In what important respects is it different?

'An Inspector Calls' by JB Priestley is like a conventional detective story or 'whodunit' in many ways.

All detective stories and 'whodunits' always contain stock characters. The stock characters in An Inspector Calls are Mrs. Birling, the stubborn type who never accepts the truth. There Eric, the quiet shy type who lacks confidence and is easily intimidated. There's also Mr. Birling who is a hard headed business man who only thinks about money and his self.

A 'whodunit' also consists of dramatic devices. A dramatic device is when something happens in the play which is unexpected and happens when a character is vunerable. For example on page 9 Eric says 'yes i remember(checks himself)'. This is a dramatic device because it gives the audience the impression that Eric knows something about the girl that has just died or suggests that he holds an important secret. Another use of dramatic device was when

I thought 'An Inspector Calls' was an exiciting and eventful play. I liked the way the Inspector slowly introduced the characters involvement.

the Inspector showed Mr. Birling a photograph but would not let anyone else see. This is daramtic because it immediately gets the audience thinking that Gerald and Eric may also be involved.

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