"Although one Eva Smith has passed, there are still countless individuals like Eva and John Smith who remain among us," Priestley's firm beliefs in the importance of communal effort were skillfully embodied by the inspector's character, while the more individualistic perspectives of figures such as Mr. and Mrs. Birling were presented in contrast.
The success of Priestley's play can be attributed to his ability not only to entertain but also educate his audience. Through various techniques and themes, Priestley conveyed important messages in the play. One such theme revolved around the idea of generations, with the notion that "hope is with the young". This was exemplified by portraying the younger generation as potential heroes, while the older generation had a dismissive attitude, adopting a "live what you have" mentality. The Inspector served to bring out the true feeling
...s of the characters and delivered the message: "Most of this is bound to come out. You don't realise yet all you've done."
When the play begins, Birling is portrayed as his usual upper-class self, with a loud and high-status demeanor. However, by the end of Act three, Birling's pride has been taken away by the Inspector's impact, fundamentally changing Birling's character in an effective and dramatic way. The Inspector's final words to the Birlings are a clear and strong use of dramatic irony, given that the play was set in 1912 and World War One began just two years later. Interestingly, Priestley himself served during WW1 in the 10th battalion, experiencing first-hand the fire, blood, and anguish that the Inspector's message truly conveyed with his left-wing attitude.
The family's misconduct, including adultery, abuse of power, ignorance, and disregard for people's
lives, is repugnant to the younger generation represented by Sheila and Eric. Meanwhile, the family's reaction to the scandal is relief that it won't become public. However, this play remains relevant today because "hope is with the young," and their lives, hopes, fears, suffering, and chances of happiness are interconnected with ours. Priestley's strongest message emphasizes the importance of acting as a community, united as one body. He advocates for people to avoid neglecting the needs of the less fortunate instead of solely focusing on the upper class.
In Priestley's play, the victims of Eva's death, except for Eric, all utilized their social positions and societal status to participate in the crime scene. Sheila employed her father's power to terminate Eva's employment, Gerald used his riches to charm her, and Mrs Birling disregarded, rejected, and refused to assist her. The play's setting in 912 accurately portrays the treatment lower-class women faced. Furthermore, Mr Birling's capitalist views are depicted in various manners throughout the play.
Demonstrating the importance of his family's reputation, Birling's appreciation for his daughter's marriage to a wealthy, self-sufficient man and his close friendship with him portrays his enthusiasm. For Birling, life is a race where he and his family dominate. "Community and all that nonsense - as if we're all mixed up together like bees in a hive." Priestley subtly exposes Birling's foolish nature despite his appearance as a composed and authoritative figure. Birling experiences embarrassment and remorse for the first time in the play after the Inspector departs, but quickly regains his composure.
During a speech at the beginning, Gerald's absent-mindedness is revealed when he mentions that the world is developing so
fast that war will become impossible. He was attempting to make a point to his son Eric, who was willing to acknowledge the potential reality of war and engaged in a debate with him. Eric comes across as quiet but dignified, possibly due to feeling corrected and dismissed too often by his father. Eric appears to follow in his father's proud footsteps but may have lost some of his argumentation skills. Gerald also seems to share Eric's unexpressed nature, possibly to avoid aggravating or challenging Birling. In contrast, Mrs Birling and Sheila deal with things more boisterously and demandingly.
Mrs Birling speaks less frequently than Sheila, but when she does, she defends herself and highlights Mr Birling's right-wing beliefs. Sheila uses her words to convey her point, desperately hoping to prevent her family from making things worse for themselves. All of the characters contribute to the story in their own unique way, but Priestley employs various dramatic devices throughout the play to maintain the audience's interest beyond just the Birling family. Act three in particular contains numerous twists that have a significant impact on the audience, as earlier in the play no such surprises had been revealed.
Following the departure of the Inspector, a barricade of twists arises. Birling and Gerald become sceptical about the true identity of the Inspector, while Sheila and Eric are consumed by guilt and Mrs Birling is left speechless. Their primary concern becomes figuring out who the Inspector really was. The story then introduces the "three phone calls." The first call raises the question of whether the Inspector was a real Inspector, as he claimed, or if he was impersonating someone else.
He had allegedly denied the existence of an Inspector Goole or anyone like him on the force. This leads Gerald and Birling to feel more relaxed, perhaps attempting to bury any allegations made by the Inspector. However, when Sheila tells Gerald that he had not heard about their involvement in the crime scene, he dismisses it by saying "That's all right, I don't want to know." Meanwhile, Birling thinks of the entire situation as a hoax. This brings up the second phone call. If the Inspector is fictional, what about the girl? They ponder whether there was only one girl involved, as the Inspector privately shows them a photo.
"Did you bring in a girl who committed suicide this afternoon?" asked the character. The absence of a female in the infirmary added another complication to the case. Sheila and Eric, however, remain calm as they understand the Birlings' crime. The final phone call is where Priestley utilizes his renowned technique of time travel, as it turns out to be the police calling.
After ingesting disinfectant, a girl passed away while en route to the infirmary. As a result, a police inspector has arrived to inquire about the situation. The play concludes abruptly with Priestley's bewildering line, leaving the audience perplexed. Priestley skillfully employs the technique of placing the introduction of the inspector as the final line of the play, which proves to be highly effective by prompting the audience to come up with their own interpretation of the play.
Priestley's skillful use of the audience's emotions, including hatred, empathy, and pity, creates a compelling murder mystery play in "An Inspector Calls". By crafting controversial characters and dropping
essential clues throughout the story, the audience becomes invested in the unfolding drama. As Birling and Gerald dissect the questionable events of the evening, the story builds with disputes and disagreements that keep viewers engaged. Ultimately, the play serves as a lively and thought-provoking examination of conscience, embodied by the enigmatic Inspector himself.
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