Act 1

• The play "An Inspector Calls" opens with Mr. and Mrs. Birling, Sheila Birling, Eric Birling, and Gerald Croft celebrating Sheila's engagement to Gerald
• Mr. Birling is happy about the engagement as it could benefit his business by building links with Crofts Limited, owned by Gerald's parents
• The engagement is treated more like a business transaction rather than a celebration of love between the couple
• Mr. Birling mentions the Titanic as unsinkable and expresses his views on war, which the audience knows to be mistaken given the historical events that followed
• Inspector Ghoul arrives to investigate the death of a young lady, Eva Smith, who committed suicide by drinking disinfectant
• Mr. Birling admits to sacking Eva from his factory due to her involvement in strike action over wages, showing his lack of concern for those affected by his actions
• Sheila is deeply affected upon learning about Eva's death and her own role in it, unlike her father who shows little remorse
• Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton after being sacked from Mill Woods department store where Sheila got her fired due to a misunderstanding about a dress
• Gerald reveals he had a relationship with Eva/Daisy, showing his involvement in Eva's life and adding to the mystery of the story
• The act ends with Gerald believing he can keep his affair with Daisy a secret, but Sheila knows that the Inspector is aware of the truth
• The word "well" repeated by the Inspector at the end of the act adds emphasis to the mystery surrounding Eva's life and death