An Inspector Calls

Question 1

Summarise the book

Answer 1

An Inspector Calls is a play in three acts, set in Brumley, an English manufacturing town, in 1912. Arthur Birling has convened a dinner for the engagement of his daughter, Sheila, to her boyfriend, Gerald Croft. Arthur and his wife Sybil seem happy, although Sybil is reserved at the meal. Eric, Sheila’s brother, drinks heavily and appears mildly upset. Gerald gives Sheila her ring, and Sheila and Sybil leave the room to try on wedding clothes. Eric goes upstairs. Arthur tells Gerald he knows the Croft family considers themselves social superiors of the Birlings, but that’s easily remedied, he says, as he expects a knighthood for his business successes. Gerald promises to relay the news to his mother. Eric returns, and Arthur gives the two young men advice about professional life, saying that people ought to look out for themselves and their families, and not fall prey to socialist propaganda about the collective good. Edna, the maid, announces that an Inspector Goole is here to speak to Arthur.

The Inspector, whom Arthur does not know despite his positions in local government, announces that a girl named Eva Smith has died of an apparent suicide. The Inspector asks Arthur if he knows anyone by that name. Arthur initially denies it, but after seeing a picture, he admits to employing Eva at his factory, and firing her when she incites a failed strike for higher wages. Arthur says he is not sorry for doing so, even though he is sad to hear of the girl’s death. Arthur believes that his foremost obligation is to his profits. When Sheila returns to the room, the Inspector begins interrogating her. It is revealed that Sheila got a girl fired from Milward’s, a local shop, for giving Sheila mean looks as she was trying on clothing. Sheila regrets to hear that the person she incriminated was none other than Eva Smith, and that she and Arthur are responsible, in part, for Eva’s poverty and suicide.

The Inspector turns to Gerald and asks if he knows someone named Daisy Renton. Sheila realizes, from Gerald’s expression, that Gerald knows this name. When all but Sheila and Gerald leave the room, Sheila accuses Gerald of having had an affair with Daisy Renton the previous summer. Gerald admits to this. He asks Sheila to hide this information from the Inspector, but she says it won’t be possible because the Inspector probably already knows. Act One ends.

Act Two begins with the same set. The Inspector questions Gerald about Daisy Renton, and Gerald admits to the affair in front of Sheila and her parents, Arthur and Sybil. Gerald is embarrassed by his indiscretion, but insists his concern for Daisy was authentic. Sheila wonders if she can forgive Gerald enough to continue their relationship. Gerald tells the Inspector he is going to leave for a walk.

The Inspector moves on to Sybil, who, on being questioned, says that she, as director of a charity, refused assistance to a pregnant woman. The Inspector tells them that the girl Sybil turned away was Eva Smith, or, as Gerald knew her, Daisy Renton. The Inspector also says that Gerald was not the one who got Eva pregnant. Sybil says she feels no regret, as Eva/Daisy had claimed she was pregnant but was not married to the child’s father. To this, Sybil responded that Eva/Daisy should ask the child’s father for money. Sybil blames the unnamed father for the situation, and for Eva/Daisy’s suicide. Sheila and Arthur tell Sybil to stop talking. In this moment, Sybil realizes that her son, Eric, must be the father of the child, since Eva/Daisy presented herself to the charity as “Mrs. Birling.” Eric returns to the room. Act Two ends.

In Act Three, with the same set, Eric admits to an affair with Eva/Daisy, and to a drinking problem that makes many of the details hazy. The Inspector demonstrates that each member of the Birling family, and Gerald, has played a part in Eva/Daisy’s suicide, and that all should consider themselves guilty. Before he leaves, the Inspector says that people must look out for one another, and that society is “one body.” The Inspector departs. Sheila, wracked with guilt, wonders aloud whether the Inspector is a member of the police force. The family puzzles this out, and when Gerald returns, he says he spoke to a sergeant outside who does not know of any Inspector with the name of Goole, the man who just visited the Birling home. Arthur believes that the family has been hoaxed, and that this is a good thing, since their misdeeds will not now result in public scandal. Sheila resents Arthur’s rationalization of the family’s behavior, and she says they are still guilty for Eva/Daisy’s death, even if the Inspector was not a genuine officer. Gerald, however, notes that no family member saw the picture of Eva/Daisy at the same time, and that the Inspector might have conflated the family’s stories by offering pictures of different women, and changing the names from Eva Smith to Daisy Renton.

Sheila wonders whether this would excuse everyone’s behavior, but it does not, as Gerald still committed his affair, Eric impregnated an unmarried girl, and Arthur and Sybil behaved uncharitably to young girls in need. Arthur calls the hospital and confirms that no self-inflicted deaths have been recorded for weeks. He says resolutely that Inspector Goole has tricked the family and that there is nothing to fear. Sheila worries aloud that Arthur will ignore the lessons the family was just beginning to learn. The phone rings, and Arthur answers. He alerts the family that a girl has been admitted to the hospital just now, and that her death is a suicide. As the play ends, Arthur relays to the family that a police inspector is headed to the house to begin an inquiry.

Question 2

Who is Arthur Birlling and how is he presented?

Answer 2

• His concerns are his family name and his ability to climb the class ladder and be as successful as the crofts which is why he references his knighthood so gleefully.
• Although Arthur does seem somewhat upset at the idea that he contributed to Eva Smith’s death, he is more upset that his family’s implication in the scandal would become public. This would mean that the knighthood might be withheld, and that Birling would no longer continue his social ascent.
• Arthur’s opinion, that men ought only to look after themselves as individuals, is a strictly capitalist mentality, in which owners of capital value only profits, and do not care for workers’ rights.
• He is a successful buisnessman
• He is presented as an arrogant and greedy capitalist, who is driven by the desire to make money(prizing profit over people)
• As Sheila says in Act Three, the Inspector calls just as Arthur tells Eric and Gerald that they must put their own interests before anyone else’s, and that socialist ideas of human brotherhood are strange and not to be trusted. Sheila wonders if the Inspector’s visit was meant to prove to Arthur that people’s lives are actually very complexly intertwined.

Question 3

How is Arthur Birling presented as:

1. Arrogant
2. Patronising about women
3. Capitalist
4. Possessive

Answer 3

• Arrogant - He makes long speeches at dinner about things that the audience would know were incorrect. For example, he claims war will never happen and that the Titanic is unsinkable.” And I’m talking 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.” Mr Birling is confident that there will not be a war, saying that ‘there isn’t a chance of war’ and then repeating this idea when he considers it ‘impossible’. His arrogance and complacency are made very clear. The audience, knowing that just two years after this speech, World War One will begin, see that Mr Birling is wrong on this point, and on many others, including his prediction that the Titanic is ‘unsinkable’. The audience lose trust in him as a character.
• Patronising views about women Mr Birling makes some old-fashioned and patronising points about women and how they view clothes and appearance.”
  …clothes mean something quite different to a woman. Not just something to wear - and not only something to make ‘em look prettier.’”
  He shows that he is quite sexist by suggesting that clothes are somehow more important to women than to men. The fact that he thinks clothes ‘make ‘em look prettier’ shows he objectifies women too.
• Capitalist Mr Birling is a business man whose main concern is making money. This is what is most important to him and he comes across as being greedy. “…we may look forward to the time when Croft and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together - for lower costs and higher prices.”It is clear here that Mr Birling is driven by money, he is a capitalist. The fact that he sees his daughter’s engagement as a chance to push for ‘lower costs and higher prices’ shows just how greedy he is. He does not consider the impact ‘higher prices’ might have on anyone else, he just wants more money.
• Possessive - On a number of occasions Mr Birling refers to things and people as being ‘his’.
  “Is there any reason why my wife should answer questions from you, Inspector?”
  He emphasises that Sybil is ‘his’ wife suggesting that he sees her as a possession. He does not allow Sybil to talk for herself here.

Social and historical context

J B Priestley was a socialist. When the play was written after World War Two in 1945, there was no form of welfare from the government to help the poor. J B Priestley believed in socialism, the political idea based on common ownership and that we should all look after one another. Mr Birling represents greedy businessmen who only care for themselves. Priestley uses him to show the audience that the Eva Smiths of the world will continue to suffer if people like Birling remain in positions of power.

Question 4

What does the reoccurring motif of port suggest?

Answer 4

Mr Birling says to Edna, “Giving us the port, Edna? Thats right.
“You ought to like this port”
“As a matter of fact. Finchly told me it’s the exactly same port your father gets from him.”

The drinking of port is significant due to its cost as it was associated with the wealthy. The price itself was prohibited as a result out of reach for the working class. Instantly, the audience sees that Mr Birling is someone who wishes to show off to Gerald. Furthermore, the name dropping of Finchley to impress his future son-in-law.

By speaking to Gerald(the son fo lord and lady croft) Birling is actually speaking to his social superior. This imbalance in power leads Birling to name drop in an attempt to endear himself into one which he personally aspires. Birling himself has moved from working class to middle class so he has to be reminded by Mrs Birling(social superior) to behave socially. He is hubristic.

Question 5

How does Priestly surprise us about Mr Birling’s speech?

How does it display Mr Birlign as a flawed, misled & pompous man

Answer 5

Early in act one when Mr Birling begins his speech you would have though that he would talk about the love for his daughter or his future son-in-law. Instead, his speech is about about his Economic future of the country and the failings of neighbouring nations.

• This is an example of Priestly presenting Mr Birling as a flawed, misled & pompous man. He refers to himself twice in very similar ways, first as a “Hard-Headed Business man” and moments later a “hard-headed, practical man of business. The use of repetition by Priestly emphasises how Mr Birling’s self-perception is entirely built upon how he sees himself in terms of work and money. His priorities are not with his family but with how much wealth he can accumulate. This results in a lack of empathy for those he exploits in order to grow his fortune as he says himself, ‘A man has to make his own way - has to look after himself”

Question 6

What does Mr Birling represent and what are priestly’s intenstions?

Answer 6

Mr Birling represents the capitalist voice, ideas at the time and the older generation who were unwilling of change(conservative). He makes him realistic through the use of colloquial language, where uses terms more familiar to the time, and is more relaxed in his language. so to do this Birling has to “Keep labour costs down” As we will learn in the future, this capitalist agenda will be the cause of Eva Smith’s death.

For example, He sees his daughter’s engagement as a chance for ‘lower costs and higher prices’ which shows how greedy and selfish he is. quote - “We may look forward to the time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but working together for lower costs and higher prices.”

This viewpoint will be directly contrasted by the message soon to be delivered by Inspector Goole, who Birling dismisses as “probably a socialist or some sort of crank”. The word “crank” means for a person to hold a belief that the majority of people believe is false, so here, Birling links the idea of a crank with a socialist, both having a negative attitude. his goes in with his earlier criticism of socialists and famous writers with socialist views urging a more socially responsible and compassionate attitude to society. However the audience would realise the inspector has done no wrong and played no part in Eva’s sad demise and merely exposed the reprehensible behaviour of the Birlings and ended with a message urging compassion to all members of society.

Question 7

Key MR Birling Quotes

Answer 7

Mr Birling o Birlings’ ‘ large surburban house’ – contrast with Eva’s ‘dingy little back bedroom’ (described by the Inspector)

o “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” (about the Titanic) o Describes himself repeatedly as ‘a hard-headed practical man of business”

o “a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own-and -(door bell rings)”

o “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”

o Describes Eva’s death as a ‘horrid business’ (uses the language of business rather than understanding the true horror of Eva’s death)

o ‘I was quite justified’ in sacking Eva Smith

o When worried his family is responsible for Eva’s death: ‘Look, Inspector - I’d give thousands – yes, thousands –’ This reveals Birling’s hypocrisy – he has money to spare for a bribe, to avoid a scandal, but he won’t pay his workers a penny more than they currently earn.

o After the Inspector leaves: ‘You allowed yourself to be bluffed. Yes – bluffed.’

o After the Inspector leaves: repeatedly described in the stage directions as speaking ‘triumphantly’

Question 8

How does Mr Birling change as the play goes on?

Answer 8

• Structure Opening: The play opens with Mr Birling asking for the port to be poured. Birling is trying to impress Gerald by choosing the same port as Gerald’s father likes. Priestley is using the port as a symbol to reveal that Mr Birling is a materialistic character who cares about his status and reputation above all else.
• Inspector’s Entrance: Just before the Inspector arrives, Mr Birling dismisses socialist views of community as ‘nonsense’ and claims that a man ‘has to mind his own business and look after himself’. The interruption of Birling’s speech foreshadows that the Inspector will disrupt these arrogant views.
• Ending: By the ending of the play, Mr Birling has not changed. He is delighted when he discovers the Inspector is a fake, shown by the repeated stage direction ‘triumphantly’. Priestley reveals that capitalists like Mr Birling are too selfish to change.

Question 9

How does Priestly use dramatic irony to criticise Mr Birling.

Answer 9

Priestly uses this ridiculous amount fo dramatic Irony to criticise the character of Mr Birling. Given that the play was set in 1912 but first performed in 1945, the audience knows that much of what he said is incorrect.

