An inspector calls
Level
Level
1
Mark
AO1 Demonstrate a close knowledge and understanding of texts,
maintaining a critical style and presenting an informed personal
engagement. (15 marks)
AO2 Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create
meanings and effects. (15 marks)
0
No rewardable material.
1-6
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Level
2
7-12
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Level
3
13-18
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Level
4
19-24
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Level
5
25-30
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Limited knowledge and understanding of the text.
The response is simple with little evidence of personal engagement
or critical style.
Minimal identification of language, form and structure.
Limited use of relevant examples in support.
Some knowledge and understanding of the text.
The response may be largely narrative with some evidence of
personal engagement or critical style.
Some comment on the language, form and structure.
Some use of relevant examples in support.
Sound knowledge and understanding of the text.
The response shows relevant personal engagement and an
appropriate critical style.
Sound understanding of language, form and structure.
Use of clearly relevant examples in support.
Thorough knowledge and understanding of the text.
The response shows thorough personal engagement and a
sustained critical style.
Sustained analysis of language, form and structure.
Use of fully relevant examples in support.
Assured knowledge and understanding of the text.
The response shows assured personal engagement and a
perceptive critical style.
Cohesive evaluation of language, form and structure.
Discriminating use of relevant examples in support.
How accurate are their points of analysis?
How perceptive and original are their points of analysis?
How close is their analysis?
How well have they developed analysis of how the devices create effects?
How detailed is their analysis?
An inspector calls
Fully address the question asked
Clearly structure your essay with topic
sentences and PE(T)AL
Make sure every sentence makes complete sense
Expand upon/ explain points in more detail
Support all points with quotations / evidence – DO
Focus on the connotations of key images/
NOT make unsupported generalizations.
words
Try to select more effective quotations
Analyse how specific effects are created.
Avoid paraphrasing.
Make sure your interpretations of language and
Look at the effect of structure/ form
meaning are entirely accurate
Use technical vocabulary / identify literary devices
Try to look at layers of meaning / alternative
and refer to the writer’s intentions in using each
interpretations
device
Make sure your essay has a clear structure and
Explore the effect of stage directions
that your argument can be followed.
-Language you can analyse
-dramatic techniques you can analyse (e.g. stage directions and dramatic irony)
-Interesting inferences you can make, potentially more than one interpretation?
-Think about how the character supports the overall message of the play?
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Show a thorough & sophisticated understanding of the whole text (in particular its
themes, characters, and key plot points) by using quotes from across the play
Engage the audience with critical analysis
Use form language, form and structure in the answer
Use quotes (examples) to support the point
An inspector calls
Success criteria:
Show me where you have:
made at least two different comments about each quotation
your analysis link back and help answer the question
You have analysed the choice of stage directions
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The start and end of your paragraphs clearly link back to the key word(s) in the question
Good quotes (short and embedded, with language in them that you can analyse)
dramatic techniques you can analyse (e.g. stage directions; dramatic irony)
Interesting inferences & interpretations, potentially more than one interpretation?
Think about how the character supports the overall message, themes & context of the play.
Exam format
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You will receive a choice of two questions and you must answer one.
Typically, there will be one question on a character and one on a theme.
You may be given a quotation from the play which you must refer to in your response.
You should spend 45 minutes on this question.
It is an open book question so you do not need to revise quotations.
Although you will have a clean copy of the play, you do not want to waste time in the
exam looking for quotations – Make sure you know which pages key quotations are on,
and, if you know the quotations, that is even better – it saves time.
You do not need to explicitly comment on context though you may need to comment on
Priestley’s socialist views in order to discuss his intentions and the effect on the
audience ; DOES NOT ask for context (although you do need to know a little about
socialism, capitalism, Priestley’s own views, social class and the concept of collective
responsibility).
It is worth 30 marks.
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You MUST present a clear argument and analyse language, form AND structure.
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Try to analyse layers of meaning and explore ambiguity: the examiner IS looking for
analytical depth here. Carefully revisit the information you have been given on structure
in the play: it’ll help you access the top marks!
Timing
Section A: An Inspector Calls - 45 minutes
(including planning time)
Essay questions
- are normally based around a character or theme.
Skills
Analytical paragraphs (PETAL). Show the examiner you can analyse:
- Form, structure & dramatic techniques
- Language, symbolism & imagery
- Writer’s intention (consider the significance of the themes and the characters in the play)
Structure of paragraph
4-5 PETAL paragraph
● Point
● Evidence
● Technique
● Analysis
● Link back to the Q and your point
-A good quote
-Language you can analyse
-dramatic techniques you can analyse (e.g. stage directions and dramatic irony)
-Interesting inferences you can make, potentially more than one interpretation?
-Think about how the character supports the overall message of the play?
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Question- write your question here
Thesis- what is your overall argument in response to the theme/character?
Point 1- form points that focus on the theme/character and how it develops
Point 2- form points that focus on the theme/character and how it develops
Point 3- form points that focus on the theme/character and how it develops
When a questions asks ‘how’ it is asking to explore the effect of the tools and/or techniques the
writer uses to present the idea
What to analyse?
- exposition (opening)
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denouement (ending)
entrances
exits
climactic curtain
stage directions
props
techniques
Plot
Act 1
Sheila and Gerald’s engagement is celebrated.
Act 1
Birling says there will be no war; references Titanic
Act 1
Inspector arrives; a young girl has committed suicide.
Act 1
Birling threw her out after strike; Sheila had her fired for
laughing.
Act 2
Gerald had an affair with Daisy Renton
Act 2
Mrs Birling refused to give charity to Eva; blames father.
Act 3
Eric’s involvement revealed; possible rape hinted at.
Act 3
Inspector leaves. Gerald returns; met policeman, no
Inspector G
Act 3
Telephone rings; an inspector is coming.
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an inspector arrives at the door bearing news of a young woman's suicide
his questions forced the Burling family to face the truth about their role in her death and
to acknowledge the consequences of their selfishness and greed
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an inspector calls is filled with suspense mystery and revelations
but beyond its captivating narrative, the play has some important things to say about
British history and society
Context
AIC L1 Context
Ally Cheung - AIC L1 Context Worksheet - Background to 'An Inspector Calls'
'An Inspector Calls' Intro & Context
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Written by J B Priestly
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Set in 1912 written in1945 after 2 world wars . New socialist govt. who would introduce
Welfare State and ideas of social responsibility
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Priestley was a socialist and wanted to promote these ideas
Writes play to promote ideas showing how old ruling classes exploited the working
classes. Deliberately makes the old upper classes representing capitalism appear
uncaring, arrogant and corrupt.
Shows there is hope with younger generations
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1912 (set in)
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Play is set here ; just before WWI and the sinking of the titanic
The play is set before WW1 in 1912.
During a moment of rising international tensions and significant industrial expansion
Socialism and Communism were also on an upswing in many places around the world.
The Russian Revolution, in which Communists overthrew the Czar of Russia, began in
1917.
The industrial expansion resulted in a gain in influence and wealth for industrialists of the
period (like Mr. Birling).
The period between 1901-14 is known as the Edwardian era – a peaceful and stable
time; a time of false security, where they believed that they were safe and prosperous
due to new technologies.
The early decades of the 20th century marked the end of the Victorian era, and the
consequent loosening of the formerly rigid class system
During this time, social position was very important. However, after the industrial
revolution, many men from more humble origins became very rich and were able to rise
up the social ladder. They then married into aristocratic families to secure their positions.
It was a time when the underprivileged and powerless were made the victims of the
privileged and powerful
The Labour Party, founded in 1900, was beginning to gain leverage, become
increasingly committed to socialist ideas, have an impact by standing up for the plight of
the working class
Priestley write the play in 1946 and set it in 1912 to be able to use dramatic irony to
criticize the capitalist ideology and the hypocrisy and foolishness of the older members
of the Birling family.
Both the noted Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the father of
science fiction H. G. Wells (1866-1946) were well-known and outspoken socialists.
1945 (written in, when ww2 end)
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Priestley wrote the play then; start of the welfare state and ideals of social equality made
real
The play was written in 1945, at the end of the Second World War. The world had just
been through 3 decades of instability, depression and social unrest.
