The speeches that Mr. Birling makes are most of the time long, boring and show that he is egotistical. His speeches reveal a great deal about the social context. They include a lot of dramatic irony for example when Mr. Birling says “Why. A friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails next week – forty six thousand eight hundred tons – New York in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable”. This is dramatic irony because the audience know that titanic sunk on its first sail this creates tension and makes Mr. Birling look foolish. I think Mr. Birling is very much in control at the start of the play because to his family he is a “practical hard headed businessman” as he always reminds them.
In Act 1, the timing of the inspector is uncanny; he rings the doorbell just as Birling has concluded his speech on responsibility, stating “A man should look out for himself, and his family if he has one”. This is a prime example of a dramatically effective device, as it makes it seem like the Inspector is omniscient and purposefully makes this timely entrance almost as if to discredit everything Mr Birling just said, stopping the Birling family in their tracks. The language in the stage directions on page 10 shows the mood has changed because Gerald and Mr. Birling create tension by talking about why a police inspector might be there, which makes Eric start to worry. Mr. Birling says, “I’m still on the Bench. It may be something about a warrant.” And then Gerald says “Sure to be. Unless Eric’s been up to something. And that would be awkward, wouldn’t it” Then Eric says, Here, what do you mean?” Gerald replies, “(lightly) Only something we were talking about when you were talking about when you were out. A joke really.” Then in response Eric says, “(still uneasy) Well, I don’t think it’s very funny”. It shows the mood has changed because the stage directions tell us that Eric also becomes “uneasy”. We can also tell that the party has been interrupted because the characters stop the cheerful and playful conversation and become more serious as Mr. Birling and Gerald begin to talk about why the Inspector may have called. This conversation between Mr. Birling, Gerald and Eric creates tension because Mr. Birling and Gerald are talking to each other about Eric, which makes Eric very anxious because he overhears. The dialogue on page 10 reveals that Mr. Birling’s character is not very close to his son.
When the Inspector enters Mr. Birling says, “Have a glass of port – or a little whisky?” This is to break the ice, as Mr. Birling has never met the Inspector before. Mr. Birling also asks, “You’re new are you?” and then leads on to say “I was an alderman for years – and Lord Mayor two years ago – and I’m still on the Bench – so I know the Brumley police officers pretty well – and I thought I’d never seen you before” he said this to let the Inspector know that Mr. Birling had some authority to try and scare the Inspector. The Inspector uses dramatic language to shock the Birling family of the girl’s death, He says, “she was in great agony”. The stage directions tell us that Mr. Birling is impatient; this suggests that he could be worried or possibly guilty about something.
Mr. Birling responds to the questions quite impatiently because he is scared of what the inspector might find out. Mr. Birling is against collective responsibility because he feels that he is above the problems of people of a lower social class. He says “put it like that, there’s something in what you say. Still, I can’t accept any responsibility. Mr Birling starts to show his annoyance when the Inspector starts questioning him. He says, “I’ve half a mind to report you”, this also shows how easily agitated he is.
When the Inspector arrives Mr. Birling becomes defensive as the Inspector tricks him into revealing information. He also gets very agitated when the Inspector twists his words. His attitude reflects the key themes of the play, which are responsibility and guilt. Priestly achieved a simple yet interesting display of Mr. Birling’s character by showing how mixed up his priorities are and by showing his attitude to other characters. It also showed clearly everything that he represents which is carelessness and slyness.
Lighting is also a key dramatic device used in this act, as the stage directions infer, when the Inspector makes his entrance the Birling family are somewhat thrown into relief or “exposed” as the lighting goes from dim and intimate to bright and harsh. Another way the Inspector changes the scene is how he changes the family’s attitudes towards each other; they go from being overly polite to one and other and relaxed to a suspense-filled, anxious and uneasy atmosphere, where the family start putting the blame on one another in a bid to rid themselves of any guilt. Moreover, as we get deeper into Act 1 and Birling’s and Sheila’s parts in Eva Smith’s suicide are revealed, tension is increased and, at the end of the act, Gerald has an involuntary reaction to the mention of Daisy Renton’s name, leading us to believe Gerald also has a part to play in this mystery, which helps end the act on a not of thrilling suspense and high drama.
