ipl-logo

Why Does Priestley Create Tension In The Inspector Calls

1008 Words5 Pages

“An Inspector Calls” is a didactic play which was written by JB Priestly in 1945, after WW2 and was set in spring 1912. The plot of this morality play primarily revolves around the Birlings and an Inspector revealing their involvement in Eva Smith’s death. The role of the Inspector is a mysterious one as he is described as all-knowing as he seems to know what the characters responses will be. It’s important to take in account the fact that J.B. Priestley wrote an Inspector Calls to convey his socialist views, as he was a member of the Fabian Society, a group of socialist writers. You can also tell the role of the Inspector in ‘An Inspector calls’ is an important one as he is the titular character.

Priestly uses the Inspector to create tension …show more content…

The audience can infer this through the quote, `Its better to ask for the Earth than to take it.’ The use of “the Earth” is a hyperbolic metaphor which is used to demonstrate how the upper class accumulate all of society’s wealth and power. When put into the larger context of the quote it also shows how they take resources and money away from those who need it with no care and how socially irresponsible it is to be greedy and to take things without permission. This shows that the Inspector is a moral character and is trying to teach the Birlings and the audience something, this makes “An Inspector Calls” a morality …show more content…

The inspector uses graphic and emotive language such as “burnt her insides out” and “she died in misery” in reference to Eva Smith’s death. The word burnt suggests.. This unpleasant and explicit imagery makes the phrases stand out to the post-war 1945 audience. This is further shown by her mistreatment by the Birlings. Priestly’s language encourages the audience to feel sympathy for Eva Smith and by extension, as she is a metaphor for working people, sympathy for the working class in

Show More
Related

  • How Is Mr Birling Presented In An Inspector Calls

    792 Words  | 4 Pages

    An Inspector Calls is a morality play, filled with controversial political viewpoints attempting to persuade the audience that socialism is the way forward. Such views are voiced by The inspector, Priestley's mouthpiece. The play is set in 1912, A year followed by world war 1, the miners' strike and the sinking of the Titanic, therefore, supplying the writer with the opportunities to use dramatic irony, which Priestley does, to further influence his audience in act 2 to reconsider accepting a capitalist society. Sybil Birling is one of Priestley's characters that lack development in their attitudes towards society, particularly the lower class.

    Read More

  • Mr Birling Quotes

    541 Words  | 3 Pages

    In J.B. Priestley's play "An Inspector Calls," Mr Birling is portrayed as a wealthy businessman and a prominent member of the community. He is the head of a family that represents the upper class of Edwardian society, and his views and opinions reflect the prevailing attitudes of his time. Mr Birling's views on gender are typical of the patriarchal and conservative attitudes of his time. He believes that women should be submissive and should not have a say in political or economic matters.

    Read More

  • How Is Mr Birling Presented In An Inspector Calls

    1785 Words  | 8 Pages

    An inspector calls, written by J.B Priestly, is a play based on a suicide of a young woman Mr birling was the most to blame as he started the chain of misfortunate events of Eva Smith’s life which eventually lead to her suicide. Mr Birling is an exalted as well as being a wealthy capitalist, he is also portrayed as being a rather portentous man. Moreover, Priestly presents him as a middle-class citizen and extremely proud of his company Birling and co While boastingly claiming that he has “a couple of hundred workers under” him “which keep changing.” Due to his higher status to Eva Smith he views the working class as cheap labour rather than humans.

    Read More

  • How Does The Inspector Take Responsibility In The Crucible

    370 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the inspector calls the inspector shown as a all knowing main charcter. His purpose within the play is to make the Birling family take responsibility for there foul actions they took towards eve smith/daisy renton Priestly uses the quote "each of you helped kill her"this imply that the inspector wanted them to accept there and share there responsibility for each action the Birlings faimily did. Alternatively it also shows that due to the class of Birlings it took the inspectors appearance for them to realise there Responsibility as before they were very adimate that they would not take responsibility"i cant take any responsibility"In summery it shows how much the inspector wants them to see the wrong they have done and accept it. Looking specifically

    Read More

  • How Is Gerald Presented In An Inspector Calls

    605 Words  | 3 Pages

    An Inspector Calls written by J. B. Priestly was first published in 1945. It is a play which has a strong focus on the themes of social responsibility, age, gender, and class. Priestly uses these themes to remind us that not being aware of our actions can sometimes lead to other receiving them as consequences. He wants us to be responsible for both the welfare and behaviours of ourselves but also of others. In the play, we find that some characters tend to be more immersed in either themselves or money/business and this leads them to being a lot less of an admirable character than the ones who are willing to recognise and acknowledge their mistakes.

    Read More

  • J. B Priestley's Use Of The Inspector In The Crucible

    1359 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the Inspector’s final speech, he warns Mr Birling and his family that if they continue this way, they can lead “millions and millions of Eva Smiths’ and John Smiths” into further suffering. The Inspector then exits abruptly at the end of his speech with no hesitation, he does not look back but instead walks “straight out”, implying there is no room for discussion. He firmly believes that Mr Birling (and his family) must change the way they behave. The use of dramatic irony allows Priestley to discredit Mr Birling and his exploitative school of thought while fostering his message. Mr Birling is set up to think that the Inspector was a sham and then finding out that there was in fact a suicide, giving the audience a sense that he isn’t as intelligent as he thinks which creates a negative bias towards him.

