In the opening scene the audience also learns what sort of character Mrs Birling is. This is because while her husband and Gerald are congratulating Edna on a wonderful meal, Mrs Birling unnecessarily condemns them for doing this “(reproachfully) Authur, your not supposed to say such things”. From this sentence alone the audience can learn that Mrs Birling is selfish, arrogant and unpleasant, and in the latter stages of the play this evaluation of character will be proved further to the spectators.
Finally from Mr Birling the audience could learn a great deal about what was going to happen in the rest of the play. It is first learned that Mr Birling like his wife is cold and greedy. This can be said because in one of his opening speeches Mr Birling openly says that the main reason why he wants Gerald to marry his daughter is because of his association with Crofts limited, therefore his main reason of happiness is that the marriage could bring “lower costs and higher prices” ironically the strive for this maxim was one of the first reasons why Eva Smith took her life. Furthermore in one of Mr Birlings later speeches the audience has its first taste of dramatic irony. This is where Mr Biriling seems absolutely convinced that there is no chance of any world war. Because the play was performed from 1946 onwards, but set in the early nineteenth century in a period just before the Great War, this is an indication to the audience that whatever comes out of Author Birling mouth may not be truthful. In his next speech there is also three more pieces of dramatic irony, firstly when he states that the Titanic was in his words “absolutely unsinkable” when the audience knew that the ill fated liner sunk on its maiden voyage. He then went on to say to Eric complacently that in 1940 his son or daughter might be getting engaged, when later on in the play it emerges that Eric was the father of Eva Smiths child. Finally Mr Birling predicts that the whole world would be moving forward with rapid progress, except in Russia. Again what he didn’t know and what the audience did know is that the only country not affected by the great depression was the Soviet Union and in the 1950’s it was the second most industrialised country in the world behind America. In his next speech however, Mr Birling drops the biggest hint to the audience that something bad was going to happen. While he was boasting to Gerald that there was a good chance that he would get a knighthood in the Honours list, he complacently said that the only thing that could stop him was if they “Get into the police court or start a scandal…”
In Mr Birlings final speech before the Inspector called, he explained his ethos of life to Gerald and Eric. Considering what the audience had heard from him already, they should have been prepared to take what ever he said and reverse it to make sense. His first point was that a “man had to make his own way…look after himself-and his family too”. From what he said and the way he said it, the audience could expect that whatever happened in the remainder of the play, Mr Birling would defend himself to the end, and do what ever it takes as long as he didn’t look bad. His second main point was that community and togetherness was nonsense because a man “has to mind his own business and look after his own” From this second statement by Mr Birling, the audience learned that he would not put himself out for anybody, and as long as it didn’t affect himself, Mr Birling didn’t care about what went on around him. As a result the audience could rightfully expect an, ‘every man for himself’ approach once the inspector arrived.
Once Mr Birling had delivered this speech the audience are immediately prepared for an anomaly because the lighting unexpectedly changed from an easy pink, to a much sterner darker red, a colour which perfectly reflects the incoming circumstances which the Birling family will face. Moments later the Edna introduces the audience to inspector Goole. Immediately the audience is given two clues about the inspectors personality and what he is about to do to the Birling family. To begin with there is the fact that he is an inspector, with the similar sounding spectre meaning ghost or apparition, this sends warning signals that this is no ordinary detective. Secondly there is the more blatant clue of the fact that his name is Goole which is defined as ‘somebody who takes pleasure from the misery of others’. These two small, but subtle hints given by Priestly to the audience are intended to prepare them for the austere interrogations which await. Additionally the mean, contemptible manner which the inspector introduces himself, almost engaging in an out and out squabble with Mr Birling just to assert his authority. In addition to this, just before the inspector fully introduces himself, another of a huge quantity of dramatic irony speeches is revealed. Whilst Birling is talking to Gerald, he unwittingly says when responding to Birlings’ suggestion of why the inspector was there “…Unless Eric’s been up to something…And that would be awkward, wouldn’t it.” It is only later where the audience, as well as the Birlings' find out that due to the situation that awaits, it was a very imprudent thing to declare.
This was the last set of clues which the opening scene provided the audience in helping them prepare for the rest of the production and as the play goes on, slowly but surely the keys which Priestly provided the audience at the beginning of the play fit into all the necessary doors, and all the potential questions, except maybe the most important, are answered in the end.
During inspector Goole’s interrogations, it undoubtedly appears that the characters reactions and reasons reflect largely on their behaviour during the opening sequences. Sheila once told about Eva Smiths horrible death breaks down completely “Oh – how horrible”, and until hearing further evidence is convinced that she was the sole cause of Eva Smiths death. Although what she did was not the worst thing done to Eva Smith, because of the manner in which she did it, the audience begins to despise her and the sympathetic view, quickly turns to a harsh and unforgiving one. Furthermore from the opening scene where she does not seem as ecstatic as the rest of the family, and is not a hundred percent confident in the man she is going to marry, the reaction was not unexpected.
