Detailed Analysis of Inspector Calls
Opening:
Opens in Dining Room - ‘Good Solid furniture’ Play opens in medias res (“Into the middle of things” - opens
in the midst of the plot) A maid clears the table of “Dessert plates and champagne glasses” and provides a
“decanter of port, cigar box and cigarettes.” These are all symbols of status, wealth and power – The
Birling’s Ostentatious display of wealth immediately introduces them to a socialist audience – symbols that
embody the materialistic values if Edwardian society – which Priestley intends on dismantling and
challenge. Instantly, an antagonistic distance between the audience is created.
The Dinner:
On the surface, the dinner seems convivial and intimate. However, something is amiss. For example, Edna
is treated disrespectfully, the very first line is a request for Edna to fill Arthur’s port. “Giving us the port,
Edna?” Then she is dismissed by Mrs Birling and says that she will be summoned again – Edna works at the
leisure of her employers. “All right Edna. I’ll ring from the drawing-room when we want coffee. Probably in
about half an hour”. Treated as a prop. Dismissive attitude towards the proletariat. This treatment of Edna
foreshadows the later events and treatment of the WC in the play.
There is a clear disjunction between Edwardian values and post-war values. Mrs Birling says “When you’re
married, you’ll realize that men have important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time
and energy of their business. You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had.” - this manifests a clear
hierarchical distinction between males and females. This is said by Mrs Birling – a woman – thus implying
that even women in the Edwardian period are indoctrinated and complicit in this misogynistic and
patriarchal society. Also, there is a sense of resignation, nothing can be done so Sheila should “get used to
that.” This ideology is passed down in generations – Mrs Birling to Sheila. Priestly wants to break the chain.
Sheila’s response to this is ‘I don’t believe I will (half playful, half serious)’ - She is wavering towards the
archaic values.
Mr Birling then says “Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together – for lower costs
and higher prices” - Mr Birling is exited, not about the engagement of his only daughter but the fact that
he can merge the two businesses together which allows him to lower his prices. The latter comment would
have been anathema(despised) to the socialist audience whom were working towards a much more
egalitarian society.
Mr Birling’s Wisdom:
Mr Birling gives Sheila and Gerald some advice ‘There’s a good deal of silly talk about these days – but –
and I speak as a hard-headed businessman […] I say ignore all this silly pessimistic talk […] there’s a lot of
wild trouble about possible labour trouble in the near future. Don’t worry. We’ve passed the worst of it’
‘Just because the Kaiser makes a speech or two, or a few German officers have too much to drink and begin
talking nonsense, you’ll hear some people say that wars inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks!’
‘Why a friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails next week – and unsinkable,
absolutely unsinkable’
, ‘There’ll be peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere’
Each of these are examples of dramatic irony (Where the character says something which the audience
knows to be false etc.) When Authur says that there will be no “labour trouble” a 1945 audience would be
aware of the 1926 General Strike and they will be aware of both WW1 and WW2 but also the R.M.S Titanic.
The lexical choice of ‘fiddlesticks’ in relation to the war would have been infuriating for an audience that
had just endured a war and lost friends and family. By utilising dramatic irony, Priestley opens up Birling for
ridicule – is he is a caricature of the typical Edwardian Capitalist, it implies that the upper classes are out of
touch from society thus disrupting the entrenched ideology that he represents and propagates (Spreading
a belief.)
“But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a
hive – community and all that nonsense.”
The moral lesson that the play seeks to impart (make known) is the necessity of acting as part of a wider
‘community’: it is not nonsense but the only way to ensure that history does not repeat its self. Bees are
insects that work together as a community for a common purpose. In addition, bees produce honey which
is generally considered to be sweet tasting substance thus implying that by working together as one then
society will be ‘sweet’ like honey. Although, one could say that Priestly’s reference here is flawed as bees
do work together but for a Queen, a sovereign. This is interesting because the ideology of Monarchism is
detested by socialists.
Birling is everything that is wrong with society: he is the apotheosis (the elevation of someone/thing to
divine status) of the Edwardian ideology that resulted in war and conflict.
The Inspector Arrives:
The arrival is interesting as it takes place immediately after Birling’s speech. Birling is interrupted by the
following stage direction: “We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell. Birling stops to listen.” Therefore,
the inspector from the very opening of the play, represents the disruption of the ideology that Birling was
espousing (adopt or support.) ‘Sharp’ creates a feeling that the visit is not going to be pleasant but rather
has more violent connotations.
The inspector is described as creating ‘an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’ who
speaks ‘carefully, weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses.’ Here
we have a lexical field of ‘solidity’ - the inspector becomes the moral bedrock which contrasts to the Birling’s
often fragmented speech which is often interrupted by hyphens. When he is ‘looking hard’ at a person it is
like he is shining a spotlight on the actions of the Birling Family which is also reflected by the way in which
the light changes, upon the inspector’s entrance, the light changes from ‘pink and intimate’ to a ‘brighter
and harder’ colour. This is further suggested in the National Theatre Production where the Birling family
live in a doll’s house.
The inspector is the moral compass and Priestley’s mouthpiece: he is the textual mechanism through which
the play is able to impart its didactic (intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an
ulterior motive) message. The arrival of the inspector is a consequence of the behaviour of the Birlings
(Cause and effect). Just like how the play exists because of the actions of society at large.