For example, his confidence that the Germans don’t want war was doubly wrong given that there was not one but two world wars coming. He claims the idea of war as “nonsense” and “fiddlesticks!” His dismissive tone reveals how confident he is ideas. His error filled predictions about war, economic growth and the titanic being “unsinkable” This does not simply make the character seem ill informed and ridiculous. This then means when hear Mr Birling Views on the treatment of own employees and on business, we consider these opinions to be just an incorrect. Priestly’s effective use of dramatic irony means Mr Birling opinions are instantly devalued.

Mr Birling Ends the play in the same way it started. For example, He finds out his son is an alcoholic who stole money from the office and impregnated Eva Smith. It might therefore be surprising to the audience that the majority of his dialogue is associated with recovering his lost money. Eric’s slight against him and the impact upon the business causes Mr Birling consternation - not the death of his grandson or the alcholism of his son.

Question 10

Who is Mrs Birling

Answer 10

Sybil Birling

The matriarch(female leader) of the Birling family. Sybil is described in the play’s performance notes as “cold.” Though she is pleased her daughter Sheila is engaged to be married, she tends to ignore any potential discord in the family. Sybil serves on a charitable committee in the town, and busies herself with social events befitting a woman whose husband is a business success. She protects what she perceives to be the family’s good image.

Mrs Sybil Birling is Arthur Birling’s wife and right from the opening of the play she is cold-hearted and snobbish despite being a prominent member of local women’s charity. Throughout dinner she tells Sheila and Eric off for things that she considers impolite whilst ignorantly turning a blind eye to her son drinking too much. It is clear that despite Eric being old enough to drink and Sheila getting married, she sees them both as children, not as a young man and woman.

Her cold, uncaring nature leads to her downfall as the Inspector forces her to unknowingly condemn her own son.

Question 11

How is Sybil Birling presented as cold?

Answer 11

• Cold - Mrs Birling is very unsympathetic when describing Eva Smith’s position. Sybil assumes instantly that because Eva is pregnant and single she is a bad person.
• “She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”*
• *Analysis:** Another comment reflecting Mrs Birling’s very cold and insensitive attitude to Eva. Mrs Birling does not seem to understand that a working class person like Eva can have complex feelings and emotions and also have a certain standard of morality and dignity. This clearly views the working class, though not as criminal, as clearly inferior and lacking morality. Is Priestley highlighting this because this sort of attitude is all too common amongst the wealthy in English society at that time.

1. Ignorant - When the Inspector suggests that Eric is used to drinking, Mrs Birling jumps quickly to Eric’s defence.
   * “But I didn’t know it was you – I never dreamt. Besides, you’re not the type – you don’t get drunk”*

Analysis: Mrs Birling’s ignorance of the true reality of her son mirrors her more fundamental reality of society and the world, her ignorant attitude towards the poor. Perhaps this is common amongst people of her social class and thus they need to be exposed to the true reality of society which a play like ‘An Inspector Calls’ helps to do. Mrs Birling has a highly erroneous view of her son but also a highly erroneous view of the world and the poor in general.

1. Snobbish(she thinks she is better than) - Sybil shows that she is snobbish when she criticises members of her family for their behaviour. “What an expression, Sheila! Really, the things you girls pick up these days!” Sybil shouts at Sheila for using the word ‘squiffy’ - meaning drunk. Sybil has snobbish opinions that people should speak and behave ‘properly’, not doing so would make her look down upon them.

Social and historical context

The hardships of wartime challenged the class structure in Britain. Due to rationing of food and clothes, people of all classes were eating and dressing the same. They were also fighting side by side, and so class barriers came down. Sybil Birling, like her husband Arthur, represents a type of middle-class snobbery that existed prior to the World Wars. Priestley hoped that these sorts of attitudes would die out, and uses Mrs Birling to show how they can lead to cold and thoughtless behaviour.

Question 12

How is Mrs Birling presented as controlling and demanding?

In Act 1 and Act 2

Answer 12

In the first few pages of act 1. She says:

“Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things”
“Now stop it, you two”

Yes, Priestley immediately presents Mrs Birling as a controlling and demanding character. Much of her time is spent obsessed with actions that might give a bad impression (presumably to Gerald who is, at this point, the only character on stage from outside the family). Priestley establishes Mrs Birling as bossy and controlling at the start of the play in order to set up the inevitable conflict with Inspector Goole when he arrives.

In Act Two, Mrs Birling complains that Inspector Goole’s comments are ‘a trifle impertinent’ and in Act Three describes his questioning as ‘peculiar and offensive’. She is clearly used to having her own way and cannot understand why she is unable to order the police inspector around. Priestly uses Mrs Birling’s discomfort at having a police inspector refuse to obey her as an example of the wealthy middle and upper classes complacency when it comes to the law. Both Mr and Mrs Birling drop names of people they know in the police force, expecting inspector goole to give them an easier time. Mr and Mrs Birling clearly see themselves as above the law, and they struggle when faced with someone who is moral and insisting that justice is served.

Question 13

How does Priestly use Mrs BIrling as a dramatic device to develop tension?

What did Priestly discuss in his radio show?

Answer 13

it is Mrs Birling who is most resistant to confess her connection to Eva Smith. Mr Birling and Shelia explain their link as they as they realise they know her; Gerald attempts to lie to Inspector Goole, but almost immediately thinks better of it and confesses, but Mrs Birling lies outright for two page, ‘No. Why should I?, but before finally. admitting she recognises Eva.

However, even once Inspector Goole has prised this admission out of her, Mrs Birling defends herself and dodges questions until the very end of Act 2. The effect of writing her dialogue in this way is that the audience is waiting for the total confession, and both tension and frustration are slowly builidng with every rebuff and refusal to answer. Mrs Birling seems to embody here everything Priestly disliked about the behaviour of middle and upper class women of Edwardian society. In his radio show, Priestly spoke about women who after the war were more concerned about their own lives than helping others. He described how he received bitter letters ‘from ladies doing nothing in inland resorts, where their energy is turned inward instead of outward, turning hostility instead of helpfulness and fun. ’

Mrs Birling shares many characteristics with these women, and Priestly uses her as an example of how petty and self-centered (or egocentric) some people can be when they themselves live easy and comfortable lives, while others are struggling to eat.

Question 14

How was the situation for Eva Smith made worse by Mrs Birling and the Government?

What does Mrs Birling charity comitte represent?

Answer 14

The situation for women like Eva Smith was made worse by the lack of support from the government. In 1912, there was no NHS, no benefit system, and no access to contraception. Therefore, women were reliant upon charities to help them cope when they were struggling.

Priestley uses the charity committee who are swayed by Mrs Birling’s prejudice to demonstrate how fallible this system was. It is also worth thinking about why someone like Mrs Birling helped out on a charity committee at all. Mrs Birling makes her opinions of the working classes clear: that they will lie, they will accept stolen money, and they are to blame for their own situation. If Mrs Birling has such a low opinion of the people she is meant to be helping, why is she involved in the charity? We can infer that her ulterior motive to work on the committee has more to do with how it looks to chair such a committee and to wield power, rather than be driven by the desire to help other people. Priestley presents another sign of Mrs Birling’s privilege in the reference to bells and the presence of Edna. Mrs Birling tells Edna she will ‘ring’ from the drawing room, and this system of bells for maids had fallen out of common usage by 1945. Priestley famously claimed in 1927 that the practice of having domestic servants, was ‘as obsolete as the horse’. The Birling family’s use of domestic staff highlights the ‘old’ ways of doing things where working-class women were made to work in difficult conditions for very little money. The increase of opportunities to work in other industries, and the outbreak of war, as well as developments in technology that meant housework was easier to perform, all meant that, by 1945, the presence of domestic staff had greatly diminished in middle-class homes. Priestley’s inclusion of Edna, and Mrs Birling’s ordering her about emphasise how out of date the Birlings are now, and how archaic their thinking is. The notion of being privileged runs through the play: characters who are apparently unaware of their privilege take advantage of others who are less privileged than themselves. Priestley questions the morality of Edwardian society through his depiction of a privileged family and their attitudes towards others who are less fortunate than themselves.

Question 15

Mrs Birling key quotations

Answer 15

Mrs Birling o To Arthur, about his comments about the cook: ‘Arthur you’re not supposed to say such things’

o To Gerald, about his affair with Eva: ‘I don’t think we want any more details of this disgusting affair.’

o “I didn’t like her manner”

o “I accept no blame”

o “a girl of that sort”

o When blaming the father of Eva’s baby (not realising it’s Eric): ‘he ought to be dealt with very severely.’

Question 16

How does Mrs Birling change as the play goes on?

Answer 16

• Opening: Mrs Birling shows her narrow-mindedness from her early lines. When Sheila questions where Gerald was all summer, Mrs Birling warns her that men have important work to do and shouldn’t be questioned. She praises Gerald for his timing of the presentation of the ring.
• The Inspector’s Entrance: Mrs Birling is off stage when the Inspector arrives, and does not re-enter until Act Two. At this point, she enters ‘self-confidently’ and attempts to dismiss the Inspector’s investigation, calling it an ‘absurd business’. This indicates her arrogance and unwillingness to listen or to change.
• Even after admitting that she has met Eva, Mrs Biring refers to her only as a ‘girl’, not by her name, as though Eva is not worthy of being recognised as an individual. Mrs Birling implies that a woman in Eva’s position is not capable of the same level of emotion or morality as somebody in the upper or middle class.
• Ending: By the end of the play, Mrs Birling has not changed. She seems the most resistant to the Inspector’s message. Priestley shows that she has a lack of understanding of how other people live and thinks that all classes behave in a certain way. The speed at which she recovers after the Inspector leaves reflects her coldness and lack of conscience. Her last line in the play is a prediction that they will all be ‘amused’ by the Inspector’s visit in the morning – a prediction that shows how little she has understood.

Question 17

What does Mrs Birling do?

Answer 17

What does Mrs Birling do?
• Mrs Birling treats the Inspector as an inferior.
• She is disgusted when she learns that Eva / Daisy was Gerald’s mistress.
• She persuaded the charity not to help the pregnant girl.
• She blames the girls’ death on the father of the child – who turns out to be her son.
• She claims she was the only one not to ‘give in’ to the Inspector.

Mrs Birling is a capitalist and a snob who values social class above all else. She is an ignorant character, who doesn’t think there are any problems in her family and struggles to believe that Eric drinks heavily or that he was the father of Eva’s child. Priestley’s message Priestley uses Mrs Birling as a symbol to represent the wealthier, privileged classes and their selfish attitudes. She sees the working class as morally inferior. Priestley wanted his audience to despise Mrs Birling and the ignorant social snobbery she represents.

Question 18

Key Quotes to remember about Mrs Birling?

Answer 18

• Quotes: As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money! Inspector:
• *Analysis:** All these comments referring to Eva as: 1. ‘Girls of that class’ 2. ‘..a girl in that position’ 3. ‘a girl of that sort’. This implies a sort of distance between her and those ‘sort’ over there. The inferior poor. As mentioned above she viewed Eva as a member of the inferior working class who simply did not possess any great standards of morality such that they would refuse money.
• Quotes: I’ll tell you what I told her. Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.
• *Analysis:** Whilst trying to defend herself and her ‘honour’ she passes blame on to the father of Eva’s child. Little does she know that that father is in fact the person she called a ‘boy’, her son Eric. If it is Eric’s responsibility then a man from a rich family bears part of the blame for Eva’s demise and ultimately by extension on a more fundamental level his parents for not being able to raise him in a manner that would prevent him from doing this. The Birlings are shown in the play as a very flawed family, and Priestley is trying to tell the wealthy upper classes in society that they are far from perfect.
• Quotes: I don’t think we want any further details of this disgusting affair–
• *Analysis:** Mrs Birling is ignorant and in her own world, her own bubble. She does not know much about the real world in general or even the affairs of Brumley. She does not want to hear about Gerald’s affair with Eva Smith and labels it ‘disgusting’. But why is it ‘disgusting’ in her eyes and is Gerald thus ‘disgusting’ and therefore unfit to marry Sheila. We can infer from what we know of Mrs Birling that it being ‘disgusting’ could very much be linked to her contempt for the working classes as lower and inferior so the idea of a member of the wealthy elite having a relationship with a lowly working class girl appals her.

4. Quotes: please don’t contradict me like that. And in any case I don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl committed suicide. Girls of that class–

Analysis: Mrs Birling tells her daughter Sheila not to contradict with her. She is obviously entrenched in a mindset which is heavily hierarchical including the importance of parental authority. All through out her quotes we can see her telling people to do this and do that or not do this and that. She believes in certain norms that need to be conformed to. She is the exact opposite of an agent of change, the sort of change J.B. Priestley is looking for.

The second part of this quote where she says that they cannot understand why Eva committed suicide is implicitly saying that rather than the working class being fellow human beings with common human emotions and needs are almost akin to a different breed of being. The gap between the wealthy and the working class is such that the mindset of the working class would be incomprehensible to Mrs Birling and nor should there be any attempt to comprehend them. They are a lower, inferior species of being as is clear when Mrs Birling rather contemptuously says ‘Girls of that class’. That is of a lower, inferior class.

Question 19

Who is Shelia Birling?

