An Inspector Calls
J.B Priestley
Written: 1945
Set:1912
•
What’s the order in which the family are interrogated?
• How will you remember this?
• What are 5 key words to use in any exam question on
this play?
Order of Interrogation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
MSG ME!
Mr Birling
Sheila Birling
Gerald Croft
Mrs Birling
Eric Birling
How were they all connected to Eva
Smith/Daisy Renton’s death/suicide?
Key Terms for ‘An Inspector Calls’
Quoting: write out the essential quote
in this speech on P.56
• “But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone
- but there are millions and millions and million 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 blood and anguish. Good night.”
Goole’s Speech: P56
How does this speech sum up Priestley’s messages
across the whole play?
• But just remember this. 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 blood and anguish. Good night.
Goole’s Speech: P56
Quotes to LAL on:
• But just remember this. 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 blood and anguish. Good night.
Unicef 2012: The Girl Effect
Watch this. How is the situation it describes
similar or different to that of Eva Smith in
1912/(1946)?
A* Extension: Think of one big social question it
raises ?
e.g. What are the effects of poverty on girls?
Social Conscience: What are some of the great social
questions raised by Priestley in An Inspector Calls?
E.g.
• Is Mr Birling right in his ‘every man for himself’ view of the
world?
• Workers’ rights?
• Individual’s personal responsibility & responsibility to
society?
• The class system?
• unmarried mothers? Women's’ rights?
• Criminal responsibility?
Big Idea?
One
word!
Tackling an exam question
•“
Which quote?
“
• What is Priestley's main aim in An Inspector
Calls?
Link back to question: What is Priestley’s main aim?
Meaning: which characters demonstrate this best? How?
Form (Why a detective play?)
Structure (where/when/who says it? – significance?)
language
Your point: Priestley’s main aim is to ….
“
“
Priestley’s main aim is to show how we are responsible for each
other in a just society:
BIRLING You'll apologize at once ... I'm a public man INSPECTOR [massively] Public men, Mr. Birling, have
responsibilities as well as privileges.
Here the Inspector, who by this middle act of the play is gaining
in power and control over the situation, "massively" silences
Birling with a putdown. It is not the first or last time that Birling
is cut off mid-thought. It is also important because Priestley
points an extra finger of blame at Birling not just for his actions,
but for his failure to see that his public position entails a duty of
responsibility to other people. Priestley uses the detective
genre to investigate the traditional notion of the upper classes
taking responsibility for the welfare of the lower classes.
However, in the newer, more democratic life of 1940’s Britain,
the "public men" are not necessarily of higher social class even
if they have more wealth and public privileges (Birling is middle
class); at any rate, Priestley wants to show how real Justice
means each character must be responsible to all of society.
Exam Questions:
• Question 17
• 1 7 How does Priestley show that tension is at the heart of the Birling
family? (30 marks)
• OR
• Question 18
• 1 8 Priestley criticises the selfishness of people like the Birlings. What
methods does he use to present this selfishness? (30 marks)
• Choose one and create a 5-part essay plan.
• Remember the format?
Your A grade Literature essay looks like this:
Intro
(A few sentences summary of the text, question + details of history)
↓
Main Analysis
5x PEED/LAL paragraphs on well selected quotes from the text that
answer the question
↓
Conclusion
(Directly link all of your points back to the question & summarise the answer.
Explore the moral / purpose of the text)
Q18. Priestley criticises the selfishness of people like the Birlings.
What methods does he use to present this selfishness?
(30 marks)
Mr Birling:
- Confrontational reaction;
‘look after himself’ = selfish
- Drama & tension of
conflicting Capitalism &
Socialism
Mrs Birling:
- Denial; hostile reaction
= drama & tension
- Hypocrisy of the upper
class; selfishly
protecting her own kind
Essay
Plan
Sheila Birling:
- Spoilt & selfish upper-class girl
- U.class & working class prejudices & hostilities
- Emotional outbursts & potential for change
INTRO:
- dramatic tension
&irony
- Emotional
reactions
- Hypocrisy &
selfishness of
the upper class
CONCLUSION:
- Priestley intends to
change audiences &
selfishness of people
though the play; to
instruct the morals of
society
Exam Questions:
• Question 17
• 1 7 An Inspector Calls has been called ‘a play of contrasts’.
• Write about how Priestley presents some of the contrasts in the play. (30
marks)
• OR
• Question 18
• 1 8 How does Priestley present the change in Sheila during the course of
the play
• An Inspector Calls? How do you think this change reflects some of
Priestley’s ideas? (30 marks)
• Choose one; plan and write the answer – 45 mins!
Exam Questions:
• Question 17
• 1 7 What do you think is the importance of Inspector Goole and
how does Priestley present him? (30 marks)
• OR
• Question 18
• 1 8 Remind yourself of the stage directions below from the start of
Act 1.
• The dining-room of a fairly large suburban house, belonging to...
Themselves.
• In the rest of the play, how does Priestley present and develop
some of the ideas shown here? (30 marks)
• Choose one; plan and write the answer – 45 mins!