In “An Inspector Calls”, Inspector Goole's role is central to the play's message of social responsibility. It is through the Inspector's meetings with the Birling family and Gerald Croft that each character is made aware of his or her selfish and uncaring attitude towards the less fortunate in society. In this sense, Inspector Goole could be called a staging device as a staging device is usually intended to enhance the play's central message or to create the desired mood and atmosphere. Yet, defining Inspector Goole as merely a staging device implies that he is not a character in his own right but exists simply as a way of exploring the personalities and lives of other, more fully rounded, characters. This could be linked to his actual name: Inspector Goole (or Spectre Ghoul) suggesting he is not real and is more of a ghost or representative of the Birling family’s conscience or even the voice of God, as he appears omniscient in the way he seems to know and understand an extraordinary amount and is in complete control of all the interrogations; an example of this is when he tells characters to “settle things later”, suggesting there’s a certain direction and speed he wants the conversation to go. Furthermore, towards the end, he seems to be in quite a rush: he stresses “I haven’t much time”. This could be because he knows the real inspector is about to arrive. He could even be the voice of Priestley, this is suggested in the way he talks and airs his political views, very unlike a police inspector, leading us also to believe he is not an inspector at all. Moreover, he is in control of the characters from Act 1 all the way through to Act 3, working systematically, revealing one story at a time. This is how the Inspector adds to the tension in the play and he is essential to keeping the characters and audience on their feet and anxious about what is going to happen next.
The Inspector’s exit at the end of Act 1 is another way in which he seems omniscient; it’s almost as if he knows what Sheila will say to Gerald when they are left together in the room, as it is evident there is high tension between the pair. Sheila, showing perceptiveness, takes up the role of inspector, questioning Gerald about how he knew “Daisy Renton”. It turns into an argument and, when Gerald starts to explain his affair with the girl, the Inspector returns with “well” – just in time for the confession. In this part of the act, we see Sheila Birling becoming more mature; she is not angry when she finds out about the affair, she says she respects his honesty. Also, she seems like the only character who really knows how the Inspector works and, in a way, she becomes the Inspector’s accomplice when questioning Gerald. Moreover, just before the Inspector comes back in, she says to Gerald “...He knows. Of course he knows” and "No, he is giving us rope - so that we will hang ourselves", showing how Sheila begins to understand what is happening through Inspector Goole's approach. Act Two then begins, exactly the same as Act One ended. Priestley decided not to change anything in order to achieve a sense of continuity. Continuity is thus used as a dramatic device to keep the play focused and concentrated on one subject. This also raises the tension and draws in the attention of the audience.
Referring back to the beginning of this essay and women’s roles during 1912, it is apparent that Sheila and Gerald represent the conditions at that time. Women were regarded very differently from men in the eyes of society and the law. Women received a different education, they had fewer rights, and prior to 1918 were not able to vote in national elections. Marriage was seen as an upper-class woman’s “career”. And for the less wealthy, all they could do was work. By 1945, when “An Inspector Calls” was written, after the two world wars, women had been given a new role in society and were somewhat, highly respected. Gerald and Sheila are showing the 1914 stereotype, though Sheila is shown becoming more independent and not afraid to say what she thinks. This is shown in the way she openly offers her opinions and is even sarcastic towards Gerald, “..and you were the wonderful fairy prince”. She is also the main protestor against the older generation and by the end of the play she agrees with the Inspector’s socialist views.
