An Inspector Calls: GCSE

Revision GuideGet yourself ultra-ready for your AQA English Literature Paper 2 Section A exam question with this comprehensive revision pack!

The Plot

A quick summary

J B Priestley’s An Inspector Calls centres on the suicide of a young woman known as Eva Smith.

During the play, the wealthy and comfortable Birling family are celebrating Sheila Birling’s engagement to Gerald Croft when their meal is interrupted by the visit of Inspector Goole, who is investigating Eva’s d eath.

The family are shocked by Eva’s death, but all of them refuse to take any responsibility for what has happened. The Inspector questions each and every member of the family and shows them that their lives are all connected to Eva and her death in some way.

In more detail:

1) The Birlings are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling (the Birlings’ daughter) to Gerald Croft, whose family own a rival business to that of Arthur Birling – Sheila’s father. The family are celebrating with champagne, cigars and many other luxuries that only a wealthy middle or upper class family of the time could afford.

2) Mr Birling seems very keen to impress Gerald and even speaks to him in private away from the rest of his family; Sheila mentions about Gerald having not come near her the previous summer; and Eric appear s very nervous and anxious around his family. Although the atmosphere is mostly positive, there are hints that there are problems hidden under the surface.

3) Mrs Birling and Sheila leave the dining room to allow the men to speak on their own. Mr Birling gives Eric and Gerald advice about looking after yourself and not concerning yourself with others. As he is giving this speech, there is a ring at the door.

4) Edna, the maid, brings in a man who is known as Inspector Goole. A detailed description is provided of Goole and he is said to be serious but also demanding respect. He tells the family that he is investigating the suicide of Eva Smith, who had died after drinking a large quantity of disinfectant.

5) The Inspector shows Mr Birling a photo of Eva Smith (although makes sure no one else sees it) and Birling admits that Eva used to work at his factory. However, she was later fired for being one of the ring-leaders of uprising and strike action after Birling refused to give any of his workers even a small pay rise. Birling argues that he pays

usual rates to his workers and he is not responsible for what happened to Eva after she left his employment.

6) Sheila comes into the room and the Inspector wants to ask her some questions. It is revealed that Eva found work at a clothes shop after being fired by Birling. However, Eva was fired once more when the Inspector explains a customer complained about her. Sheila admits she was that

customer and the reason she got Eva fired was because a dress that Sheila tried on did not suit her and when Eva tried it on, it did. Sheila also believes she caught Eva lau ghing at her.

7) When Sheila finds out what happened to Eva, she immediately feels responsible for her death – in complete contrast to her father.

8) The Inspector then reveals Eva, unemployed once more, changed

her name to Daisy Renton. Gerald Croft, Sheila’s fiancé, gives away that he knew Daisy by his reaction. Sheila sees this.

9) The Act ends and the audience are waiting to find out how Gerald is connected to Daisy.

10) Sheila and Gerald are alone on stage and Gerald admits he did know Daisy, but Sheila explains to Gerald that the Inspector has already worked this out.

11) Mrs Birling tries to get rid of the Inspector but he remains.12) Gerald reveals to Mrs Birling that her son Eric drinks a lot – she initially refuses to believe him – and he admits that he once had a relationship with Daisy. Sheila works out that this was during the one summer when he wouldn’t go near her.13) Gerald explains that he met Daisy at the Variety Theatre (which was known for prostitutes), and that he stopped Alderman Meggarty – an important man or ‘dignitary’ – getting involved with her, or essentially he ‘rescued’ her from his clutches.14) Gerald helped Daisy by letting her stay in a friend’s flat but she eventually became his mistress, which meant he was having an affair with her behind Sheila’s back.15) Gerald decided to later break off their relationship and gave her money to help her in the future.16) Mrs Birling says she believes this relationship was ‘disgusting’, although Gerald does argue back. However, Sheila appreciates Gerald’s honesty and says she respects him more now than she did.17) Gerald asks to leave the room to get some fresh air after now realising Daisy has died. The Inspector allows him to do this, and during the time he is away the Inspector begins to interrogate Mrs Birling.18) Mrs Birling eventually admits that she saw Eva/Daisy before she died. Mrs Birling was the chair of a local charity: the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation and Daisy, calling herself Mrs Birling, asked for financial help.19) It is revealed that Daisy was pregnant at the time, and Mrs Birling used her power as chairwoman of the charity to deny her access to financial assistance.20) Mrs Birling found it impudent or insulting that Daisy took on the name ‘Mrs Birling’ and she also felt the money and responsibility should come from the baby’s father. Mrs Birling seems to take pride from her decision, although Sheila quickly realises the missing link here: Eric is the

