J .B Priestley’s
An Inspector Calls
N5 Unit
Lesson 1
Unit Aims
In this unit, you will read the play ‘An
Inspector Calls’ by J.B Priestley and do
the following :
Revisit the definition of and aspects of a play
Learn about the playwright and play’s background
Study:
Characterisation
Plot as well as Plot Structure
Theme
Setting
Success Criteria:
To successfully study this unit you will complete:
-A series of group discussion tasks.
- A Watching and Listening assessment
- An Analysis and Evaluation Reading
assessment
- A research project on a topic which
stems from the play
- An assessed group presentation and a
Critical Essay centred on the play’s main
theme.
Pre-Reading
Before reading the play we must :
Refamiliarise ourselves with the
conventions of the genre which make a
play different from other texts.
Learn important facts about the play
and playwright and recognise their
importance in enhancing our overall
understanding of the play.
Be able to recognise clues given by the
front cover of the play which help us to
gain an early insight into the play’s
genre/theme /plot and characters etc.
Task 1: Defining a play
Working in your groups, use the show me board
to write a definition for the following:
What
is a
‘play’?
You have 2 minutes to complete this exercise.
Everyone must be prepared to feed back to the
rest of the class if required to.
What is a play?
A play is a form of literature written by a
playwright. It consists of scripted dialogue
and is arranged into ’Acts‘.
Rather than be read like a novel or a poem,
a play is intended to be read aloud or
‘performed’ on a stage in front of an
audience.
Apart from Acts, what other aspects
is a play comprised of?
Task 2: The distinguishing features of
a play
As a group, using your show-me-board, write
down as many features of a play you can think
of (for example, ‘Acts’ would be one).
You have 2 minutes to complete this exercise.
Everyone must be prepared to feed back to the
rest of the class if required to.
The main distinguishing features of a
play:
Acts & scenes
Props
Stage directions
SFX (sound effects) and
music.
Lighting
Dialogue
Costume
Set
J.B Priestley
The Playwright
Priestley facts:
•
Born: 13th September 1894; Died:
14th August 1984
Mother died in the year he was born.
Left school at 16 ‘to write’ and
began work in 1910 as a junior
clerk at a wool firm.
Influences in Priestley’s life and work
Priestley said that it was the years
1911 - 1914 that ‘set their stamp’
upon him.
- What do you think this means?
- Which significant event did these years lead up to?
- How might this have influenced Priestley’s work ?
He often engaged in political
discussions with his father’s
socialist friends.
- How might these discussions have influenced Priestley and his work?
For your information:
With the outbreak of WW2 in 1939, Priestley
continued writing and worked for BBC radio.
However, his programmes were cancelled by the
British Government for being ‘too critical’ of their
actions in the war.
An Inspector Calls was written in 1945 and was set in
1912 (before WW1) and was first performed in
London in 1946.
Using the information you have been given so
far, why might Priestley have chosen to set the
play in 1912?
Task 3:
By examining some of the various cover
illustrations for the play along with the title
it may help you to gain some insight into the
genre, theme, plot line and the characters in
‘An Inspector Calls’.
Copy the following headings into your jotter. Make sure
that you leave a space underneath each one ( a few lines)
so that you can make notes based on the title of the play,
Example 1 and/or 2 and/or 3 for each.
a) Clues which indicate the plot
b) Clues which suggest the play’s genre
c) Clues which suggest the play’s theme(s)
d) Clues which give you information on the
characters who may feature
The play covers needed for this task feature on the
next slide.
Play Covers: Predictive task
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Lesson 2
Task 1:
You are about to receive a copy of the blurb which features on
the back of the play.
A) Read it then decide whether any of your observations from
the previous task were accurate.
B) Glue the blurb into your jotter then annotate the extract by
highlighting and making notes on the words and phrases
which give you more information on PLOT, GENRE, THEME &
CHARACTER.
Be ready to feed back to the class.
Blurb
Arthur Birling, a prosperous manufacturer, is
holding a family dinner party to celebrate his
daughter’s engagement. Into this cosy scene
intrudes the harsh figure of a police inspector
investigating the suicide of a young workingclass woman. Under interrogation, every
member of the family turns out to have a
shameful secret which links them with her
death.