At the end of act two, Priestley uses several techniques in order to make the scene dramatically effective. The carefully written script creates an atmosphere of suspense and tension. The techniques Priestly uses in the script are dramatic irony and the dismantling of the false sense of security amongst the characters and consequently the audience. In this act, Mrs Birling is talking about how she met Eva Smith; Already pregnant, Eva smith ventured to the Women’s Charity Organization of Brumley where Mrs Birling, a prominent member of it, turned her down from the support that she needed. Eva Smith approached the Organization with the name Ms. Birling which caused Mrs. Birling to “naturally” be, “Prejudiced against her from the start.”. This is a prime example of Mrs. Birling being proud and engaging herself in wrath, two of the seven deadly sins. Mrs Birling considered Eva’s story, “A load of silly nonsense.” and so she used her influence to, “Have it refused”, which again shows her pride and her prejudices. She considers Eva Smith as a small speck in the dust, this is seen when she talks about Eva using, “A girl of that sort.” in her language and sentencing. The Inspector asks Mrs Birling near the end of his questioning whether or not she is sorry now for what she did to Eva Smith, Mrs Birling then very proudly replies that she is sorry that, “She should have come to such a horrible end” but then says that she accepts no blame for it at all, whereas the main person to blame would be, “The girl herself”. The Inspector tries to help Mrs Birling realise her part in the death when at the end, he once again, tells each character what they did to Eva Smith- “You turned her away when she most needed help. You refused her even the pitiable little bit of organized charity you had in your power to grant her.” There is a prime example of dramatic irony in the play as Mrs Birling stresses how Eva and her baby are solely the father’s responsibility: “I blame the young man ...some drunken young idler ...he should be made an example of. If the girl’s death is due to anybody, then it’s due to him”. She continues to blame the father but the audience and other characters start to realise the truth and it is here that dramatic irony is used. Sheila warns her mother, “You mustn't try to build up a 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” and "mother stop-stop" but, at the end of act 2, where it is revealed that Eric is the father, Mrs Birling says, “I don’t believe it. I won’t believe it...” At this point, the door slams shut, showing use of a dramatic device and Eric enters the scene to accusative and inquisitive stares from his family and the Inspector, and you feel the release of the dramatic tension as the trap of the play snaps shut on him.
In act 2, Priestley’s political message voiced by the Inspector, is particularly seen; the Inspector is offensive but fair; he doesn’t give people with higher status’s any advantages or treat them any different “Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”; he believes everyone is equal and society should aim to be like that. This could be considered Priestley’s key moral message which supports the idea that Inspector ‘Ghoul’ is in fact Priestley’s voice. Symbolism is made more aware with the Inspector seen as the voice of Socialism and Arthur Birling, a representative of Capitalism. The Birlings could also be symbolised by the seven deadly sins; Mr Birling being greed for sacking Eva Smith, just to save a few shillings, or pride for boasting about his wealth and high status. Mrs Birling could be wrath for being angry with Eva Smith over calling herself 'Mrs Birling'. Sheila could be envy for being jealous of Eva in Milwards, and Gerald could be lust for having an affair with Eva. The fact that they can be identified as sins shows how Priestley emphasises the immorality of capitalism, placing “An Inspector Calls” within the genre of a morality play. As the play progresses, the audience not only notices the Inspector getting through to other characters but we also see the Inspector show expressions of understanding and sympathy. This is portrayed through the stage directions, “stares speculatively after her.” I think this is a very effective line and should be presented very clearly to imply the Inspector is surprised as well as hopeful that Shelia understands that she’s made a mistake and moreover it supports Priestley’s idea; everybody makes mistakes but it isn’t too late to change your ways and change help society as a whole.