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During WW2, Priestley hosted a popular war time radio show about the conditions of
wartime. This was very popular with listening audiences, but was cancelled by the BBC
for being too critical of the government’s actions
J.B. Priestley suggests that a positive consequence of war could be change for the
better and the chance of an improved future. This was not the case after World War 1
and eventually there was another war with more atrocities being committed. In this play,
the possibility of change and people learning from the mistakes of the past is suggested.
All it takes is honesty and willingness to accept responsibility and instigate change.
Political Ideologies
Politics are often based on personal beliefs about the way the world is and the way it should be.
Twentieth Century dramatists often use their plays to explore their thoughts about politics. In An
Inspector Calls we are confronted with the following ideologies:
● Much of Priestley’s writing was controversial and many of his plays and novels have
strong political messages.
● During the 1930s, Priestley became increasingly aware of the social inequality of life in
Britain.
● Priestley helped to develop the idea of the Welfare State which the Labour Party
established in the years following World War II. This is a system a government
undertakes to protect the health and well-being of its citizens, especially those in
financial or social need, by means of grants, pensions, and other benefits. The NHS
(free healthcare) is an example of this.
● the socialist Labour Party won the election in 1945 and introduced the welfare state so
the views Priestley expresses in the play were in tune with public feeling
● Priestley’s audiences in 1946 had just lived through World War II, and were faced with a
time of great change and opportunity. Priestley wanted people to take the opportunities
for progress available to them. He encouraged his audiences to judge the middle-class
social values of 1912 in the light of the morality of 1945.
Capitalism
● Refers to an economic system in which private individuals and companies, rather than
governments, own property and businesses.
● Business should make money no matter the human cost; we are all responsible only for
ourselves
● Many people fiercely support capitalism as an economic freedom inseparable from
democracy.
vs
Socialism
● A theory or system of social organization in which major industries, land, capital etc. are
owned and controlled and run by the government rather than by individual people and
companies.
● we must all look after each other
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The philosophy is then that everyone should share as equally as possible in the wealth
of the society and no one should be extremely rich nor extremely poor.
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in the 1930s, Priestley's concerns over social inequality led him to become a passionate
supporter of socialism which sought equal opportunity rights and wealth for all citizens
Priestley became a prolific writer of essays, plays and novels as well as a well-known
broadcaster on the BBC
Priestley hosted a popular radio show, “Postscripts,” from the beginning of World War II,
to promote socialist ideals and the concept of a welfare state with free education and
health care for all
until the show was cancelled in 1940 after members of the Conservative Party—
including, it seems likely, Winston Churchill—complained about Priestley’s broadcasting
his left-wing politics.
He continued nevertheless to have a political presence in the UK: he and a group of
friends founded the 1941 Committee, which advocated for a national wages policy and
for railways, mines, and docks to come under public control
In 1942, he co-founded the Common Wealth Party, which sought to advance the causes
of “Common Ownership,” “Vital Democracy” and “Morality in Politics.”
the socialist Labour Party won the election in 1945 and introduced the welfare state so
the views Priestley expresses in the play were in tune with public feeling
now that World War two had ended he saw a major opportunity for people to build a
better and more generous society
to help audiences see the potential in their future Priestley gave them a glimpse of
Britain's less enlightened past
An inspector calls opened on the London stage in 1946, the year following the Labour
Party's landslide victory
Priestley's ideas about social equality and responsibility resonated them as they still do
among many in society today
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Class
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Upper and lower social classes are segregated
Age
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Old vs young; new and old ideas counterposed
Attitude to women
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Patriarchal leading to misogyny
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gender divisions remains rigid and the women of England were fighting for their rights
despite millions finding employment as textile workers and domestic servants, women's
wages were generally only 1/3 to 1/2 of male workers wages
women who weren't forced to work for a living were usually confined to domestic duties
(looking after their husbands, children and running the household )
it was very difficult for a married woman to get a divorce
she also risked losing her children who became the property of the father after a divorce
while it was acceptable for a husband to have affairs and keep mistresses, a woman
who had multiple partners was seen to be ruined
pregnancy outside marriage was viewed as shameful and no state support was provided
for unmarried mothers
women were forced to rely on any charity they could find in the decades that followed
The Theatrical Context
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At the outbreak of World War II in 1939, theatres were competing for audiences with the
new ‘talking pictures’ available in the cinemas.
The most popular form of theatre was the musical – big, lavish, glamorous productions.
Detective thrillers, by writers such as Agatha Christie, were also popular.
When war came many theatres closed down or moved from London.
An Inspector Calls was therefore first performed in Moscow in 1945 and first seen on
stage in London on 1 October 1946, performed by the Old Vic Company.
Author Information
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John Boynton Priestley was born in Yorkshire in 1894 which housed the families of many
wealthy industrialists and is know as a hub of industry and manufacturing, like Bromley
His mother died in the same year, but his father remarried 4 years later
Priestley left school at 16 because he wanted to gain experience of the world and
become a writer.
In 1910 at age 16 Priestley began work at a textile mill and saw firsthand the working
conditions of the poorer classes
In 1911-14 he spent a lot of time with his father’s socialist friends, and found himself
joining into their political discussions on a regular basis. These lay the foundation for his
political ideas and themes that would later dominate his writing.
Priestly joined the infantry in the outbreak of WWI in 1914 and, although narrowly
escaping death and finding himself the victim of a gas attack, he survived
Returned to was in the midst of change
o large sections of the working classes had served in the war
o many who didn't serve had obtained higher paying positions in the workforce
o class barriers were further broken down by the weakened state of the middle and
upper classes due to the death toll and too heavy financial losses during the war
An inspector calls
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Between WW1 and WW2 he wrote a number of texts, many of them with a similar
message: the effects of a person’s actions over time; and the responsibility we all have
for these actions and their consequences
Priestley became a prolific writer of essays, plays and novels as well as a well-known
broadcaster on the BBC, using to promote socialist ideals and the concept his welfare
state
He wrote An Inspector Calls at the end of WW2 in 1944 and it was performed in London
in 1946
Workers vs industrialists
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Industrial Revolution- Britain was by 1912 highly prosperous and technologically
advanced nation, many people worked in factories where steam powered machinery
manufactured products in massive quantities
● a class of industrialists merchants and ship owners accumulated most of the wealth,
while the working classes toiled long hours for very little pay working in small spaces
with hot and dangerous machinery
● while factory workers lived in polluted and overcrowded slums people like the burling's
moved away from those areas into comfortable suburbs
● working conditions began to improve when trade unions were legalized in the nineteenth
century but in 1912 the laws still favored factory owners
● class divisions were still apparent as factory owners continued to reap the rewards of
workers labor
Marxist Perspective
● Society is capitalist as it is based on making profit, rather than by the interests of all
people.
● The proletariat (working class) make money for the bourgeoisie (upper class) who
control the means of production.
An Inspector Calls
● Eva Smith represents the proletariat, who has been exploited by the bourgeoisie.
● Mr. Birling represents capitalist ideas and the belief that profit is key.
● The Inspector hints at social revolution when he speaks of ‘fire and blood and anguish’ if
the bourgeoisie do not change their behaviour.
Key Terminology:
● • Proletariat
● • Conflict
● • Profit
● • bourgeoisie
● • Division
● • Capitalism
● • Hierarchy
—---
An inspector calls
The morality play ‘An Inspector Calls’ fulfills the criteria of a well-made play coined by Eugene
Scribe.
Priestley hosted a popular radio show, “Postscripts,” from the beginning of World War II until the
show was cancelled in 1940 after members of the Conservative Party—including, it seems
likely, Winston Churchill—complained about Priestley’s broadcasting his left-wing politics. He
continued nevertheless to have a political presence in the UK: he and a group of friends
founded the 1941 Committee, which advocated for a national wages policy and for railways,
mines, and docks to come under public control; in 1942, he co-founded the Common Wealth
Party, which sought to advance the causes of “Common Ownership,” “Vital Democracy” and
“Morality in Politics.”
The play takes place right before the First World War, during a moment of rising international
tensions and significant industrial expansion. The industrial expansion resulted in a gain in
influence and wealth for industrialists of the period (like Mr. Birling). The early decades of the
20th century also marked the end of the Victorian era, and the consequent loosening of the
formerly rigid class system; the Labour Party, founded in 1900, was beginning to gain leverage
and to become increasingly committed to socialist ideas. Socialism and Communism were also
on an upswing in many places around the world. The Russian Revolution, in which Communists
overthrew the Czar of Russia, began in 1917.