    Read More

  • Inspector Calls Individualism

    2983 Words  | 12 Pages

    Furthermore, the inspector’s aggressive and accusatory tone does not allow Mr. Birlings role in Eva smiths death to go unnoticed. The inspector continues to tell the family "We have to share something. If there's nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt." The plural pronouns of "we" and “we’ll” rather than "you" or "I" demonstrates a sense of comfort that cannot be found anywhere else is brought about by showing how expressing our accountability and sharing our vulnerabilities unites communities. Additionally, Priestley utilises

    Read More

  • How Is The Inspector Presented In An Inspector Calls

    1396 Words  | 6 Pages

    To further prove this point, the ubermensch develop their own values as the way that people should conduct their lives in order to better demonstrate their point. The inspector reminds the Birlings and Gerald Croft of their moral and social responsibility to not only the working class but to the rest of society and to equality for

    Read More

  • How Does Priestley Present Injustice In An Inspector Calls

    1425 Words  | 6 Pages

    In An Inspector calls, Priestley uses The Inspector to present injustice in society through his questioning of the Birling family and Gerald Croft. The Inspector gradually uncovers the selfish and unjust acts which the family enacts upon the lower classes through their abuse of their power and status over people, not showing the slightest bit of care for their wellbeing, barely treating their workers as individual beings with their own lives and emotions, just caring about the money they are making for them, and treating the lower class in general as lower beings in general, not being worth the time to understand or sympathise with. The Inspector exposes the acts of injustice by the upper class towards the lower classes through his questioning

    Read More

  • How Does Priestley Create Tension In An Inspector Calls

    2909 Words  | 12 Pages

    The character's moral growth serves as a reminder that change is possible, and that personal accountability is a crucial component of societal progress. Overall, Eric's journey in An Inspector Calls is one of self-discovery and moral development. While the play offers a critique of capitalism and the upper class, it also offers hope for the future through characters like Eric who are willing to take responsibility for their actions and strive for a better society. The audience may feel a sense of sympathy and understanding towards Eric, recognizing the struggles he faces as a young man trying to navigate a rapidly changing world. Priestley's message is clear; personal responsibility and moral growth are the keys to creating a more just and equitable society, the future is full of

    Read More

  • The Role Of Lighting In J. B Priestley's An Inspector Calls

    928 Words  | 4 Pages

    J.B Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1945, the last year of World War 2 but sets it in 1912 a time of inequality where upper and lower class was distinguished and treated differently within society and where a big gap existed among poor and rich people. The play introduces us to the theme of social inequality and social responsibility displaying the fact that trade unions were very weak, workers had few rights, wages were very low and many other injustices where made specially towards women; they were treated very differently then men and they were looked on as less important in society. Lighting is changed at the arrival of the Inspector "The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder" this displays a contrast between scenes and atmosphere. It also shows the change in mood; suggesting a cheerful environment and a very joyfully and delight mood, everybody feeling thrilled for Shelia 's engagement and celebrating united as a family. But it changes to "brighter and harder" at the arrival of the Inspector and

    Read More

  • Mr Birling Presented In An Inspector Calls

    476 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the opening of the play the Inspector begins to question Mr Birling after dinner about a photo of a young girl. Mr Birling is shown to be narrow minded in the opening of an Inspector calls. He is displayed as this through his poor political understanding , his business minded views as well as this distancing him from people. Firstly, Mr Birling is shown as narrow minded through his poor political understanding.

    Read More

  • Essay On Sheila's Change In An Inspector Calls

    1041 Words  | 5 Pages

    In An Inspector Calls the character Sheila changes and matures significantly throughout the play. Priestly aims to encourage and persuade the 1912 audience to consider the negative power of capitalists and that socialism is a better way forward. Sheila contributes to Priestly’s moral message about socialism and capitalism by emphasising the possibility for change which is up to the younger generation. At the start of the play, Sheila is portrayed as a spoiled daughter who has been taught to be submissive to her parents.

    Read More

  • How Is Mr Birling Presented In An Inspector Calls

    546 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “An Inspector Calls,” Priestley presents Mr Birling as a selfish, arrogant, proponent of capitalism who is consistently inconsiderate to other people’s feelings in favour of business or money. This is especially present when regarding the lower class. The play is set pre-World War One, in 1912, before the world went into a time full of social change and unrest. During this time, new politics emerged, including the rise of the Labour Party. This might show Mr Birling’s age and stubbornness as his beliefs can be seen as outdated and ignoring the changing times.

    Read More

  • Morality And Double Standards In J. B Priestley's An Inspector Calls

    504 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play An Inspector Calls written by J.B Priestley, the use of morality and double standards gives us an insight into the society of the early 1900s; which remains relevant in social stratification, cultural and deviance aspects. Through the story of Arthur Birling, Mrs. Sybil Birling and their children Eric and Sheila. The upper-class family, with untouchable reputation, enjoy of an intimate party soiree in honour of Sheila's engagement to Gerald Croft. Son of a well-known business man, Sir George Croft from Crofts Limited. When Inspector Goole pays a mood-changing visit, resulting in the systematic manipulation of the presumably respectable characters.

    Read More

More about Why Does Priestley Create Tension In The Inspector Calls

Open Document