The Writers Techniques Flashcards
What does Priestly want to show by setting the play in just one room?
1) to make the atmosphere seem more claustrophobic and intense
2) it also emphasise the Birlings private and self centred nature
What are the warnings signs at the beginning of the play?
1) the family are failing apart as their secrets are revealed
2) Shelia it supposed to act ‘half serious and half playful’, while Eric is supposed to act drunk but not too drunk= which shows something isn’t quite right
Why does the play only take place in one room?
it suggests that the characters are closed minded and have closed themselves off from the rest of the world
How does Priestly use the Inspector to create tension?
he releases information slowly to keep the characters on their toes
Why are entrances and exits important?
1) When people exit it can show that they are trying to escape the intense atmosphere and are running away from their stories
2) the inspector uses exits to draw information out of the characters
How does Priestly create tension in the beginnings and endings of each act?
1) by using cliffhangers
2) repeats the question at the end of each act, at the beginning of the next one
What does the Birling’s language reveal about them?
They use words that were popular with the middle and upper class in the 1912- so it reveals their position in society
What does Mr Birling’s language reveal about him?
that he see the world as a businessmen -
and when he realises that the Inspector was a hoax he uses language which could also suggest that he isn’t honest
How does the Inspector use language?
1) speaks his mind
2) plain an direct language
3) uses silence to scare people
What does Shelia’s language reveal about him?
At the start of the play she shes childish language, but by the end of the play shes confident and assertive and starts to use language similar to the inspector by using plain English.
She disagrees with her parents
How does Priestly use dramatic irony?
To influence the audience, by setting it in 1912 he knows that the audience will know that lots of things that Mr Birling dismisses comes true.
What do the Birling’s use euphemisms for?
To hide what they mean eg to avoid saying something unpleasant by using more vague language
Why doesn’t the Inspector use euphemisms?
to make his language more direct, to show the truth
Why does Priestley use imagery?
To distress the audience by using graphic details to shock them
