for a time of steadily increasing prosperity". As the audience knew what the future held for the people in the play they get an instant dislike for Birling as an arrogant, capitalist factory owner. The younger generation, Eric and Sheila respond to the inspector's presence very differently to their parents. Sheila responds to the inspector's interrogation very honestly and openly. "(Miserably) so I'm really responsible?" Instantly she accepts the blame and places it all on herself. This is a perfect example of how the younger generation reacts to the inspector. They don't lash out at him or try and shift the blame; they understand their part and accept the blame. Eric's
How does priestly make 'an inspector calls' a dramatic play?
How does priestly make 'an inspector calls' a dramatic play? Priestly uses a variety of methods and techniques to make 'an inspector calls' a dramatic play. He includes dramatic irony, tension and suspense to create a dramatic atmosphere. The whole play is set in one room with no lapses of time. This in itself creates tension and also represents the Birling family's separation from the outside world. Priestly creates an uncomfortable atmosphere from the stage directions at the very beginning of the play. "The lighting should be pink and intimate until the inspector arrives. And then it should be brighter and harder." Priestly wants to show to the audience the difference in mood when the inspector arrives. It creates dramatic tension. Tension building is also used during act 1 when the Inspector will only show the photograph to Mr Birling. "Any particular reason why I shouldn't see this girl's photograph, Inspector?" This is dramatic because the characters and the audience are not sure whether to trust the inspector. They are questioning his reasoning. Dramatic irony is used to reveal Mr Birling's character in Act1. "Some people say that war is inevitable. To that I say fiddlesticks." Judging from when the play was written and when it was set, it is clear to the audience that Priestly is showing Mr Birling to be an ignorant man who is soon to be proven wrong in his
An inspector calls - How does Priestly present the character of the Inspector?
How does Priestly present the character of the Inspector? Inspector calls was written by J.B.Priestly in 1945.The play was set in 1912 which is also linked with 1945 as it is about 1912.the play is about a family who are in a cosy room celebrating their daughter's engagement, when a harsh figure of an inspector cross-examine the family cording to a suicide of a young working class women when to that each member has a shameful secret which is linked to her death. The arrival of the inspector is show as he enters the room as priestly had stage description that there is to be felt an immediate presences as he enters. "The INSPECTOR need not be a big man but be creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness." And has also wrote the Inspector is meant to be like "He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period. He speaks carefully, weightily and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking." The inspector has a way of getting information out of each member of the family even by using quite harsh words on them. I believe that the inspector meant to be seen as someone who has no time for the people he talks to and is shown when gets impatient with Mr Birling as he says "Don't stammer and yammer at me again man. I'm losing all patience with you people." Sometimes the
Inspector calls attiudes towards women
ATTITUDES OF WOMEN IN THE PLAY (An Inspector calls) An Inspector Calls is a play written by JB Priestley. The play discusses issues such as morality, respectability and the role of women. Within the play Priestley preaches his social views that "we are all part of one body" and reflects them as the role of the inspector .The play follows the Birling family and indeed Gerald Croft and discusses there role and reaction to the suicide of a lower class women Eva Smith. A key point that the play highlights is how willing they are to make changes, to adjust and repent .Dramatic and chronological irony is created as the play was written in 1945 and set in 1912 .It therefore allows the audience to form decisions about the characters retrospectively .In this essay I will be discussing how women are portrayed and the actions of women throughout the play. At the beginning of the play Sheila acts in a materialistic and stereotypical manner. An example of this is when she receives the ring from Gerald she states "it's perfect now I really feel engaged". This implies that the physical gift is the most important aspect which is an immature attitude towards marriage. In addition Sheila becomes upset and overwhelmed quite often, it is a stereotypical view of women to be oversensitive .This can be seen when the comment is passed to Sheila "you're behaving like a hysterical child tonight".
How does the character Sheila Birlings change in the play An Inspector Calls?
