Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
'An Inspector Calls' (The Inspector (Goole - homophone for '…
'An Inspector Calls'
Contexts + Key ideas
Set in 1912, written in 1945, allows Priestley to use dramatic irony with reference to history
-
-
The Play
A well-made play, respecting the unities of time, place and action.
Series of interviews, raising the tension through a series of climaxes.
Detective thriller, "Who dunnit"
-
-
-
-
The Inspector
Goole - homophone for 'ghoul'. Priestley never specifies and leaves it up to the audience to decide.
-
-
-
-
Symbolism of lighting ("comfortable pink" to "crude yellow) - the Inspector is shedding light on the Birlings so that they have no-where to hide
-
-
-
"Creaky moral mystery", Do you agree?
Good political play, but perhaps overloaded with too many socialist ideals, so therefore, perhaps not so good as a piece of dramatised art.
Mr Birling
Priestley presents Mr Birling as an injudicious, capitalist and selfish old man. This supports the main theme of the play which is to showcase his socialist agenda
He is more concerned about his knighthood and social status rather than people's feelings. Priestley supports this idea by describing him as a "hard-headed business man"
Priestley presents him as an ardent capitalist, through quotes such as "we employees are coming tofether to see that our interests - and interests of capital - are properly protected"
-
He is a self-made man and is not naturally of the higher class but has had to work his way there. He is described as "rather provincial in his speech" and his wife is said to be is "social superior"
Sheila
She calls Mr Birling "Daddy" which may show her innocence, but as the chain of events unfold, she turns out to be the most mature character in the play.