Priestly's Presentation of the Inspector as an Unusual Police Man in Act 1

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Priestly's Presentation of the Inspector as an Unusual Police Man in Act 1

Priestly presents the Inspector as an unusual police man in many ways

in Act 1. The name that Priestly had chosen for the Inspector is also

very strange. The name Goole sounds very much like 'ghoul' and also

Inspector sounds like the word 'spectrum'. Therefore suggesting that

the inspector is rather ghost like and not real. Also 'An Inspector

Calls' creates a mysterious air about the play.

In the beginning of Act 1 the stage directions already give an ideal

about the Inspector and the Birlings. 'The general effect is

substantial and heavily comfortable, but not comfortable' This giving

an impression that the Birlings are very concerned about their

personal appearance and what other people think of them and their

social status. At first whilst the Birlings have their dinner party

'The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives

and then it should be hard and intimate.' This suggests the dramatic

change and gives the Inspector a more eerie feel.

During the dinner party before the Inspector arrives Priestly gives

many hints about the characters, later to be discovered. For example

'Finchley told me it's exactly the same port your father gets from

him.' Birling here is trying to show off and also trying to be in the

social class as Lord Croft, Gerald's father. Shelia also says things

that the Inspector also manages to bring up. 'Yes- except for all last

summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what happened to

you.' At the end of Act 1 the Inspector interrogates Gerald about

Daisy Renton and when Eric said 'She's got a nasty temper sometimes.'

Another hint to what happened when the Inspector interrogated Shelia

about what happened between her and Eva Smith. It is strange how the

inspector and Eva Smith should commit suicide when the Birlings and

Gerald are all together and mentioning each other faults.

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