Answer 19

Sheila Birling is Arthur and Sybil’s daughter and is in her early twenties. At the start of the play she is celebrating her engagement to Gerald Croft and she is a giddy, naïve and childish young lady. The Inspector arrives and she is very shocked by the news of Eva Smith’s death, she is also very regretful of her own involvement in the suicide.

As the play continues, she matures, admiring Gerald’s honesty, even though he cheated on her. She shows an assertive side by standing up to her mother and father and she also shows that she is insightful and intelligent - she can see where the Inspector’s investigation is going and tries to warn the others.

By the end of the play she has grown up and has realised that her actions can have grave consequences.

Social and historical context

Sheila, like Eric, allows Priestley to show his opinions on youth. He felt that there was hope in the young people of post-war Britain. He saw them as the ones who would help solve the problems the country had with class, gender and social responsibility. This is seen in how Sheila is deeply affected by Eva’s death, she accepts responsibility straightaway and promises to never behave in such a way again. This is not the case with the older characters, Mr and Mrs Birling and even Gerald do not accept responsibility and we do not get the impression that they will change.

Question 20

How is Shelia presented as

• naive
• assertive
• insightful

Answer 20

• Naïve - At the opening of the play she appears to be a little immature and easily led. Her behaviour is childish and she very much does what her parents tell her.
  “I’m sorry Daddy actually I was listening.”
  Sheila shows her naivety and lack of maturity in the way she reacts to her father. She is quick to apologise, it is clear that she is keen to behave well. She also refers to her father as ‘Daddy’, a childish term.
• Assertive - As the play progresses, Sheila’s character develops and she begins to stand up for herself.
  “I tell you - whoever that inspector was, it was anything but a joke.”
  The change in Sheila here is clear. She has become more assertive, using phrases such as ‘I tell you’. The events of the evening have made her aware of the serious impact one’s actions can have.
• Insightful - At a number of points, Sheila shows that she can see things that the other characters cannot.
  “Yes, of course it is. That’s what I meant when I talked about building up a wall that’s sure to be knocked flat. It makes it all harder to bear.”
  Sheila uses the metaphor of a wall that the Inspector will knock down to show her insightful understanding of his methods. She knows that if they try to keep anything from him, it will make things worse. The other characters don’t realise this as quickly as Sheila does.

Sheila is the conscience of the Birling family. She realizes very soon after the Inspector’s arrival that her anger at Milward’s resulted led to her her demise. Sheila wonders how she will live with the grief her actions have caused and is genuinley upset, and reminds the rest of her family that they, too, have acted wrongly.

She wants the family never to forget what they have done, despite their desire to proceed as though nothing is amiss. She is also willing, at the play’s end, to forgive Gerald his infidelity, because he appeared to have genuinely cared for Eva/Daisy, even if at Sheila’s expense.

Question 21

What is Priestly’s message with Shelia?

Answer 21

Sheila the socialist
Sheila shows genuine concern for Eva Smith and understands the Inspector’s message. She forms a contrast to her narrow-minded, materialistic parents. Priestley’s message Priestley uses Sheila, along with Eric, as a symbol to represent the younger generation and socialism. Sheila gives the audience hope that their society can improve if people take responsibility for the impact of their actions.

You could also argue that Sheila comes to reflect new ideas about gender equality, connected to the suffragette movement of the period – she challenges the outdated attitudes of her father, mother and Gerald Croft.

Question 22

How does Shelia change throughout the play? How does she challenge her father?

Answer 22

Structure Opening: At the start of the play, Sheila is playful and selfcentred, enjoying the attention her engagement brings. She is particularly excited about the engagement ring, calling it ‘wonderful!’. At first, Sheila seems superficial and materialistic like the rest of her family.

The Inspector’s Entrance: When Sheila meets the Inspector, she shows a sensitive side to her nature. She responds to Eva Smith as a person, not as cheap labour, and criticises her father. When she realises her jealousy and bad temper caused Eva to lose her job, she is genuinely sorry.

Ending: By the end of the play, Sheila Birling has changed more than any other character. She refuses to continue the engagement with Gerald by the end of the play, even though he claims ‘everything’s all right now’. She understands the importance of the Inspector’s message, and even echoes his words, ‘fire and blood and anguish’. These things all help to make her a more sympathetic character.

Question 23

How is Shelia presented as inferior in the beginning of the play?

Answer 23

Priestley uses the character of Sheila to explore the power of the individual in a biased society, and to challenge ideas about gender. In the opening moments of the play, Priestley presents Sheila as an immature, materialistic character.

Despite the stage directions telling us that she is ‘in her early twenties’, Sheila refers to her parents as ‘Mummy’ and ‘Daddy’, an infantile, immature mode of address which is reciprocated by Mr and Mrs Birling, who refer to Sheila as both a ‘child’ and ‘childish’. Sheila’s comment about the engagement ring and how she will ‘never let it go out of my sight’ presents her as materialistic, as does the comment from Eric that Sheila and Mrs Birling are ‘talking about clothes’ when they retire to the drawing room in Act One. We see numerous examples where Priestley presents other characters treating Sheila as inferior.

Early in Act One, Gerald enquires of Sheila, ‘I’ve been trying long enough, haven’t ?’, but it is Mrs Birling who interrupts and replies in Sheila’s place, telling Gerald Of course she does’. Later, Gerald tries to have Sheila removed from the room during his interrogation, telling the inspector in the opening of Act Two, ‘I think Miss Birling ought to be excused’. Yes, it is clear early on that Sheila is not treated as an equal by anyone. And why is that? . But, for the sake of this character video, let’s keep it at this: at the time the play was set, women were treated as an inferior to men. Compared to Eric—he is undoubtedly more immature than Sheila, but he isn’t treated like a child in the way she is. Sheila’s treatment by others reflects how women were considered as having an inferior role within a male-dominated society. This attitude to women as inferior is, it can be argued, one of the causes of Eva Smith’s death. Like Eva, Sheila is treated as inferior because of her gender.

However, because she is middle class, she is more protected and less vulnerable than Eva Smith. After the inspector’s interrogation, Sheila begins to change as a character. Her words to Gerald of ‘you fool – he knows’ demonstrate a dramatic shift in her personality: the little girl who was cooing over a ring has gone, and her passivity has been replaced with a fiery indignation. The sarcastic ‘you’re forgetting I’m supposed to be engaged to the hero’ cuts through Gerald’s attempt to romanticise the story of his interactions with Eva. Furthermore, the maturity behind her cool returning of the ring, as opposed to her tantrum at the end of Gerald’s confession, implies to the audience that this is a woman who is now not governed by her emotions – but by logic and reason. Priestley seems to be suggesting that the audience should aspire to be like Sheila: they should own the mistakes they’ve made and make others accountable for their own mistakes too.

Question 24

How does Priestly present Shelia as a character who grasps the Inspector’s message of social responsibility.

How does Priestly show that Shelia has taken on the Interrogation role?

Answer 24

Priestley presents Sheila as a character who quickly learns the inspector’s message of social responsibility. The contrast between Sheila and her parents can been interpreted as Priestley criticising the behaviour of the older generation, who are fixed in their ways. To signify this change in Sheila’s character, we see a shift in the terms of address she uses with her parents. In Act Two, Sheila addresses Mrs Birling as ‘Mother’ and Mr Birling as ‘Father’– a symbol of how she has matured from the childlike Act 1 address of ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy .

Furthermore, she butts (‘Yes, she is. Why?’) in when the Inspector asks if Mrs Birling is a member of a the Brumley women’s charity organisation. The is a dramatic turnaround from the start of the play where it was Mrs B interrupting and answering for Shelia. The change in Shelia is dramatic and serves as an example to the audience of how they too can dramatically change for the better.

With the inspector’s final exit in Act Three, Shelia can in some ways to be seen to take on his role. We saw a hint of this at the end of Act one, when it was Shelia can in some ways be seen to take on his role. We saw a hint of this Act one, when it was Shelia who forced a confession out of Gerald whilst the inspector went off stage with Eric. Following, departure in the third act, Shelia interrogates her family and Gerald, asking a series of questions. Through the use of Questioning, Priestly is showing how Shelia has taken on the interrogating role of the inspector. Priestly is showing how Sheila has taken on the interrogating role of the inspector.
Priestly also uses repetition as a technique, with Shelia mirroring the language used previously by the inspector when she talks about ‘ Fire and Blood and Anguish’ - the exact words previously spken by the Inspector Goole. The mirroring of language is Priestly’s way of showing us how Shelia has not only learned the Inspector’s valuable lesson, but she has in some way taken on the role of the Inspector himself. Yes, she realises her owen fault in the matter, but she also want to ensure that others do too. Through his presentation of Shelia, Priestley encourages the audience to challenge conventional thinking and to question of others - holding those to account who have power over us, even if that means rejecting those who are close to us and rethinking our own world views. If Shelia can so dramatically transform from a selfish, shallow character to one who now challenges others and cares about social responsibility, then everyone in the audience can also transform in the same way.

Question 25

Adjectives to describe Shelia?

Answer 25

1. Inter-generational – between two different generations. The Birling parents are different to their two children and there are ‘inter-generational’ differences between the parents and the children.
2. Remorseful – A feeling of strong sadness and guilt of doing something wrong. Sheila clearly has it over the death of Eva.
3. Apolitical – To be not interested in politics or even to stay away from it. Sheila is not a political activist but just a normal person and on a very individual human level feels what happened to Eva was wrong.
4. Culpability – To have blame or responsibility for a negative action or incident. Sheila feels she has some culpability for Eva’s death.
5. Introspection – To look within yourself, often in the context of looking at what you have done wrong. The adjective is introspective. ‘It could be said that Eva’s death and Sheila’s role in it will start a process of introspection’ i.e. Sheila will start to look at herself and how she can change.
6. Parental – The adjective of ‘parent’. Sheila may have lost interest in parental approval when she called her mother’s behaviour ‘cruel’.

Question 26

Key Quotes for Shelia

Answer 26

• When I was looking at myself in the mirror I caught sight of her smiling at the assistant, and I was furious with her.*
• *Analysis:** She by chance saw Eva smiling. Smiling in of itself is not a breach of any job or being rude to a customer. Sheila being in a negative state emotionally may have transferred some of her anger on to Eva by either being unhappy at seeing someone smiling or being paranoid that the smile was indicative of her sneering at Sheila. Regardless of all this it does not warrant someone losing their livelihood and having their life destroyed. Priestley is showing how much at the mercy of the wealthy elite the working class are. There is a huge power imbalance and this power if abused can even ultimately be fatal.

• but just in case you forget – or decide not to come back, Gerald, I think you’d better take this with you. (she hands him the ring.)*
• *Analysis:** Sheila hands back the ring to end her engagement with Gerald. It has been an emotional roller coaster of a night for Sheila with her world being shaken and rent asunder. First she hears of her role in the death of an innocent and poor young woman, then her being betrayed by the man who she thought loved her, or loved her exclusively. What was meant to be a night of celebration and joy has turned in to a night of pain and horror. How quickly things change, perhaps Priestley is subtly also alluding to how fickle things can be including for the rich. That they may be on the verge of great joy and fulfilment only for all of it to be destroyed in an instant. Sheila’s engagement is the culmination of years, decades of Mr Birling working hard to provide for his family and Sheila, of being financially successful with the end result that he has achieved a level of respectability that even someone from a traditionally very rich woman considers it respectable to marry in to the Birling family. However this respectability may be destroyed tonight with it being replaced with shame and scandal. How quickly things change. This potential marriage which may have seen the union of the Birlings with the Crofts is now at risk. This is ultimately due to the cruel treatment of Eva Smith. The poor may be ‘unimportant’ but their mistreatment can result in very painful consequences for the rich.
• I know. I had her turned out of a job. I started it.*
• *Analysis:** This quote needs to be seen in conjunction with quote no 57. This further proves that Sheila telling her mother of Eric’s drinking is not out of a childish desire to ‘get him in trouble’ but out of a want to see truth coming out, the whole truth, including the truth of Sheila’s role in this. The inspector accuses Eric of using Eva for sexual pleasure ‘as if she was an animal’. Sheila says straight after this that she was the one who ‘started’ Eva’s demise. She does not turn on Eric and attack him but switches the focus back on to her own role in all of this. She is after the truth. She is saddened by this and most likely she believes that by everyone discovering the truth something good can come out of it e.g. avoiding future mistakes, avoiding someone else suffering in the same way as Eva.
• So nothing really happened. So there’s nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn. We can all go on behaving just as we did.*
• *Analysis:** Priestley is being ironic, through Sheila, here and highlighting the possibility and dangers of not reflecting on tragedies such as Eva. The rest dont care and that is Priestley’s fundamental goal in ‘An Inspector Calls’ to shock his audience, expose horrible realities, disgust people and make them decide in their own way to work towards a fairer, better more just and kinder society.

Question 27

Who is Eric Birling?

What is Eric’s alcholism a symbol of?

Answer 27

Who is Eric Birling?

Eric is the son of Mr and Mrs Birling. He is employed in his father’s business, drinks more than is good for him and is the father of Eva’s / Daisy’s child.

