Priestleys portrayal of Inspector Goole in An Inspector Calls Essay

Consider the ways in which Priestley's portrayal of Inspector Goole and the way in which he carries out his investigation of the Birling family and Gerald Croft create dramatic interest? 'An inspector calls' was written in 1945 by J.B Priestley. The play is set in 1912 and centres on Arthur Birling, a prosperous manufacturer and his family, who are celebrating the engagement of their daughter, when they are suddenly and dramatically interrupted by the arrival of the police inspector. The inspector, investigating the suicide of a young working-class woman, uncovers each of the family's shameful secrets that link them with the young girl and her death. Priestley was a strong believer in socialism, opposing capitalism which exploits and degrades the working classes to benefit the rich. Priestley believed that whether we acknowledged it or not, we are all part of one big community and have the responsibility to look after everyone else, no matter who they are or what their status is. In 'An inspector calls' Priestley tries to highlight these beliefs and educate the audience on how they should treat one another. This message was particularly effective to the audiences of 1946 as, weary from the Second World War they were looking for change. The Inspector's quote of 'Fire, blood and anguish' refers to the 1st and 2nd World Wars, would have had great emotional impact on the audience and caused them to think more deeply into the play and Priestley's message. During the Second World War social classes were forced to mix, children were evacuated to where was safest and not according to class, all young men were forced to mix in the Trenches and on the Front Line, the women left at home were forced to all work in the factories together, al... ...ugh they are his social superiors. He is or need not be a small man but however creates an impression of massiveness and of purposefulness; this comes across in the whole atmosphere he creates. He uses many tactics such as the photograph and graphically detailed descriptions to shock both the audiences and the characters. By shocking the audience he can best get across his moral warning and by shocking the other characters he can best get them to open up to him and admit their wrongs. The Inspectors overall approach to the investigation is totally irregular, which creates dramatic interest and in some points emotional conflicts which create tension and keep the audiences attention. But even after he has left, he is still creating interest and tension as the characters try to decide whether or not he was a real inspector and in fact whether or not he was actually real.