Tension In An Inspector Calls

Eva Smith, a young low class girl, committed suicide due to the cruel and distressing events in her life that were viciously triggered by members of two high class families. When this was discovered, Inspector Goole was sent to their house in fictional Brumley to ask them questions. He interrupts the family’s jovial celebratory dinner, creating unexpected tension. Through his persuasive tactics and forceful personality, the inspector managed to get them all to confess. J.B. Priestley’s play “An inspector calls,” is the dramatist plea for a better future in which individuals acknowledge their responsibility to society by using Inspector Goole, who is portrayed as a particularly powerful character, to spread his socialist thoughts. This is

This makes him seem as a puppeteer who has complete control over how others act. A strong example of this is Sheila when “She stares at him wonderingly and dubiously”, which suggests that she has restrained her thoughts and given up to the inspector, showing that Sheila identifies him as a guide and recognizes his authority over her family. The use of the word ‘wonderingly’ indicates that there are many aspects of the inspector others find enigmatic and even otherworldly. Similarly, the word ‘dubiously’ indicates that others approach Inspector Goole with a sense of doubt and care. The curious, yet doubtful attitude Sheila presents towards him, and the fact that she’s become infatuated with him, emphasize how he’s a figure of authority. The inspector is also seen as an influential character, due to Sheila’s change but also the impact he has on other characters: “Carefully, to the inspector”. The word ‘carefully’ gives the sense that Gerald needs to validate his point to the inspector, proving that he can be persuasive. The fact that he is explaining “to the inspector” rather than Sheila, demonstrates how Gerald has given to the inspector’s manipulation, indicating a pattern of repetition on how the inspector shows his strong hold on situations. This, along with his careful explanation help picture the inspector as someone they must

An Inspector Calls is constructed in such a way that it assigns power over the Birlings to the inspector. Despite the Birlings’ social class and elitist attitudes, Inspector Goole never gives in to their threats. Through this behavior, the Birlings’ threats come across as empty and powerless. This distribution of power is used by Priestley to illustrate his despise for the higher class, elitist attitudes, and to indicate that there are some things that money can’t