Eric’s position is similar to his sister’s, He also feels guilt. But Eric’s addiction to alcohol and his moodier, wilder temperament keep him from reasoning as succinctly as Sheila does at the play’s end. Eric believes that he behaved justifiably in stealing from the family business to help Eva/Daisy. And, when he learns that his mother refused Eva/Daisy from her charity despite being pregnant, he is aghast at his family’s lack of sympathy.

Different characters interpret Eric’s alcoholism in different ways. Arthur sees it as a sign of weakness, an indication that Eric is lazy and was spoiled as a child. Sybil refuses to acknowledge that Eric has a drinking problem, despite Sheila’s protestations. And Gerald, though he wants to believe that Eric’s drinking is “normal” for a young man, admits that very few young men drink the way Eric does.

What does Eric do?

• Eric drinks too much at the family dinner.
• Eric met Eva / Daisy in the bar of the Palace Theatre.
• Eric forced his way into Eva’s / Daisy’s rooms and made her pregnant.
• He stole money from his father’s firm to give to Eva / Daisy.
• He accuses his mother of killing her own unborn grandchild.
• He accepts his guilt, whether the Inspector is a real police officer or not.

Question 28

How is Eric Birling presented as
lacking Confidence
Assertive
Emotional?

Answer 28

Lacking confidence - At the start of the play Eric is very unsure of himself. He tries to speak up but is often talked down by his father. His behaviour is awkward and stilted.
“I don’t know - really. Suddenly I felt I just had to laugh.”
The stage directions describe Eric as being ‘half shy, half assertive’ and this comes across in his dialogue. He is awkward and unsure of himself. Here he cannot explain his sudden laughter.

Assertive - Like Sheila he can be assertive as well. Even early on in the play he tries to stand up to his father.
“No, I mean about this girl - Eva Smith. 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.”
At the start of the play, Eric shows that he can be assertive. Here he questions his father’s decision to sack Eva Smith. He backs up his point with a well-reasoned argument. His father quickly shouts him down though.

Emotional - Eric’s experience with the inspector causes him great emotional turmoil, unlike some of the other characters. “(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?” Eric suddenly shows how he has been affected emotionally by Eva’s death. He asks the stark question ‘This girl’s still dead, isn’t she?’ He is clearly distressed and understands the gravity of the situation, he can’t understand why the others don’t.

Social and historical context

J B Priestley uses Eric as he does Sheila - to suggest that the young people of a post-war Britain would be the answer to a hopeful future. With Eric he also addresses some concerns he had about the dangers of immoral behaviour. Through Eric, Priestley shows that excessive drinking and casual relationships can have consequences.

Question 29

How does Eric change throughout the play?

Answer 29

• Structure Opening: At the start of the play, Eric has clearly had too much to drink. His first action is to ‘guffaw’ suddenly. Sheila then describes him as ‘squiffy’ (drunk). This prepares the audience for what we later learn about his drunken behaviour with Eva / Daisy. However, Eric already seems to be less ignorant than his father, and attempts to challenge his predictions about the future, asking him questions like ‘What about war?’
• The Inspector’s Entrance: Eric responds with real emotion when hearing of Eva’s death, crying ‘involuntarily’ ‘My God!’. He also criticises his father’s treatment of Eva Smith, calling it ‘tough luck’ and ‘a dam’ shame’.
• Ending: By the end of the play, Eric, like his sister Sheila, becomes aware of his own responsibilities, realising that he has played a part in Eva Smith’s death.

Eric was part of the ‘chain of events’ that led to Eva Smith’s death, by having a fling with her and getting her pregnant. At the start of the play, he was just like the others – abusing his power over a working class girl. However, he accepts responsibility and is ashamed of his behaviour, so the audience is more likely to forgive him.
* **At first, Priestley uses Eric’s actions to symbolise how capitalists abuse their power over the working class (for example, treating Eva Smith ‘as if she were an animal, a thing, not a person’).**

• You could argue that Eric’s rape of Eva Smith represents how capitalists figuratively ‘rape’ the poor. However, Eric does change in the play. By the end, Eric, like his sister, is used by Priestley as a symbol to represent the younger generation and socialism. Eric gives the audience hope that their society can improve if people take responsibility for the impact of their actions.

Question 30

How does Priestly use contrast to present Eric

How are stage directions used in the beginning?

Answer 30

At the beginning of the play, Priestly uses stage directions to present Eric as not fully mature. He is ‘half shy, half assertive’. The adjective ‘shy’ connotes nervousness and a lack of confidence. This contrasts with ‘assertive’, which implies confidence and dominance. Priestley’s use of contrasting adjectives therefore creates a sense of confusion, implying perhaps that he is a secretive person. From the beginning of the play, it is clear that Priestley wants the audience to view Eric negatively in order to show that the capitalist patriarchal society is not trustworthy. This way he encourages the audience to reject the capitalist ideas that Eric appears to be representing.

There is hope, however: Priestley repeats the word ‘half’ to emphasise that Eric’s character is not yet fully formed, which indicates that he might change. From the start of the play, Priestley associates Eric with alcohol when his sister, Sheila, accuses him of being ‘squiffy’. This contemporary slang, meaning slightly drunk, draws the attention of the audience to Sheila’s use of informal language. It positions the Birling siblings as fashionable members of the younger generation who adapt their language to the times.
This foreshadows both characters adapting their attitudes to social responsibility as the play unfolds and they become more sympathetic to the inspector’s message.

In addition, Priestley deliberately aligns Eric with alcohol to foreshadow the later revelations about his drunken behaviour on the night that he met Eva Smith. Eric’s free and easy use of alcohol is also used to signify the double standard in society for men and women (see the character analysis of Mrs Birling for more on that topic). When Eric is interrogated by the inspector, the audience learns that he insisted on entering Eva’s lodgings. He admits that because of alcohol, he was ‘in that state when a chap easily turns nasty’. Priestly’s use of the determiner ‘that’ is interesting because Eric appears to be appealing to a commonly shared belief that his listeners have been drunk and understand exactly what ‘that state’ is. This shows lack of responsibility for his actions and also suggests that he is using alcohol as an excuse for his later implied rape of Eva.

Question 31

How does Priestly use the third person to describe Eric?

Answer 31

The playwright develops the previous idea when Eric refers to himself in the third person with the phrase ‘a chap’. The word ‘chap’, an informal word for a boy or a man, has positive connotations of friendliness. Eric’s use of the third person also distances him from the implied rape. By using these words, Eric is positioning himself as a friendly young man, who does not take responsibility for his behaviour, which is solely due to the effects of alcohol. Priestley presents us with Eric’s perspective about Eva, so we do not know the exact details of whether she was a prostitute. If Eva was not working as a prostitute, she seemed to be living a life on the brink of prostitution.

Question 32

What is the significance of prostitution?

Answer 32

Prostitution, and the word prostitute would not be used in the play—at that time, other plays had been censored for making references to prostitutes. In fact, one of Priestley’s playwright friends, George Bernard Shaw (whom he references when Mr Birling is naming people he does not agree with in Act 1) wrote a play called ‘Mrs Warren’s Profession’, which was about a woman who was once a madam of a brothel. The play was banned by the theatre censors, and its actors were even arrested during one performance. With Eric’s next words, the audience understands that he now takes responsibility and he admits his guilt. Priestley uses short sentences and a hyphen to reveal Eric’s distress: ‘And that’s when it happened. And I don’t even remember—that’s the hellish thing’. His lack of detail about what happened suggests that he can barely bring himself to admit what he has done. The sentence ‘And that’s when it happened’, implying rape, allows us to form our own conclusions about what happened that night.

Question 33

How does Priestly present Eric’s relations ship with his father and immature?

Answer 33

He tells Mr Birling that he is ‘not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s
in trouble’.
Again, by using the friendly word ‘chap’ to describe himself, he is making excuses for his behaviour by positioning himself as a victim rather than accepting responsibility for his actions.
At this point in the play, we see Eric’s immaturity because he is providing short-term solutions (by asking Eva to marry him and supporting her with stolen money), but he does not see the long-term consequences of his criminal behaviour.

By the end of the play, Eric, like Sheila, has learned the lesson of collective social responsibility.
The discussion about whether the inspector is real does not matter to Eric, who insists ‘We did her in all right’.
He deliberately uses the plural personal pronoun ‘we’ to emphasise that it is not just his mother who is responsible for Eva’s death, but all of them. This might symbolise Priestley’s socialist view that we all have a collective responsibility for the welfare of Eva and other vulnerable members of society.

Eric also states: ‘It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters’.
He has accepted his role in her downfall, and the inspector’s socialist message of collective responsibility is more important than the identity of the inspector. Eric’s language therefore echoes that of the inspector, the mouthpiece of Priestley.
Throughout the play, Priestley has presented Eric as an immature young man with a drinking problem, an exploiter of Eva, and a thief.

As Eric matures and accepts responsibility for his actions, he becomes receptive to the inspector’s message that ‘We are members of one body.
We are responsible for each other’. Everything I go through in this video series can be found the second, updated edition of Mr Bruff’s Guide to An Inspector Calls, and you can pick up a copy through following the links in the description.
If you found this video useful please do give it a thumbs up and subscribe to the channel.

Question 34

What are some Key Eric quotes?

Answer 34

And I say the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her – and that’s what matters -

Analysis: Eric accepts responsibility for his role in Eva’s death but believes it is a collective responsibility that lies on the shoulders of the whole family, to which Birling reacts with absolute and utter fury, threatening to kick him out of the house. Birling once again does not care about Eva, nor about her dead child, nor about the impact on his son. His mind is on being knighted, getting back the £50 Eric took. Again Priestley is very successful in showing us the potentially horrible nature of unrestricted capitalism.

• ‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?’
• ‘The money’s not the important thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters.’
• ‘I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty.’

Question 35

How is Gerald Croft presented as confident, evasive and honest?

Answer 35

Gerald is described as ‘an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy well-bred young man-about-town’. Mr Birling is very pleased that Gerald is getting engaged to Sheila because his family are upper-class business owners, Mr Birling hopes they can join forces in business.

• At the beginning of the play, Gerald comes across as being confident and charming. This changes after his affair with Eva Smith is revealed. Gerald gives himself away when he hears that Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton. He initially is evasive and tries not to talk too much about it but redeems himself in the eyes of the audience by being more open and honest about it as he talks to Sheila. He lets himself down in the final act by trying to get the family out of trouble, he doesn’t seem to have learned from his mistakes.
• Confident - At the start of the play he seems very comfortable - making himself at home and behaving like a member of the Birling family he even makes fun of Eric.
  “Sure to be, unless Eric’s been up to something.”
  Mr Birling suggests that he is in line for a knighthood so long as the family have behaved themselves. Gerald confidently makes a joke at Eric’s expense which is full of irony.
• Evasive - At first, when the truth comes out about his affair with Eva Smith he tries to avoid the subject. “All right. I knew her. Let’s leave it at that.” This abrupt line of dialogue shows how initially Gerald is very evasive about his involvement with Eva Smith and wants to close down the topic as soon as possible.
• Honest - Eventually Gerald gains some respect from Sheila and the audience for being honest about his affair. “The girl saw me looking at her and then gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help.
  Gerald honestly tells the story of how he met Eva. He was in the wrong to have an affair and then abandon Eva but, his use of emotive language ‘cry for help’ makes us realise that he genuinely felt sorry for her and wanted to help her.

Social and historical context

Priestley uses Gerald to attack the upper-classes of post-war Britain. He shows that despite outward appearances, Gerald is described as an ‘attractive chap’ and ‘well-bred’. This class of people were still capable of questionable behaviour. Gerald has an affair and initially tries to avoid telling the truth. Priestley also suggests that they saw themselves above the problems of the working-classes - Gerald tries to get himself and the Birlings out of trouble.

Question 36

What did Gerald croft do?

Answer 36

Who is Gerald Croft? Gerald is the son of a wealthy industrialist and business rival of Mr Birling. At the start of the play, he has just become engaged to Sheila Birling. Gerald is slightly socially superior to the Birlings – he is upper class / aristocratic.

What does Gerald do?

• Gerald gives Sheila an engagement ring at the start of the dinner party.
• He agrees with Mr Birling about the way a business should be run.
• He had an affair with Eva / Daisy for six months, then broke off their relationship.
• At the end of the play, he finds out that a police sergeant has never heard of Inspector Goole.
• He telephones the Infirmary and learns that no girl died that day.

Gerald the aristocrat
On the one hand, you could argue that Gerald’s interaction with Eva / Daisy was motivated by sympathy and then genuine attraction. He is at least honest when discussing his attachment to Eva / Daisy.
However, on the other hand, he discarded Eva / Daisy when it suited him. He aligns his views with Mr Birling and gets exited when he finds out the inspector isnt real

Priestley’s message

Priestley uses Gerald as a symbol to represent the selfish attitudes of the upper class. The fact that Gerald doesn’t change his attitudes conveys how ingrained this attitudes were in the aristocracy, and how difficult it was to change them.

Question 37

How does Gerald change throughout the play?

Answer 37

Structure Opening: At the opening of the play, Gerald echoes many of Mr Birling’s opinions, especially on matters of business. Unlike Eric, he does not challenge Mr Birling and in fact supports him.

