J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

J. B. Priestly was born in 1894 in Bradford and he died on the 14th of

August 1984. Before becoming a writer Priestly joined the British Army

on the outbreak of the First World War, he was sent to France where in

September 1915 he took part in the Battle of the Loos. Whilst he was

in the army Priestly’s first book was published which was called

‘Chapman of rhymes’. After he left the army priestly went to become a

student at Trinity Hall, Cambridge and there he gained a valuable

experience by writing for the ‘Cambridge Review’. When he left the

university Priestly married and from 1929 to 1947 priestly wrote

novels such as- ‘the good companions’, ‘angel pavement’, ‘dangerous

corner’, ‘time and the Conways’ and the famous play ‘an inspector

calls’ which was written in 1946. An inspector calls is set in 1912

and is about an unsuspecting family of middle- class citizens who play

a part in the alleged suicide of Eva Smith

In my opinion he wrote this play to change the way people treat each

other. It is a fact that Priestly was a moralist and had studied

political science. I think that the way that he wrote this play is to

show the consequences of treating people wrongly and at the very end

of the play just before the inspector leaves, the Birling's find out

that there is an inspector coming to the house to discuss the death of

a young women called Eva Smith, the characters then have a choice- to

either change their story in which someone admits to the reason that

Eva committed suicide or to keep the same story and repeat and repeat

until they learn their lesson.

The two occasions I have chosen...

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...lass..." remark, showing her disdain for her. Both Birling and his

wife also try to use the fact that Birling has a prominent position in

public affairs to try to influence the Inspector into relieving the

pressure on him, for example when Mrs Birling reminds the Inspector

that "my husband was an ex-Lord Mayor, you know". Mrs Birling also

used her social influence to deny charity to Eva Smith. There is also

the question of marriage - it is acceptable for the similarly classed

Sheila and Gerald to marry but not for Eric and Daisy.

Initially, the Birlings all feel very secure and believe that they can

do no wrong. The opening stage directions state that they are all

"pleased with themselves. Later on, in his speech to Gerald and Eric,

Birling states that he is sure he knows what he is right because of

his ‘experience’.