an inspector calls
...mbre and ominous when the characters hear of how a girl swallowed disinfectant, which ‘burnt her inside out’. The mood became slightly threatening and ominous, when the Inspector began to talk of Birling’s involvement with her death. ‘I’d like some information, if you don’t mind, Mr.Birling’, ‘Because what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards’, suggestive comments and requests such as these, drop a more sinister note to the scene and successfully create further tension for the audience. Like the mood of the scene, Priestley’s stage directions should be looked at when analysing dramatic tension in this scene also. They give more information about a particular frame, for example, ‘Birling stares hard, and with recognition , at the photograph’. This set of directions give you a better idea as to Mr.Birling’s reaction towards recognising the photograph, as well as his thoughts and feelings about it. His recognition of the girl who he pretended not to know, is shown in the actors facial expression, which adds dramatic tension to the scene, with out a word having to be spoken. The second scene I have chosen to analyse starts from page 42 – 49. This is the scene where Mrs.Birling is questioned about Eva Smith, and where she unknowingly condemns Eric for being the father to Smith’s child. As with the scene above, I feel that Priestly was successful in creating dramatic tension in this scene also. Priestly achieves dramatic tension in this scene; by using it’s structure. By having Eric leave this scene, so he can ‘cool off’ with him being in ‘one of his excitable queer moods’, Priestly allows some new aspect of the plot to be introduced. Eric’s absence allows his involvement with Eva Smith / Daisy Renton to be explored in a way that it could not be if he were present. For example, comments that Mrs.Birling past; such as, ‘As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money’, and ‘She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position’ would not have been past if Eric had been present, as he would have prevented his mother from saying such things. Though without these comments, we would not fully understand the true nature of Mrs.Birling’s prejudices toward social status and the lower classes, therefore the tension created because of them would not exist. By leaving Eric out of the scene, the audience have some knowledge of what is to come when Eric re enters. By Mr.Birling emphasising the fact the Eric has left the scene, ‘It must have been Eric we heard go out then’, and Sheila telling her mother to ‘stop – stop!’, the audience know of how Eric was involved with Eva Smith, without it having to be stated by one of the characters. This allows tension to build up because the audience know the outcome of this round of questioning by the inspector, but still want to know how much longer Mrs.Birling will keep condemning and worsening her son’s situation without knowing it. Though it may seem more obvious than the structure of the scene, the storyline and plot in the scene are an important way in which Priestly creates dramatic tension. A storyline concerning, death, pregnancy and an unknown father is bound to create tension in itself. The audience will be intrigued with this storyline, but also tense and nervous, as they have a premonition of who the father might be, ‘you’re not trying to tell us that – that my boy – is mixed up in this -?’ Despite it already being mentioned; Priestly builds up dramatic tension by using the characters, and their prejudices. In this scene he uses Mrs.Birling; we see her strong sense of how people in different classes should behave and her dislike of Eva Smith’s manner. This echoes strongly Mr.Birling’s attitude when he said ‘She’d a lot to say – far too much – so she had to go’ and Sheila’s anger because the girl had been ‘very impertinent’. These prejudices held by Mrs.Birling work against her in this scene, because in her search to justify her actions, her convictions make the whole situation worse for her son, and set a trap that ensnares both her and Eric but creates tension for the audience. Another way in which Priestly is successful in creating dramatic tension in this scene is by using the relationships between characters. The relationship that exists between Mr and Mrs.Birling and the Inspector highlights the hostility that is shown toward the inspector because of his social status, and because of the threat he poses to the family’s respectability and position in society. ‘Is there any reason why my wife should answer questions from you, Inspector?’, ‘If you think you can bring any pressure to bare upon me, Inspector, you’re quite mistaken.’ The use of the relationship between the Mr and Mrs.Birling and their children is also important in this scene. Because of the ignorance that Mrs.Birling shows towards her son, and his wrongdoings, e.g. his drinking, and the politeness and well behavedness she expects, when she discovers her son’s mistakes and wrongdoings, more dramatic tension is created because of her reaction toward this new information. Through the inspector, Priestly reveals Eric’s involvement with Eva Smith. As already stated, Priestly uses Mrs. Birling’s ignorance of her son and lures her into condemning him, with out knowing it. ‘He is the chief culprit certainly, and should be dealt with severely.’ The audience realise what Mrs. Birling is doing, and this adds to the tension. As with the relationships between characters, the use of the key themes and main ideas of the play, helped to create dramatic tension. In this scene the themes of responsibility and morality, or lack of them are used. Mrs.Birling is unable to accept responsibility for what she has done, ‘ Unlike the other three, I did nothing I’m ashamed of or that won’t bear investigation.’ With her inability to...