The Inspector’s Entrance: When the Inspector begins to question Mr Birling, Gerald shows ‘annoyance’ not to be able to see the photograph of Eva Smith. He supports Mr Birling’s decision to sack Eva Smith. Initially, he tries to keep his own relationship with Eva Smith a secret. However, he does admit his relationship and seems to show some concern about what happened to her.

Ending: By the end of the play, Gerald does not seem to have changed very much. His last action is to suggest to Sheila that they should remain engaged, holding up the ring and saying, ‘Everything’s all right now, Sheila.’ This suggest that Gerald is more like Mr and Mrs Birling than the socialists Eric and Sheila.
He lets the audience down; we had hope that he would change his attitudes, but he doesn’t. It conveys how ingrained these attitudes were in the upper class, and how difficult it was to change them.

Question 38

What are the key characteristics of Gerald and what are Priestly’s intention?

Answer 38

Question 39

How does Priestly use Gerald to reveal the flaws of the upper class?

What does it mean when Gerald is described as: ‘easy, well-bred young man about town’

Answer 39

Gerald Croft is Priestley’s tool to reveal the flaws of the upper classes. He represents the aristocracy who in 1912 exploited the working classes, especially working-class women like Eva Smith.

Priestley’s use of the rule of three with the adjectives ‘easy, well-bred young’ establish him as a member of a privileged, elite class, used to a life of leisure. It is surprising that the word ‘young’ is used when he had been described as roughly thirty years old. Perhaps Priestley is suggesting that his attitude towards life is immature and thoughtless; this foreshadows what we later learn about his irresponsible behaviour towards Eva and Sheila. It also raises false hope that, like the younger Birling’s, Gerald will learn from his mistakes. The phrase ‘man-about-town’ shows that he is a fashionable socialite and implies experience in the ways of the world.

It also implies vanity in that he prioritises himself (his appearance and his sexual needs) over helping others. This could foreshadow the later revelation that he used Eva Smith to satisfy his needs before discarding her when their relationship was no longer convenient. Bearing in mind the play was first performed in Moscow in 1945, Gerald’s privileged appearance and demeanour would have confirmed communist beliefs about the lazy, wealthy elite living a life of privilege at the expense of the poor. The 1946 London audience, however, is likely to have contained men like Gerald. The stage direction therefore sets Gerald up as a character with whom some members of the audience will engage, sympathise with and finally condemn. Gerald is Priestly’s tool to reveal the flaws of the upper classes.

Question 40

What does it mean if Gerald’s parents are unable to attend the engagement party?

Answer 40

First of all, Priestley reveals that Gerald’s parents, Lord and Lady Croft, are unable to attend his engagement party; this confirms Gerald’s role as a member of the upper classes. The audience might initially assume that Gerald wants to marry Sheila because he is madly in love with her; however, there are references throughout the play to his absences during the summer, which makes the audience wonder about him. We discover that Sheila was right to be concerned when we learn about his affair with Eva Smith. So, why is he marrying Sheila? We can only assume that, as the son of a successful businessman and aristocrat, there are business opportunities for Crofts Limited and Birling & Co., which Mr Birling references in his engagement speech and with which Gerald agrees saying ‘Hear! Hear!’. We therefore suspect that Gerald has business focused reasons for marriage—he is deceitful to Sheila, and he prioritises business over love.

Question 41

How does Gerald ally himself with Mr Birling by saying ‘he doesnt come into this suicide buisness’?

Answer 41

Gerald very much allies himself with Mr Birling in business matters and, like Mr Birling, he initially denies knowing Eva Smith. His attitude is dismissive when he says ‘I don’t come into this suicide business’. The phrase ‘suicide business’ is cold-hearted and unexpected. Suicide is not a business in the sense that Crofts Limited is a business; however, ‘business’ can also mean a difficult matter or a scandalous event. By using the phrase ‘suicide business’, Priestley positions Gerald as superior because he implies that others are responsible for Eva’s death. His reaction changes as soon as he hears Eva Smith referred to as Daisy Renton , however, so Priestly position the audience, which has seen Gerald’s mug self confidence to enjoy his discomfort in his pending interrogation.

Question 42

How does Gerald objectify women?

Answer 42

Like Eric, Gerald considers the women who frequent the Palace Theatre bar only in terms of their appearance, and criticises their ‘ dough faces’ and ‘hard eyes’. This reveals how the commodification of women is totally normal for him. His complimentary description of Eva Smith’s “big dark eyes” reveals an attitude of objectification of her. He considers women in the bar as if he is choosing an item in a shop - rather than thinking her as a person, he is thinking of her as something for him to enjoy. He describes himself when as saving Eva Smith from Joe Meggarty, but the truth is he was not much better himself. When the inspector uncovers Gerald’s affair with Eva, Priestley shows that Gerald is upset by her death. He reports ending the affair, saying ‘ she didn’t blame me at all. I wish to god she had now’. Priestly here focuses the attention of the audience on what appears to be genuine remorse and self-blame. this makes the audience feel sympathy towards Gerald as a character and, for a while, the audience believes that he will align himself with the inspector’s views of social responsibility. This is particularly exciting, as he is a member of a class that holds power and has lots of social contacts in the higher echelons of society

Question 43

How does the audience change their opinion on Gerald after Act 3?

Answer 43

However, the audience changes its opinion of Gerald when in Act 3, he does everything that he can to prove that the inspector is a fake. Unlike Sheila and Eric, he has learnt nothing at all. Like Mr and Mrs Birling, he wants to avoid a public scandal and to protect himself and his wealth. At this point in the play, Priestley sets the audience up to condemn Gerald, particularly when he offers Sheila the engagement ring, saying ‘Everything’s alright now’. The audience sees that he has learnt absolutely nothing. Even if Eva does not exist, he refuses to reflect upon his treatment of Daisy Renton and to become a better person. To conclude, for a moment, Priestley encourages the audience to sympathise with Gerald, in the hope that he (and the aristocracy he represents) will become a better person. When this fails to happen, the disappointed audience condemns him and his attitude towards Eva and, by default, towards vulnerable members of society. Through Gerald, Priestley presents the aristocracy as self-interested people who, instead of sharing their wealth, are more likely to follow.

Question 44

Who is the Inspector?

Answer 44

Who is Inspector Goole? He introduces himself as Inspector Goole, a police officer who has come to investigate the background of a young woman’s suicide. What does the Inspector do? • The Inspector interrupts the Birling family gathering.
• He establishes they each did something cruel or unkind to the dead girl.
• He takes control of the situation and refuses to acknowledge that any of the others is superior to himself. • He leaves them after making a passionate speech about social justice.

Priestley’s message
The Inspector represents Priestley’s voice – he conveys Priestley’s strong socialist views. He challenges the characters, and therefore the audience, about their treatment of the working class. You could argue that the fact that he operates outside of time gives him a moral or Godly power that places his views above all of the others in the play.
The Inspector also heightens drama – his entrances and exits are all well-timed in order to create maximum tension. This also adds to the sense of his importance – it is as if he is controlling the structure of the drama itself.

Question 45

What does the structure of the play tell you about the Inspector?

Answer 45

Structure The Inspector’s power comes from his uncanny ability to control the characters and events in the play. Look closely at the stage directions associated with the Inspector:

• The lighting in the beginning is pink and intimate and then becomes ‘brighter and harder’ once the Inspector arrives, suggesting that the Inspector will put the actions of the Birling family under a harsh light. The pink and intimate may suggest how the Birling look at eveything through rose tinted glasses.
• The first stage directions about the Inspector emphasise his authority, describing his ‘impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness’.
• The Inspector controls who sees the photograph, building up drama as only one character gets to see it at a time. He therefore controls the structure of the play – each revelation moves the drama one step forward. Finally, the Inspector seems to operate outside of time – for example, at the end of Act Two, he waits for Eric to appear, looking ‘at his watch’ before the dramatic revelation about Eric’s role in Eva’s life.

Question 46

How is the Inspector presented as imposing, emotive and prophetic?

What does the name goole suggest?

Answer 46

His name ‘Goole’ suggests a supernatural or ghost like element, and he seems to know what the characters will say before they do - is he the conscience of the audience? Is he the voice of Priestley? Either way he delivers a frightening message when he leaves, that if people do not take responsibility for each other, the world is doomed.

Imposing - The stage directions that describe the Inspector give the impression that he is an imposing figure. His tendency to interrupt and control the conversation adds to this impression too.
“…he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”
The fact that his presence combines ‘massiveness’ with ‘purposefulness’ suggests that the Inspector would be a very imposing figure. The Inspector investigates each family member one at a time and in doing so, reveals the consequences of their behaviour.

Emotive - When he tells the others about Eva Smith’s death he leaves in the gruesome details.
“Her position now is that she lies with a burnt out inside on a slab.”
This is such a shocking image presented in plain language, it is not surprising that it impacts upon the emotions of the other characters and the audience. The Inspector uses this language intentionally to make the family more likely to confess. Contrasts Upper class way of a funeral.

Prophetic
As the Inspector delivers his closing speech, he prophesies a terrible future.
“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.”
The Inspector predicts a hell like future, filled with a nightmarish vision of ‘fire’ and ‘blood’. Priestley experienced war first hand, so some suspect that what he saw in wartime influenced the Inspector’s final speech.

Social and historical context

Inspector Goole sheds a light on all the concerns that Priestley had at the time of writing An Inspector Calls around age, gender, class and social responsibility. Priestley uses the Inspector to make the audience question their own behaviour and morality and hopes that they will learn some lessons as the Birlings do. The issues the Inspector highlights are just as relevant to a modern day audience.

Question 47

How is the Inspector an Inquisitor?

Answer 47

The Inspector as an inquisitor

The inspector carries out an inquistorial style with the Birlings, asking them questions to which he knows the answers to, revealing through the night the involvement of all the Siblings in Eva’s death. As he is perceived as an inspector he is seen as an important and powerful figure whom the rich and also powerful Birlings cannot afford to be evasive with or refuse to answer questions to. Answering him is unavoidable. By extension what could possibly be drawn from this is that there may be a day when everybody will have to reckon with their own deeds, and possibly deal with guilt.

However in addition to being an inquisitor, a questioner, the inspector is also the voice of morality, as we can see in many quotes urging the rich Birlings to have empathy for the poor in society as in the quote:

“…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”’

That ‘do us all a bit of good’ and ‘we tried to put ourselves’ does not apply to the Birlings only but to the audience and to society in general especially those who are richer.

In an age of social separation, where TV was not common and no internet, where people could not even visually witness the suffering of the poor Priestley through the inspector makes an impassioned appeal to the rich in society to think and contemplate on the suffering of the poor.

Later on the inspector castigates the Birlings for their role in Eva’s death.

“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”

This is again another appeal to the Birlings, but on a deeper level an appeal to the wealthy in society to think about their role in the suffering of the working class.

The inspector leaves in an impressive manner. There are no pleasantries, no superfluous niceties e.g. ‘I hope you have a nice day, it’s cold outside’. No far from that, he delivers a hard hitting, to the point final message ending with a customary ‘Good night’, which is the most he goes in terms of formal pleasantry. He says:

“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.”

Priestley explained later on he deliberately set the play in 1912 as it was two years before a horrific event which had precisely tonnes of ‘fire and blood and anguish’, broke out and that was the first world war.

In contrast to Birling who thinks there will be no war, the inspector seems to allude to the possibility of a war or of a ferocious conflict. The inspector who seems to know everything related to the Birlings and is all-knowing in that context is clearly more intelligent than the somewhat foolish Birling.

The first world war when millions died. It started two years after 1912 the year ‘An Inspector Calls’ is set.

The inspector (and thus Priestley) is telling the Birlings (and thus Priestley is telling society) that we are interconnected and must shoulder collective responsibility for the suffering of the vulnerable in society or otherwise we will suffer collective punishment. Unlike Dicken’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ there is no reference to religion or the hereafter but more perhaps an allusion to karmic comeuppance.

The inspector (Priestley) is telling us all of a common humanity that we share that the likes of Eva Smith who are in the millions have ‘hopes and fears’ too. This is to address the relative de-humanization or ‘otherisation’ of the working class by the rich as inferior and not worthy of respect or much importance, an unpleasant reality that must be endured, rather than as fellow human beings in the family of mankind.

Question 48

How is the Inspector a supernatural character?

Answer 48

Inspector Goole as a supernatural character.

The name which Priestley chose for the inspector is Goole, which sounds almost the same as ‘ghoul’. A ghoul is a demonic creature, a malovelent ghost. Even the very name of the inspector carries with it some association with the supernatural. Nor do we ever know his first name, which adds to the mystery around him.

He is clearly not a normal ‘person’. He may not even be a human being, but some sort of supernatural entity. We do not know for sure as Priestley did not tell us, perhaps deciding it was better for the play and for the character of the inspector to enjoy the air of mystery around him.

However we can see some similarities with other supernatural characters in the works of other British writers such as Dickens. Dicken’s had various supernatural characters in his famous work, ‘ A Christmas Carol’ including various ghosts such as the ghost of Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas Yet to Come.

Priestley also writes:

”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”

He is clearly a serious man, dressed in a serious manner with a serious style of speech. The death of a woman is not something light. He looks ‘hard’ at the Birlings. This may reflect the fact that Priestley wants the rich in society to look at themselves to carry out introspection.

