More handpicked essays just for you.
Critical essay on inspector role in inspector calls
Critical essay on inspector role in inspector calls
Critical essay on inspector calls
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Criticism in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley
"An Inspector Calls" has been called a play of social criticism. What
is being criticised. Explain some of the dramatic techniques which
Priestley uses to achieve the play's effects.
"An Inspector Calls" has been called a play of social criticism as
Priestley condemned the many different injustices that existed in the
society between the first and second world wars. He was particularly
scathing about the class system and the extreme contrasts of wealth
and poverty prevalent at that time. He also disapproved of the
selfishness within the individual and the fact that many people were
only concerned with their own power, profit and gain. Priestley
powerfully highlighted the exploitation of women and through the
character of Eva Smith, he illustrated the rights that women were
beginning to voice in society. Finally, Priestley used the different
characters in his play to show the how the sins of greed, pride and
selfishness have so corrupted society that the individual has become
oblivious to the consequences of their actions, in this case
culminating in the death of Eva Smith.
Although 'Inspector Calls' is set in 1912, it was first written in
1945 and produced on the lst October 1946, just after World War 11.
This is particularly relevant as after the war the country was plunged
into rationing and only the wealthy could afford to buy enough food.
It was a time in history when some people like Mr Birling were
worrying about higher profits "lower costs and higher prices" and
others like Eva Smith who were desperately trying to make ends meet.
Throughout his play Priestley warned so...
... middle of paper ...
...l
interrupts and takes them back to relive the events. It is this which
allows the possibility that the Inspector was a real policeman who has
slipped out of real time and will return. If they fail to learn from
their experiences and are 'ready to go on in the same old way' the
Inspector's threat of "fire and blood and anguish" will become their
reality.
J B Priestley clearly had a strong moral conscience which led him to
hold socialist beliefs wanting to bring about change against the
capitalists who were exploiting the poor working class. In 'An
Inspector Calls' Priestley cleverly uses dramatic techniques, lighting
and stage directions to produce an emotionally charged setting to
bring home a very important message to the correct society of his day
and remains a challenge to the society in which we live in now.
There would be more of an effect on the audience at the time, as it
At the time the play was set there was no benefits system. So if you
Sheila Birling is another character in ?An Inspector Calls? who also points this out during the play, ?You fool- he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don?t know yet. You?ll see. You?ll see.?
A Comparison of Characters of Mr. Birling and Inspector Goole in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls
Drama in J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls J.B. Priestley is the author of 'An Inspector Calls', he wrote and published the play in 1945. The play he created was set in an industrial town called 'Brumley'. In 'An Inspector Calls' there are six main characters, one being an inspector who goes by the name of Goole. Inspector Goole questions the five other characters about a young working-class woman's, named Eva, death. During questioning, each of the Birling family, Sheila, Eric, Sybil and Arthur, all reveal that they have a secret connection with Eva, along with Gerald Croft, who is engaged to Sheila Birling.
The Reflection of J. B. Priestley's Political and Philosophical Beliefs in An Inspector Calls In 1945 J. B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls". It is a very tense play; the audience are always on the edge of their seats. It is didactic as it conveys a social and moral meaning to the play.
"And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don't need to know any
Examine Priestley's use of dramatic techniques to create tension in the play. Priestly was a socialist writer, and 'An Inspector Calls' is one of the plays in which he tried to display his socialist ideals in. The play was written in the 1940's, a little after the end of the Second World War, and it was first performed in 1946, in Russia, then later in England. Priestly had served in World War 1, and the terrible scenes he saw lead to him having socialist views. He was inspired by other writers whose views he shared, especially George Orwell and H.G.
The character of the Inspector has six main attributes about the Inspector, which show that he is not an ordinary Inspector, the name. His physical description, his views, catalyst, his impressions and his morality. The name of the Inspector is Goole. If spelt the other way, it is Ghoul, implying someone who has a morbid interest in death, or a spirit, which is said to take fresh life from corpses. The idea of him being ghostly and the significance of his name give the impression more like he is Priestley’s voice.
JB Priestley’s intent in ‘An Inspector Calls’ was to convey the attitudes of socialism to the minds of the society in the Edwardian Era as he was a passionate believer of the concept. Priestley has attempted this through the employment of ‘Inspector Goole’ in the play. In the play drama is displayed through a variety of methods for the interest of the audience and the communication of personal views from JB Priestley.
Priestley’s Main Aim in An Inspector Calls JB Priestly wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ to enhance the message that ‘we don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other’. This is something Priestly felt strongly about and he succeeded in representing his views through the character of the Inspector in the play itself. He wanted to communicate the message that our actions, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, always affect others.
was genuine and this allows the audience to almost predict their own ending; how will the family react to the arrival of the real Inspector? Will they acknowledge this as a chance to admit to their mistakes or will they try and conceal their guilt? I thoroughly enjoyed studying An Inspector Calls and have learned a great deal about how society has changed and how moral ideals have evolved over time. I found the play effective although because of the way in which society has developed Priestley's morals may not be applicable to life today. As wealth and power have become increasingly more important socialist feelings of responsibility for one another have been progressively weakened.
An Inspector Calls is a play with lots of political messages as well as social messages. J. B. Priestley believed in socialism and he used large amounts of his plays to try and convince people to his way of thinking. It was written in a time when Britain was ruled by a Labour government and socialist policies were seen to be a good way to go. It was a common way of thinking at that time so Priestley's aim for the play was to influence the unconvinced in society.
J.B. Priestley wrote the play "An Inspector Calls" in 1945 and set it in 1912. These dates are both relevant because he wrote his play in a world emerging from the Second World War, at a time when people were getting nostalgic about pre-world war one. Priestley used his play to try and show people that the idea of a community in 1912 was gradually being washed away by the upper classes and that the world needed to change rather than return to the egotistical society that existed in pre war England.
J.B Priestley was a socialist and believed that everyone should look after each other and be a community. Priestley’s aim is to show the audience how being self centred and arrogant leads to trouble and that there is a better way of improving the life of others. Many of the audience will be middle class people. They may see some of themselves in the characters. The audience knew what was going to happen in ...