“BIRLING stares hard, and with recognition, at the photograph.”
“I think you remember Eva Smith now, don’t you, Mr Birling?”
Mr Birling admits she use to work at his factory and that he discharged her. Eric is quick enough to ask “is that why she committed suicide?”
Arthur Birling is adamant that he had nothing to do with the girls’ death. However the inspector isn’t to agree. Birling is constantly reminding the inspector that he was ex mayor and a magistrate. Maybe the audience should think why he isn’t mayor no more.
When Shelia comes in the inspector is straight in to tell her but Mr Birling doesn’t want her there. Priestley tells Shelia what happened knowing that she will feel awful because she is softer than her father. When Birling, Eric, Gerald and Shelia gather the fact that the inspector hasn’t come just to see Arthur they are shocked. Shelia starts to learn more facts and is against her father, she thinks it was “mean” to let her go.
The inspector tells the family what happened to the girl after she left his factory.
“parents dead,……….. no money coming in,…………………few friends, lonely, half-starved, she was feeling desperate.”
Here the inspector builds up a picture of the girl after she had left Birling’s factory. Probably trying to make him feel guilty. He does this using dramatic device.
The inspector goes on explaining how she got a job at Milwards knowing full well that Shelia had a connection with Milwards and the girl. He shows the photo to Shelia and he knows that she recognises her by her expression after seeing her photo.
“She looks at it closely, recognizes it with a little cry, gives a half-stifled sob, and then runs out”.
The inspector knows that Sheila remembers. Birling goes to talk to his wife and blames the inspector for making a nasty mess of their celebration. However the inspector comes back by saying that’s Eva’s life was “promising” and “a nasty mess somebody’s made of it”.
Shelia’s explanation of her conduct when interviewed by the inspector shows how naïve and thoughtless she was up to the point. However, unlike Birling she feels very upset about her conduct, shown by her running out of the room sobbing when first shown the photograph of Eva Smith. She also swears that she will “never, never do it again to anybody”. This is a turning a point for Shelia. She takes understanding of the inspector’s message.
Mrs. Birling has a high point life where she looks down on others. She is automatically prejudiced against Eva Smith. Dismissing her death with the comment “Girls of that class….”. Shelia warned her about not building a wall between her and the inspector. Mrs. Birling tries to impress the inspector with the positions of her husband, but of course the inspector already knows. The inspector is calm and isn’t interested in the wealth or the “offence”. She refuses to take any blame, so really she is refusing to take any responsibility.
When Mrs Birling is talking who is responsible for the death of Eva Smith she blames the man who got her pregnant and left her. Not realising that that man was her son. Shelia sees sense and tries to warn her mother not to fall into the inspectors trap.
“Then he’d be entirely responsible – because the girl wouldn’t have come to us, and have been refused assistance, if it hadn’t been for him –“
“So he’s the chief culprit anyhow”
“Certainly. And he ought to be dealt with very severely –“
“(with sudden alarm) Mother – stop – stop!”…………
“But don’t you see –“
Shelia is trying to warn her mother but she doesn’t pay any attention. Mrs. Birling is shocked when she discovers that the young man is her son Eric when Eric screams at her we see her waver for the only time on the play. This dramatic device shows that Mrs. Birling and Eric aren’t all that close and shows just how well she knows her son. Mr and Mrs. Birling both have snobbish streaks in them and they are very alike, not giving a care in the world about anyone less fortunate than them. They are all for themselves and no one else. One of the themes in the play is wealth, unequal power between the classes. Mrs Birling shows that a girl in Eva Smiths position had no right to give her own opinions. Mrs. Birling not only shows that she has not changed at all in her opinions at the end of the play but she has shown very little sign of wavering from it during the action either.
Eric can be seen to treat Eva as an object, using her for his fulfilment, against her wishes, through using his position as a social superior in threatening to make a row and giving her money that he had stolen. Eric is the character whose ideas seem to change a lot at the end of the play. He agrees with his father until the inspector arrives. At this point his ideas change towards Eva Smith and his parents, he criticises them but not as refined as Shelia’s manner. He is disgusted with what his father did to Eva and he then begins to distance himself from his opinions. Eric soon finds himself having similar opinion as Shelia about their parents’ idea. Shelia is upset that her parents don’t seem to have listened to the inspectors warning, whereas Eric is angry that his parents led to the death of a woman whom was having his child and is upset and their attitude. Ironically, Priestly wrote the play in the first scene Eric and Shelia annoying each other.
Eric comes back after a walk knowing full well that everyone knows that it was him who was the father of the baby. Priestly use dramatic device by doing this to keep the audience watching to see what happens between Eric, inspector and the rest of the family. The inspector seems to know what happened (like I said before) which I think tricked the family into answering his questions.
“You went with her to her lodgings that night?”
”Yes …”
When Eric returns Mr. Birling greets his son with fury who tells him he is deeply ashamed of him and him and his wife join forces by saying he is to blame for the whole incidence.