Question 49

How is the Inspector portrayed as mysterious?

Answer 49

Priestley deliberately portrays the Inspector as a mysterious character.
For a playwright who goes into great detail in some stage directions (for example, the opening page of the play is almost entirely made up of stage direction), Priestley tells us very little about Inspector Goole.
Even Goole’s dialogue reveals often what he is not, rather than what he is: ‘I don’t play golf’ and ‘I never take offence’. This vagueness of character is deliberate on the part of Priestley, as it creates a sense of ambiguity and mystery.

This is added to by the character’s name. It is often noted that the inspector’s name, ‘Goole’ sounds like the word ‘ghoul’, meaning ghost or spirit, and it is true that the inspector does haunt Gerald and the Birlings about their role in Eva’s death. It’s also true that the inspector at times seems to know too much about a girl who died two hours ago, even though he has read her letter and ‘sort of diary’.
This has led some to wonder whether the inspector is some kind of supernatural being.
There is no definitive answer either way about whether the inspector is who he says he is: he might be an imposter or a supernatural being.

But one thing is clear: descriptions are deliberately vague and ambiguous.

Question 50

Why are the Inspector’s descriptions deliberately vague and ambiguous

Answer 50

Well, the vague and ambiguous depictions of the character help us focus less on the character himself and more on the message he brings. And that message is loudly declared with no subtlety whatsoever. With most of Inspector Goole’s dialogue, Priestley uses questions: he interrogates the characters on stage, which is exactly what we would expect from a detective investigating a crime.
However, there are a number of moments when Goole delivers lines of dialogue that seem to come directly from the mouth of Priestley, hammering home the message of social responsibility that he wants to use the audience to learn.

Question 51

What is the quote: “Fire, blood and anguish” a reference to?

Answer 51

Priestley enhances his message through his use of supernatural imagery in the inspector’s final words about, ‘fire and blood and anguish’. This is an allusion to the Biblical description of hell as being a ‘blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’ (Matthew 13:42). However, Priestley’s point here cannot accurately be labelled as Biblical. His message seems to be that people need to do good deeds to make their way into heaven, and those who don’t, will end up in hell.

This is a moralistic concept which is not found in the Bible, but either way, the Biblical language adds to the supernatural, other-worldly aspect of Inspector Goole, which helps us to so clearly remember his message.

Question 52

Who is Eva Smith?

How does she contrast the birling family?

Answer 52

Who is Eva Smith / Daisy Renton? These are the two names by which the girl who suffered at the hands of the Birling family and Gerald was known. What happens to her?
• Mr Birling sacked her from his factory for leading a strike for better pay.
• She was sacked from a dress shop, after Sheila unjustly complained about her. • She became Gerald Croft’s mistress.
• She was made pregnant by Eric Birling. • She applied to a charity for help, but Mrs Birling refused that help.
• She committed suicide by swallowing disinfectant.

Eva Smith – symbol of the working class Eva Smith remains a mystery. She never appears on stage and we do not know her real name, but the play revolves around her.

She forms a sharp contrast with the Birling family: she worked hard, supported her fellow workers and was kind. Her honesty prevented her from considering marriage to Eric and protected him from his foolishness in stealing money. In contrast to Mrs Birling’s snobbish prejudice about her (‘as if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!’, Eva Smith was too moral to accept stolen money from Eric. Priestley’s message Priestley uses Eva Smith as a symbol to represent the working class women (and men) who are exploited by capitalists like the Birling family. you could argue that Priestley emphasises her morality in order to challenge any prejudices the Birlings, and the audience, may hold about working class women and men.

Question 53

What does Eva Smiths name mean?

What does Eva Smiths Lack of Voice suggest?

Answer 53

Despite holding a central role in ‘An Inspector Calls’, the audience never meets Eva Smith. However, Priestley uses Eva’s lack of voice and presence on stage to symbolise the lack of power held by women and the working class in Edwardian England. Priestley’s choice of names carries symbolic significance when it comes to the character of Eva Smith and her alias Daisy Renton. Firstly, the name ‘Eva’ can be seen as an intertextual Biblical reference to Eve, the first woman, and the person from whom we are all descended.

Combined with the common surname ‘Smith’, Priestley seems to be suggesting that in Eva Smith, we see a woman who symbolises all women. Inspector Goole suggests as much in his final speech when he explains ‘there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths’. The name choice makes it clear that Priestley does not want his audience to feel sorry for one working class woman . Instead, he wants us to consider Eva Smith as representing all working-class women. Her name is used to provide an important lesson on how to treat those who suffer the effects of inequality in society.

Question 54

What does Daisy Rentons name mean?

Answer 54

The second name Eva Smith adopts is Daisy Renton, and this name is also interesting in terms of Priestley’s use of symbolism.

A daisy is a common flower, cheap and pretty, and in this way could be seen as symbolic of Eva Smith: she is repeatedly described as pretty, but is obviously one of many working-class women. It is quite shocking just how often Eva Smith is described in terms of her physical appearance. Therefore, the name Daisy, with its connotations of prettiness, seems quite appropriate as a symbol of how this young woman was judged largely on her physical appearance.

The surname ‘Renton’ could have different interpretations.On the one hand, the verb ‘rent’ means to pay for using something for a period of time; as Daisy Renton, Eva rents her body when she enters a life of prostitution.
Alternatively, the noun ‘rent’ is also a large tear in a piece of fabric. This might symbolise that, at this point in Eva’s life, her spirit has been broken. She has left respectable society, and is now trying to exist in the underworld of crime. In both name choices, Priestley therefore uses symbolism.

Question 55

How does Priestly use descriptions of eva’s appearance to show the objectification of women in Edwardian England?

What does the focus on Eva’s appearance suggest?

Answer 55

Priestley uses descriptions of Eva’s appearance by others to show how women were objectified in Edwardian England. Firstly, Mr Birling describes Eva Smith as ‘a lively good-looking girl’. Shelia, Gerald and the inspector all refer to Eva as “Very Pretty”. Gerald focuses on her eyes. These descriptions all focus on Eva’s physical appearance and beauty, and they highlight the way in which women were objectified. They were regarded as sources of pleasure for men, rather than as equals. The character of Eva is also used to draw the attention of the audience to a clear double standard for men and women at the time. It is worth, at this point, pausing to think about the ‘trouble’ Eva Smith was in.

She was pregnant outside of marriage and had no means of providing for herself financially. Eva lied to the charity committee, saying she was married, because admitting to having had sex outside of marriage would have made her unlikely to receive help from the charity. However, the same high moral standards were not expected of men.
At the start of Act 3, when it is revealed that Eric slept with Eva, impregnated her and stole money from his father’s business, it is the stolen money that features most heavily in the parental reprimand from Mr Birling.

In fact, Eric excuses the sexual relationship by telling his father ‘Well, I’m old enough to be married, aren’t I?’.
Birling himself earlier admits that he and his peers in their younger years also ‘broke out and had a bit of fun sometimes’. Gerald, too, excuses his affair, explaining that ‘I suppose it was inevitable.
She was young and pretty’. As so often happens in this play, the Inspector sums it up perfectly when he explains how Eric treated Eva ‘as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person’.

This quotation summarises the way in which women were objectified by men as sources of pleasure, not equals.
Eva, on the other hand, is a hard worker, and has strong moral values which see her refuse to accept stolen money. Yet Eva is the one who feels forced to commit suicide whereas the men of the play seem to have (up until now) suffered no ill consequences for their actions. These double standards can be seen as relating to gender or class, and the message is clear:
women/the working class cannot get away with the poor behaviour and actions that men/ the middle and upper class can.

Question 56

What does this quote mean?

‘One Eva Smith has gone—but there
are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us’. - Inspector

Answer 56

Finally, Priestley uses the character of Eva to convey his message about social responsibility when, in the inspector’s exit speech, he states ‘One Eva Smith has gone—but there
are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us’.
Priestley’s use of repetition and the rule of three with the word ‘millions’ develops rhythm and momentum, building up to his point about the quantity of vulnerable poor still living. It is at this point that the inspector states that it is not just women who are vulnerable but also working-class men (the name John is a very common name, like the surname Smith).
Women, however, are more open to exploitation by men like Eric and Gerald.
Priestley now positions the inspector to be the champion of all the poor in society, regardless of gender.

Question 57

What is the overview of the themes in an inspector calls?

Answer 57

Let’s look at the four main themes:

• social responsibility
• age
• gender
• class

The consequences of the Birlings’ actions highlight Priestley’s ideas on social responsibility - do we look after one another in society?

The difference between the younger and older characters’ reactions to Eva Smith’s death shows how Priestley viewed different generations . He viewed the younger generation as hope for the future and this is why both Sheila and Eric learn a lesson from the Inspector.

How the male characters behave towards the females in the play highlights important points on gender and inequality.

Class issues are also dealt with by having a middle-class family involved in the death of a working-class girl.

J B Priestley explored these themes in a lot of his work. They are political in nature and are still relevant today.

Question 58

How is social responsibility presented in the play?

Why does Priestly care about the welfare of the poor?

Answer 58

An Inspector Calls was first performed in the UK just after the end of World War Two, in 1946. It was a time of great change in Britain and many writers were concerned with the welfare of the poor. At that time there was no assistance for people who could not afford to look after themselves. Priestley wanted to address this issue. He also felt that if people were more considerate of one another, it would improve quality of life for all. This is why social responsibility is a key theme of the play. Priestley wanted his audience to be responsible for their own behaviour and responsible for the welfare of others.

Priestley uses the play as a vehicle for his belief that we should help those who are less fortunate than us

Many of the characters have a narrow view of what it means to be responsible, but the Inspector provides a stronger message about social responsibility. Each family member has a different attitude towards responsibility – for example, Birling feels his responsibility is simply to make a success of his business. Make sure you know how each character felt about their responsibility towards Eva Smith. The Inspector wanted each member of the family 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 but at the audience too.

In An Inspector Calls, Priestley explores social responsibility through:

• the treatment of Eva Smith
• how each character does or doesn’t take responsibility for their behaviour
• the Inspector’s lessons

Question 59

How is the theme of age presented in the play?

Answer 59

Age in An Inspector Calls

Sheila and Eric Birling represent the younger generation who learn from their mistakes

Age is an important theme in An Inspector Calls. Priestley uses it to show how he believed that there was hope in the younger generation’s ability to learn and change.

The older characters’ opinions and behaviours are stubbornly fixed. Mr Birling refuses to learn and Mrs Birling cannot see the obvious about herself and her children. Eric and Sheila however are younger - they accept their mistakes and offer the chance for a brighter future.

The 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, their parents do not admit they did anything wrong. The old, represented by Mr and Mrs Birling, are set in their ways. They are utterly confident that they are right and they see the young as foolish. They 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. Mr and Mrs Birling, with so much to lose from a potential socialist revolution, dismiss the Inspector’s warnings and convince themselves that they are not to blame. In contrast, the younger generation, represented by Sheila and Eric, have embraced socialism and rejected capitalism.

Priestley uses the younger generation to represent hope for change to the 1945 audience. Ultimately, the audience can be optimistic that the young – those who will shape future society – are able to learn from the Inspector’s socialist messag

Question 60

How is the theme of Gender presented in An Inspector Calls?

Answer 60

An 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 them.

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.

How is the theme of gender shown in the play?

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

• how Mr Birling and Gerald Croft view women
• how Mrs Birling treats Eva Smith even though she should feel empathetic
• how Eva Smith is portrayed as independent and outspoken before her death

Question 61

How is the Theme of class presented in an Inspector calls?

Answer 61

In this play, Priestley presents us with a powerful social message. We are shown the comfortable home and rich way of life of the Birling family (see the opening stage directions for props that represent this wealth). This is contrasted with the desperate accounts of workers to increase their poor wages and the dismal life that Eva Smith is forced to live as a result of the Birlings’ actions. The Inspector champions the cause of the poor and tries to get others to accept that all people share a common humanity and are part of a community. The Inspector is a spokesperson for the disadvantaged and a voice for the conscience which the Birlings and Gerald seem to lack.

Before World War Two, Britain was divided by class. Two such classes were the wealthy land and factory owners and the poor workers. The war helped bring these two classes closer together and rationing meant that people of all classes were eating and even dressing the same. The war effort also meant that people from all classes were mixing together. This was certainly not the case before.

Priestley wanted to highlight that inequality between the classes still existed and that the upper-classes looked down upon the working-class in post-war Britain.

How is this shown in the play?

In An Inspector Calls, Priestley explores the theme of class through the treatment of working-class Eva Smith by the wealthy Birlings and Gerald Croft when she is in the following situations:

• when she is a factory worker
• when she works in a shop
• when she is effectively homeless
• when she is potentially a single mother

Question 62

How is the Theme of Love presented?

Answer 62

Love The play presents many different interpretations of love. Sheila and Gerald appear to be in love at first – however, after each of them has confessed to their shameful treatment of Eva / Daisy, Sheila realises that they do not really know each other and that trust is an essential part of a loving relationship. Both Eric and Gerald sleep with Eva, but neither of them seem to love her – showing how working class women were vulnerable to being exploited by richer men. Mr Birling’s remark about the engagement of his daughter bringing the two firms into a closer working relationship reveals something about his attitude towards love and marriage. He sees marriage as a way of progressing up the social and economic ladder. We wonder whether love played any real part in his marriage to the socially superior, but cold-hearted, Sybil Birling

Question 63

How is the Theme of Guilt Presented?

