Explore the ways in which the opening of an inspector calls sets the :: English Literature

look for the ways in which the opening of an inspector calls sets thescene and prepares the audience for the autumn of the Birlings andGerald CroftI am going to start my essay by look at the way in which plays werewritten and what theatrical genres were ab pop in J.B Priestleys day,as this is likely to give an indication as to which genres influencedhim.In Priestleys day, there were four main genres that were performed atthe theatre, these include exciting musicals, Shakespeariantragedies, detective thrillers and serious drama like that of GeorgeBernard Shaw and T.S Eliot. I hark back that the detective thrillersinfluenced Priestley to write an inspector calls. Most detectivethrillers, in those days involved one body, six suspects and aninspector, they then try to find out who done it. These types of playsare called morality plays.J.B Priestley fought in World War I and had experienced life intrenches, which where hell, and was a victim of a torpedo attack. Thismight have been what formed his socialist view. He was not the preciselywriter to have socialist views after WWI there were others such asGeorge Bernard Shaw. Priestley must have realised that if we dontcare for to each one other and take responsibility for our actions there willbe more than wars, so he wrote the play to send across the message that wad they have to take responsibility for their actions.The class your family was in, in Edwardian multiplication was very importantand Priestley makes it obvious that this family is an upper classfamily from the very elaborated stage directions at the beginning of theplay. The Dining room of a fair large suburban house, belonging toa prosperous manufacturer. It has good inviolable furniture. From thisquote we can tell that Priestley wants the family to look well strikebecause he describes their house as fairly big, and calls Mr. Birlinga well-heeled manufacturer which means he is a wealthy person and thathe has a well established business. He a lso describes their furnitureas good and solid. People in them days could not normally knuckle under solidfurniture, so shows again this familys wealth.