Priestley’s message is that everyone should be careful what they do because he thinks that everyone is connected so it could affect other people not just yourself. He thought that we are all part of one big community. I think Priestly tried to impart this message in 1945 because it was the end of World War Two and moral was very low in Britain. We as an audience are meant to listen to the Inspector rather than Birling because at the start of the book Birling proves that he is very arrogant and thinks he knows it all which he demonstrates when he says that ‘the titanic is unsinkable’.
This would give the impression you should listen to the Inspector as he makes a lot more sense and isn’t so much of an idiot. The Inspector wants to remind every character about their actions, ‘But each of you helped kill her. Remember that’. Priestly uses personal pronouns and short sentences so that what he says stays in your head. This allows you to remember them later and do something different in your life. The effect that these two sentences have on the characters is that it makes them extremely guilty for what they have done. Also it makes the Inspector feel like he is in charge.
The effect it has on the audience is that they are shocked because the Inspector is so upfront. In addition, it makes them scared because although he mans metaphorically it still has the same impact. Also, this would have affected the characters quite badly because the book was set in a very capitalist time so the lower class people would not have talked to upper class people like that. This sentence would make the play more memorable and that would have been very powerful at the time it was written because more people were going to see plays as it was too expensive to buy and print books because of the war.
The Inspector is an imposing character, ‘Taking charge masterfully’ These stage directions use an adverb to show that the Inspector is extremely good at it. This makes the characters stop and pay attention as it seems that he is now the master of the situation. The sudden change has a shock effect on the audience by using such a dramatic device. This is the point when Priestly should say his message as everyone is paying attention. This play needed to be memorable to be able to convey Priestley’s message, and this is an important message about change and how we should live our lives differently.
I think that this was quite successful because life did change after this play and I think it helped people become better. Mrs. Birling was Eva Smiths last hope, ‘You turned her away when she most needed help’ Here, Priestly uses personal pronouns so it is much more directed at Mrs. Birling. This should make her feel guilty but it doesn’t as all through the play she acts like she doesn’t care. As for the other characters, it makes them feel like they are not the only ones to blame.
At this point the audience would probably be on the Inspectors side as it seems that all the other characters are guilty of some crime or another. I think this is quite effective as it would have shocked the audience. The Inspector makes the audience think about the horrors of war, ‘… if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish. ‘ Priestly uses the power of three in this sentence, the effect that this would have on the audience is that it is very serious because he says pretty much the same thing three times, so it would have three times the effect.
To the audience this would have quite an impact as there was possibility of war at the time and this might have made them a little frightened as to what was to come. The Inspector wants us to feel part of a society, ‘We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. ‘ When Priestly uses personal pronouns, it makes the characters and the audience feels more involved in the pay and what is being said. This helps convey Priestly message of being part of one society.