Priestley write the play in 1946 and set it in 1912 to be able to use dramatic irony to criticize the
capitalist ideology and the hypocrisy and foolishness of the older members of the Birling family.
Both the noted Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the father of science
fiction H. G. Wells (1866-1946) were well-known and outspoken socialists.
Character
Mr Birling
Factory owner with a capitalist mindset
Key word
● Reprehensible – someone who is unforgivable.
● Conniving – calculating and manipulative.
● Stubborn.
● Volatile
● Arrogant
● Self Important
● Scornful
● Ignorant
● Panglossian
● Prejudiced
● Pompous(ambitious)
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Over confident
Stubborn
Social climber
Portentous
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Capitalist
Business men
Typical upper-middle class
Ambitious
Class focused
Boastful (long speeches)
Age- superiority
Cold-hearted
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Dramatic irony=ignorant
The irony of his long, innocent speeches show his ignorance
Ironic comment from mr billing
How do are b and the inspector try to intimidate one another
Reaction and Responsibility to Eva’s death
● Unsympathetic character who is pompous, opinionated, arrogant and has a poor
understanding of events (through use of dramatic irony)
● Symbol of uncaring capitalist
● Started chain of events leading to Eva’s death
● Selfish regard for profit over human regard
● Inspector says he is not totally responsible
Quotes
1. Arthur Birling is a heavy looking, rather portentous man
2. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything
to do with, it would be very awkward
3. Fiddlesticks! The Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war.
4. We’re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity’ (Birling confidence)
5. The way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look
after everybody else (Birling society)
6. for lower costs and higher prices.
7. Sheila's a lucky girl
8. I'm talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business
9. Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable (dramatic irony)
10. There's a fair chance that I might find my way into the next Honours List
11. then I discharged her
12. It has nothing whatever to do with this wretched girls suicide.
13. ‘I can't accept any responsibility.
14. [to Eric] Look – you just keep out of this.
15. Nothing to do with you, Sheila. Run along
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16. Everyone will 'have forgotten all these Capital versus Labour agitations and all these silly
little war scares
17. The Germans don't want war. Nobody wants war
18. Perhaps we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer
competing but are working together – for lower costs and higher prices. (Act 1)
19. Still, I can't accept any responsibility. (Act 1)
20. (angrily) Inspector, I've told you before, I don't like the tone nor the way you're handling
this inquiry. And I don't propose to give you much rope. (act 2)
21. (angrily) Yes, and you don't realize yet all you've done. Most of this is bound to come
out. There'll be a public scandal. (act 3)
22. (triumphantly) There you are! Proof positive. The whole story's just a lot of moonshine.
Nothing but an elaborate sell! (Act 3)
23. (pointing to Eric and Sheila) Now look at the pair of them – the famous younger
generation who know it all. And they can't even take a joke- (Act 3)
Presentation
● Pompous, nouveau rich (new money), - see description in intro directions 1
● Ignorant opinionated, - use of dramatic irony eg. Titanic, general strike and World Wars 2
● uncaring capitalist – “working for higher prices and lower costs”
● social climber – wants marriage to Crofts for respectability (and money) and keeps
mentioning his Knighthood and fact he was Lord Mayor– socially insecure 3
● 1 “…a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his early fifties…rather provincial in his
speech” – stereotypical fat capitalist
● 2 Titanic “unsinkable”, War – “the German’s don’t want war”, General Strike – “wild talk
about possible labour trouble”. Makes Birling appear stupid
● 3 “I might find my way into the next Honours List” – socially insecure
Role in Death Of Eva Smith including Inspector’s views
● Acceptance of Responsibility/Guilt
● Uncaring and dismissive– “Yes, yes. Horrid business. But I don’t see why you should
come here.
● Responsibility: “I can’t accept any responsibility” “ Don’t tell me that’s because I
discharged her…”
● Bribery: “perhaps you and I should go and talk this over quietly in a corner”
● Reputation: “the press might easily take it up” “ I’ve got to cover it up”
● Threatens the Inspector; “ I’ve half a mind to report you” “ I warn you he’s[The Chief
Inspector] an old friend of mine”
● Position after Inspector has left
What message is Priestley trying to present to the audience through this character?
● Mr Birling is the father, and leader of the contemptuous Birling family. He is described by
Priestly as a ''Portentous'' man. Throughout the play, we see Arthur Birling being conveyed
by the play write as a rather pompous and injudicious character. He shows no remorse or
concern for his wrongful actions, unless they affect his social status. As Mr Birling is
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portrayed as a defiant capitalist and is extremely narrow minded, Priestley suggests to the
audience through this character that capitalist ideology is wrong, selfish and damaging to
society.
Mrs birling
Cold hearted head of a charity and Birling’s wife.
- Pride and vanity
Key word
● Reprehensible – someone who is unforgivable.
● Conniving – calculating and manipulative.
● Emotionless- someone who is cold and detached from a person
● Exploitative – willing to take advantage of someone else’s weaknesses.
● A Snob
● Insincere
● Conformist
● Remorseless
● Cold
● Supercilious
● Upper class
● Prejudice
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Social superior
Abrupt
Self confidently
Out of touch
Protective of public image
Lack of honesty
Arrogant
Husband’s social superior
Out of touch- society, with her family
Classist
Power
Reaction and Responsibility to Eva’s death
● Final nail in Eva’s coffin
● Very unsympathetic character
● Snobbish and aloof
● Vindictive in dealing with Eva
● No knowledge of children
● Deliberately set up by Inspector to condemn herself from her own mouth
● Severely condemned by Inspector
cold, dull and unsympathetic woman who represents the bourgeoise (female) upper class.
More than any other character, she is adamant that she is blameless in Eva Smith's suicide.
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She also claims that she was the only one who wasn't intimidated by the Inspector, though in
reality she, like everyone else, gave him the information he was seeking.
Mrs Birling is prudish and old-fashioned. For example, in act one she expresses shock that
Sheila knows the word 'squiffy' (an informal word for 'drunk'). Although she is a member of a
women's charity, she is not a strong believer in women's rights: when Sheila complains about
Gerald being away so much the previous summer, Mrs Birling tells her daughter that it is
something she will have to get used to.
Like her husband, Mrs Birling is not a very good parent. Not only does she give her daughter
outdated advice about the role of a wife, she also has no idea that her son Eric is an alcoholic.
Like her husband, Mrs Birling looks down on the less affluent members of society. When
referring to Eva, she uses the phrases, "Girls of that class..." and "A girl of that sort...". Her
refusal to believe Eva Smith's story is based largely on the fact that she (Eva) is what Mrs
Birling would call lower class.
Most of all, Mrs Birling is a monstrous hypocrite. She chairs the Birling Women's Charity, but
shows appalling indifference to Eva Smith's difficulties simply because Eva had the bad luck to
try to disguise her identity with the name Birling.
Owing to her coldness and lack of conscience, Mrs Birling is seen as being unsympathetic and
out of touch with reality. It is this lack of understanding that leads to her making several
snobbish comments and even to be unaware of her own son’s heavy drinking. She is described
as a ‘rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior’. However, she shows signs of
weakening when she realises that her actions had resulted in the death of her own grandchild.
Once the inspector leaves though, she quickly recovers her old self, emphasising her harsh and
uncaring nature.
Quote
1. 1.She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl
in her position (mrs birling defending)
2. 2.When you’re married you’ll realize that men with important work to do sometimes have
to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business.
3. 3. Really the things you girls pick up these days!
4. 4.Girls of that class5. 5.Nothing but morbid curiosity
6. 6.Though naturally I don't know anything about this girl
7. 7.It would be much better if Sheila didn’t listen to this story at all
8. 8.(staggered) Well, really! Alderman Meggarty!
9. 9.It’s disgusting to me
10. 10.We’ve done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases
11. 11.But I think she had only herself to blame
12. 12.Simply a gross piece of impertinence
13. 13.Go and look for the father of the child.
14. What an expression, Sheila! Really the things you girls pick up these days! (Act 1)
15. (with dignity) Yes. We've done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases.
(Act 2)
16. Girls of that class—(Act 2)
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17. If, as she said, he didn't belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then
that's all the more reason why he shouldn't escape. He should be made an example of.