How does the character "Sheila Birling's" change in the play 'An Inspector Calls'? The play 'An Inspector Calls' was written in 1945 by J.B. Priestly, but it was set in 1912. At this time society was capitalist, there were very strong distinctions between upper and lower class people, industry and agriculture were privately owned and wealth was not shared equally. The play centers on the Birling family headed by Arthur Birling who is a wealthy factory owner. At the start of the play the Birling family is celebrating happily Sheila's engagement to Gerald Croft. However, the mood changes when Inspector Goole arrives and informs them about the suicide of a young woman named Eva Smith. Sheila Birling is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Birling is described at the start as "a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited", most probably because of her engagement to Gerald Croft. Her hopes and plans for the future are to have a happy married life with her husband-to-be. Early in the play her mother informs her about married life claiming that men "spend nearly all their time and energy on business". However, Sheila does not agree and she warns Gerald, "so you be careful", which shows that she wants her fiancé to be attentive towards her. When we meet Sheila she seems to be satisfied with life; she is also from a comfortable family and so is Gerald.
How is Sheila Birling Presented in Act 1 of an inspector calls
How does Priestley present Sheila Birling in act 1? At the beginning of act 1 in 'An Inspector Calls', Sheila Birling is presented as 'a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited'. This also describes how she acts for most of act 1, until she is shown the picture of Eva Smith, and then 'she gives a half-stifled sob' which marks her first change in the novel. Her mood in act 1 switches from acting 'gaily' around Gerald to 'almost breaks down, but just controls herself', showing she is also the character most capable of change. Priestley first portrays Sheila as naïve, as she seems very 'playful' and he refers to her being possessed as she talks to Gerald. Although she is 'half serious, half playful' Priestley makes her seem more clever as she has suspicions about Gerald when she mentions 'last summer, when you never came near me'. This only becomes apparent to the reader when Gerald reveals that he had an affair with Eva Smith as well. Sheila makes an effort in act 1 to get her parents to approve of Gerald. When she receives the ring from Gerald, she is immediately 'excited', and Priestley shows this in her speech with the use of dashes as she asks 'Mummy - isn't it a beauty?'. She shows appreciation of the 'perfect' ring to Gerald which shows she really is 'pleased with life' but almost possessed by Gerald. Although the Mr and Mrs
How does Priestley create dramatic tension in Act 1 of An Inspector Calls up until the arrival of Inspector Goole?
How does Priestley create dramatic tension in Act 1 of 'An Inspector Calls' up until the arrival of Inspector Goole? 'An Inspector Calls' is a play written by J.B Priestley in 1945. Its genre is a modern detective thriller combined with a medieval morality play. J.B Priestley was an English dramatist who is recognized for writing over 50 plays; An Inspector Calls is one of his most infamous. Many plays that Priestley has written reflect his political views. He was a socialist, and was very concerned with the amount of inequality in Britain at the time. Priestley wrote 'An Inspector Calls' with the intention of conveying the idea of social discrimination to the audience through ridiculing and showing the attitude of the capitalist Birling family. Priestley deliberately set the play in 1912, although it was written in 1945. He did this because in 1912 everything was exceedingly different to the era he was writing it in. When the play was set, there were strong distinctions between gender, class and sex; whereas when the play was written those distinctions had been significantly reduced, mainly because of World War One. Priestley wanted to make the most out of those changes in the play, to make people seize the opportunity to build a more caring and equal society. Priestley creates dramatic tension throughout Act One, up until the Inspector arrives. The first few
Explore the way the characters between different generations is developed in An Inspector Calls
Explore the way the characters between different generations is developed in An Inspector Calls In the play An Inspector Calls, written in 1946 by Mr J.B Priestley, there are two contrasting generations, the old and new. These characters are developed as the play unfolds. The play is set before World War 1, in 1912. This period was drastically different to the one in which it was written, 1946, with the social classes being much farther apart and the welfare state being non-existent. In this essay I will look at how the characters Sheila and Arthur Birling change over the course of the play, and how the generation gap affects this. These characters have been chosen because they, in my opinion, differ the most out of any two characters in the play. I will firstly look at how Sheila is portrayed when we first meet her at the start of the play. In the first act the Birling family is having dinner to celebrate Sheila marrying Gerald Croft, a lucrative decision for both of the families. Sheila is shown as sarcastic and playful when she says “(with mock aggressiveness) Go on Gerald- just you object!” This sentence implies that Sheila likes to joke around with Gerald, which was actually in contrast to how women were supposed to act in that period, showing early on that she is also quite rebellious. The word “mock” means, in this case, means fake and not serious, reflecting
