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British theatre history
An essay about how priestley explores social responsibility in an insoector calls
British theatre history
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The play is written in 1945, after the end of Second World War but the play was set on a spring evening in 1912, which is two years before the World War One. J.B. Priestly have set the play 35 years in past so that he can involve the audience in the play. The play is about social responsibility. Priestley uses the play to present his ideas on responsibility and society. He uses the character of the Inspector as a mouth-piece for his ideas. For example the Inspector exclaims ‘We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other’. Priestley is suggesting that we should all look after one another, and that those who have power over others should use it for the common good, not just for their own benefit. It is clear by the end of the …show more content…
play that these are Priestley’s views. J.B. Priestley uses many techniques to make the drama more effective for the audience. The stage directions indicate very precisely, for example that the lighting should change from “pink and soft” to “brighter and harder” on the arrival on the inspector. This could suggest that the respectability of the family is going to be taken away and their secrets will be exposed. It could also show an enquiry effect on the family. The ‘pink and soft’ lighting suggests the veil of intimacy that cover the family, that is always there waiting to be taking away. The fact that the lighting changes show what a massive impact the entrance of the inspector has, despite not needing to be a big man, he instantly creates an impression of massiveness. Dramatic irony is used from the start of Act one by introducing, Arthur Birling, “a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in his speech”.
Arthur Birling shows confidence and arrogance at the start of the play, with some of his speeches he delivers in which he includes “the great war will never happen” and “the titanic is unsinkable”. His style of speeches clearly shows the theme of a complacent capitalist. The dramatic irony makes the audience think Birling is foolish and lacking in knowledge about the future. Priestley is showing an audience his concern that such idiotic people have some degree of power in this …show more content…
society. J.B.
Priestly uses stage directions to set the scene and give us information about the Birling family before we even see them. We can tell that the Birling family are a comfortably off middle to upper middle class family. We can also tell that they are all feeling relaxed and confident at the beginning of the play. he set his play in large suburban house, he also used “solid furniture but not cosy and homelike” which shows the that Mr.birling has stayed a “lord mayor” for years and he is well known in the city. the props that J.B. Priestly used were ‘champagne glasses’ ,’decanter of port’ , e.t.c to show the wealth of the birling family.
J.B. Priestley also indicates a lot of tension. When the inspector comes in and Mr.Birling asks the inspector, “well, what is it then?” and then the inspector starts to introduce the case about Eva Smith’s death and as each member of the family is found to have played a part in Eva's death. the inspector used new pieces of information contribute to the story being constructed. He grasps the audience’s attention in how each character one after another reacts to the
revelations. His remarks to Gerald “A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”. By his style of his speeches and advices he clearly misses no chance of missing an opportunity to remind people of his exploits. Arthur’s Family and Gerald Croft respect him and his view. The solid house, decanter, port, glasses of champagne, represents an comfortable, secure and pleasant lifestyle for Birlings. this shows the audience that
Discuss Priestley's depiction of the Birling household and Gerald Croft, prior to the arrival of Inspector Goole In this submission I hope to fully discuss Priestley's depiction of the Birling household and Gerald Croft, prior to the arrival of Inspector Goole. The play is set in the fictional town of Brumley, an industrial town in the North Midlands. It is evening in the town, in the spring of 1912. At the moment the play starts the characters are celebrating the engagement between Gerald Croft and the Birling family's only daughter Sheila. They are all very pleased with themselves and are enjoying the occasion.
This is the concept of collective responsibility. Priestley says, 'things could really improve if only people were to become more socially responsible for the welfare of others'. We have to confront our mistakes and learn from them. The play starts off with the Birling family celebrating their daughter's engagement to Gerald Croft. The family included Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Eric Birling, Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft.
The production starts with the four Birlings and Gerald sitting around the table. The table is laid out with fine china and champagne. This shows that Mr Birling is trying very hard to impress Gerald and that they are. having a celebration of some kind. The table has no cloth because of the Birlings are trying to show off their fine furniture.
In order to encourage the audience to apply their critical faculties, Priestley makes them feel superior to Birling.He thoroughly discredits and degrades Birling, and through him, the right wing philosophy. This tells us very early on that Priestley uses Birling as a diametric mouthpiece to voice his left-wing opinions and that the play is completely biased to the socialist perspective. The theatricality of the dramatic irony Priestley uses makes the audience think outside the proscenium arch, about the world and their relationships to it. This is all part of the non-illusory experience.
Priestley mainly uses the characters in the play to present his views, especially Mr and Mrs Birling, to present his ideas about class and society. In the Birling family, Mrs Birling is the most upper class, and is always referring to the lower class female factory workers such as Eva Smith as ‘girls of that class’. She seems to think that working class people are not humans at all.
Priestley has presented Birling as an arrogant, egotistical, right wing or capitalist man. Priestley himself was a socialist. He believes that as a society, we have to look after one another and that the government should give the unemployed people or refugees free health cares and free education. This tells us that Priestley wouldn’t make Mr. Birling look good in this story as capitalists like Mr. Birling only care about wealth. This story was set in 1912 which was before WWI and was written in 1946 which was just after the WWII. This means Priestley had lived through the two great wars, which probably had a huge impact on him. He used dramatic irony especially with regards to Mr. Birling. In the play, Mr. Birling was confident about the theories
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.
On overall, Priestley has presented the two characters, Arthur and Sheila Birling as completely differently. He wanted to match the story to the historical context of the 1910’s, but he has done this differently with Sheila. This is because the play was written in 1946 and the world had two wars and has started to comprehend the strength of community. She is the young generation of the 1910’s this means in a few years down the line, a war is going to break out and if they keep making the same mistake over and over again, it’s not going to turn out any better, by this, we see what happens in the second world war. This is why Sheila has been presented so that she understands consequences of what might happen if we don’t pull ourselves together.
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.
Socialism is one of the greatest messages that Priestley conveys. This message is spoken through the inspector. The Inspector represents Priestley’s strong moral views. Through the play, the Inspector’s character is shown as if he is Priestley’s image, and also shows that he is no ordinary Inspector. His character is shown as if he is more concerned with morality than legality, other than that of an ordinary Policeman/Inspector.
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.
The whole family’s actions are the cause of Eva’s death however the message about responsibility the Inspector presents is only take on board by Eric and Sheila. In conclusion, Priestley clearly gets across his message of responsibility towards others in the play. A clever script cunningly executed points out Priestley’s views to the audience. ‘Responsibility’ is the focal point of the play and is consistently addressed at the end of each interrogation, but the Birlings fail to recognise this.
the end of the Second World War. The play is set in 1912, just before
The Inspector, straight form his introduction, is commanding and authoritative. Upon his entrance he creates, “…at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”(PG.11) The Inspector continues to create this impression as he progresses through his speeches and through his interrogation of the family. The Inspector remains confident, sturdy and composed, while people around him crumble and fall to pieces. His ‘solidity’ is proven by the fact he remains on task despite numerous attempts from Birling to digress from the points he is making. The Inspector is told to appear ‘purposeful’; this is shown where he explains to Birling that Birlings way of thinking “Every man must only look out for himself,” is not the case, and all warps of society are interlinked. The view is best illustrated in the Inspectors final speech, where he says, “We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”(p.56). This idea is one that Priestley, himself believed in deeply, and many of Priestleys writing shared this very theme.
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.