Review of an Inspector Calls
Essay title: Review of an Inspector Calls
“An Inspector calls” takes place in 1912, where there are great social divisions and distinctions. Written by JB Priestley in 1945 this allows for hindsight which eventually leads to dramatic irony. There are many examples of this, all of which are said by Mr Birling,
“Just because the Kaiser makes a speech or two, youll hear some people saying that war is inevitable. Well I say to that – fiddlesticks” This play was first published after the second world war and so the audience will know just how wrong Mr Birling really is. Mr Birling also makes a statement about the ill-fated Titanic.
“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.” The audience should know the tale of the Titanic very well and this just demonstrates again how wrong Mr Birling can be. I think that the hindsight and the dramatic irony was used because it helps to better establish the time period of the play and it also shows that Mr Birling isnt nearly as clever as he thinks he is.
Mr Birling as he put it is a “..hard headed,practical business man.” and it seems he is not much more than that. He is not much of a father to Eric or Sheila ,although he does love them he is not very good at showing it. What he does now how to do however is run a business. Also he is very ignorant as I illustrated earlier, with his “predictions” which couldnt have been more wrong. Mr Birling acted very authoritative
with Inspector Goole and was completely taken aback when the Inspector didnt treat him with the respect he thought he deserved. He is also ruthless, as it is proven when at least twice he offered the Inspector a bribe just to keep his mouth shut. When everything comes out about Eva Smith he is more worried about his reputation than the fact that he helped in leading a young girl to suicide. And when it turns out that there is no Inspector Goole he feels much better because he knows now nothing will come of it. I dont think it would have mattered whether Eva had been a lie or not, Mr Birling would never learn anything.
Sheila Birling is much more considerate and distressed when she hears of Eva Smiths death. She believes she is partly responsible with the rest of her family and Fiance. I think Sheila was jealous of Eva Smith as when she was in Millwards ,a shop at where the Birlings were very good customers, she got Eva Smith sacked because she thought Eva was laughing at her expense. After when Sheila finds out of Eva Smith she greatly regrets her actions and promises, “….I will never do it again..”. Sheila, unlike her Father seems to have a conscience. I think she is also very calm as when she hears of Geralds affair she doesnt start crying and screaming she takes it as it comes. However she had expected Gerald of this for quite some time.
The Inspector is aurthorative,even more so than Mr Birling, commanding and stern with the Birlings and Gerald. He is very careful about the way he goes about his business. Never do two people see the photo of the supposed Eva Smith at the same time and he takes each story ,one at a time form everyone in the room. He knows everything but never lets on. Sheila is perceptive enough to pick this up but no else ever does. Inspector Gooles name seems to be a pun. To the Birlings I suppose he is a ghoul because he is about to ruin their reputation and is accusing them of something they would have never known anything about if it wasnt for him. Also Ghoul suggests