father. This happens after Mrs Birling has said the father of the child should be made an example of. Mrs Birling realises, just as Eric enters at the end of the scene, that her son is the father and she has effectively killed her own grandchild. The act ends on this note.21) Eric asks for a drink and his parents refuse, but the Inspector explains it would help Eric through and so they agree.

22) Eric explains how he met Daisy at the same theatre bar as Gerald; they both got drunk and Eric accompanied Daisy back to her flat. There, Eric became very violent and Daisy reluctantly agreed to let him in where they slept together. They met again two weeks later and slept together once more.23) Daisy revealed to Eric that she was pregnant with his baby, and he proposed to her. However, she refused stating he did not love her. Instead, she received gifts of money from him, but turned these down when she found out Eric was stealing the money from his father’s business.24) Mr and Mrs Birling are incensed that Eric has stolen £50 from them ( a lot of money in 1912, it would be thousands of pounds now).

25) All of the family have been involved in her death, but a divide forms between the younger characters and the older family members. Whereas Eric and Sheila are willing to accept responsibility for what has happened, Mr and Mrs Birling (and to a degree Gerald) want to cover up their involvement to protect their reputation.26) The Inspector then gives his famous ‘fire and blood and anguish’ speech, where he explains society must change or there will be violence. Goole says that everyone must feel responsible for everyone else.27) Gerald and Mr and Mrs Birling begin to question the role of the Inspector: was he a real inspector? Was this all a hoax? Did the Inspector show the same photo to everyone? 28) Birling rings the local police station and finds out there is no Inspector Goole working there. 29) Birling, Mrs Birling and Gerald begin to grow in confidence once more, knowing their reputations are in tact and believe they can go back to where they were. However, Sheila and Eric have changed and cannot ignore what has happened.30) A phone call comes from the police which Mr Birling answers: the police explain a young girl has committed suicide and a police inspector is coming over to ask them some questions.

Revision Activity: The Plot

Challenge: Choose the eight most important events from the plot and draw them in each of the boxes here.

Extra Challenge: Add a quote to each box that fits with each key event.

Mega Challenge: Why is each of these key events so important in the play? What is the most crucial event that takes place in the play? Why?

Revision Activity: The Characters

Edna

Edna’s role in the play is seemingly insignificant, but she is the character that introduces the Inspector to the Birlings and she is the only genuine working class presence in the whole play. Like Eva, Edna is ignored by the other characters for most of the play which is hugely symbolic in itself.

Mr Birling

Mr Birling is described as “a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties but rather provincial in his speech." He is proud that he has built up his business and made so much money himself.

Birling boasts of his achievements to others, particularly Gerald and Eric, explaining how he was once Mayor and is hoping to get a knighthood soon. Plus, he uses his connections as a way of trying to influence the Inspector and protect his family’s reputation.

Birling is very pleased his daughter is marrying someone whose family is higher up in society than he is and wants himself and his family to continue to rise up socially. He tells Gerald: "it's exactly the same port your father gets.” Marrying Gerald will also mean Birling and Co potentially merging with Crofts Limited rather than competing as rivals.

