The play An Inspector Calls by J.

B Priestly is a mystery drama

and is set in 1912, before the Great War. Priestly imposes his views
through Inspector Goole, who acts as the authorial voice. In act two,
both Shelia and Mrs Birling respond to the inspector in different
manners. This passage is of the beginning of act two and follows
Geralds confession but is before Shelias confession in act one.
Priestly conveys Shelias responses to the Inspector as nave and
superior.
Shelias responses to the Inspector are presented as virtuous
through her educated responses. The stage direction closer to him
shows the evidence that Shelia is taking sides with the Inspector and
alludes to the idea that Shelias response to the Inspector will be
more so of what the inspector expecting to hear. The stage direction
may also show that morally, Shelia is beginning to understand the
inspectors stance on sharing something such as the responsibility
and the truth. This may also link to further in the play in act 3, when
the inspector leaves the house and Shelia and Eric are left to explain
the moral stand point of the situation. The use of the fragmented
sentence No, mother- please, further reinforces this idea as it
shows that Sheila is both virtuous and educated, which she is trying
to pass on to Mrs Birling, but is unable to as she is metaphorically
blind. The pleading tone of please highlights this but is contrasted
by Mrs Birlings stage direction affecting great surprise, which
demonstrates Mrs Birlings reluctances to change perhaps. Priestly is
suggesting to his 1940s audience that if the upper class do not
reform, Britain as a country will be unable to move ahead as the
upper class not changing, results in the actual working class of
Britain not changing, thus no progress being made. This is
reinforced when the inspector mentions the simple sentence
Theyre more impressionable, which shows the audience the way in
which Sheilas character is virtuous as the inspector recognises that
he has changed and influenced Sheilas way of thinking and thus
her responses. This is reinforced by his tone when he replies which
is coolly, further reinforcing his confidence. Sheilas stage direction
urgently cutting in suggests that she wants to know the truth and
does not want her mother to hinder this in anyway. This could lead
to act one where Sheila was oblivious to the truth and called Mrs
Birling mummy, reinforcing the way in which the inspector has
changed her way of thinking about the world, and now wants the

truth. This is the way in which Sheila responds in an educated way,

making her seem virtuous.
Priestley then goes to convey Mrs Birlings response to the
inspector as nave and superior in act two. The stage directions
enters, briskly and self-confidently and annoyed, to describe the
manner in which the upper class are comfortable with their status
but feel uneasy when their position in society is challenged or
threatened. Mrs Birlings attitude of annoyed, also reflects the way
she feels about the inspector. The juxtaposition between selfconfident and annoyed, further highlights the way in which the
questioning of the inspector creates tension within the upper class
but also the audience. Perhaps Priestley is suggesting to his
audience that the upper class stand point should be challenged in
order for the responsibility to be passed on to the upper-middle
class, such the Birlings, as their lack of responsibility for the lower
class creates detrimental effects on the future of Britain. Mrs
Birlings frustrated attitude towards the inspector is discharged
through her demeanour towards Sheila, such as the dialogue; ought
to go to bed and morbid curiosity, which tries to dismiss Sheilas
ideas about the truth. Priestley maybe trying to suggest to his
audience that the lack of responsibility shown by the upper class on
the lower class is compensated by the over attached sense of
responsibility that they have towards their fully grown children. This
irony can also be seen further on in the play, towards the end of act
three, when Sheila and Eric are dismissed by both Mr and Mrs
Birling, which does not happen due to their experience. As Mrs
Birling responds to the inspector, the stage directions; haughtily
and short hysterical laugh, are done through Mrs Birlings
character, which shows her inability to cope with the truth, and
therefore tries to revert back to her ignorant upper class security.
Priestley may also be trying to suggest that this sheltered life lived
by the upper class is what will eventually lead them to their demise.
This is the ways in which Priestley conveys Mrs Birlings responses
as superior yet nave, to the inspector.
Priestley vividly portrays Sheilas response to the inspector as
educated yet virtuous in the way in which she reacts to the
Inspectors dialogues. Priestley also illustrates Mrs Birlings response
as nave and superior to the inspector. Perhaps Priestley is
suggesting to his audience that if the upper class does not make
reforms to their capitalist opinions on life, it could cause the down

fall of the entire class and that ending the capitalist mind set with
accepting the idea of shared responsibility.