AN INSPECTOR CALLS

By: JaskiratK

STAGE DIRECTIONS & PREDICTIONS

BASICS NOTES Play

Has stage directions. Broken up into

characters and sections. All dialog.

Can be acted out/performed.

Both written texts. Both generally fiction.

Has a continuous flow. Describes the scenery. In the form of a book.

Has a narrator.

NovelBoth

Direct Address:

= Someone looking

directly at us, from ads, books or

posters.

Indirect Address: = Someone not looking directly at us,

from ads, books or posters.

Stage Directions:In Italics.

On the side of the page.

PLAY PREDICTIONS“Fairly, large suburban house” - The family is fairly wealthy, but not extremely wealthy - “Fairly” = They are comfortable. - “Suburban House” = Outside the city, where the rich people usually live. No in a great, big manor or squashed together in a tiny house.

QUESTIONS Why does Priestly suggest pink and intimate lighting, and why might it be

harder when the inspector arrives? What do the items listed in the 2nd paragraph suggest about the

Birling's? - The lighting position creates a calming effect, this is usually associated with

girls and love.- The change to “Brighter” and “Harder”

lightning might suggest that the Inspector is going to

investigate/interrogate. This are getting more interesting because of the

changes in atmosphere.- Shining a light on the family when he walks into a room, metaphor, like being

under a spotlight during an interrogation.

- I get the impression that the Birling’s are posh and wealthy.

- I get this impression because they have expensive items such as; “champagne glasses”, “dessert

plates”, “cigars”.- The expensive items are mainly

owned by sophisticated people suggesting that the Birling’s are

preparing for something specials.

Point Evidence Analysis Context Evaluate

ACT ONE: MR BIRLING & DRAMATIC

IRONY

KEY TERMS Social Inequality:

No being treated equally in society.

Capitalism: Private

Economy run by rich people with the main intention

of gaining profit.

Socialism: The primary

goal that everyone in society is treated equally.

SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN EDWARDIAN TIMES

In Edwardian England, different classes had different lifestyles: - Lower Class = Poor lifestyle, little money, small house, no job and little food. - Middle Class = Average lifestyle, enough money to live on, good job, decent house and nice food. - Higher Class = Luxurious

lifestyle, loads of money, high-end jobs, big house, expensive food. Social Inequality in Edwardian England:

If you were rich, you would be treated like God. They’d do very little work and have almost everything done for them. Whereas, if you were poor you’d have a bad lifestyle, where you would have a badly paid job, being a servant for rich people. Servants were common amongst rich

people. Priestly chose to write about this as he was a socialist that believed deeply

in social equality. He thought that socialism was the main way of life and people. = Priestly made An Inspector Calls relatable to the

audience.

MR BIRLING Is happy for Sheila and Gerald’s engagement , as with

this he hopes to join 2 big companies together in the hope to earn more money. (Mr Birling’s company,

Birling & Co., and Lord Croft’s company, Crofts Limited.) = Capitalist. Only happy about the

engagement because he hopes to earn money as a result of it.

Mr Birling’s attitude towards the future, is that he believes during the late 1940’s is that everyone will develop, while Russia will “Always be behindhand naturally.” = Russia will develop slower than

everyone else. He’s arrogant and want the future to go a certain way.

As a result of his attitude, we assume that Mr Birling is a capitalist. Priestly does this on purpose to make

him see stupid, but will soon be proven wrong. Tone = Less serious and hearty.

DRAMATIC EFFECT & EFFECTS ON THE AUDIENCE

Dramatic Irony: - Used as joke with the

audience. - The audience knows that what the character says is wrong

as they are watching this at a later period after the event has taken place.

The audience knows that all of these things that Mr Birling does not know.

The use of ‘Dramatic Irony’ helps the audience to see Mr Birling as Priestly

want us to. (Priestly did this on purpose).

The Effects On The 1914 Audience: - People’s family’s died during the war. - People went on strike. - Some people just lived

through both World Wars. - Many people had no money through the ‘Great Depression’.