Birling seems confident that war will not happen and mentions about the Titanic being unsinkable, even though the war takes place just two years after 1912 when the play is set, and the Titanic sinks just a few days after it is set. Priestley shows Birling to be wrong about everything, including his optimism.

When the Inspector questions Birling, he never once admits responsibility for Eva Smith’s death and says he paid his workers the ‘usual rate’ – no more or less.

Birling is more concerned with maintaining his reputation than taking any kind of responsibility, and is particularly concerned when it is revealed that Mrs Birling was responsible for turning away a pregnant Eva looking for help with the charity she was chairing. (“I must say, Sybil, that when this comes out at the inquest, it isn't going to do us much good. The press might easily take it up—“). This, coupled with the fact Eric was stealing money from the company, means Birling is incredibly keen to cover up as much as he can to protect his reputation.

In fact, Birling attempts to bribe the Inspector to hush up the investigation (“Look, Inspector – I'd give thousands – yes, thousands…”) which of course the Inspector refuses. It seems as though Birling may not be getting his precious knighthood after all, and the merger of Birling and Co with Crofts Limited seems unlikely.

As soon as the Inspector leaves, Birling works with his wife and Gerald to discredit Goole by claiming he is a fake and that no girl has died at all – it is all a hoax.

It seems like Birling might be right, only for a phone call at the end to confirm that a girl had killed herself and a police inspector is coming round to ask the family questions. Imagine how a man like Birling feels at this point. What message was Priestley trying to give to people like Mr Birling?

Why is Mr Birling important?

He represents middle class men who have made money via capitalism. He refuses to accept responsibility for anyone else except himself. He represents capitalism and its ideals. He also represents an older generation that is less likely to be influenced

by ideas of socialism.

Mrs Birling

She is initially describes as being "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior” suggesting Mr Birling may have married her for her social standing.

Mrs Birling is shown throughout the play to be very snobbish – thinking herself better than people from other classes – and having very forthright and sanctimonious views.

She criticises her husband for failing to follow accept social conventions and etiquette (“Arthur, you're not supposed to say such things-“) and is cruel in the way she describes Eva (“girls of that class”). She even refuses to believe that Eva would not accept money from Eric when she knows it is stolen because Eva was working class ("She was giving herself ridiculous airs.")

Mrs Birling sees herself as a powerful figure and tries to use her social standing and power to get rid of the Inspector, but it fails. She also denies recognising Eva from the photo she is seen despite the fact she was the last person in the family to have seen her alive.

She refuses to believe that Eric is a drunkard, that Gerald had an affair and even that Alderman Meggarty is anything but a morally perfect person. As chair of her

charity, Mrs Birling used her power to ensure Eva received no financial aid despite her being heavily pregnant.

Mrs Birling refuses to take responsibility for Eva or her future baby and instead says the father should take the responsibility – the dramatic irony here being that Sheila and the audience have already worked out that Eric is the father, and thus Mrs Birling has just pinned all the blame on her own son unknowingly.

Like Mr Birling, Sybil Birling always sees Eric and Sheila as children and not as adults and will not change her view on this throughout the whole play.

Moreover, just like Arthur, Sybil tries to find any way out of accepting responsibility for Eva’s death by developing a theory that Goole is a fake and the death a hoax. When it is revealed that Eva has died at the end of the play, Mrs Birling knows her reputation will be damaged, her daughter is no longer marrying an aristocrat and her son is a drunkard who got a young girl pregnant and stole money from the family business.

Why is Mrs Birling important?

She represents many of the upper and middle class attitudes from the time: arrogance, sanctimony, snobbishness and selfishness.

She is part of the older generation that refuses to change or accept new ideas. She is happy to live in the status quo.

She uses her influence to hurt other people rather than help them – it is difficult for the audience to do anything but dislike Mrs Birling, as is the case with her husband.

