AN INSPECTOR CALLS REVISION BOOKLET

MERIT TUTORS

NAME __________

YEAR________

DATE______

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BACKGROUND

An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley Background Information. The play was written in 1945 and reflects upon the Edwardian era of 1901 – 1914. Priestley used the play as a method to explore and popularize his ideas on politics, particularly his views on socialism. He was against the power of Capitalists (traders, industrialists and businessmen) who exploited their workers by paying poor wages and treating them badly. In the play he uses Birling as the example of a Victorian man of power who rose to success and wealth in business by treating his people badly. The play is set in the Edwardian era, where there was a great deal of prosperity for the middle classes and industrialists. At the same time there was growing discontent amongst the working classes with many strikes (miners, seamen, dockers and railwaymen).

Conditions were bad for many:

Wages were poor; there was much poverty Redundancy was common Illness, old age, drunkenness and large families added to the problem The national mortality rate for children was more than double for the working class compared to the

upper/middle classes. There was no social security system – only the dreaded workhouse and charity organizations for support.

The Edwardian era was ended by two world shattering events: the sinking of the Titanic (a ship that was a symbol of the wealth and luxury of the time.)

The outbreak of World War One – an event that changed the world as people knew it. Priestley wanted to explore the exploitation and oppression that existed in the country and that could continue to exist at the time of him writing the play in 1945. He wanted to see a more just society at the end of the Second World War. Priestley believed that we are all in a community and have a responsibility to look after others. His aim was to educate the audience through the characters’ realization of their role in Eva Smith’s downfall and thus expose their individual responsibility towards other people.

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PLOT OVERVIEW

Act 1

The Birling family is celebrating the engagement of Sheila to Gerald Croft, the son of Lord and Lady Croft, who comes from „an old country family – the landed people‟. Arthur Birling is in a good mood and makes a number of speeches, giving his views about the state of the world, technology and industrial relations. One of his main themes is about everyone being responsible for them; he doesn’t believe that anyone has a responsibility to others apart from his family. His speech is interrupted by the sound of a door bell. Inspector Goole is announced and enters the dining room where the family are gathered. He informs them of the death of a young woman who has committed suicide by drinking disinfectant. It emerges that Birling had sacked the girl, Eva Smith, two years earlier, after she had been one of the ring-leaders in a strike and demanding higher wages. Sheila Birling is also connected to the girl, having had her sacked from her new job at Milwards. She is horrified by what she did and is genuinely remorseful. The inspector seems to know the details of the family’s involvement before they speak and when he tells them that girl changed her name to Daisy Renton, Gerald’s reaction tells them us that he, too, knew the girl. When they are temporarily left alone, Sheila warns Gerald not to try to hide anything from the inspector. By the end of the first act, the audience is expecting the inspector to reveal further connections with members of the Birling family.

Act 2

Although Gerald tries to get Sheila to leave the room, she insists on staying; Gerald admits to having had an affair with Eva Smith, the girl who h knew as Daisy Renton, the previous summer. Sheila is hurt and disappointed in Gerald who had told her he was busy at the works at that time. After Gerald broke off the affair, Eva/Daisy had left Brumley for a few months. After Sheila has returned her engagement ring to him, Gerald goes out, appearing genuinely affected by the new of the girl’s death. Despite Sheila’s repeated warnings, Mrs. Birling tries to intimidate the inspector, believing that she could have no possible connection to the girl. When the inspector reminds her of the pregnant girl she turned away from the charity organisation she chaired, Mrs. Birling concedes but justifies her actions, claiming that the girl deserved it as she had lied to her about her name - calling herself Mrs. Birling. She also claims that she refused the girl’s story about the father of the baby offering to help her with stolen money. She retains her stern, judgemental position and insists that the father of the baby is the only guilty party and should be held responsible for the girl’s death. During this exchange, Eric (the son of Arthur and Sybil Birling) who has, until now, been out, enters the house and the audience realise that he is, in fact, the father of the baby.

Act 3

Eric immediately realises that they are all aware of his connection with Eva Smith, and he narrates his story. He verifies that he did, indeed, offer to help Eva Smith and the baby by stealing money from his father’s business. Following this, the inspector makes his final monologue about the need for social responsibility. This dialogue is in complete contrast to that of Arthur Birling’s at the start and the two characters are, thus, placed in direct opposition to each other. During this time, Gerald has been out and he now re-enters with the news that there is no Inspector by the name of Goole on the force and that he is, in fact, an imposter. At this news, Arthur and Sybil are relieved and talk about how all of this can be forgotten. However, a change has come over Sheila and Birling who try to convince their parents that regardless of whether or not Inspector Goole is a real inspector, they

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cannot deny what they have all done, and therefore, need to amend their ways. The play ends with a phone call from the police station which informs them that an inspector is on his way to question them about the death of a young girl.

SOCIAL, HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND HOW THIS IS REFLECTED IN ‘AN INSPECTOR CALLS’

STRIKES AND SOCIAL UNREST

STRIKES WERE OCCURING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. IN THE SUMMER OF 1911, THE MINERS’ UNION TOOK ACTION IN FAVOUR OF A MINIMUM WAGE LEADING TO VIOLENT RIOTS.

STRIKES CONTINUED RIGHT THROUGH THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1912 TO 1945 – E.G. THE GENERAL STRIKE IN 1926.

“Last month, just because the miners came on strike, there’s lots of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the near future. Don’t worry. We’ve passed the worst of it.” Mr. B

Mr. B says: “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down.”

Eric defends the strike: “Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices.”

TROUBLED FUTURE – 1912 - 1945

BIRLING THINKS THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD – PRIESTLEY IS DELIBERATLEY PRESENTING HIM AS FOOLISH TO AN AUDIENCE THAT HAS SEEN TWO WORLD WARS, SOCIAL UNREST AND A WIDENING GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR.

“There’s a good deal of silly talk about these days – but – and I speak as a hard-headed business man, who has to take risks and know what he’s about – I say, you can ignore all this silly pessimistic talk. When you marry you’ll be marrying at a very good time . Yes, a very good time – and soon it’ll be an even better time.” Mr. B

AUSTERITY + RICH versus POOR

AGAIN, THE AUDIENCE WILL KNOW THAT EVERYTHING BIRLING IS SAYING IS WRONG. THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1912 AND 1945 WAS A TIME OF AUSTERITY: WWI, FOR EXAMPLE, MEANT THAT INCOME TAX WAS DOUBLED, MEANING LESS IN WAGES FOR WORKERS.

THE 1930S SAW THE GREAT DEPRESSION WITH VERY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT.

"Here in a country rich beyond description there are people poor beyond description" said by Will Crooks, a Labour MP in 1908

“We employers at last are coming together to see that our interests – and the interests of Capital – are properly protected. And we’re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity.” Mr. B

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TWO WORLD WARS

TWO WORLD WARS THAT SAW THE GREATEST LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO MODERN KILLING

“…you’ll hear some people say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks! The Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war…And why? … Everything to lose and nothing to

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TECHNOLOGY AND (IN WWII IN PARTICULAR) PLANES BOMBING CITIES.

gain by war.” Mr. B

VERSUS

“fire, blood and anguish” (which was what the two world wars created) The Inspector

SHIPS, PLANES AND AUTO-MOBILES!

BIRLING WAS RIGHT IN THE SENSE THAT TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE – CARS, AIRPLANES, SHIPS ETC.

HOWEVER, MUCH OF THIS PROGRESS WAS DESTRUCTIVE/TRAGIC – E.G. THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC, AIRPLANES / TANKS ETC. BEING USED AS KILLING MACHINES IN WARS.

“Look at the progress we’re making. In a year or two we’ll have aeroplanes that will be able to go anywhere. And look at the way the auto- mobile’s making headway – bigger and faster all the time. And then ships. Why, a friend of mine went over this new liner last week – the Titanic – she sails next week – forty-six thousand eight hundred tons - forty-six thousand eight hundred– New York in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.” Mr. B

SOCIALISM VERSUS CAPITALISM

BIRLING DID NOT BELIEVE IN SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY. HIS VIEWS WERE ENTIRELY CAPITALIST WHICH ENTAILS THAT WEALTH REMAINS IN THE HANDS OF THE FEW – THE WEALTH IS NOT SHARED. IT BENEFITS THE RICH OVER THE POOR.

