Literary Devices In J. B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

The dramatic value of the doubting that Inspector Goole is indeed, a law enforcement officer begins to show some of the creative literary devices Priestley uses. At first the play starts off really slow with the engagement party of Shelia and Gerald’s engagement party. Once, the inspector shows up and questions all of the family, this is where the conflict enters. A conflict is any struggle between opposing forces. The inspector is the antagonist and the Birling family and Gerald are the antagonist. This would be rising action, which is the build up to the climax. It is a slow build up because they truly do not know what the inspector wants, but once they figure it out they realize that he is the antagonist to their family. When he starts to ask the Birlings and Gerald questions this is where the climax begins. Once, the audience figure out that the inspector has a secret against the Birlings it makes the audience sit and read with anticipation. This begins the resolution the family think they have, but in reality it is not. So, the audience think this is the end to their conflict.

Secondly the author uses literary device is

Priestley uses foreshadowing in An Inspector Calls for the audience to use. Foreshadowing is when an author or playwright uses hints of something that is going to happen. The inspector Goole uses foreshadowing when telling the Birlings that a girl has died from the Infirmary. This is consider foreshadowing because in the end of the play a real inspector calls and tells them that a young girl has died in the infirmary. This leaves the audience at the end of the play to feeling excitement and disbelief. This is also considered the plot twist in the play because the family believes that their troubles are over, but they are really not. This leaves the audience at the end of the play with suspense also because they want to know what happens to the family when the real inspector