Sheila Birling

Sheila begins the play very much as childlike: "a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited." She is innocent and naïve, living in a world where her biggest concerns are engagement rings and dresses.

She is engaged to be married to Gerald Croft, the son of wealthy aristo crats, but suggests she is not entirely happy after mentioning about Gerald not going near her one summer. This implies she has more depth to her than we first think.

Unlike her parents, Sheila immediately feels empathy and pity for Eva when she hears her story and takes responsibility for her role in her death when she knows what consequences her actions have had. By getting Eva fired from the Millwards department store, Sheila realises she has forced Eva into a more difficult life.

As the play progresses, Sheila appears more understanding and perceptive of those around her: she sees Gerald’s reaction to the name Daisy Renton and explains that the Inspector already knows how all the characters are connected to Eva.

She tries to protect her mother later in the play – a brilliant reversal of roles from the beginning – but her mother inevitably and unknowingly denounces her own son.

Sheila shows a growing maturity as she explains she is not angry at Gerald but rather respects him more for his honesty as he retells his relationship with Daisy.

In the final act of the play, Sheila shows a confrontational side and an anger at her parents for refusing to accept any responsibility for Eva’s death ("pretend that nothing much has happened." “It frightens me the way you talk”).

It is clear that Sheila has changed by the end of the play and like her brother Eric is now more socially responsible. She is the kind of younger head that could lead to a changing society, or face the harsh consequences of fire, blood and anguish as the Inspector elucidates.

Why is Sheila important?

She shows how gender roles are clearly defined at the start of the play: she is meant to be the sweet, innocent and naïve girl that gets married.

As the play progresses, her character changes and she becomes far more determined, confrontational and aware.

By the end of the play she represents a younger generation that is far more willing to take responsibility for the people around them.

Eric Birling

At the start of the play, Eric is described as "in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive." He is an awkward character that doesn’t seem to fit in very well with his family. This awkwardness seems to be explained once we find out that he got an unmarried girl working class girl pregnant and stole money from his parents.

Eric is not naïve like his sister and is even willing to briefly challenge his father: “What about war?” It also suggests all is not well in his relationship with his dad.

Moreover, it is soon revealed to the characters and the audience that Eric is a drunkard and drinks alcohol heavily, as Gerald explains: "I have gathered that he does drink pretty hard."

Like Sheila, who says that the workers are not cheap labour but rather people, Eric shows empathy for the workers of the factory: “Why shouldn't they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices. And I don't see why she should have been sacked just because she'd a bit more spirit than the others. You said yourself she was a good worker. I'd have let her stay.”

Eric’s drinking can likely be equated with his thoughtless actions and the consequences he can now

see as a result of what he did. He got a young girl pregnant by violently threatening her, and can see how he has contributed to Eva’s death.

Eric, like Sheila, is disgusted by his parents’ reactions as the end of the play, and even tells his father: “I don't give a damn now whether I stay here or not.” Whilst Birling thinks he may be able to protect his reputation, it appears his children have lost any respect they might have had for him.

Eric has changed by the end of the play and realises his actions had consequences. He is now aware of his social responsibilities.

Why is Eric important?

He represents the younger generation that are more socially responsible than their parents.

He drinks because he feels guilt about what he did: by violently forcing

himself on Eva, he got her pregnant and helped to drive her towards suicide.

Because he accepts responsibility by the end of the play, the audience come to respect Eric a lot more.

Gerald Croft

Gerald Croft works at his father's company, Crofts Limited, a rival to Birling and Co. Although engaged to be married to Sheila at the start of the play, we find out that his parents - Sir George and Lady Croft - are higher up the social hierarchy than the Birlings (Mr Birling and Mrs Birling) and are aristocrats. It is also suggested by Mr Birling that Gerald’s parents do not approve on the marriage to Sheila – they are, after all, not at the engagement party. Gerald is an attractive, popular man of about 30 years old.

