J.B. Priestly

             Priestly was a great writer as well as a man who actively took part in politics. He tried to put forward his political views across to the public through his works. His pre - World War I play "An Inspector Calls" is not only a well staged play but has successfully been able to educate and change public views in many aspects of politics. The play's progression is from sheer ignorance to that of knowledge, not only for the audience but also for the characters themselves.
             "An Inspector Calls" is based before World War I and the Russia Revolution. J.B. Priestly carefully observes the setting and unites the time, place and action in his structure. The time span of the play performance corresponds more or less with the actual time the events presented would take to unfold in real life. The set - the Birling's dining room - is constant throughout, keeping the plot as simple as possible. The action and dialogue all contribute to the central theme of the play, with nothing extra in between to distract the audience's attention. This has kept the audience focused on the plot proving it to be dramatically successful. Also, this helps the audience catch any political message that may be given. .
             The fact that the style of the play at first glance, seems to be that of a detective thriller, also keeps the audience attentive. After the natures of the members of the Birling family and Gerald Croft have been established, the "mysterious" inspector arrives with the news of the suicide of a girl named Eva Smith. The audience's interest is sustained not only by the surprise involvement of each of the characters but also to find out "who" ultimately drove Eva to her suicide. Through this strategy, the play is dramatically successful and the audience is made ready to imbibe any political knowledge.
             The curtains rise to reveal the Birling family celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft.