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An Inspector Calls By J. B. Priestley

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How does J.B. Priestley use language and dramatic devices to shape the audience’s view of social change in Britain?

'An Inspector Calls' by J. B. Priestley is a play constructed in 1945, focusing on the need for social change in Britain. Priestley wrote the play for a contemporary audience that had just suffered the horrors of two major world wars. The traditional class systems were already beginning to erode. Therefore, Priestley takes advantage of this climate of change, promoting collectivism: working together for the common good, and prioritising group cohesion over individual pursuit. In doing so, he hoped to challenge class division further . Although society had begun to change, the Second World War was seen by some as the great …show more content…

The Inspector, in many ways, is the most significant dramatic device in the play. Representing Priestley’s voice, the Inspector is acts as a foil to Mr Birling. This juxtaposition is established early on, when the Inspector arrives, Birling claims that his family were ‘having a nice little family celebration before’ the Inspector came and made ‘a nasty mess’ of the evening. Birling euphemistically refers to the violent suicide of a young woman as a ‘nasty mess’, implying it is something that needs to be cleaned away. Showing how it is an inconvenience to him, rather than a devastating social tragedy. His comments reflect his short-sightedness, he is only thinking about the impact on himself and the family party. The Inspector then echoes the words of Mr Birling, mocking him. Saying that is also what he thought when he saw Eva’s body, or ‘what was left’ of it, a ‘nice little promising life there, and a nasty mess somebody’s made of it.’ The Inspector uses Birling’s juxtaposition: ‘nice’ and ‘nasty’. He echoes his words but inverts the meaning. The adjective ‘promising’ suggests Eva’s life was likely to achieve success, but the Birling’s ravaged it. The noun phrase – ‘nasty mess’ – now becomes deeply ironic. It is almost as if the Inspector is repeating Mr Birling’s words back to him so that he can hear how absurd they sound. The vague pronoun ‘somebody’ is not vague at all. In fact, the audience know exactly who the Inspector is talking about. He is standing dramatically before him on stage. The Inspector’s speech has an accusatory and bitter tone, mirroring the anger of the

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