As the play develops, it is revealed that Gerald had an affair with Eva Smith when she was calling herself Daisy Renton. He met her at the Variety Theatre in town and ‘rescued’ her from Alderman Meggarty (a well-known and highly respected dignitary) who Gerald describes essentially as a womanizer.

Gerald and Daisy enter into a relationship behind Sheila’s back (during the same summer when he wouldn’t go near Sheila, as she reminds him in Act One). Gerald eventually breaks it off and gives Daisy money to keep her going. He tells her he has to go away on business.

It is the shock of hearing the name ‘Daisy Renton’ that reveals to Sheila and the Inspector that Gerald knew Eva, and after all is revealed about his relationship with her, Gerald goes outside for fresh air to reflect on his relationship with her.

Gerald is older than both Sheila and Eric, but is not as old as Mr and Mrs Birling. He initially takes some responsibility for Eva’s death, but then like Mr and Mrs Birling at the end of the play is all too willing to cover it up and deny that Goole is a real inspector. He seems happy enough at the end when it seems that Mr and Mrs Birling might be right. Gerald is more concerned with protecting his reputation than he is taking responsibility for others.

Why is Gerald important?

He represents the upper classes in the play We – the audience – want him to change, after all, he did help Daisy with

money, but he doesn’t. He represents how the old class system is hard to remove – aristocrats

don’t want to lose their power and their status.

The Inspector

Inspector Goole is described as "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” when he enters in Act One.

Despite questioning a family of wealthy members of the upper middle classes, the Inspector appears calm and assertive throughout. He uses his language like

a machine to gain control over the other characters and seems to have already pre-planned exactly who is going to speak to and when and how he will speak to them.

As Sheila comes to understand, the Inspector already knows how all the characters are connected to Eva. Because of this, it seems to give him a ghost-like or supernatural quality to him.

Although Mr Birling tries to bribe him, Goole is not in the slightest bit interested. Nor does Birlings’ apparent connections to the police or those in politics have any effect on the Inspector.

His final speech seems like a politician or a sermon to a congregation.

When he leaves and we find out he was not a real police inspector, it confuses us about who he was and why he was there, but the second phone call at the end confirming a young girl has died adds in another ‘supernatural’ layer to the play.

He seems to be operating on a different level of consciousness to the other characters and this has led to a number of theories about who or what Inspector Goole is.

Could he a ghost? The name ‘Goole’ could be a pun on ‘ghoul’, which is another word for a spirit or ghost. Could he be the voice of Priestley or the voice of God? Could he represent the voices of the working classes as a collective? You can choose for yourself.

Challenge: Go through the characters and highlight key information

Extra Challenge: Write down five key quotes for each character (with the exception of Edna!)

Mega Challenge: Why did Priestley include each of these characters in his play? What impact does each character have on the audience?

Revision Activity: Key Quotes

Spend time learning as many of these quotes as you can and make notes on them.

Act 1

Mrs Birling: Now, Sheila, don't tease him. When you're married you'll realize that men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You'll have to get used to that, just as I had.

_____________________________

Birling: No, we won't. It's one of the happiest nights of my life. And one day, I hope, Eric, when you've a daughter of your own, you'll understand why. Gerald, I’m going to tell you frankly, without any pretences, that your engagement to Sheila means a tremendous lot to me. She'll make you happy, and I’m sure you'll make her happy. You're just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted. Your father and I have been friendly rivals in business for some time now – though crofts limited are both older and bigger than Birling and company – and now you've brought us together, and perhaps we may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together – for lower costs and higher prices. 

______________________________

Sheila: (taking out the ring) Oh – it's wonderful! Look – mummy – isn't it a beauty? Oh – darling - (she kisses Gerald hastily.)

______________________________

Birling: I’m delighted about this engagement and I hope it won't be too long before you're married. And I want to say this. 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. Last month, just because the miners came out on strike, there's a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the near future. Don't worry. We've passed the worst of it. 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. 

