I am looking at pages 44-49 as my focus pages. In this part of the play, the Inspector moves onto questioning Mrs Birling and the scene ends when Eric enters. The key themes are continued throughout these pages; especially the theme of responsibility. It is shown through Mrs Birling and how she tries to be resistant to it. She is blind to her involvement when she states ‘I accept no blame for it at all’, clearly indicating that she cannot accept her part in Eva Smith’s death. Responsibility changes in Act Two. Mrs Birling tries to shift the blame onto someone else, so she says “I blame the young man- the father of the child”, “he’d be entirely responsible”. Inspector Goole wants to emphasise what she has just said so he keeps asking what should be done to the young man. She replies that he should be “compelled to confess in public his responsibility”. By saying this, Mrs Birling not only shifts the blame off her own shoulders, but puts it onto her son’s. She cannot accept her own guilt because she is stubborn. She doesn’t see the Inspector’s power and tries to outsmart him.
Mrs Birling is also used to show the theme of criminal and respectable. As Chair of a charity she is a respected person, but when she used her influences to “have the girl refused” because she didn’t like her, it is almost criminal because she is stealing the poor girl’s life away from her. The girl was “almost penniless, desperate” but Mrs Birling still used her ‘influence’ to have it refused. Even her daughter thought it was “cruel and vile”.
Because Mrs Birling acted in the wrong way, Eva Smith died; which links it back to the theme of responsibility. Priestley used this web of themes to show it isn’t only the poor who make mistakes, but how each single person in society should accept responsibility for their own actions.
In this way, Mrs Birling is used as an example for the wrong actions that people take. Other characters in the play are used in other ways. As a counterpoint to her mother, Sheila often speaks the voice of the audience. She emphasises what is going on on stage, and gives clues to the audience to what they should be thinking. I think that Priestley wanted the audience to figure out Eric’s secret before Mrs Birling did, so it would create tension and make them ‘cringe’ as she digs her son’s own grave. Sheila pushes the audience to realise it when she says “don’t you see?” I think that at this point the audience would be wondering what Mrs Birling is so blind to, and be urged into thinking for themselves. Sheila puts ideas to the audience; involving them in the play.
The Inspector is used in another way- to lead the play on. He is in control of the other characters. He has immense power over what they say and do. Mrs Birling doesn’t realise this when she declares to him “you have no power”. The Inspector is very calm but icy when he replies “Yes I have”. This shows how authoritative he is which helps to split the other characters up. There is a battle of wits between Mrs Birling and the Inspector. Both characters are very stubborn; neither wants to give up and let the other ‘win’. The Inspector is determined to humiliate the Birlings and Mrs Birling has no intention of letting that happen; she is arrogant, which leads to her downfall. Also, his logical approach to solving the puzzle separates them; it makes you look at each individual’s role in the death. This logic also gives the play its ‘whodunit’ genre. Clues are given throughout the play, all coming together at the end. Events are slowly unravelled; this increases tension.
As well as the clues given throughout the play, Priestley uses several dramatic devices to help move it along. One that he uses at the end of each act is a cliffhanger. At the end of Act Two, Eric enters and the Inspector silences everyone by simply raising his hand. His makes the tension reach a climax. I think that the cliffhanger starts to build up from the point that the Inspector says “I’m waiting”. This leads the audience to speculate about what he is waiting for. This leads the audience on; keeps them thinking, and, just like the Inspector, waiting. I think that Priestley wanted this to happen so they would be prepared for a big ‘explosion’ when Eric enters, but the Inspector won’t let them speak, so the tension remains until the next act. At the end of Act Two, we can also notice a lack of stage directions. This is because the dialogue is very fast and I don’t think that Priestley wanted to break it up. Stage directions might have distracted the audience or made it seem less natural for the actors on stage.
Probably the most used dramatic device in the focus pages is dramatic irony. This is when the audience know something that the characters on stage don’t. The biggest example of irony is when Mrs Birling ‘traps’ herself and her son. She doesn’t realise that it was Eric, otherwise she wouldn’t have said “he should be made an example of“. This is ironic because she wants the Inspector to leave them alone, but by saying that she is making her family even more involved. I think that at this point, the audience would want to shout out to Mrs Birling and warn her. They may sympathize with her because they don’t want her to fall down.
‘An Inspector Calls’ is a very clever play because Priestley has managed to state his arguments and views very clearly. There is a clear moral of responsibility and of everyone’s roles in society.
He uses a lot of different devices to create dramatic tension- which are very effective because they all entice the audience in some way; characters are used to involve them, and cliffhangers to keep them hanging on. Priestley shows his strong socialist views through key themes which are often repeated. Most of these themes are still applicable today. In modern society we still have certain views of the different ‘classes’ and often refuse to accept responsibility. We are too ashamed to admit our mistakes which can often lead to our downfalls- just as it did to Mrs Birling.
I hope that modern audiences would leave the theatre feeling just as affected by these morals as audiences in 1945 might have done.