THE INSPECTOR (AND SHEILA AND ERIC) ARE MORE SOCIALIST IN THEIR OUTLOOK. E.G. ERIC THOUGH IT WAS VERY UNFAIR THAT EVA SMITH WAS SACKED FROM HER JOB. SOCIALISM IS THE BELIEF THAT AS A SOCIETY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AFTER ONE ANOTHER. IN PARTICULAR, SOCIALISTS BELIEVE THAT THE RICH HAVE A RESPONSIBILTITY TO LOOK AFTER THE POOR.

PRIESTELY HIMSELF WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL INEQUALITY IN BRITAIN. HE SET UP A NEW POLITICAL PARTY, THE COMMON WEATLTH PARTY,WHICH ARGUED FOR PUBLIC OWNERSHIP

“But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.” Mr. B

“…a man has to make is own way – has to look after himself – and his family too of course, when he has one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm.” Mr. B

Versus

“We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.” – The Inspector

“…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…” The Inspector

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OF LAND, GREATER DEMOCRACY AND A NEW MORALITY IN POLITICS.

THE WELFARE STATE

THE WELFARE STATE ENTAILED THE CREATION OF THE NHS, BENEFITS FOR THE UNEMPLOYED, STATE PENSIONS ETC. IT MEANT THAT THE VULNERABLE IN SOCIETY WOULD BE OFFERED SOME PROTECTION. IT WAS NOT CREATED UNTIL 1945. PRIESTLEY WAS INFLUENTIAL IN DEVELOPING THE IDEA.

PRIOR TO THIS, CHARITY ORGANISATIONS WERE THE ONLY HELP AVAILABLE. WHEN EVA SMITH FINDS HERSELF UNEMPLOYED, PREGNANT AND PENNILESS, A CHARITY ORGANISATION SUCH AS THE ‘BRUMLEY WOMEN’S CHARITY ORGANISATION’ WAS THE ONLY PLACE SHE COULD TURN TO FOR HELP. HOWEVER, THIS LEFT HER AT THE MERCY OF WOMEN LIKE MRSBIRLING who could decide whether to help her or not.

“I think it was a piece of gross impertinence…and naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case.”

“…I used my influence to have it [Eva’s case] refused.”

DRAMATIC IRONY “In twenty or thirty years’ time – let’s say, in 1940 – you may be giving a little party like this – your son or daughter might be getting engaged– and I tell you, by that time you’ll be living in a world that will have forgotten all these Capital versus Labour agitations and all these silly little war scares. There’ll be peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere.”

ROLE OF WOMEN

AT THE TIME THE PLAY WAS SET, WOMEN HAD FEWER RIGHTS. THEY WERE CONSIDERED TO BE INFERIOR TO MEN. RICH, MIDDLE CLASS WOMEN WERE EXPECTED TO GET MARRIED. POOR WOMEN WERE USED AS CHEAP LABOUR.

BY 1945, HOWEVER, WOMEN HAD EARNED THE VOTE AND A MORE EQUAL PLACE IN SOCIETY.

Mr. and Mrs. Birling continually try to get Sheila to leave as they feel that it is not appropriate for a young woman to hear difficult truths. Priestley wants us to question their patronising attitude.

Mr. Birling, when Sheila asks why the Inspector is here: “Nothing to do with you Sheila. Run along.”

Mrs. Birling in Act 2: “I think you ought to go to bed – and forget about this absurd business.”

Mr. Birling, as Gerald is confessing his affair with

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Eva: “I protest against the way my daughter, a young unmarried girl, is being dragged into this–’.Sheila replies: “I’m not a child, don’t forget.”

Mr. Birling to Sheila at the end of the play: “You’d better ask Gerald for that ring you gave back to him, hadn’t you? Then you’ll feel better.”

CLASS HIERARCHY

IN 1912 THERE WERE STRONGER CLASS DIVISIONS. THE RULING (WEALTHY) CLASS SAW NO NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY THINGS WERE. WE CAN SEE CLASS PREJUDICE IN CHARACTERS LIKE MR AND MRS BIRLING.

BY 1945, THERE WAS A GREAT DESIRE FOR SOCIAL CHANGE: PEOPLE WANTED MORE EQUALITY BETWEEN CLASSES. IMMEDIATELY AFTER WORLD WAR 2, THE LABOUR PARTY WON A LANDSLIDE VICTORY.

Mr. Birling is focused on his social status: “I might find my way into the next Honours list. Just a knighthood, of course.”

Mrs. Birling is prejudiced against Eva because she is working class: “…a girl of that sort…”

Mrs. B “She was giving herself ridiculous airs…”

YET Eva is portrayed as a very moral character –e.g. she refuses to accept stolen money. Priestley wants the audience to question the class prejudices of 1912.

EXTENSION: TIME THEORIES

PRIESTLEY WAS INTERESTED IN THEORIES OF TIME. ONE INFLUENCE ON PRIESTLEY WAS A RUSSIAN PHILOSOPHER, OUSEPENSKY, WHO BELIEVED THAT TIME CONTINUED TO RECUR, OR REPEAT ITSELF AND THAT INDIVIDUALS MUST LEARN TO STOP REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKES. ‘AN INSPECTOR CALLS’ IS ONE OF PRIESTLEY’S ‘TIME PLAYS’ – PLAYS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN HOW TIME WORKS.

You could argue that the Inspector comes from the future or from some place outside of time to offer the Birlings' an opportunity to change – an opportunity they don’t take. In the end they have learned nothing and so will have to go through it all over again.

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ThemesThe themes of the play are closely connected and at times indistinguishable from one another.

SOCIAL MESSAGE

Priestley uses the play to put across a social message that reflected his own views of society:

The comparison between the Birlings and the contrast with the workers in Birling’s factory striking for a few pennies a week more

The fact that someone like Mrs Birling can have a say in whether the Eva Smith’s of the world get help or not

Mr Birling as representative of capitalism and the Inspector championing the poor The inspector counters Birling’s selfish attitude by talking about the need to be ‘responsible

for each other’

RESPONSIBILITY

The Inspector wanted each member of the family to share the responsibility of Eva's death: he tells them, "each of you helped to kill her." 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."

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ClassATTITUDES TO THE LOWER CLASS:

ATTITUDES TO THE UPPER CLASS:

To this character, Eva was...

At the start of the play, this character was:

cheap labour Mr. Birling

keen to be knighted to cement his hard-fought rise to the upper class

someone who could be fired out of spite Sheila happy spending a lot of time in

expensive shops

a mistress who could be discarded at will Gerald prepared to marry Sheila, despite

her lower social position

easy sex at the end of a drunken night out Eric awkward about his 'public-school-

and-Varsity' life

a presumptuous upstart Mrs. Birling

socially superior to her husband, and embarrassed at his gaffes

Priestley is trying to show that the upper classes are unaware that the easy lives they lead rest upon hard work of the lower classes. They’re selfish/uncaring and immoral.

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AgeThe older generation and the younger generation take the Inspector's message in different ways. While Sheila and Eric accept their part in Eva's death and feel huge guilt about it, their parents are unable to admit that they did anything wrong.

The Old (Mr. and Mrs. Birling) The Young (Sheila and Eric)

The old are set in their ways. They are utterly confident that they are right and they see the young as foolish.

The young are open to new ideas. This is first seen early in Act 1 when both Eric and Sheila express sympathy for the strikers - an idea which horrifies Birling, who can only think of production costs and ignores the human side of theissue.

The old will do anything to protect themselves: Mrs. Birling lies to the Inspector when he first shows her the photograph; Mr. Birling wants to cover up a potential scandal.

The young are honest and admit their faults. Eric refuses to try to cover his part up, saying, "the fact remains that I did what I did."

They have never been forced to examine their consciences before and find they cannot do it now - as the saying goes, 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks.'

Sheila and Eric see the human side of Eva's story and are very troubled by their part in it. They do examine their consciences.

Mr. and Mrs. Birling have much to fear from the visit of the 'real' inspector because they know they will lose everything.