If the girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him. (Act 2)
18. They're over-tired. In the morning they'll be as amused as we are. (Act 3)
Act 1
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●
●
●
Pg 1: ‘I’ll ring from the drawing-room when we want coffee’
Pg 2: 'Arthur you’re not supposed to say such things'
Pg 3: ‘Sheila! What an expression! Really, the things you girls pick up these days!’
Pg 3: 'Now Sheila don’t tease him. When you're married you'll realise that men with
important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their
business.'
Act 2
● Pg 30: Classist Snob. Thinks she is socially and morally superior ‘I don’t suppose for a
moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class-’
● Pg 31: Intimidation ‘You know of course that my husband was lord Mayor only two years
ago and that he’s still a magistrate.’
● Pg 34: Ignorant ‘It would be much better if Sheila didn’t listen to this story at all’
● Pg 35: Thinks upper class are perfect '(staggered) Well, really! Aldermand Meggarty! I
must say, we are learning something tonight'
● Facade to make her look good '(with dignity) Yes. We’ve done a great deal of useful
work in helping deserving cases.'
● Pg 43: ‘But I think she had only herself to blame’
● Pg 44: 'You have no power to make me change my mind.'
● Pg 44: I didn’t like her manner. She’d impertinently made use of our name, though she
pretended afterwards it just happened to be the first she thought of. She had to admit,
after I began questioning her, that she had no claim to the name, that she wasn’t
married, and that the story she told me first – about a husband who’d deserted her – was
quite false. It didn’t take me long to get the truth – or some of the truth – out of her.
● Pg 45: Gets rid of blame on her. 'I'll tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of
the child. It’s his responsibility.'
● Pg 46: Blames her own husband ('agitated now) Oh, stop it, both of you. And please
remember before you start accusing me of anything again that it wasn't I who had her
turned out of her employment – which probably began it all.'
● Pg 46: ‘She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in
a girl in her position.’
● Pg 47: Classist Snob ‘As if a girl of that sort would refuse money.’
● Pg 47: I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame for
it.’
● Pg 47: 'I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have. If,
as she said, he didn't belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that's
all the more reason why he shouldn't escape. He should be made an example of. If the
girl's death is due to anybody, then it's due to him.'
Act 3
An inspector calls
●
●
Pg 62: Snob ‘(Triumphantly) Didn’t I tell you? Didn't I say I couldn't imagine a real police
inspector talking like that to us?’
Page 63: 'I felt it all the time. He never talking like one. He never even looked like one'
Eric
son with a drinking problem
- Ignorance
Key word
● Rebellious
● reckless
● Insubordinate
● Desperate
● Dualistic
● disgraced
●
Awkward → duty → violent
●
●
●
●
●
●
Wrath, lust
Shy;child like
Starts standing up
Drunken;violent
Remorseful; anger
Sadness
●
●
●
●
●
●
Dishonest
Weak
Comic
Sarcastic
Brash
Irresponsible
●
●
●
●
●
●
Immature
Unassured
Compassionate
Can be assertive
Frustrated
repentant
Reaction and Responsibility for Eva’s death
● Finds her in Palace bar – prostitution?
● Rapes her?
● Gets her pregnant and steals to support her (make amends?)
● Seems to be excused by Inspector
● Sympathy due to Alcoholism and demeaned by father?
● Mother and father deluded and distant
Priestley's Message (intended effect on the audience)
● Conveys how the upper class abused their power over the working class (treated Eva
Smith ‘as if she were an animal, a thing, not a person.’) He represents (with Sheila) the
younger generation – Priestley saw them as ‘more impressionable’ – after all, they were
the future.
Eric's Character Development/changes
● He was part of the ‘chain of events’, having a fling with Eva Smith and getting her
pregnant. He treated her ‘as if she were an animal, a thing, not a person.’ At the start of
the play, he was just like the others – abusing his power over a working class girl.
An inspector calls
●
However, he accepts responsibility, and like Sheila, feels very guilty about what he did.
He is ashamed of his behaviour and shows that he is capable of changing for the better.
‘The fact remains that I did what I did.’ Therefore, the audience is more likely to forgive
him.
roughly the same age and of the same spirit as his sister. He is adolescent in his manner ("half
shy, half assertive") and drinks too much, perhaps because he has not yet found a meaningful
role in life.
Eric shows the same level of regret and sympathy towards Eva Smith as Sheila does, though
what he did to her was much worse and of much greater consequence. Having committed
something close to sexual assault, Eric takes a huge risk in stealing money from his father's
company to try to make amends. When he discovers that his mother turned Eva away and
drove her to suicide, he becomes almost mad with rage, saying, "you killed her - and the child
she'd have had too - my child - your own grandchild". This shows that, despite his initial
brutishness towards Eva, he does have a tender and paternal side.
Eric sides with the Inspector and against his father in the question of Eva Smith's sacking from
Mr Birling's factory. By the end of the play, he stands firmly on the side of socialism in the
"Capital versus Labour" debate.
Key quote
1. 1. ‘not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive’
2. 2.‘suddenly guffaws
3. 3.’He drinks ‘pretty hard’
4. 4.‘Unless Eric’s been up to something.’
5. 5.(still uneasy) Well I don’t think it’s very funny
6. 6.I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.
7. ‘’he’s been steadily drinking too much for the last two years (Sheila → Eric)
8. ‘I’m not very clear about it, but afterwards she told me she didn’t want me to go in but
that – well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty – and I threatened to make
a row’ (eric explains)
9. Why shouldn't they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices. And I
don't see why she should have been sacked just because she'd a bit more spirit than the
others. You said yourself she was a good worker. I'd have let her stay. (Act 1)
● (nearly at breaking point) Then – you killed her. She came to you to protect me – and
you turned her away – yes, and you killed her – and the child she'd have had too (Act 2)
● The money's not the important thing. It's what happened to the girl and what we all did to
her that matters. And I still feel the same about it, and that's why I don't feel like sitting
down and having a nice cosy talk. (Act 3)
Act 1
●
●
●
●
Pg 1: ‘Eric is in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive.’
Pg 1: ‘Eric downstage’
Pg 6: ‘Yes I know -- but still--’
Pg 9: ‘Yes, I remember--’
An inspector calls
●
●
Pg 14: ‘...A man has to look after himself--’
Pg 16: ‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices…
You said yourself she was a good worker. I’d have let her stay.’
Act 3
● Pg 52: ‘And that’s when it all happened. And I didn’t even remember - that’s the hellish
thing. Oh - my God! - how stupid it all is.’
● Pg 52: ‘I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.’
● Pg 52: ‘She was pretty and a good sport… and I hate these fat old tarts around the town
– the ones I see some of your respectable friends with.’
● Pg 55: (nearly at breaking point) ‘Then -- you killed her. She came to you to protect me -and you turned her away -- yes, and you killed her -- and the child she’d have had to -my child -- your own grandchild -- you killed them both -- damn you, damn you--’
● Pg 57: (laughing) ‘What does it matter now whether they give you a knighthood or not?’
● Pg 59: ‘He was our police inspector all right’
● Pg 64: ‘I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you
did to her.’
● Pg 65: ‘(As Birling tries to interrupt) ‘The money’s not the important thing. It’s what
happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.’
Eric and Eva
Sheila
Daughter
Key word
At the start:
● Irresponsible
● Naive
● Smug
●
●
●
Curious
Immature
Vain
●
●
Impressionable
Materialistic
Becomes:
● Sincere
● Insightful
● Remorseful –
filled with
sadness and guilt.
● Rounded
character
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Hopeful
Empathetic
Liberal
Discerning
Assertive
Passionate
Compassionate
●
●
●
●
Astute
Transformative
Wise
Perspective
Reaction and Responsibility to Eva’s death
● Appears selfish, spoilt and petulant
● Illustrate with reasons leading to Eva’s sacking from Millwards
● Condemnation by Inspector
An inspector calls
●
Audience can forgive as seems genuinely remorseful
in her early twenties, bright, lively and optimistic. Unlike her parents and fiancée, she expresses
deep regret for Eva Smith's suicide and her role in it.
Sheila is sympathetic to the ideals of socialism: she thinks it was wrong of her father to sack Eva for
trying to obtain higher wages; and she expresses horror that poor women like Eva are seen simply
as "cheap labour" and not as people.
