An Inspector Calls

‘Giving us the port, Edna?’ this is said by Birling, the man of the house. The audience would maybe expect maybe a telephone call and may be a long conversation on the telephone. The title of the book is an inspector to call, when starting to read the book it gives evidence that the Birling family are upper-class and the reader wouldn’t expect an inspector to call.



Immediately it is apparent that the Birling family are upper-class…. E. At the start of the play the lighting is ink, rosy and imitate. This suggests that the light is romantic and nothing ghastly can come to this family, but it could also be secrets lurking in the mist of the past.



The furniture is good solid of the period. The general effect is a substantial and heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike. This could suggest that the family don’t relax or don’t sit and talk about things with each other. This gives the impression of the characters are that Mr. Birling is a proud business man who is happy and jolly; he also loves his daughter ,Sheila, dearly and seem proud to be apart of his family. Whereas Mrs. Birling seems jolly initially, but is materialistic, when Gerald gives Sheila the engagement ring, and hasty. She comes across as a strict parent and harsh with the up bringing of her children……. E

Additionally she gives the impression that is slightly embarrassed when Eric is squiffy. Sheila is a happy and a lucky girl. At the start she loves Gerald truly and can’t wait till the wedding. Sheila is very optimistic, ‘I’m sorry daddy, actually I was listening.’ This shows Sheila being optimistic as instead of giving a negative comment back to her farther when he slightly tells her off, she gives a positive one.



Priestly set the play in 1912 as it gives the book and the reader dramatic irony as the play was written in 1945. When Birling is conducting one of his long fast paced speeches. He says that the titanic is unsinkable and the Germans...