J.B.Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

AN INPSECTOR CALLSThe six long years of anguish and fear had ended and the people ofBritain were entirely retrieve from the effects of World War Two. J.BPriestly a writer, who at the time was fifty one, was deeply involvedwith the war being a member of the infantry, and moreover just escapeddeath on a number of occasions. After his experiences throughout thehorrific war, Priestly picked back up on his career which started forward all of the battling and turned his attentions to writing plays.His first play after the war was known to be An tester Calls,which was eventually published in the same year. The boloney involvesthat of different opinions and actions, and of regrets.The rich and celebrated Birling family are spending a happy eveningtogether celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft a marriage that pull up stakes result in the merging of two successful localbusinesses. Yet, just when everything seems to be going so well, theyreceive a surprise visit fro m an Inspector Goole who is investigatingthe suicide of a young girl. He questions each one of the familymembers and future family members in turn about the suicide of EvaSmith, and as the play unravels it becomes pellucid that each member ofthe family has been intertwined with her life.J.B Priestly uses his play An Inspector Calls as a way of gettingacross his socio-political views. He believed that people ofdifferent classes were being inured completely oppositely anddemanded that something should be done. One of the key ways heemphasises points thorough the whole play is by the salienttechniques he uses. In the telephone circuit of An Inspector Calls the Birlingfamily and Gerald Croft change from a state of great self-satisfactionto a state of extreme self-doubt. The play is in real time - inother words, the level lasts exactly as long as the play is on thestage. So, what happens in a comparatively short time to create such adramatic contrast? How is the drama maintained and the audienceinvolved?Probably the main and most obvious dramatic technique that J.BPriestly uses is through the characters. The characters act as J.BPriestleys thoughts and actions, and his emotions are unveiledthroughout the play via them.As one of the most important and main characters in the play, MrBirling is used in some ways as a dramatic device. The fact he caresonly about himself and his family and not about anyone else in theworld. We know this to be true, as just before the inspector arrives