Key words and Phrases:
Arthur Birling, a prosperous manufacturer, is
holding a family dinner party to celebrate his
daughter’s engagement. Into this cosy scene
intrudes the harsh figure of a police inspector
investigating the suicide of a young workingclass woman. Under interrogation, every
member of the family turns out to have a
shameful secret which links them with her
death.
Task 2: Assessment
For this task you are going to use your watching
and listening skills to answer a variety of
questions based on a modern stage production
of the play and learn more about it in the
process.
Assessment:
The clips you will watch are:
- a trailer for Stephen Daldry’s 2009 version of the play
- a clip of Daldry talking about the play.
These will help offer further insight into what the play is
about and its main theme. You will get to see each clip
twice before answering the accompanying questions.
Links to the clips can be found on the next slide.
Links to clips
Clip 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jGR6
1PM6k
Clip 2:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/t
heatre-reviews/6239688/An-Inspector-Callsat-the-Novello-Theatre-review.html
Process:
1.
- Watch Clip 1
- 2 minutes for notes
- Watch Clip 1 again
- 2 minutes for notes
2. Repeat process for Clip 2
+
3. 40 minutes to answer assessment questions.
Lesson 3
Dramatic and Stylistic Features
An Inspector Calls is a well made play in that it has been
carefully constructed to arouse suspense and tension
using the following structure:
– Exposition (the opening)
– Rising Action
– Climax/Turning Point
– Falling Action
– Denoument
Copy the above points & diagram into your jotter.
We are now ready to begin reading the play. Pay particular
attention to the detail given in the Exposition of the play.
The opening of a well made play serves as an introduction,
providing more information on:
– The main characters
– The background and context
– The themes and ideas of the play
Lesson 4
Act 1: Post Reading task
You have now completed your reading of Act 1. Using your
knowledge of the play so far, you should be able to correctly
answer the questions which will follow to convey your
understanding of :
-
Characterisation
Plot as well as Plot Structure
Theme
Setting
Dramatic features of a play (Stage directions etc)
To do this you will need to revisit Act 1 of the play.
Conditions:
Answer each question individually and be
prepared to feed back to the rest of the class.
Act 1: Key Questions (Setting/Character)
1. When was the play written?
2. When is the play set?
3. Where does the action of the play take place?
4. Which fictional, industrial city is the play set in ?
5. Where in this city is the Birlings’ house located? Explain what
this suggests about the wealth and status of the Birlings.
6. Mr. Birling is described as being ‘a prosperous manufacturer’.
What do you think this means?
Act 1: Staging and Atmosphere
7. What type of furniture adorns the room?
8. What kind of mood did Priestley want this furniture to
create?
9 . Priestley specifies instructions with regard to lighting. How
is it meant to be before the arrival of the Inspector?
10. How is the lighting meant to change after the arrival of the
Inspector? What does this type of lighting remind you of?
11. Make a list of props that hint at the upper middle class
status of the Birlings.
12. Which phrase in these opening stage directions creates a
sense of foreboding?
Characters: First Impressions
Task 1:
Go through each of the characters in the play
(including the Inspector) and write down at
least 2 adjectives to describe each one.
Remember:
Adjectives are
describing words i.e.
‘bossy’.
First Impressions
Task 2:
Next, justify your answer by providing evidence
from the play.
This may be taken from stage directions, the character’s
words or even be something that is said about one
character by another. Remember if you are taking
something directly from the text you must use
quotation marks (“ ”).
Lesson 5
Theme
In this lesson you are going to explore the play’s key
theme (responsibility) by looking at it in the context
of your own life.
Working individually and as part of a group you are
then going to complete a range of activities which
allow you to examine your own attitude to
responsibility. Everyone must participate at all times
in group discussion and show that they can
contribute in a meaningful way.
Task A: Individual Task
On your own rank the following statements
in order with those you feel you have most
responsibility over at the top and the least,
at the bottom.
You have 5 minutes to work individually to
complete this task.
Think about it:
Are there any statements from the list that
you think apply not only to the individual, but
the ‘collective’ i.e. you along with the rest of
society ?
Task B: Discussion
Now, working with others in your group decide on
the three statements you, as a collective, feel you
attribute the greatest amount of responsibility to and
the three you feel you attribute the least amount of
responsibility to. You should have 6 altogether and
each person must be ready to justify the group’s
reasoning behind each of their chosen statements.