Sheila and Eric have nothing to fear from the visit of the 'real' inspector because they have already admitted what they have done wrong, and will change

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Gerald Croft is caught in the middle, being neither very young nor old. In the end he sides with the older generation, perhaps because his aristocratic roots influence him to want to keep the status quo and protect his own interests.

Ultimately, we can be optimistic that the young - those who will shape future society - are able to take on board the Inspector's message.

GenderAn Inspector Calls was written after World War Two. As many British men went away to fight during the war, their positions in work had to be filled by women. This helped change existing perceptions. Men had to acknowledge the fact that women were just as capable as them. As a result of this, many women enjoyed a newfound freedom that working and earning money allowed. Not all men saw this change in attitude as a good thing and stayed stuck in the past. Priestley explores the impact of these new gender roles through the independence of Eva Smith and the sexist attitudes of Mr. Birling.

In An Inspector Calls Priestley explores the theme of gender through:

how Mr Birling and Gerald Croft view women

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how Mrs Birling treats Eva Smith

how Eva Smith is portrayed as independent and outspoken before her death them

Other points…

MORALITY

Apart from Eric stealing money from his father, no crime has been committed in the play, yet the characters are examined as if it has. What is being put on trial to some extent is the morality of their different actions or inactions. Although they may not have acted illegally, could each of the characters be said to have acted immorally in their dealings with Eva Smith, using their relative power over her to have her sacked [twice]; to seduce her and then discard her when she was no longer wanted; to force her into having sex against her will and leaving her pregnant; and refusing her money and turning her away when she was destitute.

POLITICAL VIEWPOINT13

How Mr.

Birling refers to women

When Mr. Birling is telling Eric and Gerald about women's attitudes towards the clothes they wear.

"...not only something to make 'em look prettier - but - well, a sort of sign or token of their self- respect."

Mr. Birling shows that he has a patronising view of women, making the suggestion that clothes are a sign of self-respect forthem. He has a stereotypical view of women here and does not see them as individuals but suggests that all women think in the sameway.

How Gerald

refers to women

Gerald makes sexist and superficial comments about thewomen in the bar he visits.

"I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women."

Gerald shows that he can be very superficial in his view of women. If they don’t meet his standard of howthey 'should' look, he dislikes them.

How Mrs.

Birling treats Eva

Smith

When Mrs. Birling suggests that Eva is incapable of having feelings.

"She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position."

Priestley shows that even women like Mrs. Birling can be just as cruel and old fashioned as the men are. She does not try to empathise with a member of her own gender. This also highlights her negative attitude towards the workingclass

The play could be seen as a microcosm of society with different attitudes being shown through the different characters. Through the character of Birling, we are shown the antithesis of everything that Priestley believes in; in the Inspector we get a glimpse of what Priestley would advocate instead. Unlike Birling, Priestley believes that everyone has responsibility towards others. In Inspector Calls, Priestley shows his fear that the country would not stand up to scrutiny, that as a society we might be like Birling although he shows some hope, in the characters of Sheila and Eric, that things might change.

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Important Character Quotes

Mr Birling

Bullying, mean head of the family who sees his employees as expensive machinery rather than human beings.

‘look forward to a time when Croft’s and Birling’s are no longer competing but working together – for lower costs and higher prices.’ (4) Mr. B may only want Gerald to marry his daughter for business purposes.

‘The Germans don’t want war… the Titanic, she sails next week… and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.’ (7) Mr. B is wrong about the war and the Titanic. This is how the writer tells us he is wrong in the way he treats people too – dramatic irony to 1945 and modern audience. This links to pages 9/10 and his views, which the audience will also see as wrong. Good evidence to show you understand ‘structure’.

‘The way some of these cranks talk now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else.’ (10) Mr. B can only ever think of looking after himself.

‘But it doesn’t convey anything to me.’ (12) Mr. B doesn’t even remember sacking Eva Smith until he is reminded about it.

‘Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.’ Inspector suggesting that Mr. B has a ‘duty of care’ to his employees – something we take for granted in 2012. (41)

Mrs Birling

A snobbish woman who judges everyone by their financial situation, not by their character.

‘Girls of that class…’ (30) Mrs. B looks at everyone as members of various classes, not as human beings.

‘Alderman Meggarty… we are learning something tonight.’ (35) Mrs. B realizes that people she thought were civilised are corrupt and immoral. Suggests the wealthy are remote from reality? Link to today?

‘She seemed to me to be not a good case – and so I used my influence to have it refused.’ (44) Mrs. B admits turning the girl away but refuses to accept that this was wrong. Very matter of fact language.

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‘Some drunken young idler, then that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape.’ (48) Mrs. B doesn’t yet know that the drunken idler is her own son. As a hypocrite, she doesn’t say the same when she finds out!

Sheila

A basically warm hearted girl who admits that she suffers from sudden jealousies. She eventually realises that they did wrong to the girl, unlike her parents.

‘She was a very pretty girl too… and that didn’t make it any better.’ ‘I couldn’t be sorry for her.’ (24) Sheila admits to being jealous of Eva Smith.

‘…talked about building up a wall that’s sure to be knocked flat.’ (32) As one of the more intelligent characters, Sheila suspects that it is useless to try and fool the inspector.

‘I don’t care about that, the point is that you don’t seem to have learnt anything.’ (58) Sheila reveals her generous nature and that she knows that whether the girl died or not, the sins they committed are still with them / have taken place.

‘I suppose we’re all nice people now.’ (63) As above. Ironic tone.

Eric

A basically pleasant young man but he admits he drinks too much and doesn’t work hard enough. He eventually realizes that they treated the girl badly.

‘She wouldn’t take any more and she didn’t want to see me again.’ (54) Eric explains how Eva/Daisy behaved more decently, even in poverty, than any of the Birlings’ did. Wouldn’t accept stolen money.

‘And the child she’d had too – my child – your own grandchild – you killed them both – damn you-‘(55) Eric reveals the Inspector’s ability to turn them against themselves. Hyphens used to show his distress – harshLanguage used. Don’t forget to look at the stage directions as well!

‘The money’s not the important thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.’ (65) Eric proves that he is good at heart and understands that they were morally very bad to the girl.

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Gerald

Another gentle character might have helped Eva in generosity but allowed his superiority over her to lead to sex. Perhaps he should have considered what would happen to the girl when his help stopped, as it was always going to.

‘And I’ve told you – I was awfully busy at the works all that time.’ (3) Gerald proves that he is capable of being so dishonest to someone he should respect, i.e. Sheila.

‘I didn’t install her there so I could make love to her… I was sorry for her.’ (37) Gerald may have tried to help her but he never considered what would happen when he took the help away.

‘She told me she’d been happier than she’d ever been before.’ (39) As above. Gerald’s sense of generosity is not only providing him with sex without responsibilities, it is also misplaced.

Priestley shows the attitudes of the different characters towards responsibility:

Mr Birling does not have a sense of responsibility to his workers, just to making a profit and towards his family

Mrs Birling has a sense of responsibility to do good deeds by being on the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation but feels no sense of responsibility for what happened to Eva Smith after she turned her away

Gerald seems to show a responsible attitude when he rescued the girl from the attentions of Alderman Meggarty but then used her for his own purposes, discarding her once she was of no further use to him

Eric shows little responsibility for his own actions, forcing himself upon Eva when he was in a drunken state and even when he tried to help her, he did it by stealing from his own father

Sheila does show a sense of responsibility somewhat belatedly, realising that her actions in Milwards had a devastating consequence for one young woman’s life

Inspector

Mystical and ghostly figure who calls to reveal to the Birlings how dangerous, selfish and immoral their lifestyles are.

‘It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.’ (14) The Inspector’s lesson to Mr. B is that at least Eva Smith only asked for a rise. Mr. B just takes all of his money without asking anyone.

‘There are a lot of young women… if there weren’t the factories and warehouses wouldn’t know where to look for cheap labour. Ask your father.’ (19) The Inspector shows he knows how business works and how the workers are exploited by Mr. B.

Gerald points out that they are respectable citizens, not criminals. Inspector says ‘Sometimes, there isn’t as much difference as you think … I wouldn’t know where to draw the line.’ (22) Inspector suggests that even though no legal crime has been committed, they are guilty of a moral crime.

