An Inspector Calls Essay - Sam Ducker
An Inspector Calls is a play set in 1912, several years before the start of World War 1. At this time people were optimistic of a new world, thinking war is never going to happen again and that this was a time of technology and propulsive progression. We today now know that in actual fact that was not true at all, with the titanic sinking that year and two world wars to follow soon. J.B Priestly shows the attitude at the time throughout 'An Inspector Calls'. It is set in the North Midlands city of Brumley a pun of the city Birmingham.
The Birling family is holding a party to celebrate the engagement of the marriage of Mr. Birling’s daughter, Sheila Birling, to her new-found fiancé Gerald Croft. Everything is going well until an Inspector knocks at the door. His name is Inspector Goole. He is supposedly new to the force, he tells them that a young woman has suffered a horrible death on the way to the local infirmary and the cause, drinking disinfectant. Her death caused by herself, suicide. The Inspector suspects the Birling family to be involved in some of the preceding events to this and he feels this may have contributed to the girl taking her own life. He questions each person at the party one by one.
I am going to discuss how each family member changes there attitude and personality. How they are at the start of the play, then how they are as the play happens and then how they are at the end. Whether this is their real personality all along or if it has been brought out and then after that have they changed following the story of Eva Smith's death? In concluding my essay, I will decide which character I think has changed the most at the end of the play.
First I will discuss Sheila at the start of the play. Sheila seems very pleased with life and unaware of the problems of the outer world, also she seems to have a shallow and superficial attitude. At the start of the play she is described as "a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited". Later on in the play, Mr. Birling is being questioned about Eva Smith and her role in the factory. Mr. Birling is saying how she is asking for far too much money and she could be easily replaced with any other girl. Sheila comes out with a controversial point of view "but these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people." So far in the book she has shown no compassion comparable to this towards the working class; here we see a change in her attitude.
Later on in the play, Sheila is caught up as the culprit for getting Eva Smith fired from the high end ladies shop Milwards. Using her influence and power, she did this because of a 'dirty look' she was given by Eva. At that time when she was getting Eva fired she was acting very superciliously. Now after the inspector had lectured and questioned her about it, she is full of guilt; she blames herself as "really responsible." Again, Sheila is showing a change that she is starting to become less selfish, but instead more compassionate and starts to have a sense of guilt, a conscience.
When Gerald is questioned Sheila instantly realised that Gerald knew Daisy Renton (Eva Smith). She is very perceptive. I think its the first as later on in the play she is the first to realise Eric's part in this tragic tale. She is also the first to notice something strange about the inspector and made he isn't really who he says he is "I don't understand about you." She is the first to consider whether the inspector is real or not.
Gerald is questioned about the affair and instead of getting angry Sheila is inquisitive about the incident this shows maturity in her that she wants to hear Gerald's side of the story before being irrational. She also says that she "respects him being honest".
At the end of the play she and Eric are acting the mature one's reflecting on the situation properly. While her parents are trying to shove it under the rug as if it never happened she is angry at this "pretend that nothing much has happened." She thinks its incredible how they haven't learnt anything from the nights events. She is acting how her parents should act. At the end of the play Sheila is wiser than at the start; she now looks at all the family in a new light (to a lesser extent Eric) . Bigger than the change she sees in the others is a change in herself; a change showing she is aware of others around her and the responsibilities she has in life.