At the end of act two, Priestley uses several techniques in order to make the scene dramatically effective. The carefully written script creates an atmosphere of suspense and tension. The techniques Priestly uses in the script are irony and the dismantling of the false sense of security amongst the characters and consequently the audience.
Originally the characters feel secure because they feel that Eva’s death had nothing to do with them. In particular Mr and Mrs Birling’ s nature is one in which they only believe what they want to, rather than looking at the facts, ” I don’t believe it. I wont.” However as the act continues, as Sheila has previously predicted, the inspector is ‘breaking down the walls’ that Mrs Birling has set up between her and Eva. This breaking down of the walls, the dismantling of the false sense of security adds to the dramatic tension of the scene.
In dismantling the sense of security, Priestly uses irony. These ironic situations make it more dramatic by creating possibilities of suspense. For example Mrs Birling says, “drunken young idler” when referring to the father of eva’s unborn child. The irony is that she does not know that she is accusing her own son and therefore, very quick to pass the blame to somebody she does not know. She states that he is “entirely responsible…should be make an example of… dealt with very severely”. It is hypocritical of her to say this for it is obvious that if she knew that it is her own son she is criticising her view would be completely different.
The Essay on Mrs Birling Eva Audience Father
am and Eve, representing the first and only woman, so she represents the entire female sex. Smith is a common name; therefore she belongs to the lower classes. Eva is the key of the play, the topic of conversation and the reason for the investigation. Most importantly, she is used to evoke emotion from the audience and characters. She binds everything and everyone together. Be than Hull 10. 8 ...
The inspector give Mrs Birling a chance to change her views, by summarising her speech, “No hushing up, eh?” Mrs Birling persists in her blind pompous attitude. I think this same attitude is used not just in this case but in her daily life and is shown to the audience in her behavior toward Eva. It is ironic that Mrs Birling’s blindness is not only contributing to Eva’s death, but is also unknown to her condemning her son. I think that gradually the audience becomes aware of the ironies in the situation, thus making the atmosphere more suspenseful and dramatic.
The use of stage directions plays an important part in helping the script become more dramatic. By putting adverbs such as “Triumphantly” and “agitated” the Readers are able to see and understand the way in which the line should be said, and outlines the type of emotion the character is feeling as they say it. These emotions are brought to life (from page to stage) and thus making the atmosphere more realistic and dramatic.
At end of the scene the inspector holds up his hand, by this small slow movement he has such a large change in the character reactions. They all stop. Silence. This takes the tension to its breaking point, for it contrasts dramatically with the up to then busy emotional outbursts of everybody. Then the only sound herd is the opening of the front door and Eric entering. All the tension and anticipation is shifted to him as he “meets their inquiring stares. Then the curtain falls quickly. Notice that the curtain falls quickly thus ends the scene at the breaking point having a larger, more dramatic impact on the audience.
To conclude, priestly gradual unraveling of the sense of security by using irony, the way in which he directs the characters and the suspenseful way in which he ends the scene, in my opinion is what makes the end of act two dramatically effective.