Sheila also displays a free-thinking spiritedness that is characteristic of the suffragette (women's
rights) movement of that period. At the beginning of the play, unaware of what has really happened,
she expresses displeasure at Gerald for having been so distant towards her the previous summer.
Then, when she finds out about his affair, she gives him back her engagement ring. This is a very
brave act: Sheila knows that Gerald's family, the Crofts, are extremely wealthy and important, and
that marrying Gerald will help her father and his business and boost the social standing of the Birling
family. Most women in that position at that time would have accepted Gerald's behaviour for the
sake of the marriage.
Through Sheila, Priestley suggests that when it comes to women's rights, socialism is a better and
fairer system.
She is described as a "pretty girl in her early twenties", and delighted about her engagement to
Gerald. She starts out as a playful, self-centred girl who loves attention. In addition, she finds Eric to
be rather "squiffy" (drunk) often. Throughout the play, she becomes the most sympathetic family
member, showing remorse and guilt on hearing the news of her part in the girl's downfall, and
attempting to encourage the family to accept responsibility for their part in Eva's death. She is shown
to be not as naive as originally thought, revealing her suspicions about her fiancé's infidelity. Despite
continual criticism from her father, she becomes more rebellious toward her parents, supporting her
brother against them and assisting Goole in his interrogations. At the end of the play, Sheila is much
wiser. She can now judge her parents and Gerald from a new perspective, but the greatest change
has been in herself: her social conscience has been awakened and she is aware of her
responsibilities. The Sheila who had a girl dismissed from her job for a trivial reason has vanished
forever. At the end of the play Sheila is also very optimistic and knows her responsibilities of what
she has done and takes steps very carefully. Her immense guilt after the death of Eva causes her
eyes to open and acknowledge all the wrong things she and her family had been committing. By the
end of the play, she represents the younger generation's protests against the morality of the older
generation and seems the most responsive to Goole's views about moral responsibility towards
others
Quote
1. Sheila's a lucky girl - and I think you're a pretty fortunate young man too, Gerald but
these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people’
2. What was she like? Quite young?
3. 3.'I was there this afternoon- (archly to Gerald) for your benefit.
4. 4.(a little cry gives a half-stifled sob)
5. 5.You knew it was me all the time, didn’t you?
6. 6.(Miserably) So I’m really responsible?
7. 7.It was my own fault.
8. 8.I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go near the place again
9. 9.I was absolutely furious I was very rude to both of them.
10. 10.Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows
11. 11.The point is, you don’t seem to have learnt anything
12. but these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people ((shelai regret)
An inspector calls
13. it’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to
anybody (sheila regret)
14. we all started like that – so confident, so pleased with ourselves until he began asking us
questions (sheila → inspector)
15. But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people. (Act 1)
16. (slowly, carefully now) you mustn't try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl.
If you do, then the inspector will just break it down. And it'll be all the worse when he
does. (Act 2)
17. (rather wildly, with laugh) No, he's giving us the rope – so that we'll hang ourselves. (Act
2)
18. (flaring up) Well, he inspected us all right. And don't let's start dodging and pretending
now. Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide. (Act 3)
19. I tell you – whoever that Inspector was, it was anything but a joke. You knew it then. You
began to learn something. And now you've stopped. You're ready to go on in the same
old way. (Act 3)
Ally Cheung - Analysing how Sheila has the capacity to learn from her mistakes
Act 1
● Pg 3: (half serious, half playful) 'Yes – except for all last summer, when you never came
near me, and I wondered what had happened to you.'
● Pg 5: '(Excited) Oh – Gerald – you’ve got it – is it the one [ring] you wanted me to have?'
● Pg 5: ‘Oh-it's wonderful! Look- Mummy- isn’t it a beauty? Oh - darling - [She kisses
Gerald hastily]’
● Pg 5: ‘I think it’s perfect. Now I really feel engaged.
● Pg 17: (coming farther in) What business? What’s happening?
● Pg 17: 'Oh, how horrible! Was it an accident?'
● Pg 17: 'What was she like? Quite young?'
● Pg 18: ‘Pretty?’
● Pg 19: Socialist View 'But these girls aren’t cheap labour – they’re people.'
● Pg 20: 'I was there this afternoon- (archly to Gerald) for your benefit.'
● Pg 23: '(Miserably) So I’m really responsible?' ...(distressed)
● Pg 23: 'No, not really it was my own fault.'
● Pg 24: ‘If she’d had been some miserable plain little creature… But she was very pretty
and looked as if she could take care of herself. I couldn’t be sorry for her.'
● Pg 24: 'I told him that if they didn’t get rid of that girl, I’d never go near the place again
and I’d persuade mother to close our account with them’
● Pg 24: 'And if I could help her now, I would'
● Pg 24: Apologetic 'I’ll never, never do it again.'
● Pg 26: '(laughs rather hysterically) Why – you fool – he knows. Of course he knows. And
I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.'
Act 2
● Pg 28: 'I must obviously be a selfish, vindictive creature.'
An inspector calls
●
●
●
●
●
Pg 29: (staring at him) (She gets close to him, wonderingly.) I don’t understand about
you.
Pg 30: '(slowly, carefully now) You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and
that girl. If you do, then the Inspector will just break it down. And it’ll be all the worse
when he does.'
Pg 33: 'He’s giving us the rope- so that we’ll hang ourselves.'
Pg 40: (She hands him the ring)
Pg 40: “In fact, in some odd way, I rather respect you more than I've ever done before”...
“You and I aren't the same people who sat down to dinner here.”
Pg 45: ‘Mother, I think that was cruel and vile’
●
Act 3
● Pg 58: But that’s not what I’m talking about. I don’t care about that. The point is, you
don’t seem to have learnt anything.
● Pg 58: ‘(with sudden alarm) Mother-stop-stop!’
● 'Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.'
● Pg 59: 'Don’t you see, if all that’s come out tonight is true, then it doesn’t matter who it
was who made us confess. And it was true, wasn’t it? You turned the girl out of one job,
and I had her turned out of another. Gerald kept her – at a time when he was supposed
to be too busy to see me. Eric – well, we know what Eric did. And mother hardened her
heart and gave her the final push that finished her. That’s what’s important – and not
whether the man is a police inspector or not.
● Pg 71: Affected by Inspector's message 'I tell you – whoever that Inspector was, it was
anything but a joke.'
Gerald
from a wealthy family and Sheila’s finance
- Young
- Rich
- Upper class
- Easy life (classic upper class young man)
Key word
● Respectful
● Happy go lucky
● Dishonest
● Compassionate at times
● Hypocritical
●
●
●
●
●
●
Kind
Suspicious
Cowardly
Aristocratic
Evasive
Secretive
●
●
●
●
Reaction and Responsible for Eva’s death
● Only character who actually helps her (rescues from Joe Meggarty)
● Not condemned by Inspector
● His general behaviour is morally questionable
Privileged
Pragmatic
Repentant
unchanged
An inspector calls
Key quote
1. 1. I don’t come into this suicide business
2. 2.It's what happened to her after she left Mr Birling' work that's important
3. 3.I've suddenly realized- taken it in properly- that she's dead4. 4.I want you to understand that I didn't install her there so that I could make love to her.
5. 5.I didn't feel about her as she felt about me
6. 6.Everything's all right now Sheila
7. (laughs) You seem to be a nice well-behaved family – (Act 1)
8. I happened to look in, one night, after a long dull day, and as the show wasn't very
bright, I went down into the bar for a drink. It's a favourite haunt of women of the town-(Act 2)
9. (hesitatingly) it's hard to say. I didn't feel about her as she felt about me. (Act 2)
10. Well, you were right. There isn't any such inspector. We've been had. (Act 3)
11. Everything's all right now, Sheila. (Holds up the ring.) What about this ring? (Act 3)
The Inspector (Goole)
a mysterious figure who could be representative of a moral conscience or guide.
- Priestley’s mouthpiece, raisonner or a moral conscience
Key word
● Author surrogate- When the character is representative of the author intention and
belief, Mouthpiece
● Logical and methodical
● Powerful
● Omniscient - all knowing
● Honourable- someone who is free of deceit.
● Virtuous- someone who shows high moral standards
● Forthright- someone who is direct, straightforward and honest.