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‘You were annoyed with yourself and passed the annoyance onto her.’(25) The Insp knows why Sheila did what she did to Eva Smith.

‘She wanted to keep this youngster out of any more trouble – isn’t that so?’ (47) Eva Smith wouldn’t accept any more money from Eric because she thought he’d get into trouble for it. Eva is morally superior to her superiors – irony.

‘You’re offering the money at the wrong time, Mr Birling.’ (56) The Insp offers moral, not legal lessons. Mr Birling appears not to know the difference.

‘One Eva Smith has gone… but there are millions… of Eva Smiths… all intertwined with our lives… if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.’ (56) The message Priestley wanted to put across when he wrote the play?

TENSION IN ‘AN INSPECTOR CALLS’

there is a very compact structure to the play, nothing is allowed to distract the audience from the central theme. There is no sub-plot

the play takes place in just one location; the action is continuous and takes place over one evening Act One begins by introducing the characters and establishing the idea of a happy and united family

looking forward to the future with a degree of confidence. In retrospect, there are a number of hints that all is not as it seems but these are not particularly obvious until later in the play. There is nothing to warn us of the shock of the Inspector's visit

events soon gather speed and it is not long before we are being informed of Birling and Sheila's involvement with Eva Smith

tensions increase, firstly as Gerald's affair is unveiled (and the scandal it would cause) and Sheila begins to realise that they are all implicated in some way 'he is giving us rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves'. As reader/audience we realise that all the characters are going to have secrets to reveal under the clever questioning of the inspector; the anticipation of the audience raises the level of tension

Mrs Birling's attempts to shift the blame for the girl's suicide lead her to blame the father of the unborn child. Despite Sheila’s attempts to prevent her from digging herself deeper into a hole, Mrs Birling ploughs on relentlessly adding to the dramatic tension as the audience waits to see what will happen

the tension is heightened at this point by the dramatic entrance of Eric. with the departure of the Inspector it would appear that what follows will be something of an anti- climax as

the Inspector's identity is put into doubt by a series of observations made by the Birling family and Gerald. Even the existence of Eva is called into question.

however, the tension remains to some extent as the two generations show a split in their attitudes, confirming the differences highlighted by the Inspector’s questioning - the moral divide is very great indeed

the final denouement, the phone call announcing that a police inspector is on his way to ask some questions about a girl who has just died in the infirmary, is as shocking as it is surprising and ensures that the audience will leave the auditorium in a state of real shock

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CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Arthur Birling

He is described at the start as a "heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties but rather provincial in his speech."

He has worked his way up in the world and is proud of his achievements. He boasts about having been Mayor and tries (and fails) to impress the Inspector with his local standing and his influential friends.

However, he is aware of people who are his social superiors, which is why he shows off about the port to Gerald, "it's exactly the same port your father gets." He is proud that he is likely to be knighted, as that would move him even higher in social circles.

He claims the party "is one of the happiest nights of my life." This is not only because Sheila will be happy, but because a merger with Crofts Limited will be good for his business.

He is optimistic for the future and confident that there will not be awar. As the audience knows there will be a war, we begin to doubt Mr Birling's judgement. (If he is wrong about the war, what else will he be wrong about?)

He is extremely selfish:o He wants to protect himself and his family. He believes that socialist ideas

that stress the importance of the community are "nonsense" and that "a man has to make his own way."

o He wants to protect Birling and Co. He cannot see that he did anything wrong when he fired Eva Smith - he was just looking after his business interests.

o He wants to protect his reputation. As the Inspector's investigations continue, his selfishness gets the better of him: he is worried about how the press will view the story in Act II, and accuses Sheila of disloyalty at the start of Act III. He wants to hide the fact that Eric stole money: "I've got to cover this up as soon as I can."

At the end of the play, he knows he has lost the chance of his knighthood, his reputation in Brumley and the chance of Birling and Co. merging with their rivals. Yet he hasn't learnt the lesson of the play: he is unable to admit his responsibility.

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Mrs Sybil Birling

Mrs Sybil Birling

She is described at the start as "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior."

She is a snob, very aware of the differences between social classes. She is irritated when Mr Birling makes the social gaffe of praising the cook in front of Gerald and later is very dismissive of Eva, saying "Girls of that class."

She has the least respect for the Inspector of all the characters. She tries- unsuccessfully - to intimidate him and force him to leave, then lies to him when she claims that she does not recognise the photograph that he shows her.

She sees Sheila and Eric still as "children" and speaks patronisingly to them. She tries to deny things that she doesn't want to believe: Eric's drinking, Gerald's

affair with Eva, and the fact that a working class girl would refuse money even if it was stolen, claiming "She was giving herself ridiculous airs."

She admits she was "prejudiced" against the girl who applied to her committee for help and saw it as her "duty" to refuse to help her. Her narrow sense of morality dictates that the father of a child should be responsible for its welfare, regardless of circumstances.

At the end of the play, she has had to come to terms that her son is a heavy drinker who got a girl pregnant and stole money to support her, her daughter will not marry a good social 'catch' and that her own reputation within the town will be sullied. Yet, like her husband, she refuses to believe that she did anything wrong and doesn't accept responsibility for her part in Eva's death.

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Sheila Birling

Sheila Birling

She is described at the start as "a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited."

Even though she seems very playful at the opening, we know that she has had suspicions about Gerald when she mentions "last summer, when you never came near me." Does this suggest that she is not as naive and shallow as she first appears?

Although she has probably never in her life before considered the conditions of the workers, she shows her compassion immediately she hears of her father's treatment of Eva Smith: "But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people." Already, she is starting to change.

She is horrified by her own part in Eva's story. She feels full of guilt for her jealous actions and blames herself as "really responsible."

She is very perceptive: she realises that Gerald knew Daisy Renton from his reaction, the moment the Inspector mentioned her name. At the end of Act II, she is the first to realise Eric's part in the story. Significantly, she is the first to wonder who the Inspector really is, saying to him, 'wonderingly', "I don't understand about you." She warns the others "he's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves" (Act II) and, near the end, is the first to consider whether the Inspector may not be real.

She is curious. She genuinely wants to know about Gerald's part in the story. It's interesting that she is not angry with him when she hears about the affair: she says that she respects his honesty. She is becoming more mature.

She is angry with her parents in Act 3 for trying to "pretend that nothing much has happened." Sheila says "It frightens me the way you talk:" she cannot understand how they cannot have learnt from the evening in the same way that she has. She is seeing her parents in a new, unfavourable light.

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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.

Eric Birling

Eric Birling He is described at the start as "in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half

assertive." Eric seems embarrassed and awkward right from the start. The fist mention of him in

the script is "Eric suddenly guffaws," and then he is unable to explain his laughter, as if he is nervous about something. (It is not until the final act that we realise this must be because of his having stolen some money.) There is another awkward moment when Gerald, Birling and Eric are chatting about women's love of clothes before the Inspector arrives. Do you feel that there is tension in Eric's relationship with his father?

It soon becomes clear to us (although it takes his parents longer) that he is a hardened drinker. Gerald admits, "I have gathered that he does drink pretty hard."

When he hears how his father sacked Eva Smith, he supports the worker's cause, like Sheila. "Why shouldn't they try for higher wages?"

He feels guilt and frustration with himself over his relationship with the girl. He cries, "Oh - my God! - how stupid it all is!" as he tells his story. He is horrified that his thoughtless actions had such consequences.

He had some innate sense of responsibility, though, because although he got a woman pregnant, he was concerned enough to give her money. He was obviously less worried about stealing (or 'borrowing' from his father's

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office) than he was about the girl's future. So, was Eric, initially, the most socially aware member of the Birling family?

He is appalled by his parents' inability to admit their own responsibility. He tells them forcefully, "I'm ashamed of you." When Birling tries to threaten him in Act III, Eric is aggressive in return: "I don't give a damn now." Do you think Eric has ever stood up to his father in this way before?

At the end of the play, like Sheila, he is fully aware of his social responsibility. He is not interested in his parents' efforts to cover everything up: as far as he is concerned, the important thing is that a girl is dead. "We did her in all right."

Gerald Croft

Gerald Croft

He is described as "an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred man-about-town."

