An Inspector Calls - J. B. Priestley
This play is a very easy and also incredibly interesting and entertaining, certainly a play that will make you think, the genre of murder mystery is always one to keep you on your toes!
The narrative is focused around the Birling family and the morality behind decisions that they have made in their past, all revolving around one girl - Eva Smith. As the play continues you learn about the relationships between characters as well as the different personalities of the characters too. The play is set at the home of the Birlings where the family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald when a Detective Inspector arrives at the door after dinner regarding a woman called Eva Smith who’s bodie has been found dead after committing suicide by drinking strong disinfectant. The Inspector begins to poke and prod at the pasts of the characters - specifically decisions that they have made - making links and connections between characters and revealing some rather shocking and unexpected events…
The play often makes references to war and prosperity as it is seen to foreshadow the First World War as it is set in 1914 England, however the play was first performed in 1945. At the time of writing Priestley injected elements of foreshadowing and pathetic fallacy into the play as well as creating an atmosphere of dramatic irony due to the naive attitude that the characters have when speaking of peace, prosperity and a gleaming future, whereas the audience know the bitter truth to the actual future - i.e we know of impending war and the characters do not.
I was very fortunate in studying this play for GCSE English Literature and thoroughly enjoyed researching themes and delving deeper into this play in order to discover more and uncover hidden meanings.
This play was given a 7/10 because it’s an easy read that will have you on the edge of your seat as you learn more throughout, but also keeps you guessing as to what may happen next. The play isn’t very long and is perfect if you’re looking for some light reading to keep you entertained but also intrigued. It’s a real page turner that had me buzzing with excitement and kept in a state of awe and shock as it progresses. I definitely recommend this play as it is a very, very good and worthwhile read!