● Moral- someone concerned with right and wrong behaviours.
● Enigmatic – mysterious and/or difficult to understand.
● Intimidating
● Sardonic
● Maaiceness
● Systematic
● Unflappable
● Mysterious
● Sll knowing
● omniscient
Reaction and Responsible for Eva’s death
An inspector calls
●
●
●
The inspector’s moralistic tone
Inspector surragent
How do are b and the inspector try to intimidate one another
Quote
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish
We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.
We have to share something
Burnt her inside out
an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness
A chain of events
It’s better to ask for the Earth than to take it
(To Gerald) “And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and
disturbing things?
9. A girl died tonight. A pretty, lively sort of girl, who never did anybody any harm
10. And you slammed the door in her face
11. but each of you helped to kill her. Remember that
12. there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with
us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering, and chance of happiness, all
intertwined with our lives, with what we think and say and do. We don’t live alone
13. It would do us all a bit of good if sometimes we tried to put ourselves in the place of
these young women counting their pennies in their dingy little back bedrooms
14. (steadily) That's more or less what I was thinking earlier tonight when I was in the
infirmary looking at what was left of Eva Smith. A nice little promising life there, I thought,
and a nasty mess somebody's made of it. (Act 1)
15. (massively) Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges. (Act 2)
16. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths
and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering
and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and
do. We don't live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each
other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson,
then they will be taught it in fire and bloody and anguish. Good night. (Act 3)
"each of you helped to kill her."
● The Inspector wanted each member of the family to share the responsibility of Eva's
death: he tells them,
● However, his final speech is aimed not only at the characters on stage, but at the
audience too:
"One Eva Smith has gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and
John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of
happiness, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do.“
An inspector calls
●
The Inspector is talking about a collective responsibility, everyone is society is linked, in
the same way that the characters are linked to Eva Smith. Everyone is a part of "one
body", the Inspector sees society as more important than individual interests. The views
he is propounding are like those of Priestley who was a socialist.
"And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, when they will
be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.“
● What would Priestley have wanted his audience to think of when the Inspector warns the
Birlings of the "fire and blood and anguish"?
● Probably he is thinking partly about the world war they had just lived through - the result
of governments blindly pursuing 'national interest' at all costs. No doubt he was thinking
too about the Russian revolution in which poor workers and peasants took over the state
and exacted a bloody revenge against the aristocrats who had treated them so badly.
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
He controls the pace and tension by dealing with one line of enquiry at a time. Slowly the
story of Eva's life is unravelled, like in a 'whodunnit'.
He is in command at the end of Act I and the start of Act 2, and the end of Act 2 and the
start of Act 3.
He is a brooding, inescapable presence, very much in control.
He is very mysterious and seems to know what is going to happen before it does.
There are numerous changes in tone. For instance, Mr Birling's confidence is soon
replaced - first by self-justification as he tries to explain his part in Eva's death, and then
by anxiety.
Timing of entrances and exits is crucial. For example, the Inspector arrives immediately
after Birling has told Gerald about his impending knighthood and about how "a man has
to look after himself and his own."
The ending leaves the audience on a cliff-hanger. In Act 3 the Birlings believed
themselves to be off the hook when it is discovered that the Inspector wasn't real and
that no girl had died in the infirmary. This releases some of the tension - but the final
telephone call, announcing that a real inspector is on his way to ask questions about the
suicide of a young girl, suddenly restores the tension very dramatically.
It is an unexpected final twist.
Eva Smith
a downtrodden member of the working class whose life is ruined by a chain of events caused by
the Birling family.
- the working class, the Labor side of the Labor vs. Capital agitations, who get squashed
by the powerful upper class, such as the Birlings.
Key word
An inspector calls
●
●
●
●
Downtrodden
Kind
Moralistic
Loving
●
●
●
●
Vulnerable
Suffragist
Victim
Emblematic
●
●
Warm heated
representitive
most significant figure in the play, but, of course, we never see her. She represents the proletariat ,
or working class.
Through the Inspector we learn that she was in her mid 20s, very pretty, had lost both her parents
and had no relatives or friends she could turn to.
From Mr Birling we learn that she was a good worker and passionate about helping her fellow
employees get a higher wage.
Gerald teaches us that Eva was kind, charming and headstrong. When Gerald broke off their
relationship, Eva took it very well and refused his offers of more money.
Eva's encounter with Eric shows that although by that point emotionally weak, Eva was principled
and honest enough to both let Eric escape his paternal responsibilities and reject his offer of stolen
money.
The name Eva Smith is symbolic. 'Eva' is close to 'Eve', the name of Adam's wife in the Garden of
Eden. According to the Book of Genesis, it is Eve who takes the first bite of the apple of the
forbidden tree of knowledge, having been tricked into doing so by the serpent. When Yahweh (God)
confronts Adam and Eve for having eaten the fruit, Adam points to Eve as the real offender. With her
various stories of bad luck and betrayal, Eva is a lot like Eve.
The surname 'Smith' is the most common in the English language. Priestly chose it to show that, as
the Inspector says, "there are millions" of men and women like Eva. As well as being common, the
name Smith also has socialist connections: a smith is someone who works in metal, e.g., a
blacksmith. Prior to the industrial revolution of the early 19th century, smiths were vital members of a
community, but with the coming of machine manufacturing and the huge increase in available
"cheap labour", their importance was greatly diminished.
The name Daisy Renton is also symbolic. A daisy is a small and pretty flower that can be easily
trampled and crushed underfoot. 'Renton' sounds like rent, which can mean a large tear in a piece of
fabric. Together, the names give a sad summary of Eva's life: she is figuratively trodden on and torn
apart by the upper classes
Quote
1. 1.There are millions and millions and millions of John and Eva Smiths still left with us
with their lives
2. their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our
lives
3. 2.each of you helped to kill her
4. 3.she'd been turned out and turned down too many times
Presentation of Eva Smith Indicative Content & Mark Scheme.pdf
Edna
The marginalised working class
● Downtrodden
● Marginalised
● Voiceless
● Underdog
An inspector calls
●
Warking class
Key quote
*Copy of English - An Inspector Calls*
https://tutor-in.co.uk/an-inspector-calls-themes-gcse-english/
Ally Cheung - Key Quotes 'An Inspector Calls'
Archetype
●
All people share a ‘collective unconscious’ i.e. a part of our psyche we are not aware of
that operates on an instinctual level.
● Part of this is symbolic character types – or archetypes
● As we are not directly aware of them, these archetypes can only be deduced indirectly
by examining human behaviour, images, art, myths, religions or dreams.
● His theory on personality states that one must embrace oneself to be a whole person.
● He claims that we all have a ‘shadow’, a darker side.
● The inspector takes on a ‘father’ role for Eva, as he protects her and attempts to keep
her safe from the Birlings by keeping her photograph in his pocket. He defends her
memory.
● Mr. and Mrs. Birling are presented as the cruel ‘villains’ whose behaviour exploits and
hurts others for their own benefit.
● Shelia is seen as the ‘regular girl’ who the audience identifies with and accompanies her
on her journey of enlightenment.
Key Terminology:
● • Archetype
● • Character type
● • Instinctual
● • Psyche
● • Symbolic
● • Unconscious
● • Universal
Theme
https://tutor-in.co.uk/an-inspector-calls-themes-gcse-english/
- Wealth, power and influence
- Blame and responsibility
- Public v Private
An inspector calls
-
Class politics
Legality vs morality
Social, collective, individual responsibility
Parenting
The older generation vs the younger generation
Gender roles
Class
-
Eva Smith is the embodiment of young, working-class women who were oppressed by
the middle/upper classes
- The play shows us that those who are wealthy have a responsibility to those who are
poor in society especially when they employ them.
Ally Cheung - The exploitation of the lower classes and women in AIC
Prejudice
Older generation vs Younger generations
-
Priestley shows the older generation to be set in their ways, while the young are open to
change
Gender
Duty, Responsibility & Blame
●
-
AIC 'Responsibility' Mark Scheme & Indicative Content .pdf
Priestley asks his audience to examine their individual and collective responsibility to
society. He wants a welfare state
the play shows how people are responsible for their actions and how their decisions can
have terrible consequences on other people’s lives.