He is an aristocrat - the son of Lord and Lady Croft. We realise that they are not over-impressed by Gerald's engagement to Sheila because they declined the invitation to the dinner.

He is not as willing as Sheila to admit his part in the girl's death to the Inspector and initially pretends that he never knew her. Is he a bit like Mr Birling, wanting to protect his own interests?

He did have some genuine feeling for Daisy Renton, however: he is very moved when he hears of her death. He tells Inspector Goole that he arranged for her to live in his friend's flat "because I was sorry for her;" she became his mistress because "She was young and pretty and warm- hearted - and intensely grateful."

Despite this, in Act 3 he tries to come up with as much evidence as possible to prove that the Inspector is a fake - because that would get him off the hook. It is Gerald who confirms that the local force has no officer by the name of Goole, he who realises it may not have been the same girl and he who finds out from the infirmary that there has not been a suicide case in

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months. He seems to throw his energies into "protecting" himself rather than "changing" himself (unlike Sheila).

At the end of the play, he has not changed. He has not gained a new sense of social responsibility, which is why Sheila (who has) is unsure whether to take back the engagement ring.

Inspector Goole

Inspector Goole

He is described on his entrance as creating "an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit. He speaks carefully, weightily, and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking. "

He works very systematically; he likes to deal with "one person and one line of enquiry at a time." His method is to confront a suspect with a piece of information and then make them talk - or, as Sheila puts it, "he's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves."

He is a figure of authority. He deals with each member of the family very firmly and several times we see him "massively taking charge as disputes erupt between them." He is not impressed when he hears about Mr Birling's influential friends and he cuts through Mrs Birling's obstructiveness.

He seems to know and understand an extraordinary amount:

He knows the history of Eva Smith and the Birlings' involvement in it, even though she died only hours ago. Sheila tells Gerald, "Of course he knows."

He knows things are going to happen - He says "I'm waiting...To do my duty" just before Eric's return, as if he expected Eric to reappear at exactly that moment

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He is obviously in a great hurry towards the end of the play: he stresses "I haven't much time." Does he know that the real inspector is shortly going to arrive?

His final speech is like a sermon or a politician's. He leaves the family with the message "We are responsible for each other" and warns them of the "fire and blood and anguish" that will result if they do not pay attention to what he has taught them.

All this mystery suggests that the Inspector is not a 'real' person. So, what is he? Is he a ghost? Goole reminds us of 'ghoul'. Is he the voice of Priestley? Is he the voice of God? Is he the voice of all our consciences? Do you have any other suggestions?

Eva Smith

Eva Smith Of course, we never see Eva Smith on stage in the play: we only have the evidence

that the Inspector and the Birlings give us.

The Inspector, Sheila Gerald and Eric all say that she was "pretty." Gerald describes her as "very pretty - soft brown hair and big dark eyes."

Her parents were dead. She came from outside Brumley: Mr Birling speaks of her being "country- bred." She was working class. The Inspector says that she had kept a sort of diary, which helped him piece

together the last two years of her life: However, in Act 3 we begin to wonder whether Eva ever really existed. - Gerald

says, "We've no proof it was the same photograph and therefore

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no proof it was the same girl." - Birling adds, "There wasn't the slightest proof that this Daisy Renton really was Eva Smith." Yet the final phone call, announcing that a police inspector is shortly to arrive at the Birlings' house to investigate the suicide of a young girl, makes us realise that maybe Eva Smith did exist after all. What do you think?

Think about Eva's name. Eva is similar to Eve, the first woman created by God in the Bible. Smith is the most common English surname. So, Eva Smith could representevery woman of her class.

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An Inspector Calls Character Notes

Key quotations Key language & structural features Priestley’s Ideas MR BIRLING

“I’m talking as a hard-headed practical man of business”

‘you’ll hear some people say war is Inevitable … fiddlesticks!’

‘The Titanic – she sails next week…and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable.’

“I gather there’s a very good chance of a knighthood”

“A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course”

“(rather impatiently) Horrid business. But I don’t understand why you should come here.”

“you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”

“I was an alderman for years – and Lord Mayor two years ago – and I’m still on the Bench – so I know the Brumley police offers pretty well”

“there’s every excuse for what your mother and I did”

“Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank”

“Now look at the pair of them- the famous younger generation whoknow it all. And they can’t even take a joke-”

long monologues

dramatic irony

His language is also very dismissive when he says ‘Fiddlesticks!’ and ‘silly’ - he belittles other’s ideas.

Exclamatory sentence – he’s passionate and convinced about what he’s saying.

Titanic symbolizes his own family – believes they are untouchable until the Inspector arrives giving them a rude awakening.

His language changes when the Inspector arrives as he speaks inshort, sharp fragments and uses lots of dashes.

His language becomes more colloquial ‘y’know’ which conveys how his authority is breaking down.

He often uses ‘I’ which conveys his selfish attitude, however, as the play continues he switches to the inclusive pronoun ‘we’ to diminish the scale of the problem (Eva’s death) and shift blame.

He uses understatement ‘it would be very awkward wouldn’t it?’

He uses euphemisms when referring to taboo subjects

Priestley uses Birling as a symbol of the callous and heartlessness of capitalism. Through his character he is criticizing the complacency of capitalist prosperity.

He is representative of the older generation who were unwilling to change.

However, he is presented as a realistic character by Priestley through his use of colloquial language appropriate for the time. Furthermore, he is described as ‘panic stricken’ this indicates that his defiance and bravado have finally been shattered and so Priestley lets the audience see someone who is so blindly wrong and never as really in control of events as he would like himself and others to think. Therefore the audience is invited to feel sympathy.

MRS BIRLING“About fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”

“girls of that class”

‘you know, my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate’

‘I’m very sorry. But I think she only had herself to blame’

The stage descriptions of her actions change as the pretence is revealed e.g. ‘grandly’ / ‘haughtily’/ ‘triumphantly’ become ‘rather cowed’/ ‘distressed’ ‘staggered’ / ‘alarmed’.

Mrs Birling’s language is quite abrupt and dismissive: ‘that class’/ ‘that sort’/ ‘the type’. She believes she is morally and socially superior to them – she is a snob.

Later in the play Mrs Birling’s language is broken up into

Priestley uses Mrs Birling to epitomize all that is wrong with society. She represents the social snobbery and hypocrisy of the upper classes and shows no remorse in her cruel treatment of Eva Smith.

Priestley presents her as an absurd

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“I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it.”

“Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”

“She was giving herself ridiculous airs…claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”

“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”

“I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But I accept no blame at all”

“he ought to be dealt with very severely-…make sure that he’s compelled to confess in public his responsibility”

‘he certainly didn’t make me confess – I had done no more than my duty’

fragments that don’t connect: ‘No-Eric-please’. The fragmented speech echoes the collapsing of self-confidence and complacency of these very comfortable, middle class, wealthy characters. This is more shocking because of the contrast with how they were at the start of the play. The dashes could also represent the break down in their relationship.

Mrs Birling uses imperatives as she commands the Inspector and other characters which conveys her superiority, confidence and self-assurance.

Puts on a pretence of respectability by her use of euphemisms:e.g. ‘a girl of thatClass’ who has found herself in a ‘particular condition’

Use of imagery: Sheila warns her mother not to try and build up a kind of ‘wall’ – thewall being a symbol of a barrier/pretence

character that ironically passes her own social guilt onto her own son– condemning him. As a result, Priestley deals with Mrs Birling with special severity, having her fall into a trap of her own making: she is confronted with the knowledge that Eric is a hard drinker and the father of the dead woman’s child. She has helped to kill her own grandchild. It is only when she realises this does she begin to show any signs of weakening.

Priestley shows us that we should not trust the wealthy members of society to tell the truth.

SHEILA BIRLING“A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”

“Yes, go on, Mummy”

“(rather distressed) I can’t help thinking about this girl- destroying herself so horribly- and I’ve been so happy tonight. Oh I wish you hadn’t told me.”

“But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people.”“She was a very pretty girl…that didn’t make it any better.”

“I went to the manager and told him this girl had been very impertinent – and – and - ”

“And if I could help her now, I would-”

“I’ll never, never do it again to anybody…I feel now I can never go there again”

“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.”

