CHARACTERIZATION – How a relationship changes during the story

I chose the relationship between Sheila and Gerald. I think the relationship between these two characters is the one that changes the most during the story. At the beginning, they are celebrating their engagement to each other and they both seem to be in love with each other. What the reader finds out later is that Gerald knew that he had cheated on Sheila, and as Sheila finds out that he had been doing this and that he had lied to her for quite a long time, she just wants to know the reasons for his behaviour. I think at the end of the story, Sheila is fine with these facts because she can understand Gerald. And I also think that it is only natural that she isn’t any longer in love with a guy who cheated on her.

(147 words)

REFLECTION – Advertisement for “An Inspector Calls”

“An Inspector Calls”, the brand-new book by Mr. J. B. Priestley, is probably the best book I’ve ever read in my whole life. If you like drama and excitement told in an easy but still interesting language, then this is the book you MUST read. In this story, even if you think that you know everything because so many things have already happened, the ending will change your whole mind and you will probably need some time to understand the whole situation. The author has created very authentic characters and a great story where they all fit in perfectly. The story itself may seem brutal to some people, but at the same time it is very realistic and the situation in which these rich people find themselves could concern any family or group of persons in the world. And that’s what makes it so good.

(151 words)

PREDICTION – How inspector Goole is going to change

I’m at the end of Act II now, and to be honest: I couldn’t and can’t understand how inspector Goole could keep that calm during the whole happening. I mean, there are a lot of patient people, and when you’re in the house of somebody else talking about a suicide of a girl, you probably try a bit harder to keep calm than in other situations.

But I think that even the most patient person in this world would freak if he or she had to talk to a family like the Birming family. So, my prediction for the change of inspector Goole’s personality is that he finally freaks out and stops being such a patient and polite person, even if he’s at someone else’s home. And if he doesn’t freak out totally, I think that he will probably just leave the house without any word.

(154 words)

ANALYSIS – Style of writing

I don’t really like the style of writing that the author uses in this book. The only thing I do like about his style of writing is that the reader always knows who is talking and in which way they say the things they say. But I personally prefer narrative authors, just because of the fact that when someone tells me a story, I can find out more about the whole situation that this story takes place in.

But I also think that it is probably easier to read a book like “An Inspector Calls” than a narrative story that is written in a very complex language. Even if I can’t speak or understand English perfectly, I think that the words and the language in “An Inspector Calls” are kept simple and easy to understand.

But, however, this is only my point ow view.

(148 words)

ANALYSIS – Words I didn’t understand

One of the words I didn’t understand was “port”, for example when Mr. Birling says: “Giving us the port, Edna?” right at the beginning of the book. At first, I tried to translate the word, but the words I got from the translator didn’t make any sense in this situation. Later I found out that “port” is a special kind of wine.

I also learned what “dropping a hint to someone” means. With the help of the dictionary I found out that this means to give someone some kind of a tip.

Before reading this book I also didn’t know what “agony” means. I learned that “agony” has different meanings, there’s for example “mortal agony”, but it can also mean something like sorrow or torment, so in general, I would say that “agony” is a word with a very negative meaning.

(146 words)

EMPATHY – How I would feel

At the point where Sheila finds out that Gerald knew Eva Smith / Daisy Renton, I can totally understand that she wants to know how he got to know her and what exactly happened between them. If I found out that my girlfriend was meeting another guy while telling me that she is “too busy to meet me”, I wouldn’t react otherwise.

On the other side, I can also understand that Gerald doesn’t want to tell the story in front of Sheila, because he probably knows that she will be disappointed, no matter what he says. But I think it’s a bit rude to tell someone to go to another room while he or she is at his or her own house.

I personally can’t really relate to this situation because I never was in a situation like this one, but I think that both, Gerald and Sheila, acted quite naturally.

(156 words)

CHARACTERIZATION – Mr. Birling

I think Mr. Birling is a quite aggressive person. The way he talks to the inspector seems a bit offensive to me. And I also think that he’s a bit disrespectful. The way he talks to everyone else shows that he thinks that he is the most important person in the world, just because he’s got his business.

He seems to know a lot about business things and wants to teach the younger generation of his family about the way they must live their lifes. Some things he tells them may be true, but I think he’s a bit too self-important, because he is always talking and almost never listening. On the other side, he is a good business man. But also in business things, he seems to look after himself first before anyone else.

I personally don’t like him very much.

(145 words)

RECOUNT – What has happened in the book until now (end of Act II)?

At the beginning of the story, the Birling family is celebrating the engagement of Sheila, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Birling, to Gerald Croft. Then, the doorbell rings and Inspector Goole enters the dining room of the Birling family. He tells them the story of a young girl called Eva Smith who decided to commit suicide. She died just two hours ago because she swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. None of the members of the family seems to know her until the Inspector tells them how they met her in the past and shows them a photo of her. As he tells them more and more about the story of the girl, the reader finds out what happened to Eva because of what the members of the Birling family and Gerald did to her before she decided to kill herself.

(155 words)