Introduction
•
Briefly state how Priestley, as a socialist, seeks to illustrate notions of social responsibility
•
He shows this through the fact that all the Birling’s bear some responsibility
•
Inspector the moral conscience of play
Mr Birling
•
Unsympathetic character who is pompous, opinionated, arrogant and has a poor
understanding of events (through use of dramatic irony)
•
Symbol of uncaring capitalist
•
Started chain of events leading to Eva’s death
•
Selfish regard for profit over human regard
An inspector calls
•
Inspector says he is not totally responsible
Sheila
•
Appears selfish, spoilt and petulant
•
Illustrate with reasons leading to Eva’s sacking from Millwards
•
Condemnation by Inspector
•
Audience can forgive as seems genuinely remorseful
Gerald
•
Only character who actually helps her (rescues from Joe Meggarty)
•
Not condemned by Inspector
•
His general behaviour is morally questionable
Eric
•
Finds her in Palace bar – prostitution?
•
Rapes her?
•
Gets her pregnant and steals to support her (make amends?)
•
Seems to be excused by Inspector
•
Sympathy due to Alcoholism and demeaned by father?
•
Mother and father deluded and distant
Mrs. Birling
•
Final nail in Eva’s coffin
•
Very unsympathetic character
•
Snobbish and aloof
•
Vindictive in dealing with Eva
•
No knowledge of children
•
Deliberately set up by Inspector to condemn herself from her own mouth
•
Severely condemned by Inspector
Conclusion
•
Sum up main points referring to Inspector’s closing speech and relating to Priestley’s
socialist ideas
Power
-
The play shows that those people who are wealthy and have power are able to affect the
lives of poorer people with little challenge
Public vs Private
Morality and Legality
-
The hypocrisy of middle-class Edwardian society is uncovered: appearance & reputation
matter more than reality & morality
An inspector calls
Gender roles
The play demonstrates that when workers do not have full employment rights they cannot fight
back
● “It would do us all a bit of good if sometimes we tried to put ourselves in the place of
these young women counting their pennies in their dingy little back bedrooms”.
(Inspector)
Feminist Theory
● Gender is different from one’s biological sex and is a social construction. Society
expects each gender to behave in a distinct way.
● Women are oppressed as they are only valued for their looks and their societal functions
as wives and mothers. This is a restrictive gender role.
● Women are ‘the second sex’ as they are seen as less powerful and important to men.
● Society is therefore patriarchal (male dominated).
An Inspector Calls: Feminist Literary Critics may argue that …
● Mr. Birling expresses shallow and patronising opinions of women, claiming that clothes
are a ‘token of their self-respect’, and refers to women who for him as ‘girls’ believing
that thy would not have the resolve to keep their strike.
● Gerald and Eric both express a mixture of disdain and attraction to the prostitutes who
work in the bar, and objectify them in their descriptions of the older women.
● When Gerald keeps Eva in his friends ‘rooms’, she stays for the six months that is
convenient for him, treating Eva as if she is a commodity, dismissing her when it is no
longer easy for him to do so.
Key Terminology:
● • autonomy
● • equality
● • power
● • dominant
● • gender role
● • reinforce/subvert
ideologies
● • liberation
● • stereotypical
● • dominant/
● • objectification
submissive
● • patriarchy
Ally Cheung - The exploitation of the lower classes and women in AIC
appearance vs reality
-
The hypocrisy of middle-class Edwardian society is uncovered: appearance & reputation
matter more than reality & morality
An inspector calls
public vs private
Class
Death
Money
●
AIC 'Money' Indicative Content.pdf
Society system
-
Priestley criticises the selfishness of capitalism and wants a fairer, socialist future after
the horrors of two world wars
Parenting
Right
The play demonstrates that when workers do not have full employment rights they can be
dismissed from their jobs easily and can’t fight back
Honesty and truth
The characters in the play all have to face the truth about the consequences of their actions
although some find it hard to accept
Dramatic devices
-
Symbol
Prop
Staging
Stage direction
Events
Time Plays
Priestley asks the audience to consider the role of time in An Inspector Calls
An inspector calls
Well made play
In many respects, An Inspector Calls fulfils the criteria of the well-made play. The well-made
play was invented by Eugene Scribe (1791-1861). The formula of the well-made play was (is)
an almost guaranteed prescription for a successful piece of drama. Indeed, it has guided more
than 150 years of drama. The structure of a well-made play is a carefully crafted in order to
arouse suspense and tension.
1. Exposition
The exposition (the opening) is meant to serve as a gentle introduction, providing basic
information on:
• the main characters;
• the background and context;
• the themes and ideas of the play.
To what extent does An Inspector Calls meet these criteria? Find examples and / or quotes to
support your ideas in each of these areas.
2. Entrances and Exits.
In order to heighten the suspense and tension, entrances and exits are perfectly timed within a
well-made play.
To what extent is this true of An Inspector Calls? Find at least three examples of this within the
play and explain how they add to the suspense. Who, within the play itself, controls who enters
and leaves the dining room?
3. The 'obligatory scene'.
This is when a secret is revealed. Again, this serves to add to the drama. Are there any
'obligatory scenes' in An Inspector Calls? Give examples and explanations.
4. The Climactic Curtain
The climactic curtain is one of the major features of a well-made play. It is when the end of an
act (nee scene) ends on a tense and highly dramatic moment. Are there any climactic curtains
in An Inspector Calls? Explain each of them.
5. Mistaken Identity
The well-made play thrives on the notion of mistaken identity. The ideas of identity and
mistaken identity both play a part in An Inspector Calls. Find and explain three examples.
6. Plot
The plot of a well-made play focuses around one major storyline. There is no sub-plot.
However, there will be a smattering of complications and crises within the plot of a well-made
play, all strategically placed for dramatic effect.
To what extent does An Inspector Calls conform to this? Explain your ideas.
7. Dénouement
The dénouement (or ending) of a well-made play is both logical and plausible. Is this true of An
Inspector Calls? Explain your ideas.
An inspector calls
Unities
In Classical Greek Drama, plays conformed to the structure of The Unities. The three unities of
drama are:
• action; (This means that the plot focuses on one storyline.) • time; (This means that the
timescale of the drama must not be more than 24 hours. In its purest form, unity of time meant
that stage time and real time were identical.)
• and place. (This means that there is only one setting.)
To what extent does An Inspector Calls meet the criteria of The Unities? Think about the
following:
1. Is there one major storyline being unravelled? What is it? 2. Is the timescale of An Inspector
Calls less than 24 hours. What is the timescale?
3. What is the setting of the play? Does it ever change?
The Greek Chorus: The Chorus in a Greek drama served a number of purposes. These
included:
1. Offering a summary of what has happened so far;
2. Commenting on the characters within the play;
3. Explaining to everyone the lessons to be learned.
Who, in the play, has a similar role to that of a Greek chorus? Find an example where this
character does each of the above.
When stage time and real time are the same, this
serves to make the play more realistic
Unity of time
Because complicated sub-plots do not spoil the action Unity of Action
of the play, it makes the play realistic and convincing.
The single, constant setting focuses the attention of
the audience.
Unity of place
The Dénouement
The denouement (or ending) of a Greek Drama should have been a learning experience for
both the characters and audience. At the end of An Inspector Calls, not all of the characters
have learned their lesson. Who are they?
In order to counter this, Priestley introduced ‘another’ dénouement. What is it? Is it really an
‘ending’? To help you answer this, think about:
1. What does Priestley force us to imagine?
2. Do we want some of the characters to go through this again?
An inspector calls
3. Have we, as an audience, learned anything?
Detective story or ‘whodunnit’
This is a story (play) in which a mystery, frequently involving murder, is unravelled by the
careful questioning of a detective. In a traditional 'whodunnit' mystery, the criminal would be
revealed. Is An Inspector Calls a traditional whodunnit? To help you answer, think about: the
nature of the mystery in this play (Is there a 'murder'?); the 'crimes' committed by the Birlings
and Gerald Croft. (Could they be punished for what they did to her?)
Morality play;
This was a type of play performed in the late middle ages. Its purpose was to instruct and guide
an audience as to the ‘correct’ way to live, behave and treat others. (Basically, not to break the
Seven Deadly Sins.) Does Priestley (the Inspector) have a moral for us?
