The Inspector's Arrival and Setting
J.B. Priestley's "An Inspector Calls" opens with the dramatic entrance of Inspector Goole, interrupting the Birling family's celebratory dinner. The play's setting is crucial to understanding its themes and characters.
Highlight: The Inspector's arrival is marked by the "ring of a doorbell," creating tension and anticipation.
The single location of the Birling's dining room serves as a microcosm of society, with the lighting becoming "brighter and harder" upon the Inspector's arrival, symbolizing the harsh scrutiny about to be placed on the family's actions.
Quote: "The Titanic... unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable."
This quote from Mr. Birling demonstrates dramatic irony, foreshadowing the family's impending downfall and highlighting their misplaced confidence.
The Inspector is presented as more of a moral force than a typical character, with limited biographical details. His role is to link everyone together and relentlessly pursue the wrongs committed by the Birlings.
Definition: Allegorical drama - A play in which characters personify moral qualities or abstract concepts to teach moral lessons.
"An Inspector Calls" can be seen as an allegorical drama, with characters representing various moral qualities and the seven deadly sins. The play's structure allows the audience to reflect on its main message of shared responsibility.
