An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

An Inspector Calls Essay There are many aspects that Priestley uses to make ‘An Inspector Calls’ successful on stage i.e. the use of dramatic irony, time zones, twists, cliff hangers and the 7 deadly sins. He also represents the inspector as omniscient and enigmatic and his surname is a homophone which is used symbolically. E.g. Goole to Ghoul. This makes him seem like ghostly spirit. J.B Priestley wrote this play as a message/moral to show the world that everyone is equal through terms of money and power. He saw more clearly the effects of both wars that some higher/upper class had no problems with rebuilding businesses, housing and even their lives as they had the money to do so. An element used to make ’An Inspector Calls’ successful on stage would be the ‘whodunnit’ genre. This differs from a detective genre as in a detective story there s a suspect that committed the crime but in ‘An Inspector Calls’ all of the characters in the same way helped to make Eva Smith/Daisy Renton commit suicide. Each member of the family had something to do with her whether it was physical contact or not; here is how each member was involved with her suicidal attack. Gerald and Eric both had sexual intercourse with Eva and Eric had left her pregnant, Sheila and Birling had no physical contact but both got her sacked from her job as a factory worker and working in a shop where Shelia shopped regularly, and last of all Mrs Birling pushed Eva to the limits when she would offer no help to Eva and her unborn foetus when she asked for help at the charity. Mrs Birling was the person who pushed Eva to the limit of committing suicide. The use of dramatic irony in ‘An Inspector Calls’ is used by most characters especially Mrs Birling who says to the inspector â€Å"I accept no blame for it at all†¦. Take some steps to find this young man and then make sure that he’s compelled to confess in public his responsibility†. The irony comes into this as she does not know that the father of the baby is Eric’s! Priestley presents all of the characters symbolising as the seven deadly sins. He presents the inspector as a mysterious, omniscient and enigmatic character : his name ‘Goole’, is a homophone for ‘Ghoul’ which we know is linked to the meaning ‘Ghost’; this makes you feel as if he is a kind of ghostly spirit; knowing some things before they happen. Priestley made Birling have mistaken predictions such as when Birling quoted, â€Å"‘the Titanic-she sails next week-absolutely unsinkable†, which makes the audience laugh with sarcasm as we all know that the