How Does Priestley Use Dramatic Irony In An Inspector Calls

Furthermore, Priestley employs the use of dramatic irony to control the reader’s developing view of Mr. Birling. This is evidenced by his series of predictions about the future world he envisions, seen in the quotation: “…A friend of mine went over this new liner last week - the Titanic - she sails next week - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - New York in five days - and every luxury - and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable…” Since the audience knows that the Titanic does actually sink, we want to laugh at Mr. Birling’s absolute certainty that this will not occur evidenced through his repetition of the word “unsinkable.” The fact that that Mr. Birling is unable to conceive the possibility of the

ship sinking shows his lack of intelligence, making us want to dismiss his clouded judgment and to undermine his social success. As a result, we lose any respect towards the former Mayor, even at the start of the text, due to his self-centered character and clear lack of intelligence.
The next character to be introduced in this starting extract of the play is Mrs. Sybil Birling, who is the wife to Mr. Birling and the mother of Eric and Sheila. She is described by Priestley as “about fifty, a rather cold woman,” and, as evidenced previously, “her husband’s social superior.” She, like her husband, has some public influence, being involved in the charity organization that, ultimately, sends Eva Smith into poverty and into an unbearable state. Her icy character is feared by her husband and the rest of her family, seen in quotations such as: “…Special occasion, y’know, eh?” The repeated commas force the reader to take a breath, implying that Mr. Birling is hesitant when talking to Mrs. Birling, unlike when addressing the other characters present. This, in turn, suggests a degree of fear, further proving how, here, he is socially inferior to his wife. Mrs. Birling is, also, portrayed as the voice of reason – within the family, and is incorruptible by any squabbles or arguments between members currently presented in the play. This is evidenced by the quotation: “…Now stop it you two…” The use of paternal language here suggests that Mrs. Birling possesses an inherent superiority over her younger children – Eric and Sheila, despite their age. As a result, we respect Mrs. Birling and recognize her cold and obvious dominance within the family. However, she, like her husband, may also be worried more about the economic implications of the engagement, rather than the romance that exists between the two lovers. This is seen through her materialistic concern for the engagement ring Sheila wears, which shows her lack of emotional understanding, but also symbolizes that she wants the engagement to last as long as possible – purely for her family’s benefit in the hierarchy of society that existed at the time.
The third character within this beginning part of the play is Gerald Croft, who is engaged to Sheila.

His parents, Sir George and Lady Croft, are above the Birlings socially, and Mr. Birling is worried about the possibility that his daughter is not approved by Gerald’s parents – possibly due to economic reasons. Priestly describes him as “an attractive chap, about thirty … but very much the easy well-bred young-man-about-town.” He is viewed as a charming and kind figure, seen through his polite manner and in quotations such as: “…I believe you’re right, sir [Mr. Birling]…” Here, the word “sir” indicates respect towards Mr. Birling, which is significant as it reveals his incredible love for Sheila: he is willing to be on the same social level as the Birlings, just to be with his lover and to impress her parents. He also shares similar opinions with Mr. Birling, seen in the phrases: “…You seem like a nice well-behaved family - / We think we are…” However, this quotation, perhaps, also shows Gerald’s stupidity: the last thing the Birlings have been is well-behaved [with Eva Smith]! Although Gerald may not necessarily know about the Birlings’ involvement with the girl, the audience also begins to speculate if he, like Mr. Birling, is arrogant and not as thoughtful as his wealthy lifestyle may suggest. This, again, is an example of Priestley’s use of dramatic irony from the beginning of the play - highlighting the complacency of the upper classes, and to mock their inherent