After the inspector’s final speech is confusing in some ways and is hard for the Birling especially for Arthur and Sybil. Eric seems to gain a clear understanding of the principle of the community and he reminds his parents that he is “ashamed of you as well – both of you”.
Gerald is a character in the play whose opinions are different to judge, because he has a motive for stating ideas that are different to what he actually believes. He tries to please Mr & Mrs Birling with what he says and does. He comes out of the interview probably better than any other character simply because he did not harm Eva Smith/Daisy Renton like the others did. I think although we notice several times that he is seen to be in favour of Mr & Mrs. Birling, on other occasions Gerald is privately having similar thoughts like Eric and Shelia but probably doesn’t show this to keep in favour with Arthur and Sybil Birling.
The inspector performs a very important speech before he leaves that covers all the main themes of the play and it allows Priestley to get his message across. What he says his powerful and dramatic and I think it is quite like a political speech. Why is it so powerful and dramatic? Well because of the use of “we and us” and memorable phrases like “fire blood and anguish”.
Priestley’s speech is quite important. He explains about life and responsibility.
”Their suffering, and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives and what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for one another”.
Priestley here wants to get across the fact that everyone needs to use collective responsibility in order to keep peace in the world. After the inspector has left the audience get to see the characters true personalities. The inspector’s speech would have provoked much discussion amongst audiences because of the powerful language used and because he left the scene directly after speaking.
J.B Priestley did this sirreprublsy play in three continuous acts for many reasons. He wants to keep the audience watching to find out what happens right till the end. The audience is wanted to keep watching. Without a break the audience are kept watching and they become entranced (like I did) wanting to watch more.
The inspector is constantly summing up evidence. This is to show to the audience that he is knows more than he is letting on. Priestley sums up evidence to get the family to admit to there wrong doings.
“In fact, in a kind of way, you might be said to have been jealous of her.”
”Yes, I suppose so.”
Here the inspector knows that Shelia is jealous of Eva Smith. The inspector tells the family there isn’t much time. He means that they have to keep going on with their answers to his question. When the inspector has left, Gerald rings up the hospital to see if there has been a girl in there who committed suicide. When they find out that there hasn’t they know that the inspector is a hoax. There is then a call from a police officer saying that a girl has committed suicide after swallowing disinfectant. I believe that the Priestley did this for a reason. He said that there isn’t much time because he knew that some of the family hadn’t learnt there lesson and he was going to keep coming back and back till they did. On the other hand, the second time round could be real; the inspector set them up. No one really knows the real reason about the ending. The purpose I think of the ending is to make the Birling family believe that it really did happen, the inspector was warning them. It looked even more suspicious (especially for Gerald) when Gerald rung the infirmary asking about the girl. Although the inspector does turn out to be a hoax, the most mature of the family carry on as normal, especially Mr. Birling simply because he his happy to get out of a scandal. Whereas, Eric and Shelia would never be the same again because they had learnt what they did. Shelia and Eric are amazed that their parents haven’t learnt anything form this saga. Shelia respected the truth and in the play she had more knowledge of unpleasant things than her family.
”That was the police. A girl has just died – on her way to the infirmary – after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police officer is on his way here – to ask some – questions.”
This is the very end of the play. Priestley did this to make the audience want to know more. Why did the police ring? Why is an “inspector” coming again? This play has an impact on the audience; the message was very poignant considering the country had suffered a Second World War.
Lighting, props, and stage directions (from the book) also play an important part in the play, besides dramatic irony. The Birlings’ house would have been “good solid furniture of the period”. “The general effect is substantial and heavily comfortable but not cosy and homelike”. Lighting is pink and intimate before the inspector comes onto the scene; they are hiding a wall of silly pretences. It becomes brighter and harder when the inspector enters, this is them being opened up to the world. Inspector Goole is dressed to set him apart from the Birling family. They are seen in posh evening dress of that period. The inspector is in contrast to the family in a “plain darkish suit of the period”. He is dressed smartly but he is not concerned with status and appearance.
Stage directions at the beginning of the play are important. It tells us about the family and what is happening. Of course the audience watching the play wont know this unless they have read the play. As the play goes on there are various stage directions to help us understand the feelings of the characters. Stage directions play a big part in “An Inspector Calls”, both when watching and reading it. When watching the play stage directions give the actors/actresses facial and motion expressions for the audience to watch. When reading the play stage directions help readers to understand how the actors/actresses would look, do and say things.
Shelia is a good character to explain about stage directions. She comes across as being happy and excited about life especially now that she is engaged to Gerald. After she has learnt about Eva Smith and her death she goes from being “excited” and “half serious, half playful” to “rather distressed”. She is a changed person. The stage directions show the actress playing Shelia to change from one extreme to the other. Soon after she comes to learn that the inspector knows that she got Eva sacked.
”staring at him, agitated”.
After being shown the photo she runs out. In the book this is told by stage directions. Stage directions are especially important in the book because it shows readers what is happening and how the things are happening. Mr. Birling is one of the characters that has the same sort of tone and facial expressions throughout the play. This is to show that he is meant to be “hard”, in power and not softened by the death.
