Writer’s Methods and Techniques
‘Methods’ is an umbrella term for anything the writer does on purpose to create meaning. Using the writer’s name in your response will help you to think about the test as a conscious construct and will keep reminding you that Priestley purposely put the play together.
Dramatic Methods
There are a number of dramatic methods used in An Inspector Calls:
Exam Tip
Remember that the people in the text are conscious constructs, and so are the places being described, and the objects mentioned. Try to learn to notice deliberate things Priestley has done to communicate his ideas.
As you read the play, try to consider: ‘why this, now’? For instance, Arthur Birling and Gerald are the first to speak in the play. Priestley may have chosen to have these two characters speak first in order to demonstrate the patriarchal society in which the play is set. This links to ideas about gender, equality and women’s rights.