An Inspector calls
I am currently studying a play called 'An Inspector Calls' by J.B. Priestley. Basically, this play is about a suicide in which a whole family, the Birlings, are implicated. The play is set in the home of a middle class family, on a spring evening of 1912. This play contains an important message for today's society. I have chosen to examine two dissimilar characters, Sheila Birling and Mr Birling, who are father and daughter. I find their differing personalities highly interesting and they clearly show the contracting attitudes between generations. The Birling family are celebrating their daughter Sheila's engagement to a man called Gerald Croft when Inspector Goole calls. A young girl drank a bottle of disinfectant and died. It is thought that at sometime or another each of the family members knew her and contributed to her death. The other characters in the play are Mrs Birling, Eric Birling, their son and Edna, their maid. The Inspector questions them individually and shows them all a photograph. They all recognise in the photograph for different reasons. After the Inspector has left the family discover that he is not actually a real Inspector. Sheila Birling is in her early twenties and thinks that life
At the end of the play, when we learn about the fake Inspector, Sheila, along with Eric are the only ones to have true regret and shame for their actions, even if they didn't result in a death. Sheila says this with sincerity and honesty. Sheila has learnt her lesson from the Inspector's visit, whereas Mr Birling has not and isn't even willing to consider it. For your own sake as well as ours, you mustn't' (page 30). 'You'll hear some people say war is inevitable. The older generation are very narrow-minded. He also mentions the sailing of the Titanic, unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable' (page 7)'. She is still ashamed of her actions and doesn't think she has gotten away with anything. For instance 'I ought to warn you that he's an old friend of mine, and that I see him fairly frequently' (page 16). On the whole it is hard to believe that Mr Birling and Sheila are related as their attitudes and general behaviour are just so contrasting. And to that I say - fiddlesticks!' (page 6). Sheila doesn't what her Mother to say something she will regret. She asked the Inspector, concerned about the girl's death.
Common topics in this essay:
World War,
Birling Sheila,
Department Store,
Eva Smith,
Sheila Gerald,
Priestley Basically,
Sheila Birling,
Birling Gerald,
Eric Birling,
Birling Birling,
page 71,
birling sheila,
page 71 birling,
eva smith,
71 birling,
consequences actions,
page 30,
sheila's attitude,
sheila eric,
play set,
reaction inspector,
page 71 sheila,
|
Acceptance Essays