superiority over the rest of society.
The next character described so far is Sheila, who is engaged to Gerald. She is the daughter of Mr. Birling, and Eric’s sister. Priestley describes her as “a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited," which is precisely how she comes across in this part of the play. This is evidenced in the quotation: “…like one of these purple-faced old men…,” which creates a feeling of joy and laughter at the dinner. Overall, in this extract, she is the only character of the Birling family that is truly happy to be engaged to Gerald, for romantic reasons, and is only angered by the snide comments Eric makes towards her. Furthermore, many of Priestley’s stage directions involving her are playful and teasing, showing that the event has reduced her emotions to, perhaps, a child-like state of happiness. However, it is important to note that her character matures in the later stages of the play, following the knowledge of her involvement with the suicide of Eva Smith. Arguably, she is the only character who truly accepts this responsibility.
Eric, the fifth character in this passage, is the youngest sibling within the Birling family, an alcoholic, and is described by Priestly as: "[someone in their] early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive." In this part of the play, we view him as a mysterious, rowdy character, which may be a function of being the youngest of the group. This is evidenced through the fact that many of his statements have “double meanings” – one of knowledge, and one of stupidity. For example, in the quotation “…She’s got a nasty temper sometimes – but she’s not bad really…” we wonder, in awe, if Eric knows, so early on, of his sister’s involvement with Eva Smith. The sentence’s connotations, however, could be merely a coincidence – and, seeing as Eric is “squiffy” – we believe this to be the case. Yet, as seen in this quotation, Eric clearly knows more than he reveals, alerting us to his greater involvement with Eva Smith. Also, like with Sheila, it is best knowing that his true nature is revealed towards the end of the play, when he steals money to support Eva and when he faces up to his involvement in the suicide of the girl.
The final character is Edna, the maid of the Birling household.

Although her contribution to the play, overall, is limited, her presence in this passage, and in the home, is a constant reminder of the more unfortunate, lower classes of the British society in 1912, which will always exist in the nation if the more conservative, individualistic people – such as the Birlings – are kept in power in Britain. Symbolically, she is the one to open the door to the inspector (i.e. the poorer people are the only ones who welcome the arrival of socialism in the country), despite the ignorance of Mr. Birling towards his [the inspector’s] presence (i.e. the richer, individualistic people in 1912 are reluctant to allow socialism to gain power/enter the politics of Britain – at the cost of their own wealth and prosperity). Edna is also evidence of the richer society’s ignorance and rudeness towards the lower classes and, in a sense, is seen as Priestley’s physical embodiment within the

play.
In conclusion, we see little of the play’s main themes, such as responsibility and fate, in this passage – which, perhaps, serves as an introduction to the Birling family. As a result, much information is revealed about their characters, from this extract. Mr. Birling, the father and inferior husband, is the main focus of Priestley’s critique. His evident arrogance and economic prominence, however, are undermined by his incredible lack of intelligence, shown through Priestley’s use of dramatic irony. His wife, Mrs. Birling, is a cold character, who is respected by her family (possibly through fear), and is, like her husband, concerned only with the economic and social benefits that the engagement of her daughter can bring about for herself, rather than the romantic connotations of the relationship. Although we discover less about the younger characters, we recognize that, Gerald, in stark contrast to the elders, is willing to sacrifice his upper-class superiority to the Birlings to be with his lover. However, due to his constant agreement with Mr. Birling, we fear for his possible lack of wit and knowledge of the more unfortunate world around him. Sheila, the daughter in the Birling family, is engaged to Gerald, and, ironically, unlike her parents, feels attracted to Gerald for more mature, personal reasons, rather than economic ones. As a result, her extreme joy is understandable. Eric, who is the youngest of the group, is quite rowdy - although we are unsure as to whether this is due to the engagement, or due to his extreme attraction to alcohol. His remarks are mysterious, due to their possible – yet unlikely – double meaning, but this hints at his eventual importance towards the end of the play and at his involvement with Eva Smith. The final character mentioned in this passage is the maid, Edna, who bears more of a symbolic presence for the lower classes in the play, but whose verbal contribution is otherwise limited. Despite all of this however, it is the Inspector’s arrival that reveals the true personalities of the Birling family. His [the inspector’s] effect on the household is seen only at the end of the play, when the “joyously-fake” atmosphere of the engagement is ripped apart to reveal a darker, more human side to the family as a whole.