The Building of Pressure Throughout J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

The Building of Pressure Throughout J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls

The scene is opened: a middle class family are sat around a dining

room table on what is a typical evening. The mood is relaxed and the

characters appear content with the life they lead. They are

undisturbed and seem oblivious to what is happening outside their four

walls. A maid is present which indicates to the audience that this

family is of upper class status in other words successful and wealthy.

The family are celebrating and this is made apparent to the audience

who now feel that this cosy environment is far and distant from any

major event outside the home. The play starts of with a family that

appears to be very close knit, so when an unexpected and mysterious

inspector pays the family a visit making enquiries about the recent

death of a young girl, the audience are in shock. Later revelations

confirm that each of the family members played a part, which led to

the suffering and consequent death of this girl. J.B.Priestley's

opening is of a content, happy family and the arrival of the inspector

acts as a wake-up call to the audience. The audience is filled with

tension as the outside world enters into the Birlings world. The

audience watches as the night turns from a celebration into an evening

full of major, life-changing events.

Mr Birling is introduced to the audience as a 'hard-headed business

man'. Although celebrating his daughter Sheila's recent engagement to

Gerald, Mr Birling seems to be more pleased about the business merge

it will create. He makes a toast to the couple and to the fact that

their engagement will mean he 'may look forward t...

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...y knows the answers to his questions. He allows for them to

confess before he confronts their involvement.

He manipulates the family, a prime example would be when he shows the

photograph to one member at a time, and when questioned about this he

replies 'one line of enquiry at a time' again giving the impression he

knows that they were all involved but still he wants do get their

confessions his own way and individually.

J.B.Priestley ends every scene with a cliffhanger that is to say that

he leaves the audience unsure of what might happen next and therefore

wanting to watch and find out. The ending is nothing short of genius

as it is both unexpected and abrupt leaving the audience to gasp and

come to their own conclusions as to what happens next. The play is

simple yet thought provoking and appeals to all people.