plot

• act 1 (opening)

  • gerald croft and sheila birling get engaged and everyone is celebrating in the dining room

  • mr birling gives a speech and gets multiple historical events wrong

  • inspector goole enters to investigate a young girls suicide (eva smith)
• act 1 (mr birlings interrogation)

  • eva smith worked at mr birlings factory

  • she asked for a pay rise and took part in a labour strike

  • mr birling fired her

  • he does not appect responsibility
• act 1 (sheila’s interrogation)

  • she is shown a photograph and has a strong emotional reaction

  • eva smith worked at milwards shopping centre

  • sheila was trying on a dress and accused eva of making fun of her

  • eva was fired because of this

  • she appects responsibility
• act 2 (secrets are revealed)

  • sheila and geralds relationship becomes tense

  • mrs birling and sheila’s relationship becomes tense

  • inspector goole reveals that eva smith changed her name to daisy renton
• act 2 (geralds interrogation)

  • gerald knew eva as daisy renton

  • they met at the palace bar

  • gerald ‘saved her’ from joe meggarty and eva becomes his mistress

  • he uses money to maintain control

  • gerald helps her out and lets her stay at a friends house

  • sheila and geralds relationship becomes even more strained and sheila gives him her engagement ring back

  • he does not appect full responsibility
• act 2 (mrs birlings interrogation)

  • acts stubborn when shown a photograph

  • eva came to her womens charity seeking help, she was pregnant and needed support

  • eva introduced herself as ‘mrs birling’

  • mrs birling refused to help her and took offence

  • she blames the father of the child

  • she doesn’t appect responsibility
• act 3 (eric’s interrogation)

  • eric enters the dining room and soon realises that everyone knows he is the father

  • he isn’t shown a photograph

  • they met at the palace bar, he went back to her lodgings and forced himself in whilst drunk

  • eric then sexually assaulted her, leaving her pregnant

  • he stole money from mr birlings office for her to keep her going

  • he appects responsibility
• act 3 (the inspector leaves)

  • the inspector gives a speech about social responsibility and the negative consequences of capitalism

  • eric and sheila are the only ones who show a change
• act 3 (a twist in the tale)

  • after the inspector leaves, mr birling, mrs birling and gerald try to move on and make fun of the situation

  • sheila and eric reflect on the night and sheila mirrors the inspectors words

  • gerald decides to ring the infirmary to ask about any recent suicides, there are none

  • mr birling rings the police to ask about an inspector goole, no one knows anything about him

  • they then begin to question the situation

  • the phone rings, mr birling picks it up, a young girl has died from swallowing a strong disinfectant and a police inspector is on the way to ask questions
• what are the 3 main motifs used throughout the play?

  • money = greed

  • drinks = control

  • photo = judgement