An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

Drama An Inspector Calls- Task One-----------------------------------Written in 1946, An Inspector Calls takes us into the comfortableand complacent manhood of the Birling family who are disturbed during acelebration by the arrival of a mysterious police inspector. A younggirl has committed self-annihilation and it is revealed how all members of onefamily contributed to it. An Inspector Calls resorts to the rippingoff of masks that we human beings frequently wear, with the Inspectorrelentlessly pursuing the truth. Just when the audience is tiring ofdiscoveries, the whole achieve is given a violent twist and everyone iscaught up in the unfolding events. When each member of the Birlingfamily find out that they contributed to the death of Eva Smith, theyreact in very different ways and learn different things from theexperience.Mr Birling is an arrogant and recognisable capitalist. He is highlyconceited, and believes that whatever he says is true, for exampleThe Germans dont want fig ht and Russia will always bebehindhand. We know that these statements are incorrect because ofthe war between Germany and England and Stalins process on Russia.However, Mr Birling searchs oblivious to the warning signs of suchserious matters. Or he just decides to blank out all the bad aspectsof life, which do not concern him directly. When the Inspectorarrives, Mr Birling tries to use his influence as a highly placedlocal to put down and demoralise the Inspector. This attempt isimmediately dismissed as the Inspector does not seem to be interestedin Mr Birlings influence. To try to furnish his importance Mr Birlingremarks that he was an alderman for years- lord mayor two yearsagois still on the bench. However, the Inspector does not take anynotice of this and continues with the investigation. As Mr Birlingtells his part of his involvement in Evas death, he manages to tellit in a way that makes him seem fair and kind to his workers. However,this is just a cover for his conscience and the Inspector and theaudience can see this. In reality, he is greedy. either penny in hispocket counts, and he tries to makes it seem that he feels that hisworkers deserve no more than the national average pay, if that. Nearerthe end of the play, he begins to show remorse, although this remorseis directed more toward the fact that he may not get his knighthoodbecause of the scandal, instead of feeling remorse at his actions inthe situation. This is shown quite substantially when he says But I care. Iwas almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List.