Sheila uses imagery when she talks of her mother’s attempts to ‘build up a kind of wall’; implying the metaphorical distance Mrs Birling creates between the classes. When Sheila warns the others that the Inspector is ‘giving us rope so that we hang ourselves’, she once again uses a metaphor to create a visual image of the way the Inspector skilfully manipulates characters into confessing their sins.

Sheila’s language also reflects her increasing maturity as she begins the play saying “mummy” using a lot of personal pronouns to highlight her selfish, childlike attitude at the start of the play. As the play progresses she refers to Mrs Birling as “mother” which reflects this change and perhaps she doesn’t feel as intimate with her mother and has lost respect for her because of the way she is behaving.

Sheila’s language becomes more passionate and she uses sarcasm (“So nothing’s happened, so there’s nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn.”) Sheila also uses irony when she is appalled by her parents’ attitudes to carry on as before: “I suppose we’re all nice people now”. Sheila uses irony to show that she completely disagrees with her parents and that she understands the moral consequences of her actions. The use ofirony highlights the tensions that existed between the younger

Priestley uses the character of Sheila to represent his own views of social responsibility.

She offers hope for the future and Priestley uses Shelia as an example of people’s changing attitudes towards those less fortunate than themselves. She is sympathetic towards Eva and other girls in her position, recognising that they were “not just cheap labour but people”. She accepts that her actions impacted on Eva’s life and that she cannot disconnect her actions from the effects these have on others. She recognises and understands the Inspector’s message that we are all collectively responsible for all that happens in the world.

At times she acts as almost an assistant to the Inspector, in that

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“You mustn’t try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do the Inspector will just break it down. And it’ll be all the worse when he does”

“No, he’s giving us the rope- so that we’ll hang ourselves”

Bitterly ”I suppose we’re all nice people now”

“He inspected us all right.”

“It frightens me the way you talk”

and older generations.

Sheila and Eric are less restrained and their use of slang expressions such as ‘squiffy’ which shock their parents and highlight the tensions between the generations.

Sheila uses dramatic language “We killed her”

Stage directions– she “shivers”, “tensely” - shows her fear

Shows she becomes a bit like the Inspector – asking questions, contradicting her mother.

Sheila significantly refuses to take back Gerald’s ring and interestingly she uses phrases reminiscent of the Inspector in her reply, “not yet” and “It’s too soon” which emphasizes the importance of timing – the telephone rings just after.

she supports his criticism of the other characters, becoming his mouthpiece when he has left the stage. Sheila’s character becomes quite didactic and this can make her a character with whom the audience do not sympathise with as her change has happened far too quickly and so she is in some ways quite unrealistic.

ERIC BIRLING“In his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”

“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices”

“it isn’t as if you can go and work somewhere else.”

“He could have kept her on instead of throwing her out. I call it tough luck.”

“I’d have let her stay”

“Well I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty- and I threatened to make a row”

“And that’s when it happened. And I don’t even remember- that’s the hellish thing.”

“I wasn’t in love with her or anything- but I liked her- she was pretty and a good sport-”

“she didn’t want me to marry her. Said I didn’t love her- and all that. In a way, she treated me- as if I were a kid. Though I was nearly as old as she was.”

Eric acts as dramatic irritant to his father challenging his ideology – contradicting him / interrupting / asking questions.

Eric uses a euphemism to describe his sexual assault on Eva Smith: ‘that’s when it happened.’

Eric’s language is fragmented as he becomes emotional / hysterical. The dashed could also represent the break down in his relationship with his mother.

As his attack on his mother continues, his language becomes more violent as he repeats ‘killed’ three times. The effect on the reader is highly shocking as this language completely contrasts with the polite, euphemistic language of earlier in the play. Priestley effectively uses the semantic field of heaven and hell when Eric describes what he did to Eva Smith: ‘that’s the hellish thing. Oh - my God!’

When the Inspector leaves Eric emulates the Inspector using the Inspector’s harsh, commanding language. Priestley does this so the Inspector’s presence is felt on stage and a reminder to the audience to look at their own conscience. (“the girl’s dead”)

Eric’s character develops - stage directions, e.g. ‘uneasily’ / ‘unease’; ‘suddenly guffaws’ – by the end ‘shouting’

Eric has the most active social conscience – at the start of play he says: “he could have kept her instead of throwing her out”. This demonstrates that there is potential/hope for the future. At the end of the play Eric shows remorse and his acceptance is evidence of his moral fibre.

Through Eric’s treatment of Eva “I wasn’t in love with her or anything” an abhorrent picture of the upper-class emerges. They are shown to be callous and cold. However, Eric illustrates the capacity to change – despite your past errors and your family’s beliefs you can change. His transformation is more realistic – as at first he blames his mother for her death and then finally comes round to accepting responsibility.

On the other hand, he is presented

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“You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble- that’s why.”

“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- my child- your own grandchild- you killed them both- damn you, damn you-”

as quite a weak character and is the most emotional and demonstrative of all. This leads the audience to question whether he can change his ways for good or is he too weak and dependent on his parents?

“He was our police inspector all right”

“(shouting) And I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her- and that’s what matters-”

When Eric gives Eva stolen money,Priestley could be commenting that wealth does not replace goodness and integrity – there needed to be a more even distribution of wealth so peoplelike Eric become socially aware.

GERALD CROFT Gerald is inevitably careful and correct about what he says.

Mrs Birling’s admiration of Gerald’s cleverness is echoed at the end of the play. There are many parallels like this in the play’s construction, which link in with Priestley’s ideas on timing.

Gerald echoes Mr Birling’s concern to protect Sheila from anything ‘unpleasant’ – patronizing – view of women

Euphemism is also used in the play when characters refer to taboo subjects, so when Mr Birling talks of Eva becoming a prostitute he talks of her going ‘on the street’ and Gerald refers to ‘women of the town’.

Gerald and Sheila use irony in their interchange when he says “You’re going to be a great help” and “I’m glad I amuse you”. The irony highlights for us the tension between the two of them.

Gerald uses imagery of a rescue mission when describing his role in Daisy Renton’s death. He does this to lessen his guilt and try and justify his behaviour.

Gerald’s offering Sheila the engagement ring echoes the same event from the start of the play.

Priestley uses the character of Gerald Croft to throw light both on the Birling parents who are too set in their social ways to be changed by the Inspector’s visit, and on the Birling children who are certainly very responsive to the Inspector’s message, but possibly in a slightly naïve and hysterical way. Gerald acts as a bridge between the two generations.

Gerald provides a strong contrast to Eric, Mr Birling’s natural son and Priestley uses Gerald to show the tensions between Eric and his father.

Priestley shows that it was common for the upper class to behave so badly towards the lower-class by having Gerald present. If the Inspector only questioned the Birling family, Priestley wouldn’t be able to convey to the audience howwidespread the problem was. Nor

“An attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred young man-about-town”

“Well, it came just at the right moment. That was clever of you, Gerald.”

“You couldn’t have done anything else” (sacking Eva Smith)

“After all, y’know, we’re respectable citizens and not criminals”

(about Sheila): “She’s obviously had about as much as she can stand”

“Why should you [stay]? It’s bound to be unpleasant and disturbing”

“It’s a favourite haunt of women of the town”

‘[Daisy] gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help”

“I insisted on Daisy moving into these rooms and I made her take some money to keep her going there…I want you to understand that I didn’t install her there so I could make love to her…I was sorry for her…I didn’t ask for anything in return”

“She was young and pretty and warm-hearted- and intensely grateful. I became at once the most important person in her life- you

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understand?”

“She told me she’d been happier than she’d ever been before”

“Nearly any man would have done” (adored being ‘fairy prince’)

“That man wasn’t a police officer…I’m almost certain”

“But how do you know it’s the same girl? ... We’ve no proof it was the same photograph and therefore no proof it was the same girl”

“Everything’s all right now Sheila. What about this ring?”

would he be able to get them to inspect their own consciences.

INSPECTOR GOOLE The Inspector assumes control, which is a disturbing shift for Birling and he immediately tries to regain it. The Inspector interrupts Birling ‘cutting through, massively’. The Inspector’s interruptions and his indifference to the nicer points of polite behaviour make him stand apart from the others.