Opening:
Opens in Dining Room - ‘Good Solid furniture’ Play opens in medias res (“Into the middle of things” - opens
in the midst of the plot) A maid clears the table of “Dessert plates and champagne glasses” and provides a
“decanter of port, cigar box and cigarettes.” These are all symbols of status, wealth and power – The
Birling’s Ostentatious display of wealth immediately introduces them to a socialist audience – symbols that
embody the materialistic values if Edwardian society – which Priestley intends on dismantling and
challenge. Instantly, an antagonistic distance between the audience is created.
The Dinner:
On the surface, the dinner seems convivial and intimate. However, something is amiss. For example, Edna
is treated disrespectfully, the very first line is a request for Edna to fill Arthur’s port. “Giving us the port,
Edna?” Then she is dismissed by Mrs Birling and says that she will be summoned again – Edna works at the
leisure of her employers. “All right Edna. I’ll ring from the drawing-room when we want coffee. Probably in
about half an hour”. Treated as a prop. Dismissive attitude towards the proletariat. This treatment of Edna
foreshadows the later events and treatment of the WC in the play.
There is a clear disjunction between Edwardian values and post-war values. Mrs Birling says “When you’re
married, you’ll realize that men have important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time
and energy of their business. You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had.” - this manifests a clear
hierarchical distinction between males and females. This is said by Mrs Birling – a woman – thus implying
that even women in the Edwardian period are indoctrinated and complicit in this misogynistic and
patriarchal society. Also, there is a sense of resignation, nothing can be done so Sheila should “get used to
that.” This ideology is passed down in generations – Mrs Birling to Sheila. Priestly wants to break the chain.
Sheila’s response to this is ‘I don’t believe I will (half playful, half serious)’ - She is wavering towards the
archaic values.
Mr Birling then says “Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together – for lower costs
and higher prices” - Mr Birling is exited, not about the engagement of his only daughter but the fact that
he can merge the two businesses together which allows him to lower his prices. The latter comment would
have been anathema(despised) to the socialist audience whom were working towards a much more
egalitarian society.
Mr Birling’s Wisdom:
Mr Birling gives Sheila and Gerald some advice ‘There’s a good deal of silly talk about these days – but –
and I speak as a hard-headed businessman […] I say ignore all this silly pessimistic talk […] there’s a lot of
wild trouble about possible labour trouble in the near future. Don’t worry. We’ve passed the worst of it’
‘Just because the Kaiser makes a speech or two, or a few German officers have too much to drink and begin
talking nonsense, you’ll hear some people say that wars inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks!’
‘Why a friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails next week – and unsinkable,
absolutely unsinkable’
, ‘There’ll be peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere’
Each of these are examples of dramatic irony (Where the character says something which the audience
knows to be false etc.) When Authur says that there will be no “labour trouble” a 1945 audience would be
aware of the 1926 General Strike and they will be aware of both WW1 and WW2 but also the R.M.S Titanic.
The lexical choice of ‘fiddlesticks’ in relation to the war would have been infuriating for an audience that
had just endured a war and lost friends and family. By utilising dramatic irony, Priestley opens up Birling for
ridicule – is he is a caricature of the typical Edwardian Capitalist, it implies that the upper classes are out of
touch from society thus disrupting the entrenched ideology that he represents and propagates (Spreading
a belief.)
“But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a
hive – community and all that nonsense.”
The moral lesson that the play seeks to impart (make known) is the necessity of acting as part of a wider
‘community’: it is not nonsense but the only way to ensure that history does not repeat its self. Bees are
insects that work together as a community for a common purpose. In addition, bees produce honey which
is generally considered to be sweet tasting substance thus implying that by working together as one then
society will be ‘sweet’ like honey. Although, one could say that Priestly’s reference here is flawed as bees
do work together but for a Queen, a sovereign. This is interesting because the ideology of Monarchism is
detested by socialists.
Birling is everything that is wrong with society: he is the apotheosis (the elevation of someone/thing to
divine status) of the Edwardian ideology that resulted in war and conflict.
The Inspector Arrives:
The arrival is interesting as it takes place immediately after Birling’s speech. Birling is interrupted by the
following stage direction: “We hear the sharp ring of a front door bell. Birling stops to listen.” Therefore,
the inspector from the very opening of the play, represents the disruption of the ideology that Birling was
espousing (adopt or support.) ‘Sharp’ creates a feeling that the visit is not going to be pleasant but rather
has more violent connotations.
The inspector is described as creating ‘an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’ who
speaks ‘carefully, weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses.’ Here
we have a lexical field of ‘solidity’ - the inspector becomes the moral bedrock which contrasts to the Birling’s
often fragmented speech which is often interrupted by hyphens. When he is ‘looking hard’ at a person it is
like he is shining a spotlight on the actions of the Birling Family which is also reflected by the way in which
the light changes, upon the inspector’s entrance, the light changes from ‘pink and intimate’ to a ‘brighter
and harder’ colour. This is further suggested in the National Theatre Production where the Birling family
live in a doll’s house.
The inspector is the moral compass and Priestley’s mouthpiece: he is the textual mechanism through which
the play is able to impart its didactic (intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an
ulterior motive) message. The arrival of the inspector is a consequence of the behaviour of the Birlings
(Cause and effect). Just like how the play exists because of the actions of society at large.
