ABSTRACT
The arrival of the inspector at the Birling household near the beginning of Act One interrupts the dinner being held to celebrate an engagement. The inspector’s persistent questioning as the play develops disturbs the surface order and stability of the family depicted in the initial scene and challenges their sense of moral duty and responsibility. An Inspector Calls's development centres on the shift of perspective which reveals the truth about the family: their involvement in the particular events of the girl’s life and the underlying morality and ideology which determine their actions. An alternative perspective is revealed to the audience and, to some degree, to the characters themselves as the truth is uncovered. The process of providing an alternative perspective on events can be seen both as a specific approach to drama and as a function of art and drama as a whole.
