the writer's craft in An Inspector Calls

• start of the play gives hints on unstablilty and connotes small statements that allows ausidence to think 
• dramatic irony - Mr birling's speech about state of world written 1945 set 1912 WWI                                 starts 1914 
•                         - before inspector arrives Mr B says to gerald 'keep out of trouble'

• brought on by the inspector: 
• dripfeeds characters dropping hints- they can't relax 
• delays before confessions- anticipation 
• priestley builds this up by only showing one photo at a time 
• big visual change,- peace to chaos

connotes reality of war:

• from a state of complete peace suddenly become family at war 
• inspector brings out differences in attitudes and morals relating to society 

• add visual excitement and can influence attitude of charcater (walk or run)
• e.g. inspector enters after mr B important life speech and goes after his

dramatic moments: 

• priestley teases the audience by cliffhangers and then changing the subject at the start of act 3 

staging 

• start lighting (pink and intimate) 
• inspector arrives (brighter and harder)
• birlings and gerald wear wealthy clothes comapred to inspector showing contrasting characters 

shows characters social attitudes:

• respectable citizens of right social class- men are "chaps"- gerald calls mr B "sir"
• "by jingo" "squiffy" (drunk) "jolly well" (very well)

euphemisms to talk about subjects (when subject is offensive they use unoffensive words)

• eva/daisy became a "woman of the town" prostitute 
• "girl of that sort" (lower class) in a "condition" (pregnant)
• euphemisms are used to cover up truth opposite of the message of learning 

inspector goole- different language 

• speaks his mind and the truth 
• silences - important communication 
• mr and mrs B find mih offensive- "rude" "impertinent"- just finiding excuses to not accept responsibilty?

sheilas language changes

• start- simple, playful, childish- "im sorry daddy"
• end- confident and assertive- simple and blunt- mirroring inspector G language 
• young learn and old will not?

formed own opinions in 1911-14

• started as junior office worker on wool firm 
• didnt go to uni - for the rich 
• believed society should be together not every man for themselves (mr B)

fought in WWI trenches 

• 1914- WWI - experienced suffering at most intense 

already famous when wrote the play 

• written in one week of final WWII months 
• before play, worked up a status broadcasting on BBC but cancelled due to gov. believing it wasnt 100% in favour of their war conduct 

WWII:

• brought people together and showed them as equals 
• people dreamed of a better life

play first sent to communist moscow to test in Priestley's equality views 

play fits 1945 mood- major social change 

• the Inspector was from the future, and he was coming to teach the Birling's a lesson about collective responsiblity.
•  His grand speech at the end could be interpretated that he had experienced WWI and WWII by his powerful, horrific line "when they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish." 
• He wants Britain to realize that personal responsibility and self-interest for their own country results in dire consequences such as in WWI and WWII. 

• the Inspector was from the future, and he was coming to teach the Birling's a lesson about collective responsiblity.
•  His grand speech at the end could be interpretated that he had experienced WWI and WWII by his powerful, horrific line "when they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish." 
• He wants Britain to realize that personal responsibility and self-interest for their own country results in dire consequences such as in WWI and WWII. 

century of EXTREMES

•  striking workers and protests for women getting the vote (start)
• WWI (1914-18)
• WWII (middle) ended with atomic bombs on Japan 
• collapse of communist gov (80s and 90s)
• capitalist west ruling world (end)
• play reflects centruy- "fire, blood, anguish"

communism and socialism spread

• left wing socialist ideas spread- 
• world bigger than just your dining room (not like Mr B thinks)
• play set in dining room and inspector comes from outside, gerald leaves half way? changing ideas?
• rich: didnt like giving money to poor, believed tech and free trade is the way forward
• really only solved one problem and caused many others 

priestley's play

• entertaining detective story with a political twist 
• play still reflects ideas of today 
• Mr B has a right to fire a "troublemaker" but priestley wanted to look deeper into why she needed more money- encouraging more people in society to look deeper