You have 10 minutes to complete
this task.
Task C: Discussion
If every person were to put the interest of
themselves and their family above all others,
how would it affect the larger community?
You have 5 minutes to complete this task and every
member of the group should be prepared to feedback to
the rest of the class.
Task D: The Case of the Crisps...
(discussion)
Task Scenario:
If a stranger were to pass you by and
think nothing of dropping a crisp
packet on the ground, what would be
your reaction?
Would you shout at them to pick it up? Would
you ignore it? Would you stop and pick it up?
Discuss.
Lessons 6 - 8
Task 1:
Now that you have read and completed the
necessary questions on Act 1 of the play, you
are going to begin Act 2. To properly
consolidate your knowledge of Act 2, it will be
split into sections and you will be given a
series of questions to answer on your
understanding of each section.
Pages 27-32
1) What is the mood in the dining room at the start of Act II?
2) Why do Gerald and Sheila react ‘bitterly’ to each other?
3) The Inspector is described as taking charge ‘massively’ –
what impression of the Inspector do you think the writer
wants to create by using this word?
4) How has the Inspector affected Sheila – think actions and
dialogue.
5) Why does Sheila stare at the Inspector ‘wonderingly and
dubiously’?
6) What truth does Sheila reveal about Eric?
7) Sheila tries several times to warn her mother about what
she is saying (page 30; page 32).
a) Write down 2 things Sheila says.
b) What point is she trying to make?
Pages 33-40
1)
2)
What is Mrs Birling’s attitude to Eva Smith?
Write some stage directions to show how each of the characters:
a) Mr. Birling
b) Mrs Birling
c) Sheila
d) The Inspector... reacts to Gerald’s story.
3) Explain what Sheila means when she says: “No, he’s giving us the
rope – so that we’ll hang ourselves”.
4) Write a short summary of Gerald’s involvement with Daisy
Renton.
5) Write a short paragraph or bullet-point list which sums up what
we know about Eva/Daisy so far.
Pages 41-49
1) On page 41 Sheila sums up the involvement of each member
so far – make a note of what she says.
2) Write down three words to describe Mrs Birling’s manner
when she is telling her story.
3) How is the Inspector's attitude to Mrs. Birling, and his
manner of questioning her, different to how he questioned
Sheila?
4) What clue gives away Eric’s involvement with Eva to Sheila?
5) Why is Mrs. Birling’s final reaction in the act ‘frightened’?
6) What is the mood in the dining room as Eric re-enters?
7) Now quickly reread Act 2 and make sure that you have
added ALL the entrances and exits to the table at the back of
your jotter.
Homework task:
From the play, find at least 2 quotations for each of the
characters
which reveals their attitude towards:
Eva Smith
and/or
Responsibility
and/or
Eachother
For each quotation (which should be consist of speech/stage
directions) you must provide an explanation of what this shows
about the character’s attitude towards the appropriate aspects
listed above.
Task 2: Eva’s Timeline
You are going to work in groups to chart the changes
in Eva’s life, in chronological order, as a result of her
dealing with the Birling family and Gerald Croft. For
this you will need to create a graph to illustrate this
and also, will have to revisit the play in order to find
out the information necessary.
Remember...
To think about the way Eva is treated by each of the
characters and how this affects her status and her
ability to control her own life. You should make notes
on this at each point on the graph.
To consider the fact that although Eva/Daisy’s life is
on a downwards trend, she does have some points
during which things improve – temporarily – for her.
Task 3
In groups, create a table with two columns
with the following headings:
Eva Smith (1910)
Eva Smith (2013)
Now, make a list under each heading detailing the main differences
between a woman like Eva Smith in 1910 and now. For this, think
about employment, welfare, class etc. Each group member should
be prepared to feedback to the rest of the class.
Exemplar:
1910 (Employment):
Eva would have been working long hours for very little pay. As a result, Eva – along
with the other female workers went on strike for higher wages. However, there were
no unions looking out for the wages and wellbeing of the workers and so, the
‘punishment’ for Eva was dismissal.
2013 (Employment):
Minimum wage now exists; women have better employment rights and have more of
a choice over what they want to do and where they want to work; Eva, in 1910, on the
other hand would not. Workers are also able to join working unions which look out for
their welfare and wellbeing in the work place. Going on strike, noweadays, doesn’t
result in being dismissed.