There is then Gerald, who earlier in the play gave the impression that he could not be trusted due to his unconvincing explanation for staying away from his fiancé during the summer is exposed by the inspector due to his relationship with Daisy Renton (a.k.a. Eva Smith). The incredibly brittle relationship between Sheila and Gerald is dramatically uncovered when Gerald wickedly suggests that Sheila purposefully wants to see his husband to be confess to adultery because she had been embarrassed in a similar way earlier “You’ve been through it – and now you want to see somebody else put through it”. The audience also learns that unlike Sheila, Gerald defends himself for quite some time before eventually confessing to his sins. It seemed that it was the son-in-law and not the daughter who heeded Mr Birling’s advice of “looking after himself”.
Mrs Birling who in the opening scene portrayed herself as an infallible creature who thinks very highly of herself, shows this attitude again when questioned by the inspector. Being the only member of the family who did not confess to Inspector Goole’s allegations, Mrs Birling was determined to not let the inspector embarrass her. However because of her great determination to do this, she inadvertently put her son Eric to the sword. Despite her daughters best efforts to stop her “Mother – stop – stop” Mrs Birlings stubbornness eventually backfires terribly and in her attempt to look good she demands that her son “should be made and example of”. More irony is to follow as despite Mrs Birling being convinced that Eric doesn’t drink, it is later revealed that Eric is the heaviest drinker in the whole family. Just like in the opening towards Edna scene Mrs Birling showed her arrogant characteristics for all the audience to see.
. The opening scene portrayed Eric as an unusual character who was making eccentric remarks for no reason whatsoever. It is for this reason why it was no surprise that he was the one who impregnated Eva Smith and left her high and dry. In addition to this the irony of the whole situation was that Eric was more than ready to condemn his father for dismissing Eva Smith from his factory “Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages…I don’t see why she was sacked because she had more sprit than the others”. But Eric was the family member who deserved the most condemnation for his actions. Maybe it is because he hadn’t ‘graduated from the long hard school of experience’ that he eventually admitted to all the charges against him, and like Sheila, was deeply sorry for what he had done.
Mr Birling on the other hand was strong and defended himself stoutly when the inspector came to interrogate him. The opening scene clearly showed him as a talkative and confident man, who believed strongly in his own principles. It is for this reason why the audience could expect a strong defence on his behalf. When questioned by the inspector Mr Birling gives defiant and reasoned answers, however, a clear indication that he only cares about his own well being is when, the inspector reveals that he is not the only person who is going to be questioned a relieved Mr Birling says “(with marked change of tone ...If I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have called you officious and talked about reporting you”). Despite this however the irony of this situation is that once he fully realises what he has done, Mr Birling says “Look inspector – id give thousands – yes thousands-” when Eva Smith originally only wanted a 3 shilling pay rise. Nonetheless the moment Mr Birling thinks that he’s of the hook, he almost forgets what had happened and begins to celebrate. This is the final and most prominent indication that he used his own advice that “A man has to look after himself”
Finally there is the inspector himself who in the opening scene presented himself as a confident harsh disciplinarian who would not tolerate any prima donnas. None of the inspector’s speeches have any real direct relevance to the opening scene except his final speech which is probably the most important in the whole play. Everything which he says in this speech is in a direct contradiction to what Mr Birling had been saying to his children in the opening scene of the play. The inspector who probably represents the Birlings conscience or the views of the audience, states that contrary to what Mr Birling thinks who thinks that “We are not all bees in a hive” and “Every man has to look after himself and his own” the inspector who responds as if he heard every word of Mr Birlings speech says “We are all members of one body. We are responsible for each other”. In scientific terms there are billions of bees in roaming the earth however there are only eleven families of bee, which ironically is one argument which Mr Birling uses for taking care of ones self, however in his final speech the inspector turns this around and uses Mr Birlings own logic against him. Then in another ironic message, talking to the audience just as much as to the Birlings, the inspector says that if people do not learn this lesson (presumably not in the school of experience which Mr Birling attended) then they will be taught it in “fire and blood and anguish” The audience could directly relate to this as after 1910 when this play was set, many wars including two world wars followed. In a direct contrast to the opening scene of joy and happiness, sorrow and regret filled the air of the Birlings household; however because of all the contrasts in the opening scene, it was intended for the audience to know the ending by the end of the first few minutes of the play.
To conclude, J.B Priestly uses a huge array of features to prepare the audience in what was going to happen in the production ‘An Inspector calls’. Stage directions, speeches, dramatic irony and atmosphere were used to give the audience some insight in the likely outcome of the play. Not made as blatant as most other productions, the audience had to guess until the last minute to work out who did what to the ill-fated Eva Smith. Who inspector Goole actually was is never answered in the duration of the play, however with the use of hindsight, the ending could be worked out within the opening scene of the play.
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