Structure & Chronology

English Lit: AQA GCSE An Inspector Calls, topic 4.1.2

Structure - Tension and Drama

The structure of the play lets Priestley show the characters and audience events in ways that build tension and drama throughout the story.

Priestley uses Inspector Goole as a narrator who controls the release of information to the audience and characters in the play, and the order that the audience hear key details.
Inspector Goole knows everything before the characters even tell him. This creates tension as the audience wonders how Inspector Goole knew that a girl had died.
The audience also wonders how the family was involved before the death had actually happened.

As the characters learn details of the story and stop the flow by interrupting and arguing, we see their true natures. More tension is built up for the audience.

By presenting a group of characters who only know their own role in Eva Smith’s story (once they realise who she was), Priestley could create more drama and tension.
We see the characters’ reactions to one another’s stories, and their reactions to the very idea of someone from a lower social class interrogating them.

The play is structured in 3 acts:

We meet the Birlings in their rose-tinted world.
The Inspector enters and shatters the illusion (misleading image) because we learn about Mr Birling and Sheila’s involvement in Eva’s death.
As the act ends, we learn that Gerald knew Eva as well. We see a huge argument between the newly-engaged couple.

The act opens with Gerald being uncertain and upset.
But Priestley leaves Gerald and moves to Mrs Birling, who argues with him and tries to stop the investigation.
Goole moves back to Gerald, who reveals his part in the story.
Then, we move to Mrs Birling’s role. She ends up telling Goole to punish whoever got Eva pregnant.
Just as Mrs Birling figures out it was her own son, the act ends.

Eric enters and reveals his part in the story.
Mrs Birling tries to withdraw her statements from before.
The Inspector tells them that they all killed Eva Smith and tells them to be less selfish. Then he leaves.
The family find that the story is false. The audience see the true impact of Inspector Goole – three of the main characters have learnt nothing.
Just as they are showing their joy at this, a real Inspector calls and says he needs to interview them all.