Answer 63

Guilt

Arthur, Sybil, Sheila, Eric, and Gerald must come to terms with their guilt, leading to Eva/Daisy’s demise. The Inspector wants the family to accept the pain it has caused Eva/Daisy. In this way, guilt plays an important role in the Inspector’s politics. Although he does not describe his politics explicitly, he appears to be a socialist, and for him, socialism demands that human beings look out for one another, do their absolute best to avoid harming each other. When people do wrong, they must then explain, to themselves and others, the wrongness of their actions.

Sheila is the most willing to see that she has erred, in having Eva/Daisy removed from her job at Milward’s. Gerald, too, understands that his relationship with Eva/Daisy has caused her pain, and that that pain might have brought her to suicide. Arthur and Sybil, however, are far less willing to accept their guilt. Arthur is more concerned with the family’s good name, and Sybil believes that in denying Eva/Daisy charity, she did what any person in her position should have done. Eric feels some version of Sheila’s guilt, but his drunkenness shades his emotions somewhat. He is disturbed to know, however, that there are parts of his relationship with the girl he does not even remember, on account of steady inebriation.

The play’s final, perplexing scene, in which Arthur learns that a girl really has committed suicide, again raises the question of culpability among the characters. By the end of Act Three, Gerald and Arthur, for their own reasons, have convinced themselves and the other Birlings that the Inspector has fooled them completely. They think that, though they have done wrong individually, these wrongs have not added up to cause one person’s death. But if, the playwright implies, the dead person at the close of the play is the same person with whom each character has interacted, then their guilt is no longer individual, but instead collective, although only Sheila seems to understand this fully. Priestley leaves this question open as the play ends.

Question 64

How is the Theme of suicide presented in the play?

Answer 64

Suicide

The act of killing oneself, or of losing oneself entirely, is central to the play’s events. The play’s predicament is the supposed death of a girl named Eva Smith, or Daisy Renton. Eva/Daisy has killed herself, the Inspector argues, because all society has abandoned her. Her only remaining choice was to end her life.

The Inspector sees suicide as the response to a culture of selfishness, which he believes to permeate capitalist society. No one was willing to lend Eva/Daisy a hand, and the Birlings discarded her when she was no longer compliant or useful to them. She had no friends or family to fall back on.

There is a larger “suicidal” idea in the play, not in the literal sense of one person’s death, but on the social plane. The Inspector implies that if men and women continue to behave callously to one another in the industrialized countries of the West, then those countries, as entities, will “commit suicide.” That is, the Inspector’s warning to the Birlings foreshadows the cataclysms of the World Wars One and Two, which the audience in 1946 would understand to follow quickly upon the events of the play.

Question 65

How is Form used in an Inspector calls?

Answer 65

The form is the type of text and genre that the writer chooses to write in. An Inspector Calls is written in the form of a play and so it is meant to be heard and seen in performance. There are stage directions to help guide actors and it is written in lines of dialogue. All productions of An Inspector Calls will be different, some might focus on a particular theme or could use staging in different ways which will give the performance a slightly different feel.

An Inspector Calls fits into three possible genres:

• well-made play
• morality play
• crime thriller

Well-made play

A well-made play is a popular dramatic genre from the 19th-century. In a well-made play the plot is intricate and complex and the action builds to a climax. This is often concerned with events that happened before the events of the play. A well-made play usually ends with a return to order but Priestley moves away from this genre with the revelation at the end.

An Inspector Calls is a well-made play because the events are all influenced by what happened to Eva Smith before the play takes place

What is the effect of this?

This structure allows J B Priestley to manipulate the audience. They do not know what happened to Eva Smith and so each revelation about her treatment by the Birlings and Gerald Croft adds to the drama. Each revelation is more shocking than the last and so Priestley cleverly builds to the climax. In An Inspector Calls there is a twist at the end of the plot - the characters are unsure if the Inspector existed at all. This gives the audience time to reflect on the events of the play. When it is revealed that another inspector is on their way and the curtain falls, the audience would be stunned.

Morality play

Morality plays were popular during the 15th and 16th-centuries. Historically they sought to teach the audience lessons that focused on the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. Whilst characters who committed these sins were punished, morality plays showed that if a character repented then they could redeem themselves.

An Inspector Calls is a morality play because all of the Birlings and Gerald Croft commit crimes which are similar to the seven deadly sins. Mr Birling is greedy because he wants more money, Sheila is guilty of wrath and envy when she spitefully complains about Eva Smith and so on. Not all of the characters manage to redeem themselves.

What is the effect of this?

Priestley uses the morality play structure to teach a 20th-century audience a series of lessons that relate to his beliefs about social responsibility, age, gender and class. The audience is invited to enjoy judging these characters - they are also forced to question their own behaviour. Priestley would have hoped that people watching the play would have left the theatre as better people.

Crime thriller

A crime thriller is a genre that tells a gripping tale based around a crime. The audience receives clues on who has committed the crime and will enjoy trying to guess what happened before the end of the action.

An Inspector Calls is a crime thriller because the action centres around the suicide of Eva Smith. Initially, as this is a suicide and not a murder investigation, it would seem that there is no clear suspect. It soon turns out that all the characters are potential suspects for different reasons.

What is the effect of this?

The crime thriller genre encourages the audience to become involved in the events of the play. In this case they would be considering who is ‘more’ to blame for the death of Eva Smith. Ultimately, Priestley makes the audience suspects, their behaviour is questioned and they are left wondering if they had committed any ‘crimes’ like the Birlings had.

How to analyse form

To analyse the form of An Inspector Calls you should:

• remember that An Inspector Calls is a play and so it is meant to be seen in performance
• consider how the events that happened before the action on stage keep the audience guessing
• as it is a morality play, think about how the audience judges the characters and themselves
• remember that the audience would be trying to work out if any one person was to blame for Eva Smith’s death

Question 66

How is Structure use in an Inspector calls?

Answer 66

Use of structure in An Inspector Calls

Structure is how the writer chooses to order the events of the story. Does it follow a traditional structure with a beginning, middle and end, or does it follow a different order?

An Inspector Calls is written in three acts. Priestley cleverly structures the acts so that they end on gripping cliff-hangers. There is also a final climax and then a twist at the very end. This use of structure helps to keep the audience gripped and on the edge of their seats.

Before the play

As we know, the Inspector is here to investigate the death of Eva Smith. What the audience don’t know is what happened in the two years prior to the evening the play takes place. Priestley slowly reveals these events. We never actually meet Eva Smith but we empathise with her as a character. It is through the Inspector that we get a sense of who she is and what happened to her.

In the following extract, the Inspector begins his investigation and reveals why he is at the Birlings’.

Inspector: I’d like some information, if you don’t mind, Mr Birling. (1)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. (2) Burnt her inside out, of course.

Eric: (involuntarily) My god!

Inspector: Yes, (3) she was in great agony. They did everything they could for her at the infirmary, but she died. Suicide, of course.

• (1) The fact this happened to Eva two hours ago makes the death seems very current.
• (2) The description of how she burnt her insides out is brutal and affecting.
• (3) The Inspector lets the Birlings know that this was not a painless death. This adds to its impact.

Even though this event happened off stage, the Inspector’s use of language helps the audience imagine Eva’s horrific death.

Cliff-hangers

Consider how the ending of Act One adds to the drama of the play.

Sheila: (1) (laughs rather hysterically) Why - you fool - he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don’t know yet. You’ll see. You’ll see.

(She looks at him almost in triumph.)

(He looks crushed. (2) The door slowly opens and the INSPECTOR appears, looking steadily and searchingly at them.)

Inspector: (3) Well?

• (1) By the end of the act, Sheila is growing hysterical. She realises that the Inspector knows all and the audience would be struck by the dramatic change in her.
• (2) The Inspector slowly opening the door as he returns to the scene is very dramatic, the look he gives them adds to the tension.
• (3) Finally the act ends on a question - the audience are desperate to know the answer.

The twist ending

Birling: That was the police. A girl has just died - on her way to the Infirmary - after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police inspector is on his way here - to ask some - questions.

[As they stare guiltily and dumbfounded, the curtain falls]

This is a very effective ending. The Birlings and Gerald are stunned, especially Mr and Mrs Birling and Gerald who just a minute ago had been sure they were in the clear. The audience would be shocked and left with lots of unanswered questions.

The ending also reflects Priestley’s interest in theories about time, including the idea that individuals re-enter their lives again after death, living it all over again. They can make changes to their previous actions, beginning a new cycle where they do not repeat the mistakes of their past. We can see this in the structure of the play as the cycle of events is about to start all over again, with an investigation into the suicide of a young girl. Sheila and Eric have learned from their mistakes and could escape this cycle, whereas the others have not.

Question 67

What is the Context of an Inspector Calls?

Answer 67

Context

Setting of ‘An Inspector Calls’ ‘An Inspector Calls’ is set in a fictional industrial town of Brumley in 1912. Priestley wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1944 and, like much of his work, the play contains strong political messages. Priestley deliberately set ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1912 because that era represented the opposite of what people were hoping for in 1945.

Priestley’s Politics

Priestley was a socialist. Socialists believe that capitalists (such as Mr Birling) benefit the rich over the poor. Socialism is based on giving power and rights to the working class (such as Eva Smith, working in the factory). Socialists strongly support unions, organisations that protect workers’ rights.
During the 1930s Priestley became very concerned about the consequences of social inequality in Britain, and in 1942 Priestley and others set up a new political party, the Common Wealth Party, which argued for public ownership of land, greater democracy, and a new ‘morality’ in politics. The party merged with the Labour Party in 1945. Priestley was influential in developing the idea of the Welfare State which began to be put into place at the end of the war.
By 1945, socialism was a fresh and very popular movement. In the UK general election of 1945, held two months after the end of the Second World War in Europe, the Labour Party beat Winston Churchill’s Conservatives, winning a majority of seats for the first time in British election history. Priestley, along with nearly 12 million other Britons, voted for Labour. |

Key Contextual Ideas
‘An Inspector Calls’ is set in 1912, the Edwardian era. The play is set just before the Titanic sinks, and two years before the start of World War One. Here are some of the key contextual ideas of the play:

Social Position in 1912:
Your place in society was far more important in 1912 than it is today. Industrialists like Mr Birling made enough money to rise up the social ladder – but this wealth was not shared with their workers like Eva Smith. Arthur Birling has made his money through building up a successful manufacturing business. Mrs Birling’s social snobbery and her desire for strictly ‘correct’ behaviour suggest that she has come from a socially ‘better’ family background than Mr Birling. Mr Birling has improved his social status by becoming Lord Mayor and accepting the duties of a magistrate. He hopes to improve his social status further by being awarded a knighthood. Mr Birling is delighted that Sheila is engaged to Gerald Croft at the start of the play, because this will improve his social status. His focus on social position explains why Mr Birling is so worried about creating a ‘public scandal’ that may damage his reputation. Priestley makes Mr Birling’s obsession with social position look foolish and immoral to his 1945 audience.

Workers and Bosses

At the time the play is set (1912), the rights of workers like Eva Smith were not taken too seriously by many employers. Workers didn’t have much job security and being fired from a job meant you had no references, making it harder for you to find another job. There was no unemployment pay or benefits system to help you when you were out of work. This is why life becomes so difficult for Eva Smith after she 12 is fired from two jobs because of Mr Birling and Sheila. We can see how easy it would be for her to have ended up trapped by Alderman Meggarty, Gerald and Eric. By presenting Eva’s experience on stage, Priestley shows the 1945 audience how important it is that workers are protected.

As there was so little protection for people like Eva Smith, they were reliant on charities for help. When Eva Smith finds herself unemployed, pregnant and penniless, a charity organisation such as ‘The Brumley Women’s Organisation’ (run by Mrs Birling) was the only place she could turn to. However, this left her at the mercy of women like Mrs Birling, who would decide whether to help or not. Priestley wanted to show his 1945 audience how unfair this system was. Priestley wanted to create support for the ‘welfare state’, introduced in 1945, which 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. Priestley used the play to show how vital this was.

Troubled Future
Mr Birling thinks the future looks good – he explains to Sheila and Gerald that ‘when you marry, you’ll be marrying at a very good time. Yes, a very good time’. However, he is completely wrong. Priestley is deliberately presenting Mr Birling as foolish to a 1945 audience, who have experienced two world wars, the Great Depression, social unrest, strikes and a widening gap between rich and poor. The Inspector is accurate when he predicts the future, warning the Birlings of the ‘fire and blood and anguish’ that everyone will experience if they do not learn to take responsibility for one another.

The role of women

At the time the play was set, women had fewer rights. They were subservient to men. Rich, middle class women were expected to get married. Poor women were used as cheap labour. The difference in the way working class and middle class women were treated in the play can be seen through the different experiences of Eva Smith and Sheila Birling. Eva was objectified by Alderman Meggarty, Gerald and Eric, and suffered greatly.

