English- An Inspector Calls

• Who wrote 'An Inspector Calls'?

  J.B. Priestley
• In what year was 'An Inspector Calls' written?

  1945
• Where is 'An Inspector Calls' set?

  In an English manufacturing town called Brumley
• How many acts are in 'An Inspector Calls'?

  Three acts
• What does 'real time' mean in the context of the play?

  There is no change in time or location between acts
• Who visits the Birling family in the play?

  A mysterious inspector
• What is the inspector investigating?

  The death of a young woman by suicide
• How does the inspector reveal the family's involvement in the woman's death?

  He gradually reveals how each of them is involved and partially responsible
• What does Priestley examine through the characters' reactions?

  How each member of the family reacts to the revelations
• Who are the main characters in 'An Inspector Calls' and what do they represent?

  • Arthur Birling: Capitalist businessman
  • Sybil Birling: Upper-class, socially prominent wife
  • Sheila Birling: Impressionable, socially-aware younger generation and feminist movement
  • Eric Birling: Impressionable, socially-aware younger generation and consequences of toxic masculinity
  • Gerald Croft: Privilege and dominance of upper classes and patriarchy
  • Inspector Goole: Ideals of Socialism and social responsibility
  • Eva Smith: Neglected lower-classes
• What event is being celebrated at the beginning of Act 1?

  The engagement of Sheila to Gerald
• How does Eva Smith die?

  She dies after drinking disinfectant
• Why did Mr Birling fire Eva Smith?

  She led a strike at his factory asking for higher wages
• How does Mr Birling justify firing Eva Smith?

  He believes he was fully justified
• What happens to Eva after she is fired from Milward's?

  She is unable to get another job and changes her name to Daisy Renton
• How does Gerald reveal his connection to Eva Smith?

  He recognizes the name Daisy Renton
• What does Sheila accuse Gerald of while the Inspector is out of the room?

  Having an affair with Daisy Renton
• What does Gerald admit to during the Inspector's questioning?

  He admits to his affair with Daisy Renton
• What does Mrs Birling do at the Brumley Women’s Charity Organisation?

  She ensures a young, pregnant woman is refused help
• Who is the father of the pregnant woman Mrs Birling refuses to help?

  Eric Birling
• What does Eric admit to doing to Eva Smith?

  He admits to drinking heavily and acting aggressively towards her
• What warning does the Inspector give to the Birlings?

  That if people don’t accept responsibility for each other, "fire and blood and anguish" will follow
• What do the Birlings realize about the Inspector after he leaves?

  That he wasn’t a ‘real’ police investigator
• What news do the Birlings receive at the end of the play?

  A girl has just died on the way to the Infirmary, and an inspector is on his way to question them
• What are the key themes and conflicts introduced in the first scene of Act 1?

  • Class and social responsibility
  • Gender roles and feminism
  • Capitalism vs. Socialism
  • Family dynamics and conflict
  • The impact of individual actions on society
• How is the lighting described in the opening scene of Act 1?

  It is described as “pink and intimate”
• What is the significance of the family celebrating Sheila's engagement?

  It highlights their social status and family dynamics
• What does Mr Birling predict about society's future?

  He predicts a new age of prosperity
• What does Mr Birling believe about Lady Croft's opinion of the Birlings?

  He believes she doesn’t approve of their social standing
• What does Mr Birling lecture the young men about?

  He lectures them on the duty of men to care for themselves and their families
• How does the structure of the first part of Act 1 reflect character dynamics?

  • Mr Birling and Gerald are dominant male figures
  • Sheila's possessiveness hints at jealousy
  • Mrs Birling's coldness is evident in her hesitance
  • Eric's awkwardness highlights his insecurity
• How does the phrase “like bees in a hive” characterize Socialism in the text?

  It portrays Socialism as primitive and demeaning.
• What is the significance of the characters’ opening lines in Act 1?

  • Mr Birling and Gerald are the dominant male figures.
  • Their dialogue establishes social hierarchy.
  • Mr Birling's first line is directed at Gerald, indicating his desire to impress.
• What does Sheila's possessiveness and jealousy indicate about her character?

  It suggests her insecurity and foreshadows her conflict with Eva.
• How does Mrs Birling's behavior reinforce her character traits?

  Her hesitance to drink and her coldness emphasize her strictness and authority.
• How does Eric's participation in the conversation reflect his character?

  He participates late and awkwardly, indicating his discomfort and immaturity.
• What themes and conflicts does Priestley introduce in the first scene?

  • Secrets between Sheila and Gerald.
  • Foreshadowing of Eric's drinking problem.
  • Mrs Birling's strict conduct and social etiquette.
  • Mr Birling's desire for social status and business connections.
• What impression does the audience get about the engagement between Gerald and Sheila?

  It appears to be a business decision rather than an act of love.
• How does Mr Birling's dominance in the first part of Act 1 reflect his character?

  His extensive speaking time and significant lines symbolize his authority and Capitalist ideals.
• What does Mr Birling's power symbolize at the beginning of the play?

  It symbolizes Capitalism's influence at the start of the century.