Dramatic Devices in A J.B.Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

Dramatic Devices in An Inspector Calls Essay This book â€Å"The Inspector calls† is a gripping drama written by J.B Priesly, it deals with the many problems in the world from famine, how minorities were treated and the underclass people. It also shows Priesly’s view on the homeless and the poor. He served in the first world war and believed that the world should of learned from it’s mistakes but as it turns out it did not and that angered him. So after the Second World War he wrote the book â€Å"Inspector calls†. This book uses the device of dramatic irany to portray his characters as not so clever and somewhat fools. It also has a lot of twist’s and turns and cliff hangers. The reason this book is successful good on stage is that Priesly has a good use of mystery and suspense in the book. Priesly uses the convention of a detective genre very well and also uses the whodunit element. All the family members in there own way are responsible for the death of Eva Smith. For example Sheila got her fired from the only good job that she could keep just because the hat looked better on her and she thought that she was laughing at her. There was also Mr Birling who fired her because she was one of the ringleaders that started a strike for higher wages. Eric used her for just a good time, as did Gerald. Eric however got her pregnant and offered her money but she refused. When Eva Smith whent to the charity that Mrs Birlin worked at Eva Smith used the name Mrs Birlin which greatly angered the real Mrs Birlin who used her influence to not give money to Eva Smith. The play also uses dramatic irany well. For example when Mrs Birlin said â€Å"The father should be responsible for the baby† or when Mr Birlin says â€Å"The Titanic†¦.. absolutely unsinkable†. Priesly uses dramatic irany to make the readers or the audience laugh and portray the characters as dim witted. Some more of the devices that made the play successful on stage are the cliff hangers at the end of the scenes or the acts are successful and entertaining. Some of the better cliff hangers that seemed good are when at the end of the scene the Inspector is telling everyone that they indeed had some part to play in the death of Eva Smith. The reason it’s so effective is that it’s a clever cliff hanger that seems to keep people hooked on what the family members have to do with the