Gerald: I believe you're right, sir.

Eric: What about war?

Birling: Glad you mentioned it, Eric. I'm coming to that. Just because the kaiser makes a speech or two, or a few german officers have too much to drink and begin taking nonsense, 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, except some half-civilized folks in the Balkans. And why? There's too much at stake these days. Everything to lose and nothing to gain by war.

Eric: Yes, I know – but still -

Birling: Just let me finish, Eric. You've a lot to learn yet. And I’m taking as a hard headed, practical man of business. And I say there isn't a chance of war. The world's developing so fast that it'll make war impossible. 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 – new york in five days – and every luxury – and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable. That's what you've got to keep your eye on, facts like that, progress like that – and not a few german officers taking nonsense and a few scaremongers here making a fuss about nothing. Now you three young people, just listen to this – and remember what I’m telling you now. In twenty or thirty year's 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'll 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 – except of course in russia, which will always be behindhand naturally. 

____________________________

Birling: Oh well – put like that, there's something in what you say. Still, I can't accept any responsibility. If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we'd had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn't it?

Inspector: Very awkward

____________________________

Inspector ... what happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards, and what happened to her afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events.

____________________________

Birling: Well it's my duty to keep labour costs down. And if I’d agreed to this demand for a new rate we'd have added about twelve per cent to our labour costs. Does that satisfy you? So I refused. Said I couldn't consider it. We were paying the usual rates and if they didn't like those rates, they could go and work somewhere else. It's a free country, I told them.

Gerald: You couldn't have done anything else.

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

Birling: Rubbish! If you don't come down sharply on some of these people, they'd soon be asking for the earth.

____________________________

Inspector: There are a lot of young women living that sort of existence in every city and big town in this country, miss Birling. If there weren't, the factories and warehouses wouldn't know were to look for cheap labour. Ask your father. 

Sheila: But these girls aren't cheap labour – they're people.

_____________________________

Birling: (cutting in) Just a minute, Sheila. Now , inspector, perhaps you and I had better go and talk this over quietly in a corner--

Sheila: (cutting in) Why should you? He's finished with you. He says it's one of us now.

____________________________

Sheila: No, that's no use. You not only knew her but you knew her very well. Otherwise, you wouldn't look so guilty about it. When did you first get to know her?

[he does not reply]

Was it after she left Milwards? When she changed her name, as he said, and began to lead a different sort of life? Were you seeing her last spring and summer, during that time you hardly came near me and said you were so busy? Were you?

SHEILA

[laughs rather hysterically]

Why - you fool - he know s. 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. She looks at him almost in triumph.

____________________________

Act 2

Inspector: and you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things? 

Gerald: if possible – yes. 

Inspector:  well, we know one young woman who wasn't, don't we? 

Gerald:  I suppose I asked for that. 

Sheila  : be careful you don't ask for more, gerald.

____________________________

Sheila: (eagerly) Yes, that's it. And I know I'm to blame – and I'm desperately sorry – but I can't believe – I won't believe – it's simply my fault that in that in the end she – she committed suicide. That would be too horrible

Inspector: (sternly to them both) You see, we have to share something. If there's nothing else, we'll have to share our guilt.

Sheila: (staring at him) yes. That's true. You know. (she goes close to him, wonderingly.) I don't understand about you.

Inspector: (calmly) there's no reason why you should.

_____________________________

Mrs Birling: you seem to have made a great impression on this child, inspector.

Inspector: (coolly) we often do on the young ones. They're more impressionable.

BIRLING

You'll apologize at once ... I'm a public man -

INSPECTOR [massively]

Public men, Mr. Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.

_____________________________

Act 3

Eric: ( bursting out) What's the use of talking about behaving sensibly. You're beginning to pretend now that nothing's really happened at all. And I can't see it like that. This girl's still dead, isn't she? Nobody's brought her to life, have they?