However, Sheila and Mrs Birling are seen as delicate creatures who need to be protected from the harsh realities of the world (e.g. Mrs Birling was protected from the knowledge that many upper class men attend prostitute bars and that her son drank heavily). However, the fight for gender equality had begun by 1912 with the suffragette movement. As the play progresses, Priestley shows that Sheila begins to fight for equality – refusing to go to bed, standing up to her father, refusing the ring Gerald offers. In this way, the 1945 audience may have recognised that Sheila represented hope for gender equality in the future.

Question 68

What is the Historical context?

Answer 68

Edwardian Society and Social Norms at the time

An Inspector Calls was written in 1945, however, it is set in 1912 and reflects the Edwardian era. King Edward ruled from 1901 to 1910, but the Edwardian era itself spans from the mid-1890s to 1914, the year when WW1 began.

During these times, political movements were common: the main being the struggles of proletariats (the working class), highlighted against the growing success of the bourgeoisie (industry and business owners).

Put simply, there was a big divide between the rich and the poor, which caused society to be conducted by a number of unsaid rules in order to keep the status quo. The rich perceived poor people to have no manners or sophistication, and it was strongly believed that no poor person could ever become wealthy.

Not only this, but the rich treated the poor extremely inhumanely. They did not want to see or hear from the poor as they believed they were only there to serve a purpose. The rich were entitled to employ the poor and could sack and punish them as they pleased without consequence.

The societal norm can therefore be put plainly: the rich were simply “better” than the poor. This led to the clear exploitation of the working class, allowing the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. Priestley critiques this flawed system throughout the play and suggests it is merely hypercritical and ineffective.

Socialism vs Capitalism

So, we know about the divide between the rich and poor, but the two political movements giving this divide momentum were socialism and capitalism. Socialism is the idea that all wealth should be distributed equally amongst the population, however, capitalism relies on industry and business to create wealth, and this wealth of course goes to the bourgeoisie.

You might be able to guess that the upper class and aristocracy were not pleased with the idea of sharing their wealth with the lower classes. This is seen through the character Arthur Birling, who is a blatant capitalist in the play. He alludes to Bernard Shaws and HG Wells (who were famous socialists), and claims “they can’t do the talking”. He also refers to them as “cranks”, which was an offensive term.

Despite his strong and confident political views, Mr Birling proves that he is not a reliable character when he exclaims that “Germans don’t want war” and refers to the “unsinkable Titanic”. Priestley clearly uses this character to critique the obvious arrogance of the upper class, as the audience will unlikely believe him when he says that socialism has no value.

Personal Responsibility

Closely linked to the idea of capitalism vs socialism, personal responsibility comes into play. Socialism is all about accepting the personal responsibility of looking after those around you and treating them as equals.

On the surface, it could be argued that Mrs Birling supports this, as she is an important member of the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation. However, though she wants to make the upper class more responsible for the working class, she lacks empathy. She simply values social class too much, which shows that she is, above all, a capitalist like her husband.

However, a character who truly does support this movement is Inspector Goole, who arrives to shake up the status quo. His comment, “we are all members of one body” reveals his differing political inclinations, and alludes to Priestley’s own opinions.

It can be said that the play is a morality play, with the intention of teaching people how to behave. Priestley is mostly interested in the personal responsibility for our actions, and our collective responsibility to society. He wants the audience to question their own actions and responsibility, and force people to address the suffering lower class.

The Titanic

The sinking of the Titanic was just one of the events that brought about Priestley’s desire for change. It was the “sinking of the unsinkable”. This clearly demonstrated the arrogance of the upper class, and how they perceived themselves to be untouchable. However, in such a disastrous situation, they were mere mortals just like everyone else.

In your analysis of the play, you could interpret the sinking of the Titanic as a socialist parable (story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson) about the perils of capitalism. The sinking could be a metaphor for the catastrophic end of society, should the socialist movement continue to be ignored.

The suffragette movement

In 1865, upper and middle-class women began pushing for universal suffrage: the right for all adult women to vote and stand in political elections. However, this movement did not accelerate until 1903, when Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union, later known as the Suffragettes.

In 1912, when An Inspector Calls is set, the Suffragettes started more aggressive tactics, such as chaining themselves to buildings, setting fire to post boxes and smashing windows.

In the play, Eva Smith represents the struggles of the suffrage movement. Her encounter with Mr Birling mirrors the failed attempts of the Suffragettes to convince MPs to vote for universal suffrage prior to WW1. Therefore, Priestley uses Mr Birling as a reminder of the backwards thinking of men in the Edwardian era.

The World Wars

The play itself is a historical drama, set in the run-up to WW1. Dramatic irony is used by Priestley throughout the play - a situation in which the audience knows something that the characters do not.

The characters constantly refer to the mere possibility of a World War, and the calamities that would be huge landmarks in history to a post-war audience.

Not only this, the small-scale but devastating violence in the play alludes to the slaughter of many thousands that would come only a few years later in WW2.

How did a post-war society perceive the play?

Though the play was set 35 years before its first performance, its consideration of industrial power and human rights were still a prevalent issue at the time.

Anyone watching in the 1940s might have noticed how each character’s potential flaws were in fact allegorical statements (a story with a moral or political hidden meaning) about national responsibility in Continental Europe, the UK and the US. The openness of which the play ends is an opportunity for re-evaluation. Priestley never fully explains how individual crimes contribute to more general guilt and leaves it down to the audience to reflect.

Question 69

What are common symbols in the play?

Answer 69

The engagement ring

In Act One, Gerald gives Sheila an engagement ring as a symbol of their love and impending marriage. But after Gerald reveals his affair in Act Two, Sheila returns the ring to him and says they will need to start their relationship from the beginning, after the night’s events are over, to see if they can forge a life together.

The engagement ring thus marks not only Sheila and Gerald’s relationship but the idea of romantic love in the play more generally. Apart from Arthur and Sybil, whose marriage appears both strong and romantically cold, the other love-relationships in the play are illicit, involving people who are not married. Thus the engagement ring follows only those relationships receiving general social sanction. Relationships that could bring on “public scandal” receive no ring at all, and are only revealed on the Inspector’s questioning.

Disinfectant

The Inspector reports that Eva/Daisy has killed herself by drinking “disinfectant,” which has ravaged the inside of her body. This disinfectant should, symbolically, make her “clean,” but it destroys her. In the same way, the Inspector’s questions should “make clean” the family, by bringing people’s secrets into the light of day. But these secrets nearly tear the family apart, too. Even after Gerald and Arthur question the Inspector’s legitimacy, the last phone call and the renewed presence of disinfectant again bring up the idea that there is dirt that must be cleaned away by the asking of questions.

The bar

As a counterpart to the room in which the play takes place, “the bar” is a scene in the novel of secret activity, often relating to illicit romantic love. Both Gerald and Eric meet Eva/Daisy in the bar, and Eric reports that other men in the community stalk those same bars to pick up women, some of them prostitutes. Even when characters who do not normally drink heavily, like Gerald, frequent the bar, they become embroiled in events they will need later to explain or perhaps forget.

Question 70

What are the Motifs in An Inspector calls?

Answer 70

“Calls”

Calls, in-person and over the phone, announce important events in the novel. The Inspector, of course, “calls” on the family, and he does so in person, allowing the story of Eva’s death to unfold over many hours. As a bookend to the Inspector’s call, Arthur receives a phone call at the close of the play, informing him that a girl really has committed suicide, and that an Inspector will be coming to the house to ask questions. The audience does not know who this Inspector will be, and whether this girl is Eva/Daisy, thus making this last call the play’s most troubling.

Arthur uses the phone, for his part, to verify information. He calls the police precinct in Act Three, to find out if there really is an Inspector named Goole on the force. There is not. He also calls the hospital to learn if a girl was brought in recently, as a suicide. The hospital has no record of it. Thus, when Arthur makes a phone call, the information he receives tends to verify what he hopes to be true. But when Arthur and the Birlings receive calls and phone calls, the lessons they learn are neither easy nor pleasant.

Alcohol consumption

The play begins with a party for Sheila and Gerald. Arthur offers everyone port, and they drink. Eric, accustomed to heavy drinking, has more than his fair share, and throughout the play the subject of his possible alcoholism arises. But every character has had at least something to drink by the time the Inspector arrives—except for the Inspector himself, who refuses because he is “on duty.”

Eric’s and Gerald’s relationships with Eva/Daisy begin with alcohol consumption, and when questioned by the Inspector, Eric asks whether he might have another drink to steel his nerves. At the play’s end, Arthur might be reaching for the port once more if it weren’t for the final phone call informing the family of a suicide. Alcohol marks events of social importance in the family, and moments the family might rather forget. It is a means for the Birlings to interact with one another, and to feign intimacy when, as the audience learns, each family member has been leading his or her own life separately.

Rudeness, or “impertinence”

Sybil believes that the Inspector has rudely barged in on the family’s celebration, and Arthur, too, wonders if the Inspector is obeying the rules of decorum the police department sets for its officers. To the Birlings, the Inspector’s behavior is the height of rudeness, because it upends the social norms on which the family operates. The Inspector asks questions the family would rather not answer, and he does not stop his questioning once he has begun. The rules that govern polite conversation do not govern the Inspector.

But the Inspector demonstrates that the Birlings, who are so aware of social norms, violate social conventions on their own time, and in more serious ways. Arthur, Sybil, and Sheila are defiantly uncharitable to Eva/Daisy, even in her time of need. And Eric and Gerald alternately treat Eva/Daisy kindly and dismissively, eventually leaving her to fend for herself. The Inspector thus shows that “rudeness” is itself a construct, and that apparent politeness can be a mask for total lack of concern or morality.

Question 71

Themes of Guilt, suicide

Answer 71

Guilt

Arthur, Sybil, Sheila, Eric, and Gerald must come to terms with their guilt, leading to Eva/Daisy’s demise. The Inspector wants the family to accept the pain it has caused Eva/Daisy. In this way, guilt plays an important role in the Inspector’s politics. Although he does not describe his politics explicitly, he appears to be a socialist, and for him, socialism demands that human beings look out for one another, do their absolute best to avoid harming each other. When people do wrong, they must then explain, to themselves and others, the wrongness of their actions.

Sheila is the most willing to see that she has erred, in having Eva/Daisy removed from her job at Milward’s. Gerald, too, understands that his relationship with Eva/Daisy has caused her pain, and that that pain might have brought her to suicide. Arthur and Sybil, however, are far less willing to accept their guilt. Arthur is more concerned with the family’s good name, and Sybil believes that in denying Eva/Daisy charity, she did what any person in her position should have done. Eric feels some version of Sheila’s guilt, but his drunkenness shades his emotions somewhat. He is disturbed to know, however, that there are parts of his relationship with the girl he does not even remember, on account of steady inebriation.

The play’s final, perplexing scene, in which Arthur learns that a girl really has committed suicide, again raises the question of culpability among the characters. By the end of Act Three, Gerald and Arthur, for their own reasons, have convinced themselves and the other Birlings that the Inspector has fooled them completely. They think that, though they have done wrong individually, these wrongs have not added up to cause one person’s death. But if, the playwright implies, the dead person at the close of the play is the same person with whom each character has interacted, then their guilt is no longer individual, but instead collective, although only Sheila seems to understand this fully. Priestley leaves this question open as the play ends.

Suicide

The act of killing oneself, or of losing oneself entirely, is central to the play’s events. The play’s predicament is the supposed death of a girl named Eva Smith, or Daisy Renton. Eva/Daisy has killed herself, the Inspector argues, because all society has abandoned her. Her only remaining choice was to end her life. The Inspector sees suicide as the response to a culture of selfishness, which he believes to permeate capitalist society. No one was willing to lend Eva/Daisy a hand, and the Birlings discarded her when she was no longer compliant or useful to them. She had no friends or family to fall back on.

There is a larger “suicidal” idea in the play, not in the literal sense of one person’s death, but on the social plane. The Inspector implies that if men and women continue to behave callously to one another in the industrialized countries of the West, then those countries, as entities, will “commit suicide.” That is, the Inspector’s warning to the Birlings foreshadows the cataclysms of the World Wars One and Two, which the audience in 1946 would understand to follow quickly upon the events of the play.

Learning, Forgetting, and “Inspection”

Throughout his questioning, the Inspector takes on the role of a professor or guide. He interrogates the Birlings and Gerald, and he wants them to admit culpability for Eva/Daisy’s death. Further, he wants them to learn what they have done wrong, and to change. His “inspection,” as Sheila realizes in Act Three, is designed to encourage them to interrogate themselves, to consider when in their lives they have behaved immorally, and how they might improve as family members, friends, and citizens.

Sheila, Gerald, and Eric have a different relationship to the lessons they’ve learned. Gerald admits that he was wrong to have an affair, but on further inspection realizes that he does not exactly regret his relationship with Eva/Daisy. Sheila knows that she was wrong to have Eva/Daisy dismissed, but will consider forgiving Gerald, or at least forgetting his actions, and to think about ways their relationship might be reborn. Eric’s drunkenness causes him to forget much of what he does, even as he’s doing it. But the shock of the Inspector’s visit does cause him and his family to admit that his drinking has overshadowed his life.