Lesson 9
Reading:
In this lesson you are going to begin
reading the final act, Act 3. Once
finished, answer the questions on the
following slides in your jotters.
The Dénouement
The dénouement (or ending) of a well-made play is meant
to be both logical and plausible.
Q1. Is this true of ‘An Inspector Calls’?
The dénouement should also provide a learning experience
for both characters and audience. At the end of this play,
not all the characters have learned their lesson.
Q2.Who has? Who has not?
In order to counteract this, Priestley introduces a
‘second’ dénouement.
Q.3 What is it? Is it really an ending?
HINT:
• What does Priestley want us to think about?
• Do we want some of the characters to go through the
experience again?
• Have we, the audience, learned anything?
Lesson 10 & 11
Inspector Goole
Undoubtedly, Inspector Goole plays a very
significant role in the play. With his arrival, tension
mounts. We must look at the characterisation of the
Inspector in order to understand the importance of
role he plays in the play.
Task A:
Individually, think about then answer the
following questions:
1. What aspects of the Inspector are unusual?
2. What do you think is the main purpose of his
being at the house?
3. At which point in the play does he make his
entrance. Is there anything odd about this?
Task B: Benign or Vengeful?
In your jotter note down examples of things
the Inspector says and does, which fit these
different roles.
Makes sure you provide supporting evidence
from the text.
A benign
presence
?
An
avenging
Angel
?
Inspector Goole & Responsibility
By now you will be well aware that the play’s
theme is Responsibility. It is time to decide
Inspector Goole’s role in conveying this
theme throughout the play.
Copy the following into your jotter:
‘You’ll be able to divide
the responsibility
between you when I’ve
gone.’
(Inspector Goole)
Now, copy each question below and
answer it using the quotation from
the Inspector.
1. What does the Inspector hope to teach the
family by saying this to them?
1. To what extent do the characters take the
Inspector’s words on board? Justify.
Task C:
Copy the following quotation on ‘Responsibility’ your
jotter. Then answer the following:
a) what do you think this quote means?
b) Does it relate to the ending of the play in any way?
So, who is responsible for Eva's death?
Most Responsible?
WHY?
Least Responsible?
WHY?
Task Time
Part A:
Consider how each of the Birlings and Gerald Croft
influences what happens to Eva Smith.
To do this, briefly describe how each character is
involved in the chain of events leading up to Eva’s
death. For this it is best to begin with Arthur Birling as
he is the first to be interrogated and the first character
to have had associations with Eva.
Part B
Next, consider the part each character plays in Eva’s
demise. Find quotes to justify your answers (for each
character find more quotations to add to the ones you
have already have and look particularly at Act 3. You
should have at least 4-5 quotes in total for each).
Points to consider:
- How does the character feel about what has happened to Eva?
- How prepared are they to admit responsibility for the part
that they play in her death?
- Do they learn anything? Do they seem genuinely sorry?
- Is there any connection between the age of the character
and their readiness to accept blame ?
Part C
Now using your notes/evidence, number each
one (1-5) according to how responsible you
feel they are for Eva’s death (1 = the most
responsible/to blame; 5 = the least
responsible/to blame).
Briefly, write a few sentences stating how far
each is at fault, in your opinion, for what he or
she has done to Eva.
Lesson 12:
In the previous lesson...
You were asked to rank each character in order of the least –
most responsible and provide evidence to back up your
opinions.
Now imagine the case has been taken to court. You will now
be split into groups and given one character to “defend”. This
may be tricky considering the character you end up with may
be the one you think is most responsible! However, you have
to forget this for the sake of the task...
Contd:
The teacher will organise the order of presentations.
Each group will have a chance to present their case
to the “court” and will be assessed on this.
Remember: You are trying to state why
your allocated character is the least
responsible for Eva’s suicide.
Process:
Working as a group, select as many pieces of evidence as you can from the
play which may get your character ‘off the hook’ with regards to any
responsibility they may have in Eva’s suicide. You must use evidence from the
text and elaborate as much as you can on each point when you come to
present it.
Remember:
You must sound convincing so don’t say something that you can’t back up
sufficiently. Always remember you are trying to present your group’s
character as innocent - so don’t finish on a negative note!
Deadline:
You must be ready to present your findings to the rest of the class in the
following lesson.
