inspecotr callsss

• 'An Inspector Calls' by J.B. Priestley was written in 1945 and is set in an English manufacturing town called Brumley in 1912
• The play has 3 acts and is in real time, meaning there is no change in time or location between acts
• The Birling family, an upper-middle class family, is visited by Inspector Goole who is investigating the death of a young woman by suicide
• • Inspector Goole: a police inspector representing Socialism, social responsibility, and the ideal justice system
  • Eva Smith: a lower-class young girl mistreated by the Birlings, representing the neglected lower-classes
• Characters:

  • Arthur Birling: head of Birling and Company, a Capitalist businessman
  • Sybil Birling: wife of Arthur Birling, a social superior representing the upper-class
  • Sheila Birling: daughter of the Birlings, representing the impressionable, socially-aware younger generation and the feminist movement
  • Eric Birling: son of the Birlings, representing the impressionable, socially-aware younger generation and the consequences of toxic masculine culture
  • Gerald Croft: socially superior to the Birlings, representing privilege and the dominance of the upper classes and patriarchy
• Act 1:

  • Birling family and Gerald celebrate Sheila's engagement
  • Inspector Goole arrives, investigating Eva Smith's death
  • Mr. Birling fired Eva after a strike at his factory
  • Eva was fired from Milward's after Sheila complained about her
  • Sheila accuses Gerald of having an affair with Eva
  • Gerald confesses to the affair
• Act 2:

  • Gerald admits to his affair with Eva
  • Mrs. Birling refuses help to a pregnant woman, who turns out to be Eric's lover
  • Eric confesses to his involvement with Eva
  • Inspector Goole loses patience with the Birlings
• Act 3:

  • Eric admits to mistreating Eva and using stolen money to support her
  • Inspector Goole warns the family about their responsibility towards each other
  • The family realizes the Inspector wasn't real, but a girl has died and a new inspector is on his way
• Key Quotes & Analysis:

  • The play opens in the Birling's dining room, symbolizing wealth and luxury
  • Mr. Birling dismisses the threat of war, showing dramatic irony
  • Mr. Birling belittles Socialism and community care, reflecting his Capitalist views
  • Mr. Birling's lecture on self-reliance contrasts with the Inspector's message of social responsibility
• Structure of the first part of Act 1:
• Mr Birling and Gerald are the dominant male figures until the Inspector arrives
• Mr Birling tries to impress Gerald and establish his social status
• Sheila is possessive and hints at jealousy towards Eva
• Mrs Birling is cold and enforces strict conduct
• Eric participates late in the conversation with an awkward guffaw
• Themes and conflicts of the play are introduced in this scene
• Key Quotes & Analysis:
• Stage directions indicate the lighting change symbolizing the exposure of truth without bias
• Inspector Goole's description emphasizes his massiveness, solidity, and purposefulness
• Mr Birling uses his reputation and power to intimidate the Inspector
• Inspector Goole's graphic description of Eva Smith's death contrasts with upper classes' euphemisms
• Inspector Goole emphasizes the chain of events and consequences in society
• Mr Birling resists taking responsibility, showing selfishness and entitlement
• Structure of the second part of Act 1:
• The Inspector interrupts Birling, representing Socialism's triumph over Capitalism
• Dialogue between Inspector and Birling sets the theme for the inquiry with Mrs Birling
• Sheila shows interest and sympathy for Eva, breaking down in tears and fleeing the room
• Sheila admits to getting Eva fired and expresses regret and learning from the consequences
• Gerald is shocked by Sheila's accusations of an affair with Daisy Renton
• Sheila reveals Gerald's affair to the Inspector, who already knows
• Sheila demonstrates empathy for Eva's tragic end, contrasting with her parents' attitudes
• Priestley's play "An Inspector Calls" exam
• Sheila has been conditioned by her family to be deliberately ignorant of the realities of the world
• The Inspector helps Sheila break away from this influence by exposing her to "horrible" things
• Sheila and Eva, two girls of a similar age, have vastly different lives, raising questions about societal double standards
• Mr. Birling is obsessed with his public image and cares more about public perception of his innocence than the Inspector's opinion
• Capitalism takes advantage of poverty, suffering, and desperation, and the upper classes benefit from income inequality
• Sheila recognizes how workers are exploited and dehumanized by their employers, challenging her father's business methods
• The Inspector challenges the Birlings' selfishness by reminding them of their actions and the consequences
• Gerald tries to excuse Sheila's honesty as "hysterical", reflecting historical belittling of women's emotions