”rather impatiently”.
”somewhat impatiently”.
”abruptly”.
”angrily”.
Mrs Birling is similar to Mr. Birling she hardly changed through the play the only time we see her weak side is when she realises Eric was the father of the baby.
”distressed”.
”agitated”.
Characters are given stage directions to help them act in the way that they should. We are able to see expressions. The inspector would of spoke this very seriously with a domineering tone but spoken slowly and carefully so the audience can feel the impact.
At the beginning of the play the Birling are sat round a table celebrating Shelia and Gerald’s engagement. As the play doesn’t change scene or props the props are an important part of the play. Like the engagement ring for example. Shelia is happy and gay about her and engagement.
”Oh – its wonderful! Look – Mummy – isn’t it a beauty?”
When Shelia finds out about Gerald and “Daisy Renton” she gives him the ring back lacking responsibility because he made a mistake like her.
“(holds up the ring) What about the ring?”
”No, not yet. It’s too soon. I must think”.
Shelia can’t accept the ring back from Gerald after everything that has happened through the night.
Another prop that we see quite a lot is the expensive alcohol. The port shows wealth and important. Things like port in those days were very expensive in them days and only the very rich would be able to afford it.
”Giving us the port, Edna?”
”You ought to like this port, Gerald”.
Gerald knows that the governor likes port. If the governor likes it then it must be a good thing! Another thing we see is cigars. Men of that genre liked smoking a cigar and drinking things like port with their fellow men in the “drawing room”.
”Birling lights a cigar. Gerald, who has lit a cigarette, helps himself to port”.
Drinking shows lack of responsibility because it is bad for you, makes you drunk and is a waste of money. Lack of responsibility from drinking is shown from Eric. His actions caused Eva to die. Responsibility wasn’t shown when Mrs. Birling didn’t know anything about her sons drinking problem only to find out from her daughter.
Priestley used dramatic irony a lot in the play. Dramatic irony is a device that writers use in plays to emphasise the message across to the audience. J.B Priestley made good use of dramatic irony “An Inspector Calls”. It was written in the 2nd World War and was set in 1912 just before the 1st world war happened.
Mr Birling’s illusions of the war and Titanic are bits of dramatic irony.
”Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war except some half-civilized folks in the Balkans. And why? There’s too much at stake these days. Everything loose and nothing gain by war”.
”And I say there isn’t a chance of war”.
As the play was set before the war but published after people reading and watching the play know that Mr. Birling is totally wrong. The “unsinkable Titanic” is mentioned to.
”The titanic sails next week – forty six thousand tonnes – New York in five days and every luxury and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”.
We all so know that Mr. Birling is wrong about this as the titanic did sink. Priestley intended this to Mr. Birling because he knew it would cause an amusement and show that he is to be the fool. Arthur Birling is every man for himself and he is very pretentious and that only his opinions matter and he ALWAYS knows best. However everyone knows he isn’t. I think Priestley did this so Mr. Birling doesn’t look as intelligent and well knowledge as he makes out to be.
Knowing full well that the inspector is J.B Priestley himself, we see a contrast between him and the family. The reference to upper classes couldn’t be more obvious, the language used is even representative of upper-class people, and phrases like “steady the buffs” wouldn’t be used in the lower class people. This is the most important thing to recognise; Birling is targeting that class and wants the audience to know it. He wants the audience to acknowledge the way upper class people act. The language between the family and the inspector is in contrast. The family speak with a “posh” manner whereas the inspector is more casual.
”Eric suddenly guffaws”.
”You’re squiffy”.
” What an expression, Shelia! Really the things you girls pick up these days!”
J.B Priestley became very interested in the “fourth” dimension and time. I think one theory might be that the inspector represents the truth and isn’t a real person but is a respective of justice. The play was to highlight the problems of class divinise, Priestley wanted his audiences to learn something from his play/s. Basically, the moral of “An Inspector Calls” is that no matter what class, race, nationality a person maybe we are all equal and that we should stick together. Priestley got this moral across in his last speech.
”Their suffering, and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives and what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for one another”.
He did but there will always be people like the Birling’s. The audience were to feel the sadness and torture of Eva Smith. Priestley intended them to see what evil, stuck people the Birling’s were. The a striking point about “Inspector Goole’s” character is his involvedness. A real police officer would not get so involved. A further point to note is his lack of respect towards the Birling’s. In those days people with high class like the Birling’s would have had more respect from a police officer.
”(very sternly) Her position now is that she lies with a burnt-out inside on a slab” …………………………
…………..”You mustn’t try to build up this kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do then the Inspector will just break it down. And it’ll be worse when he does”.
”I don’t understand. (to inspector) Do you?”
”Yes. And she’s right.”
I enjoyed reading the book as I found it very interesting especially the strange character of the inspector. I am glad that I read it but I think it wasn’t very good how they keep us in suspense at the ending. Hopefully there maybe a “An Inspector Calls” 2nd to tell us all what happened next. Watching the televised version helped me to understand a little how the character would of acted it out in real life and how they really did come across to audiences.