Priestleys use of dramatic techniques to create tension in An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

Examine Priestleys use of dramatic techniques to create strain inthe play.Priestly was a socialist writer, and An Inspector Calls is i ofthe plays in which he tried to display his socialist ideals in. Theplay was written in the 1940s, a little after the fetch up of the SecondWorld War, and it was first performed in 1946, in Russia, then laterin England. Priestly had served in World War 1, and the terriblescenes he proverb lead to him having socialist views. He was inspired byother writers whose views he shared, especially George Orwell and H.G.Wells, both of whom references are made to in the opening pages of theplay.A consider of the tension in the play is between Birling and the Inspector,both of who are powerful figures in the household and are both vyingfor dominance, creating a lot of tension. This is symbolical of theglobal struggle between capitalism and socialism, the Inspectorrepresents Priestleys socialist views, and Birling, the antithesis ofthe Inspector represents c apitalist views, which is made clear throughhis speech the interests of Capital steadily change magnitude prosperity.When the Inspector is there, Birling is very fast to drop the blame onsomeone else, insisting I cant accept any responsibility which is a fat contrast of what the Inspector says, telling the family toshare the blame among yourselves when I have left This constantconflict, which is often at the heart of the dramatic genre itself,makes certain there is tension whenever the two characters are talking toeach other. This conflict is not the only one within the play. Ericalso takes the side of the Inspector, causing tension between him andhis father after the Inspector has left, this side is also taken bySheila, causing a split in the family, which can be seen by Isuppose were all nice people now. and Whats the use of talkingabout. Nobodys brought her to life, have they? Whereas Birling says,after the Inspector was found to be fake This makes a differenceyknow. In fact i t makes all the difference. Also the reference theInspector makes about Socialism being a lesson we have to learn Weare members of one body if men will not learn that lesson, then theywill be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. This is a referenceto the way Priestley thought process that Capitalism was the cause of FirstWorld War, which he himself served in, the fire and blood andanguish being a reference to events he witnessed while fighting onthe front line.