THE ENQUIRY BEGINS

QUESTION Why has J.B Priestly used dramatic irony

in Mr Birling’s speech?Dramatic irony is used in the play, especially with Mr Birling. This is shown in the poem when Mr Birling is talking about the ‘Titanic’, he clearly states that

the Titanic is “absolutely unsinkable.” However, the irony is that we, the audience, knows that in actual fact the Titanic did sink. This conveys that Mr Birling is arrogant, but also looks stupid as the audience knows what actually happens to the Titanic. J.B. Priestly did this on purpose, as a socialist himself, Priestly portrays Mr Birling as a capitalist. He shows Mr Birling as greedy, a

person who thrives for money. As an arrogant and stuburn person, this makes the ‘Dramatic Irony’ even funnier as, we know, that Mr Birling is

completely wrong.Point – Statement. Evidence – Quote. (Back Up The Statement.) Analysis – How This Shows The Theme. Context – Link It Back To The Writer’s Ideas. Evaluate – On The Audience/Reader = Audience From 1914

INSPECTOR GOOLEThe Inspectors Introduction: - His

name is Inspector Goole, which sounds like ‘Goul’, often associated

with a ghost. - Has recently be

transferred. - Not posh

= Cares more about discovering the truth rather than his

social standard. ~

Didn’t want to play gold with Mr Birling, the Inspector doesn’t care. - Not easily intimidated when Mr Birling is name dropping.

Inspector Goole: ~ Socialist =

Doesn’t care about money, but about everyone being

treated equally in society. ~ Is willing to go up against his powerful superiors to get justice for the

lower class people. Golf:

> Only rich people played golf, where they often discussed business deals. > Only rich people could afford to play golf.

> The Inspector rejects the idea of playing golf, as he’d rather spend his time achieving justice for others.

JUXTAPOSITIONJuxtaposition = 2 words/items/ideas

etc. placed close together with a contrasting effect.

Themes: ~

Capitalism/Socialism ~ Irony ~ Morality

~ Society

The Inspector arrives and conveys a sense of irony about everything Mr Birling

was looking forward to, during a celebration. Mr Birling was saying to

Gerald that he had “a very good chance of knighthood” but only if everyone

“behaves” themselves. This meant that the family shouldn’t get into any police trouble, in order for Mr Birling to receive his honours. However, the irony was that Mr Birling’s hopes came crashing down,

when the Inspector arrives. The irony was that Mr Birling’s views on society,

“community and all that nonsense” where challenge by the arrival of

Inspector Goole.

Point – Statement. Evidence – Quote. (Back Up The Statement.) Analysis – How This Shows The Theme. Context – Link It Back To The Writer’s Ideas. Evaluate – On The Audience/Reader = Audience From 1914

How has Priestly used the Inspector to convey themes of the

play?

Way to approach questions.

DRAMATIC TENSION

NOTES & QUOTESMorality = Right & Wrong. What you should do as a good

human.Priestly is talking

about: ~ Social

Responsibility ~ Social Class ~ Morality ~

Capitalism

- “Putting on airs” = Relates to their social standing. >This is not about class but the family thinking they are better than others.< - “Pushed”, “Threw” = Violent >Physical

Metaphor< - “Drooping her when it suited him” = Suggests uncaring attitude on Gerald’s part.

- “And, can’t you see, both of you.” = Sheila understands

better than her parents. She realises the parts they’ve all played and their inability to accept this shows a negative side to her family’s

reputation.

Priestly has written a play about the suicide of a young girl & the events leading up to

her death.

QUESTION How does Sheila’s speech sum up what

the play is about?Sheila sums up what the play is about by talking about social standing.

She talks about the family “putting on airs,” which portrays the idea that the family are not kind and caring, but continuously put on a front for all to see. This suggests that not everything is about class but about

the Birling’s thinking that they are better than everyone else. A contemporary audience, from the time, would think of this as normal

because at the time many superior people cared more about better and of a higher standard than people of both the lower and same class.

Point – Statement. Evidence – Quote. (Back Up The Statement.) Analysis – How This Shows The Theme. Context – Link It Back To The Writer’s Ideas. Evaluate – On The Audience/Reader = Audience From 1914