Stage directions;
Stage directions take the form of information (which is not part of the dialogue) given to a
reader, actor or director. Some may be basic instructions such as: ‘Exit stage right’. Others may
provide detailed information on things such as setting, action or a character’s personality.
Which does Priestley tend to use? Look at the opening Stage Directions to the play. What do
you notice about the length of the SDs?
Exits and entrances
In order to heighten the suspense, tension
and dramatic action, entrances and exits are perfectly timed within the play.
Lighting
●
●
It goes from 'pink and intimate' until the Inspector arrives and then it should be 'brighter
and harder'.
Priestley describes the scene in detail at the opening of Act 1, so that the audience has
the immediate impression of a "heavily comfortable house." The setting is constant (all
action happens in the same place). Priestley says that the lighting should be "pink and
intimate" before the Inspector arrives - a rose-tinted glow - when it becomes "brighter
and harder." The lighting reflects the mood of the play.
An inspector calls
Prop
Consider the significance of each prop - what they symbolise and how they drive the plot
Bell
turning point of a contradiction to facts presented.
Telephone
Unpleasant lessons
Setting & staging
●
●
All three acts, which are continuous, take place in the dinning room of the Birling’s house
in Brumley, an industrial city in the North Midlands
It is an evening in the spring, 1912
Subtle hint
●
●
●
●
●
early on we wonder whether the happy atmosphere is slightly forced.
Sheila wonders where Gerald was last summer
Eric is nervous about something
Lord and Lady Croft did not attend the engagement dinner.
This arouses interest in the audience - we want to find out what is going on!
Dramatic irony.
The term dramatic irony refers to the situation which arises when a character in a play speaks
lines which are understood in a double sense by the audience, though not by the characters on
stage. There is one character in An Inspector Calls whose speeches are particularly ironic.
Who is this? (See separate sheet on Dramatic Irony.)
Proleptic irony (foreshadowing) vs dramatic irony:
● Both of these are literary devices used in playwriting.
● Dramatic irony occur when the audience knows something relevant to the plot that the
character are not aware of
● Proleptic irony is when something significant happens, that neither the audience or
characters are aware of at the time , but which foreshadows something significant later
on in the text
Dramatic irony
When the audience know something that the characters on stage do not know eg. The full
significance of a character’s word
Builds tension
An inspector calls
Language of conversation features:
●
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●
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Imperative tone
Interrupted constructions
Floor time
Disjointed constructions
Dramatic techniques
●
●
●
●
●
●
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Didactic tone
Stage directions
• Aside:
• Soliloquy
• Dramatic Irony
Peripeteia - sudden reversal of fortune
Tension
The Fourth Wall - The Inspector’s final speech addressed directly to audience.
Technique
●
●
●
●
Structure
Form
Imagery
Language
Structure
●
●
●
●
Start
○ Stage directions
○ Atmosphere joval
Arrival of inspector
○ Atmosphere change
○ Edna “
○ “Looking hard at the person hard at the person he address before actually
speaking
Realisation of Gerald cheated on Shelia
Realisation of Eric is the father
○ Tension builds
○ Inspector interrogate Mrs Birling and learn of Eric’s dark past
An inspector calls
○
●
●
“Eric enters, looking extremely pale and distressed. He meets their inquiring
stare. Curtain falls quickly”
Conflict amongst the family
○ Realisation of inspector isn’t a police inspector
○ triumphantly
Telephone rings at the end (final)
○ Repeat the cycle- Ouspensky theory
○ “The telephone rings sharply”
Act
How a play is divided/ structured. An inspector calls is divided into 3 acts
Theories that influence
Ouspensky’s Theory
●
●
●
●
When we die we re-enter our life once more from the beginning.
We are born again to the same parents and continue to repeat all the events of our life
as before.
This cycle of identical lives would go on being repeated if we changed nothing of
significance.
If, however, we improved in some spiritual way, we convert the circle into a spiral of
events that would, if we continued to make significant improvements, eventually open
the way for us to escape from the repetitions and into a new life in which we did not
repeat our mistakes.
Links to an Inspector calls
The Inspector comes back from the future or from some place outside time to offer the Birlings
an opportunity to change
● an opportunity they appear not to take.
● In the end they have learned nothing and so will have to go through it all over again.
Dunne’s Theory
●
●
●
you could be given the gist of seeing forward in time as well as looking back.
This would mean that just as you can look back and see what actions led to your present
situation, you could also look forward to see the consequences of your actions.
So, if you wished, you could change those actions and so avoid the consequences.
Links to an Inspector calls
An inspector calls
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The character are looking forward in time where they experience the death of Eva before
it is announced to them.
Inspector Goole enables all the characters in the play to see the future
This enables the character to make changes if they wish so and avoid the
consequences- the death of Eva and many others like her
Key words
●
●
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Provavicial- has a regional accent. Accent and social class were closely linked
Guffaws- really loud laugh
Squiffy-drunk
Study guide
An-Inspector-Calls-LitChart.pdf
An Inspector Calls student material (sample chapters).pdf
An Inspector Calls’ workbook.ppt
An_Inspector_Calls_-_Teaching_Resources_11_-_20[1]
An Inspector Calls – Knowledge Organiser
—---------https://members.gcsepod.com/shared/podcasts/title/10265/62803
https://www.sparknotes.com/drama/an-inspector-calls/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxhsyrd/revision/1
Others’s notes
An Inspector Calls Key Quotes (CONDNENS).pdf
Copy of the text
An Inspector Calls e-text.pdf
Exemplar
Ally Cheung - Understanding the AIC mark scheme and looking at exemplar analysis of the
Inspector
Ally Cheung - Exemplar Essays & Essay Questions - 'An Inspector Calls'
Ally Cheung - Lang P2 Sec A: AIC Practice
Ally Cheung - 3. Lit P2 Sec A An Inspector Calls Practice
Ally Cheung - AIC Analytical Writing Act 1: Sheila or the Inspector
Exam plan
AIC Essay Planning
An inspector calls
4. 11R An Inspector Calls Class Plans
Ally Cheung - 3. Lit P2 Sec A An Inspector Calls Practice
Questions
Lang P2 Sec A: AIC Class Questions
Student Copy An Inspector Calls Example Examination questions
Ally Cheung - Exemplar Essays & Essay Questions - 'An Inspector Calls'
1. Lit P2 Sec A: AIC Class Questions
An Inspector Calls Quizzes and Questions.pdf
End of year assessment
Ally Cheung - 'An Inspector Calls' Assessment Y10 June 2021'An Inspector Calls' Assessment
Feedback 26/30
Own work
Ally Cheung - Mr Birling First Impression Act 1
Other rando
Ally Cheung - Writing Skills Practice (AIC)
An inspector calls (tutoring)
Other’s notes
An Inspector Calls Notes - Literature Paper 2-Modern Drama
An Inspector Calls
●
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Explore Priestley’s presentation of Eric in the play.
○ You must consider language, form and structure in your answer.
How does Priestley present the importance of responsibility in ‘An Inspector Calls’?
○ You must consider language, form and structure in your answer
How does Priestley explore different social classes in An inspector’s calls?
“We do not live alone. We are members of one body” How far do the characters engGe
with this ideology throughout An inspector calls?
● How far do you agree
● character
○ Engage- 50% 50% / 100% / 0%
○ 100% inspector, Shelia
○ 0% Mrs and Mr Birling
○ 50% Gerald
How does Priestley convey the change in atmosphere during An inspector calls and
what impact does it have on both the character and the audience?
An inspector calls
●
Points of tension
●
Change- start → end (chronologically)
●
Dramatic technique
○ Stage direction
○ Props
○ Events
●
●
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Atmosphere change?
Techniques?
How character affected and how do you know?
●
Start
○ Stage directions
○ Atmosphere joval
Arrival of inspector
○ Atmosphere change
○ Edna “
○ “Looking hard at the person hard at the person he address before actually
speaking
Realisation of Gerald cheated on Shelia
Realisation of Eric is the father
○ Tension builds
○ Inspector interrogate Mrs Birling and learn of Eric’s dark past
○ “Eric enters, looking extremely pale and distressed. He meets their inquiring
stare. Curtain falls quickly”
Conflict amongst the family
○ Realisation of inspector isn’t a police inspector
○ triumphantly
Telephone rings at the end (final)
○ Repeat the cycle- Ouspensky theory
○ “The telephone rings sharply”
●
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