Whenever Priestley describes the Inspector, he uses the semantic field of size: showing the importance of this man, and his power.

He speaks in a controlled way, often building on comments made by other characters. He repeats words they have used and manipulates them for his own end. Examples include his repetition and manipulation of the word ‘impression’ and his manipulation of the word ‘position’, the meaning of which he changes from a metaphorical to a more literal one, in order to shock Mrs Birling.

The Inspector also turns each character’s words and actions back upon him or her, e.g. he draws attention to Gerald’s hypocrisy regarding women: “And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?” This theme of reversal runs through the structure of the play.

Chain imagery – Goole emphasizes how we are all responsible for each other and Eva’s death was the result of a chain of events etc.

Throughout the play, Priestley makes use of dramatic pauses to

The omniscient Inspector is used by Priestley to further convey his views on collective / social responsibility. The Inspector is used very effectively to highlight the corruption and the selfish attitudes of the twentieth century society.

The Inspector’s name leads us to question whether he actually exists. The word ‘Goole’ suggests his mysterious quality, being a pun on the word ‘ghoul’. Is he merely a ghost, someone whose very existence has come about as a result of Eva Smith’s death?

Through the Inspector’s final dramatic speech, Priestley skillfully warns the audience of the potential social disasters of failing to support or help those in need in society.

Inspector Goole serves several functions in the play. He acts as the storyteller, linking all the separate incidents together into one, coherent story. Priestley has him

“Need not be a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”

“He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period. He speaks carefully, weightily and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking”

“Two hours ago a young woman died in the Infirmary. She’d been taken there this afternoon because she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course”

“A chain of events” (may have driven her to suicide)

“it’s better to ask for the Earth than to take it”

“Goole. G. double O-L-E”

“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 bedroom”

(To Gerald) “And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”

“A girl died tonight. A pretty, lively sort of girl, who never did anybody any harm. But she died in misery and agony- hating life-”

“If there’s nothing else we have to share our guilt”

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(the young ones) “Are the most impressionable”

“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”

“You’ve had children. You must have known what she was feeling. And you slammed the door in her face”

“And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. I don’t need to know any more. Neither do you. This girl killed herself- and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it. (He looks from one to the other of them carefully)But then I don’t think you ever will. Remember what you did”

“But 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.”

build tension. The Inspector uses them to make the other characters feel uncomfortable and to control the pace.

When he begins to reveal who is responsible for the death of Eva Smith, his words are quite emphatic and he makes great use of two short sentences in the imperative ‘Remember that. Never forget.’

He alludes to the Bible when he says ‘We are members of one body’ to emphasise the Inspector’s belief in human love and equality.

The speech is composed of complex sentences, which are referential (utterances that provide information) and short sentences that are expressive (utterances that express the speaker’s feelings). Priestley makes great use of these short sentence structures in order to deliver his opinions as facts. This intended effect is to make both the characters and the audience inspect their own consciences. Furthermore, the use of short sentences symbolises the limit of society, which could still be developed by everyone accepting each other.

To convey to the Birlings how widespread their actions are, the Inspector uses the extended metaphor of ‘millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ to represent the number of working- class men and women who were exploited on a daily basis by the greed of capitalism.

The Inspector’s use of the inclusive pronoun ‘we’ contrast with the language of Mr and Mrs Birling who normally use ‘I’ as their primary concern is themselves. The use of ‘we’ further emphasises Priestley’s ideas of collective responsibility and how society should be formed.

supply dates for events, or fill in background about the girl. He also behaves rather like a priest, someone to whom characters confess their sins, helping them to see the extent of their involvement in the downfall of Eva Smith, and encouraging them to acknowledge their guilt and repent. While the Inspector himself does not hand out forgiveness or punishment, characters are made to recognise that they must find the courage to judge themselves, because only then will they have learnt anything and be able to change themselves.

Certainly it seems that Priestley did not want to promote a single interpretation of who the Inspector ‘really’ is. The character’s dramatic power lies in this. To have revealed his identity as a hoaxer or as some kind of ‘spirit’ would have spoilt the unresolved tension that is so effective at the end of the play.

EVA SMITH

“Two hours ago a young woman died in the Infirmary. She’d been taken there this afternoon because she’d swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course”

“Now – about this girl, Eva Smith. I remember her quite well now. She was a lively good-looking girl – country-bred, I fancy – and she’d beenworking in one of our shops for over a year. A good worker too.”

Eva’s character is absent from the stage.

Her character is first introduced by the Inspector – significant as the working class were supported by very few people in society– namely those concerned with socialism.

Emotive language used to describe Eva’s death – creates sympathy for her.

In many ways she is a counterpoint to the Inspector. Like him, she remains a symbolic figure and one who carries the weight of the plot. Priestley uses Eva as a symbol of the common man or woman and reminds us of our need to take responsibility for our actions andtheir impact on others.

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“…and died, after several hours of agony…”

“She was a very pretty girl…that didn’t make it any better.”

“She was young and pretty and warm-hearted- and intensely grateful. I became at once the most important person in her life- you understand?”

“She was giving herself ridiculous airs…claiming elaborate fine feelings…that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”

“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!”

“I wasn’t in love with her or anything- but I liked her- she was pretty and a good sport-”

“she didn’t want me to marry her. Said I didn’t love her- and all that. In a way, she treated me- as if I were a kid. Though I was nearly as old as she was.”

“Just used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person.”

“But 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.”

Imagery of insides – suggests that the abuse Eva experienced was not physical (exception of Eric) but more emotional – a reminder to the audience that the damage we do to people is not always seen at first.

Eva is described in an idealized way – innocent victim, pretty a good worker. In some ways, Priestley presents her as a martyr. The lower she sinks in her fortunes, the more honourable and noble she appears. She refuses to treat others as they have treated her, even though she is in a position to create scandal for them all.

When Eric gave Eva stolen money, she wouldn’t accept it showing that she has strong morals. This hagiographical deification of Eva creates a lack of respect for Eric and further highlights the corruption of the upper-class. By presenting Eva in a positive light Priestley presents his socialist ideas of equality and equal rights for all.

Eva is described in terms of objectification. She is often referred to as ‘the girl’, which highlights her youth and innocence. The Inspector also says that Eric treated her like ‘an animal, a thing.’ Mrs Birling refers to her as ‘that sort’ etc.

Eva represents ordinary people who can be destroyed by indifference when society fails to grant them the right of basic human dignity.

Her connection to the characters in the play is what prompts their confessions. She promotes the idea that we have collective social responsibility, therefore. Despite her lower social class and death, Eva could be said to have the upper hand in the play as she is the one who has shown the others who they really are.

The fact that Eva is presented in a highly idealized way which makes her an unrealistic character – could someone who had suffered so much be so gracious and forgiving?

The fact that Eva was pregnant suggests that the way we treat people can affect the next generation but also shows how hard it was to escape poverty.

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edEDNA

“Edna the parlour-maid is just clearingthe table”

“Yes Ma’am”

“Edna’ll answer ir”

“Please, sir, an inspector’sCalled”

“All right, Edna. Show him in here.Give us some more light”

“Edna’ll go. I asked her to wait upto make us some tea”

EDNA

Interestingly, while Priestly explains how the set should be and introduces the characters, Edna is the last to be mentioned: ‘At rise of curtain, the four Birlings and Gerald are seated at the table… Edna the parlourmaid, is just clearing the table’. Hierarchy is a key concept within An Inspector Calls. It could be argued that it is what drives the main characters actions. Priestley immediately establishes that Edna is at the bottom of the hierarchy and not of any real importance in the eyes of the Birlings and Gerald. He does this by describing her as ‘the parlourmaid’, emphasising the fact that she is only seen as her profession; the audience is given no details about her appearance or personality because they don’t need to know.She provides a contrast to Eva - their names are similar on purpose - and is the dramatic device which means that the family do not have to leave the dining room to perform tasks. They come and go at the behest of the Inspector.

Edna calls him sir. The repeated use of ‘Sir’ when talking to Birling is a reminder of how stark the class divide was at the beginning of the 20 th century. He, however, calls her by her Christian name but not out of friendliness - it is a way of reinforcing that he is the boss and that she is disposable.

