Analysis of J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

Analysis of J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

When interaction happens between two or more people just classed as

"human beings," the effects are predictable and determined only by the

topic of speech, body language and maybe physical stature or strength

of the people involved. However, like every good play, book, film or

any piece of story telling literature An Inspector Calls by J. B.

Priestly is set at a certain time in a certain place with a certain

stereotypical characters. Although these factors complicate the

analysing of effects, they do help enormously in understanding the

reason behind them. This is why it is necessary to first explore the

background and nature of the story and the characters, before I choose

and dissect the specific scenes.

The play was written in the 1945 but is set in 1912. The 1910's was a

time of industrial unrest in Britain, the money was primarily owned by

the middle and upper classes and the aristocracy. Factory owners were

exceedingly wealthy due to the huge demand for raw materials, and the

factory workers however were exceedingly poor; due to exploitation

through long working hours and low wages. This immediately shows the

contrast in life styles between the Birlings (factory owners) and Eva

Smith (worker.) Women were still seen as inferior and to young men

just an ornament of sexual gratification, (this is shown in the story

of Eric and his shenanigans with Eva.)

The characters are mainly from the Birling family (Mrs, Mr, Sheila and

Eric) who are a wealthy family. They are not a particularly pernicious

family, just a normal family of that class and time which links to why

the play was w...

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affect the audience as I believe they will take the story line more

seriously as an original tale with a powerful message that (as

Priestley is trying to convey) could have been sent by a higher being

like God.

The supernatural presence of the inspector has an immediate impact on

the characters. It occurs to Sheila first and the lesson which she has

learnt seems to be more confirmed by the knowledge that the Inspector

maybe a spiritual sign. Mr and Mrs Birling however seem to gain a

reassured affect from the queerness of his presence and disappearance.

They think it is a relief to think that they will not be penalised in

the press or thought worse of by their neighbours. For this foolhardy

presumption they are punished later when the police do actually call

wanting to question them inquiring about Eva's suicide.