At the start of act 3, it is Eric’s turn to be questioned by Inspector Goole. This seems like the final piece of the puzzle (when in fact it is not) and as Eric’s explanation goes on, tension is somehow released as the audiences final questions are answered through his story. Eric could be described as, initially, the most socially aware member of the Birling family as he was less worried about stealing from his father’s office than he was about the girl’s future. Moreover, he had some sense of responsibility as, although he got a girl pregnant when he was drunk, he was still concerned enough to give her money. Furthermore, in this act, Goole tries to make the family feel guilty and feel remorse for their actions resulting in a girl’s death, “each of you helped to kill her. Remember that”. Eric and Sheila's positive response to the Inspector's message, compared to Mr and Mrs Birling's negative response, is greatly symbolic. Priestley uses this generation divide to show that the younger generation symbolise hope for the future. The fact that they are remorseful of what they have done suggests that they (and the future generation of adults) will make a conscious effort to improve human relationships. Unlike their parents, who are only interested in wealth and material items, Priestley shows that the younger generation will endeavour to perform their moral duties towards their fellow citizens - especially people such as Eva Smith. Finally, when the Inspector is about to go, he leaves his final message: “One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, 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 each other.' The Inspector is used to 'correct' the capitalists and makes a strong statement in favour of socialism in his final rhetorical speech. In this speech he states that for lower class, "Eva Smiths and John Smiths" there is a "chance of happiness" in socialism. The Inspector also makes the audience realise that they are "members of one body" and that they should try their best to help people like Eva Smith, otherwise, as the Inspector implies, "they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish". This almost acts as a threat to the audience and incites them to recognize the value of Priestley's message. This also supports the idea that Eva Smith could represent every woman of her class; Eva being similar to Eve, the first woman created by God in the Bible, and Smith being the most common English surname.
Tension is finally released with the return of Gerald; he tells the family “that man wasn’t a police officer”. Birling follows this with a phone call to the police station in a hurry to relieve himself of any guilt. Mr and Mrs Birling are immediately relieved, Birling even quoting, “this makes a difference y’know. In fact, it makes all the difference” whereas their son and daughter are still fully aware of their social responsibility. Sheila replies, “I suppose we’re all nice people now”. The younger generation know that what they said and done still happened and what it may have resulted in. It shows how selfish and ignorant Birling and his wife are but it also shows how Sheila and Eric have matured over the course of the play; Eric is not interested in his parent’s efforts to cover everything up, the most important thing still is that the girls is dead, “we did her in all right”. Sheila is also much wiser; her social conscience has been awakened and she is now aware of her responsibilities. Moreover, both characters will now stand up to their parents. Then there is the matter of Gerald; he is excited about the fact he has revealed the Inspector as a fake as this would get him off the hook. He was protecting himself rather than changing himself and as he has not gained a new sense of social responsibility, Sheila is reluctant to take back her engagement ring.
Further tension is released, as Birling, set on proving his innocence completely, rings the infirmary. They tell him there has not been a suicide for months and this releases even more tension. At this news, Birling, Mrs Birling and Gerald are even happy, which is suggested by the stage direction. They are “triumphant” and “smiling” and “laughing”. However, Sheila still seems traumatised, “You’re forgetting one thing I still can’t forget. Everything we said had happened really had happened. If it didn’t end tragically, then that’s lucky for us. But it might have done” and “it frightens me the way you talk”. Whilst in the middle of this argument between Sheila and the others the phone rings and Birling answers the phone to find out that a second Inspector is on his way and that what they thought was just a hoax was in fact true. Ending the play on this cliff-hanger makes the audience want to watch more and find out what happens next. It also keeps them thinking about the play and its meaning afterwards.
The fact that a meaningful message is represented would indicate that “An Inspector Calls”, as well as being a murder mystery, in the way that Priestley uncovers the story of the death of Eva Smith, is also a moralistic play. Priestley shows the audience how not to live their lives, using dramatic devices to demonstrate this. He makes the audience contemplate over the fact that they are actually "members of one body" and that they are all "responsible for one another" and has made them realise that socialism is the way forward instead of capitalism. In this way, “An Inspector Calls” is very relevant to today's society where people still do need to work together and help others in need. J.B. Priestley effectively uses many dramatic devices in “An Inspector Calls”, such as symbolism and timings. He applies them in order to portray his political views, using an upper class, Edwardian family to do so.
