The Inspector in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly Essay -- An Inspe

The Inspector in An Inspector Calls Examine the function and symbolism of the Inspector in the play – An Inspector Calls, and explain how Priestly makes him dramatically effective Throughout the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, by J.B Priestley, the audience sees the role of a mysterious investigator who interrogates a powerful and upper-middle class family: The Birling's. Priestley uses the role of the Inspector to expose the characters in the play, and to put his own views across about the Birling’s and their conservative beliefs. The play was written in 1946 and set in the spring of 1912. This means that the audience would have known the future events (the two world wars). Therefore they are in a position to judge the characters beliefs. At the start of the play, Priestley describes the Dining room, in which all of the acts in the play take place. He writes, ‘the dining room of a fairly large suburban house, belonging to a prosperous manufacturer. It has good solid furniture of the period. The general effect is substantial and heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike’. This tells the audience that the Birling’s are wealthy as they live in a presumably large and expensive house. It also shows that the setting of the play is very formal by saying that the effect of the room is not cosy and homelike. The description of the furniture acts as a metaphor for the family, being ‘solid’ and not loving and affectionate. Priestley writes that before the Inspector enters the lighting, ‘should be pink and intimate’, and that once the Inspector does enter the light should be brighter and harder. Priestly has written this to try and show that no one can hide secrets under the spotlight, and to try and portray ... ...e reality. They stand there guiltily as the play draws to a close. Throughout the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, JB Priestley uses the role of the inspector to try and show how the rich can abuse their position and how community should be respected so that all people can be treated equally. The inspector plays the role of a Freudian analyst, in the sense that he gets people to reveal their inner motivations that are hidden even to themselves. The inspector shows how everyone should live, and we should all respect and value one another. It is not important that he was not a real inspector; he was an example set for everyone to follow. Through the inspector we have been shown Priestley's beliefs on honesty, equality and being just. The inspector has shown that everyone lives in one big community, so we should treat one another with the respect they deserve.