Sheila: (eagerly) That's just what I feel, Eric. And it's what they don't seem to understand.

Eric: whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her. It's still the same rotten story whether it's been told to a police inspector or to somebody else. According to you, I ought to feel a lot better - ( To Gerald.) I stole some money, Gerald, you might as well know - ( As Birling tries to interrupt.) I don't care, let him know. The money's not the important thing. It's what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters. And I still feel the same about it, and that's why I don't feel like sitting down and having a nice cosy talk. 

Sheila: And Eric's absolutely right. And it's the best thing any one of us has said tonight and it makes me feel a bit less ashamed of us. You're just beginning to pretend all over again.

_____________________________

Inspector: 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.

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Sheila: I tell you – whoever that Inspector was, it was anything but a joke. You knew it then. You began to learn something. And now you've stopped. You're ready to go on in the same old way.

Birling: (amused) And you're not, eh?

Sheila: No, because I remember what he said, how he looked, and what he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish. And it frightens me the way you talk, and I can't listen to any more of it.

Eric: And I agree with Sheila. It frightens me too.

_____________________________

Gerald: Everything's all right now, Sheila. (Holds up the ring.) What about this ring?

Sheila: No, not yet. It's too soon. I must think.

_____________________________

Birling: ... we've been had ... it makes all the difference.

Gerald: Of course!

Sheila [bitterly]: I suppose we're all nice people now.

_____________________________

Birling: (pointing to Eric and Sheila) Now look at the pair of them – the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can't even take a joke-

Revision Activity:

Challenge: Choose five quotes from this collection. For each one, write down what it tells you about the character(s).

Extra Challenge: Choose ten quotes from this collection and for each one, explain what themes or ideas that quote would fit into.

Mega Challenge: Complete the ‘Extra Challenge’ and then research five of your own quotes by reading the play.

Revision Activity: Key Themes

Responsibility

Key Quotes Extra Challenge: How does this quote fit into the theme?

Mega Challenge: Why did Priestley use this quote?

Mr Birling: “a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself.” (Act 1)

Birling explains to Gerald and Eric his views on society: that everyone should look out for themselves and not worry about other people. It is essentially a capitalist viewpoint.

Priestley included Mr Birling in his play to represent ultra-capitalist views and show how middle and upper class society is deeply entrenched in this system. Priestley also links together Birling and a lack of responsibility for other people.

Now complete the same task for the following themes: Class, Reputation, Young v Old, Gender

Revision Activity: The Assessment Objectives

Challenge: Read these AOs carefully and highlight any key words.

Extra Challenge: Write down five success criteria for getting an excellent mark in your An Inspector Calls answer.

Mega Challenge: How will you structure your paragraphs to ensure you are meeting the assessment objectives throughout your essay?

Revision Activity: PETAZL Paragraphs

In order to succeed in your exam you will need to meet all the assessment objectives. Trying to balance all these in your answer can be quite difficult, but you can use PETAZL paragraphs to help you.

Here is an example:

Q: “How does Priestley portray the Inspector when he is introduced in Act One?”

The Inspector is portrayed by Priestley as an intimidating man. We see this when Priestley describes the Inspector as having “an impression of purposefulness.” This stage direction helps the director and actor to show the audience that the Inspector has entered the scene with a determined and firm attitude, suggesting he has already planned what he is about to do to the Birlings and has a ‘purpose’. This is just one way in which Priestly presents the Inspector as an intimidating character.

Point: This is your idea that responds to the exam task given to you.

Evidence: This is a “quote” or example to support your idea and prove to the examiner that you are right.

Technique: This is the language or structure technique that Priestley has used to affect the audience.

Analysis: This is where you explain what effects the technique has had on the audience and what Priestley was trying to do with it.

Zoom: This is where you zoom in and focus on one small part of the quote and evaluate what effect it has on the audience.

Link: This is where you link back to the task and ensure you are actually answering the question.

