How does J.B.Preistley create a sense of drama and atmosphere in “An Inspector Calls” An Inspector Calls was first written in 1945 by J B Preistley and first performed at new theatre in1946. The story is about an Inspector who arrives at a rich families houseabout a girls suici e and after questioning each one in turn we find out all the Birling’s and Gerald have something to do with the suicide of this girl. In this play we find out money isn’t everything, even if you have money you might not be as close to your family as you thought, we also find out that everyone has to look out for each other every thing we do could interfere in someone else’s life like a ripple effect.
Because J B Preistley knew all the major events, which had happened in the early 1900’s, he set his play in 1912 to create a sense of superior atmosphere for the reader, so when they are introduced to this early spring evening and see these wonderfully rich people so happy with every thing they could possibly want, in their minds want or more or less need to find out something to go against them.
The first character we are introduced to is Arthur Birling who is obviously wealthy, confident and proud but in a marvellous speech he decides to give his Son and future Son in law J B Preistley writes exactly what the reader wants to hear “And I say there isn’t chance of war.” And “…Titanic…sails next week…unsinkable.” When he says this, the reader suddenly feels superior by knowing that this rich, pompous, well-built man is nothing but a rich know it all that thinks he’s always right.
The reader immediately wants to take sides with this strange man who calls in the middle of this marvellous speech, He calls himself Inspector Goole, He can stand up for himself and to the Birling’s, then when they hear of this fatal news about a young girl killing herself the drama increases with shock but increases even more as the play goes on as when they find out that Birling sacked this girl and sent her to the streets, they begin to dislike him more and are doubly on the side of the mysteries Inspector Goole, the reader then finds out the reason for sacking this young girl who’s name is apparently Eva Smith is (or as Mr Birling says) “…They suddenly decided to ask for more money.”
Her and about four others then went on a small strike for more wages as the wages Mr Birling was paying them they could hardly live on. The reader is strong against the Birling’s and is glued to the Inspectors side now and is horrified to find out the reaction of Arthur Birling this extremely rich man once Lord Mayor (who is very big headed and thinks he’s in for a chance of knighthood) responds by saying “I told the girl to clear out …” The atmosphere of hatred between the reader and Mr. Birling builds up and adds to the drama and shock of how this rich man helped lead this girl to suicide.
By this time the reader is already set against the Birling family just by one interview and then are even more pleased (and shocked) to find out that the Inspector isn’t just there to see Mr Birling. Arthur Birling doesn’t care for much anything or anyone else all he cares for is money he makes this very clear by saying “…Perhaps we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but working together-for lower costs and higher prices.”
He says this in his speech to his newly engaged daughter Sheila and future Son in Law Gerald Croft. (Birlings and Crofts are two textile businesses ran by Arthur Birling and Gerald’s father, Mr Croft) From this speech we can see that Arthur isn’t at all happy for Sheila getting engaged but happy about whom she is marring, He’s happy for the business by Sheila marring Gerald Arthur Birling is making a very good investment indeed.
Sheila however is marring Gerald because she thinks she’s in love and thinks he’s better than anyone else but she doesn’t know what the Inspector does the reader have their suspicions about Gerald when Sheila says “…Except all last summer, when you never came near me…” The young girl Eva Smith had a stroke of luck and started working at a really posh clothes shop named Millwards, it really was a change from the factory and she thought her life was finally going right again but was suddenly fired, Eva Smith didn’t have a clue why but Sheila did.
