AN INSPECTOR CALLS
Context
Priestley
o Escaped death in WW1
o Controversial and groundbreaking writer
o Too critical of gov.
o “The open wound, never to be healed, of my generation’s fate, the best sorted out and
then slaughtered, not by hard necessity but by huge, murderous public folly.”
o Concerned of social inequality
o Believed wars could be avoided through cooperation and mutual respect
1945 vs. 1912
o People recovering from war vs. optimistic views of no war
o Class distinctions vastly reduced vs. strong class distinctions
o Women had a place in society vs. subservient and cheap labor
o Great desire for social change vs. no need to change status quo
o Represented an era different from when he was writing
All 3 acts end in climax
Set – “General effect is a substantial and heavily comfortable but not cozy and homelike.”
“The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be
brighter and harder.”
FORM AND STRUCTURE OF AIC
WELL-MADE PLAY
Plot enables action to flow smoothly + all parts fit neatly together
4 main elements:
o Strong main plot – events linked by cause + effect + minor reversals of fortune =
suspense
o Revelation – creates plot twists/climaxes
o Backstory – many events take place before drama begins
o Denouement after peripeteia (climatic reversal of fortune) – conflict resolved + return to
normality
THE 3 UNITIES
Action – one smooth main plot
Time – action takes place real time
Place – entirety in one location
WHODUNIT
Very popular in 20s-50s
Complex, plot-driven detective story
Tension, revelations, changes of mood
Context
Priestley
o Escaped death in WW1
o Controversial and groundbreaking writer
o Too critical of gov.
o “The open wound, never to be healed, of my generation’s fate, the best sorted out and
then slaughtered, not by hard necessity but by huge, murderous public folly.”
o Concerned of social inequality
o Believed wars could be avoided through cooperation and mutual respect
1945 vs. 1912
o People recovering from war vs. optimistic views of no war
o Class distinctions vastly reduced vs. strong class distinctions
o Women had a place in society vs. subservient and cheap labor
o Great desire for social change vs. no need to change status quo
o Represented an era different from when he was writing
All 3 acts end in climax
Set – “General effect is a substantial and heavily comfortable but not cozy and homelike.”
“The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be
brighter and harder.”
FORM AND STRUCTURE OF AIC
WELL-MADE PLAY
Plot enables action to flow smoothly + all parts fit neatly together
4 main elements:
o Strong main plot – events linked by cause + effect + minor reversals of fortune =
suspense
o Revelation – creates plot twists/climaxes
o Backstory – many events take place before drama begins
o Denouement after peripeteia (climatic reversal of fortune) – conflict resolved + return to
normality
THE 3 UNITIES
Action – one smooth main plot
Time – action takes place real time
Place – entirety in one location
WHODUNIT
Very popular in 20s-50s
Complex, plot-driven detective story
Tension, revelations, changes of mood