Challenge: Write out a PETAZL paragraph that answers the question: “How does Priestley portray the Inspector when he is introduced in Act One?”

Extra Challenge: Go through and highlight all the different parts of your PETAZL paragraphs. What do you need to add to it? Make your changes.

Mega Challenge: Use the PETAZL structure to write an essay that responds to this task: “How does Priestley portray the Inspector when he is introduced in Act One?”

An Inspector Calls and Context

John Boynton Priestley was born in Yorkshire in 1894 and from an early age he began writing. As a member of the middle classes he had the chance to go on and study at university, but felt he would get more of a feel for the ‘real’ world by going out to work instead. Therefore, he became a junior clerk with a wool firm at the age of 16.

During the First World War, Priestley joined the infantry and narrowly avoided death on a number of occasions. After the war, he went to Cambridge University and earnt a degree before moving to London to work as a freelance writer. Although mostly remembered for An Inspector Calls, Priestley wrote many, many articles, novels and plays. He was very much into his politics and this shone through in his writing.

In the 1930s Priestley became very much concerned about social inequality and this led to him setting up a new political party (T he Common Wealth Party) to try and fight this. The new party wanted public ownership of land, greater levels of democracy, and a new kind of ‘morality’ in politics. This party eventually went on to merge with the Labour Party in 1945, but it was instrumental in helping to establish the Welfare State in the United Kingdom (which includes pensions, benefits, the NHS and more).

During the Second World War he presented a very popular weekly radio programme which the Conservative political party branded as being very left-wing. The programme was cancelled by the BBC because it was felt to be too one-sided and critical of the Government at the time.

‘An Inspector Calls’ was published and performed in 1945 in the Soviet Union as the Second World War came to an end. It was written at a time when class divisions were becoming blurred in Britain, where women were being given more rights and respect, and people want great change in society.

The play itself is set in 1912 – a time before the two World Wars, where class divisions were very clear, where women were poorly treated, where social inequality was great and where there was very little support for the elderly, sick, disabled and poorest in society. It is important to remember that women were not even given the vote in Britain until 1928; before that time movements like the Suffragettes campaigned through militant action to make significant changes to society.

In 1945 Clement Attlee’s Labour Party when a landslide election victory despite Winston Churchill’s Conservatives leading the UK to victory in Europe in the Second World War. It was clear that the British people wanted great social change, and with the NHS being founded in 1948, the play helped to continue to change attitudes towards social inequality in the country. This is what Priestley intended with his play; he wanted the people of Britain to embrace change and make the most of the social upheaval that the two World Wars had caused.

Priestley continued to write into the 1970s, and died in 1984.

Challenge: Highlight key information from the context summary and label with notes.

Extra Challenge: Write a paragraph about why Priestley wrote his play and what effects you think he wanted to have on his audience.

Mega Challenge: Think about how seeing this play in 1945 would have affected the audience at the time. How does this differ to a modern audience? Does our understanding of the play differ from back then?

Revision Activity: Sample Exam Question

You will be given a choice of two questions – you must only answer one of these.

The questions might be based on character or they could be based on a theme.

Look at the choice below:

How and why does Sheila change in An Inspector Calls? Write about:

how Sheila responds to her family and to the Inspector how Priestley presents Sheila by the ways he writes.

[30 marks]AO4 [4 marks]

OR:

How does Priestley explore responsibility in An Inspector Calls? Write about:

the ideas about responsibility in An Inspector Calls how Priestley presents these ideas by the ways he writes.

[30 marks]AO4 [4 marks]

Revision Activity:

Challenge: Choose one of the questions and make notes on how you would answer it. Plan out your answer.

Extra Challenge: Give yourself 45 minutes and practise writing out your answer to one of these questions.

Mega Challenge: Answer the question in 35-40 minutes and use your time to practise proof-reading your work, ensuring you are meeting ALL the AOs in your answer.

Notes

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