Remember ‘The Rules’:
1. All group members must contribute and each member should be
introduced by the previous speaker.
2. There must be an introduction introducing the character detailing the
part they play in Eva’s death and a conclusion summing up your group’s
overall thoughts on the part this character plays. The intro, main body and
conclusion need to be shared equally amongst yourselves so that one
person is not doing all the talking. You should all speak for approximately
the same amount of time as one another.
3. You should aim to present your case within a 6-8 minute time frame.
Should you exceed this, or speak for less time than the minimum stated,
you will jeopardise your overall mark. Each group will be given a timer to
ensure that the chances of this are minimised.
Peer Assessment:
Each of the other groups should be actively
listening and taking notes on both the content
– and delivery – of each of the cases
presented.
These notes will be especially valuable at the
end of the presentations in helping to clarify
and raise particular points which may have
come about as a result of the presentations
delivered.
Lesson 13
Assessment Task – Close Reading
Read each of the articles
on the director, Stephen
Daldry’s production of ‘An
Inspector Calls’.
Answer the questions which
follow.
Lesson 14 -16
Critical Essay: Task
In J.B. Priestley’s play An Inspector Calls, the theme of
responsibility is explored through the actions and dialogue
of the characters. At the end, however, Priestley leaves it up
to the audience to decide who is most to blame for Eva
Smith’s death.
Discuss how Priestley explores this central theme and
explain your own conclusions about the characters’
respective roles in Eva’s death and in helping us (the
audience) reach a decision as to who is to blame.
Important Techniques to remember:
-
Characterisation
Setting
Set
The use of Dramatic Irony*
Stage directions
The timings of entrances/exits of the actors.
Dialogue – what the characters say that reveals
aspects of their character
- Acting - The way the characters say their lines, their
facial expressions and body language and its effect.
- Staging - The positions of characters ’on stage‘/ the
position of cameras and the possible reasons behind
this- i.e. how the audience would see the play
unfold.
• Introduce each character (provide relevant detail on
background, personality, political views etc).
• Explain the part each plays in Eva’s death.
• Analyse:
• How each thinks/feels about his/her level of responsibility.
• How do we (the audience) think/feel about
a) their role in Eva’s death
b) their attitude to his own part in Eva’s death.
Lastly, pick the character who you think is the most
responsible for the death of Eva Smith and justify why.
• Remember to include relevant quotations and to lay them out
correctly. You have a lot of the information you will need for
this in your jotter.
A good introduction
• Includes…
Title
Playwright/dramatist
Reference to the task
Context ( a sentence or two setting the scene)
• It avoids:
Phrases such as: ’In my essay…’; ‘For my critical
evaluation I will…’ etc.
Giving away too much detail too soon
Retelling the story
Including quotations
Exemplar Introduction:
The novel ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee is one in which
the main theme is racism. In the novel, Scout, the narrator,
recalls her childhood growing up in the Southern States of
America - pre Civil Rights - in a society where black people
were treated as second class citizens. Tension mounts when
Scout’s father, the town’s most respected lawyer, is asked to
defend a black man accused of raping a white woman.
Through the use of characterisation, theme, key incidents and
setting the writer manages to convey the theme of racism
successfully and illustrate to the reader the injustices which
take place in a society intolerant of difference.
Lesson 16
An Inspector Calls:
Research project
Task:
Now that you have read the play, you are going to choose one
area which Priestley explores in the play which you would like
to research.
You have a week to produce a detailed plan as well as list of
resources you are going to consult in order to help you do this.
Once your teacher has checked this over and is happy with it
you will be given a deadline date for submission of the piece.
(Happy
Teacher!)
Choosing a topic…
You will be shown a list of suggested topics shortly. If you
would like to choose your own topic clear this with the
teacher first. First, you are going to be shown various images
relating to the potential topics you could choose. Try and
work out what each one might be.
Suggested topics:
•
•
•
•
•
Industrial Britain
The Welfare System (Then and Now)
Class (Then and Now)
Women in society (Then and Now)
The Birth of Socialism in Britain (Then and
now)
• Priestley and his work (Recurrent themes etc)
Last but not least...
You are now going to use your prior knowledge and
understanding of conducting research to create your
report on your chosen topic.
You are responsible for making sure that you
reference your sources and that the sources you
consult are reliable.