Note that Birling is abrupt with her ‘Don't know him.’ This is not a conversation and there are no niceties - Birling wants this exchange to be over quickly so he can get back to his pleasant evening so he speaks in fragments. He uses unmitigated imperatives with her: ‘Show him in’ and ‘Give us...’.

When Edna announces the arrival of the Inspector it is as though she is heralding in an opportunity for change. It is the people like Edna who would benefit the most from the Birlings learning the Inspector’s lesson; her life could improve vastly. Therefore she is allowed a seldom moment away from her docile obedience and delivers the Inspector into the room readily, even stopping the Birlings from finishing their conversation.

Edna is another example of the invisible working class and she helps to create an impression of the Birling’s wealthy lifestyle.

Edna illustrates the themes of inequality, power, responsibility and class.

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MODEL ANSWER

How does Priestley present Mr. Birling as a significant role in the

play in relation to Eva’s death and his reluctance to accept

responsibility?

Write about: • what Mr Birling says and does in the play • how

Priestley presents him by the ways he writes.

[30 marks] AO4 [4 marks]

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GRADE 5 ANSWER

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GRADE 9 ANSWER

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“How does Priestly present Inspector Goole in An Inspector calls ?”

Upon his entrance, the inspector is described as creating an “impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness”. The list of three creates a dramatic first-impression, as well as foreshadowing the inspector’s intentions with the abstract noun “purposefulness”. This implies that he is determined to receive the information he wants. The name “Goole” sounds similar to ghoul; a spirit or someone with a morbid interest in death. This is more closely examined at the end of the prose, when his entire existence is questioned by the Birlings, when they discover “there’s no Inspector Goole on the police”.

The inspector creates a shift in the mood of the prose; his sombre presence prompts a bleak atmosphere during the celebration of Sheila and Gerald’s engagement. He is also presented as a figure of authority during the play. He works systematically by dealing with “one person and one line of enquiry at a time”. This ultimately leads to each character admitting their role in Eva Smith’s death, as Sheila interpreted, “he’s giving us the rope so that we’ll hang ourselves”.

Despite seeming harsh with the family, the inspector also seems determined to teach the Birlings a valuable lesson. During his interrogation, he insists “each of you helped kill [Eva Smith], remember that”. The use of the term “each of you” confirms that each member of the family played a role in the young girl’s suicide. This implies that he is urging everyone to accept responsibility for Eva, which some are reluctant do to.

Regardless of his title “Inspector”, Mr Goole seems more concerned with moral law than criminal law. He doesn’t attempt to arrest any of the family, but instead tries to make them realise their role in Eva Smith’s death. This is confirmed by the quote “ let’s leave office out of it, shall we?”. This subtly demonstrates how inspector Goole’s dismissiveness regarding his “duty” as a member of the police force, instead preferring to encourage a change in the Birling’s irresponsible nature. In many ways, Priestley uses the Inspector as a catalyst, as he creates an opportunity for people to accept responsibility for their actions, which they wouldn’t have done without his input. The Inspector also represents Priestley’s strong moral beliefs by expressing his desire for truth and justice, as well as the need for everyone to become responsible for each other. This is demonstrated when the inspector warns “ if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”. Here not only does the character foreshadows future world wars, as well as threatening the Birlings that their irresponsible natures will have grave ends.

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How does Priestley explore the theme of gender?

Plan:

Eva Smith (represents working class women as strong) “ring leader” Shiela ( is also a strong woman but starts weak) “isn’t it wonderful” “cruel and vile” Gerald (tries to be a gentlemen but isn’t) “Unpleasant and disturbing affair” Eric (violent towards women) “chap turns nasty” Mrs Birling (cruel, cold and heartless – not a typical woman/mother “gross

impertinence”

According to traditional gender expectations in 1945, which would have been the time that Priestley wrote the play, men were expected to be brave, strong, intelligent and outspoken. Whereas women are expected to be weak, fragile and submissive. In ‘An Inspector Calls’, none of the female characters behave in this way. Mrs Birling is cold and cruel rather than warm and maternal and both Eva Smith and Sheila Birling are strong and outspoken. The male characters pretend to be gentlemen. However, Priestley shows a darker side to each of them.

Priestley obviously uses Eva Smith to represent all working class women. This is particularly clear from her name: “Eva” is similar to Eve, the first ever woman according to the Christian bible, and “Smith” is the most common surname in the English language. Priestley deliberately selected these names to hint to Edwardian audiences that Eva is much more than just a character. She is a symbol of the working class women. In Act 1 we learn of Eva Smith’s strength as a woman. Sick of being seen as “cheap labour” she goes on strike for higher wages. Arthur Birling refers to her as “the ringleader” and as a result fires her from his company. The word ‘ringleader’ has definite connotations of control. It paints a picture of a woman who was strong, commanding and authoritative not weak and submissive. Further evidence of Eva Smith’s strength as a woman is in the job she obtains in Milwards, immediately after being fired from Birlings. And when she is fired for a second time, the resilience she shows in through her work at ‘The Palace Bar’ is impressive. While some readers may see Eva’s work as a prostitute at the palace bar as a sign of Eva’s weakness, I think Priestley presents it as a sign of strength, resilience and independence. Unfortunately, as a result Eva’s strength of character (speaking up against Mr Birling) Eva ended up destitute and “Burnt out on a slab”. Perhaps Priestley is using Eva to criticise Edwardian society and the way that it treated outspoken women like Eva. He seems to suggest that the only way for working class women to survive in this era was if they kept their mouths shut.

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Another female character who challenges traditional gender expectation is Sheila Birling. At the start of the play she is presented vapid and superficial character who was delighted with her ‘wonderful’ engagement ring. Her joy shows how happy Sheila is to be accepted into the patriarchal institution of marriage where she will be forever subordinate to her husband. However, as the play progresses Priestley shows us a very different side to Sheila as she challenges her family’s closed mindedness and arrogance. Her language totally changes, too. She confronts her mother’s behaviour towards Eva Smith with the words “Mother I think it was cruel and vile” The monosyllabic language here is much more similar to the direct and assertive language of the inspector than the language of a spoilt little girl. Priestley presents a very strong female character in Sheila – someone who modern audiences can respect and admire. Unlike Eva she gains in strength as the play continues. Maybe Priestley is suggesting that it was easier for middle class women to be outspoken than it was for working class women to be outspoken.

Finally, Priestley’s presentation of the male characters, particularly Eric and Gerald is very unpleasant. In Edwardian society, the social expectation was for men to behave in gentlemanly way. They were expected protect women. There are some examples of this kind of protection in the play, for example when Gerald asks the Sheila to leave the room so she doesn’t have to hear about his affair. However, Priestley does not present this in a positive light. Instead, he points out the hypocrisy of a man who doesn’t want his wife to hear about such an “unpleasant and disturbing” affair but is willing to have an “Unpleasant and distrurbing affair” with a poor and destitute Eva Smith. Eric is even more ungentlemanly. In act three we learn that the night that Eric had sex with Eva smith he was “in the mood where a chap gets nasty”. Many readers see this as an indication that Eric raped Eva Smith. The casual use of language in the words “chap” and “nasty” suggest Eric is trying to conceal his immoral behaviour. Alternatively, it could suggest he sees nothing wrong with such violence and that “Nasty” behaviour towards women was acceptable to him. Whichever is true, Priestley is obviously highlighting that the idea of the Edwardian gentleman was a facade that was used to conceal terrible behaviour. He highlights the abuse and exploitation of women by men in an era where women’s rights were not like they are today.

Overall, Priestley presents both genders in an unexpected way. His female characters, on the whole are far more likeable than his males, who appear naive, arrogant and exploitative. It is clear that Priestley wanted a society that gave women like Eva Smith a voice because as the Inspector says “There are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths” in the world.

ASSESSMENT: This is a high performing essay that is classic of grade 8 performance. To achieve a grade 9, subject terminology should be integrated more carefully into the response. Subject terminology would include words like ‘playwright’, ‘protagonist’, ‘static’, ‘dynamic’, ‘juxtaposition’, ‘euphemism’, ‘hyperbole’ ‘irony’ ‘foreshadowing’ or any other

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terminology relating to Priestley’s methods. There would also be more “fine grained” analysis of Priestley’s choices too, for example, of language.

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