Explore how the theme of power is presented in 'An Inspector Calls'. How would an audience react to this presentation?
Explore how the theme of power is presented in ‘An Inspector Calls’. How would an audience react to this presentation?
In ‘An Inspector Calls’, power is presented in different ways and by different characters. Each character exudes or uses their power differently. These different methods of portrayal may shock the audience, and make them see certain characters in a different light.
At the start of the play, the first hint of power we see is through the appearance of Mr Birling when Priestly describes him at the start of the play. Mr Birling is described as a ‘thickly built’ man, which gives us a sense of power due to his size. The audience (only being able to see the actor playing Mr Birling) may respect Mr Birling due to his appearance, confidence and his position in society. However, as the play progresses, we see that Mr Birling is powerful also in terms of business, and the fact that he fired some women because they wanted a small raise may make the audience more on edge about Mr Birling, as they might feel he abused his power.
Another time we see power is when the Inspector enters. He seems to have control over the setting, as when he enters the lighting goes from an intimate pink to a ‘harsh, white light’. The light is similar to that of an interrogation light, which could signify the Inspector having power over all of the Birlings. The word ‘harsh’ could have negative connotations in that it might make a reader feel that the Inspector is dangerous. The audience may feel slightly intimidated by the sudden harsh change in lighting, and have a sense that the Inspector is more powerful than he lets the Birlings know.
After Mr Birling, the next character the Inspector questions is Sheila. Although Sheila is a young girl, she is of a high class, so she does therefore have some power. She too abuses her power and orders to have Eva Smith fired from her job when shopping because Sheila thought Eva was laughing at her. She says ‘If she was a pathetic looking
In ‘An Inspector Calls’, power is presented in different ways and by different characters. Each character exudes or uses their power differently. These different methods of portrayal may shock the audience, and make them see certain characters in a different light.
At the start of the play, the first hint of power we see is through the appearance of Mr Birling when Priestly describes him at the start of the play. Mr Birling is described as a ‘thickly built’ man, which gives us a sense of power due to his size. The audience (only being able to see the actor playing Mr Birling) may respect Mr Birling due to his appearance, confidence and his position in society. However, as the play progresses, we see that Mr Birling is powerful also in terms of business, and the fact that he fired some women because they wanted a small raise may make the audience more on edge about Mr Birling, as they might feel he abused his power.
Another time we see power is when the Inspector enters. He seems to have control over the setting, as when he enters the lighting goes from an intimate pink to a ‘harsh, white light’. The light is similar to that of an interrogation light, which could signify the Inspector having power over all of the Birlings. The word ‘harsh’ could have negative connotations in that it might make a reader feel that the Inspector is dangerous. The audience may feel slightly intimidated by the sudden harsh change in lighting, and have a sense that the Inspector is more powerful than he lets the Birlings know.
After Mr Birling, the next character the Inspector questions is Sheila. Although Sheila is a young girl, she is of a high class, so she does therefore have some power. She too abuses her power and orders to have Eva Smith fired from her job when shopping because Sheila thought Eva was laughing at her. She says ‘If she was a pathetic looking