an inspector calls

• the birlings are priestlys idea of a perfect middle-class family
• big diffrence betweeen the expected of men and woman. men supposed to be intrested in family, clothes and social etquette
• geralds family are more esablished and socially superior to the birlings
• arthers speech contains things about workers not striking, thetitanic not sinking and no war with germany all dramatic irony
• inspecter gives a blunt account on eva smiths death
• harsh language "burnt her inside out" contrsts violently with the polite and playful atmosphere at the start, catching the family of guard
• the inspector gets tge birling to tell the story of why he sacked eva,giving the birling a false sense of being in charge
• the story from mr birling gives the play a plolitical element #
• "lively good-looking girl" makes birling look worse
• sheilas insecurity and jealousy made her think that eva was laughing at her at milwards
• "felt rotton about it at the time" showing sheila as a forgivable character due to her knowing she behave badly
• eric points out the hypocrisy of sacking eva smith for asking for higher wages bc the birlings company "try for the highest possible prices"
• sheilas told to leave but feels a duty to stay, thinking for herself going against traditional views
• eva changed her name after being sacked from millwards

  • perhaps needing a change and to escape her past
  • perhaps the inspector trying to link two woman
  • changed to daisy a euphemism "under the daisies" being dead
• after gerolds confession, sheila is described as looking at gerold "almost in triumph" because she belives the inspector is aware of gerolds affair. this stage direction hints at sheilas anger towards gerold. it suggests she's pleased that gerold will be judged by the inspector , regardless of the potential consequences for the upcoming wedding and reputation. you could also argue that it shows how, even early on in the play, sheila has already decided to side with the inspector
• gerold ignores the inspectors question "well?" and excuses sheila for being "hysterical". he's trying to get sheila to leave so he doesn't have to tell her more details about his affair
• theme- men and woman

  if the palace stalls are well known place to pick up prostitutes, its likely Gerald went there to find a prostate himself
• the inspector points out gerolds hypocrisy in thinking that woman should ne "protected" when its men like him who take advantage of eva - "one young woman who wasn't" protected
• gerold tells the others about his afair, he defends the relationship - "you know, it wasn't disgusting" but mrs birling is shocked, she doesn't understand the term "woman of the town" and is upset to learn that Gerald's been seeing them
• sheila suggests that eva loved gerold as her "wonderful fairy prince" gerold doesn't say he loved eva, but agrees that he "adored" being loved by her
• Gerald finishes with Eva just before he went of on a business trip although he gave her some money, he effectively made her homeless
• eva went to "sea-side place" to remember their time together "just make it last longer" for Gerald, it was a summer fling, but for eva "there'd never be anything as good again"
• sheila says they'd "have to start all over again, getting to know each other" birling defends Gerald, saying "you must understand that a lot of younge men-" he implies that lots of men have mistresses
• gerold doesn't ask mr birling to leave he askes the inspector showing who is now in control
• theme- learning about life

  although she dazzled by the ring at first, Sheila's mature enough to realise the consequence of her marrying a man who has lied to her
• even when the inspector manages to press sybil for a story, she wont accept any "blame for it at all" - she wont take responsibility for actions
• theme- young and old

  the inspector increases the tension between the parents and children by using Sheila's help to get sybil to tell the whole story
• mrs birling persuaded the committee to turn down evas request because

  • "birling" said it was her name. mrs birling believed it was a "piece of gross impertinence" rude for her to associate her scandal with there family name
  • she changed the story. first saying she was left and pregnant but later saying they were never married
• Priestley contrasts sybil Birlings attempts to preserve her reputation with eva moral standards. eva woudnt marry the father of her child and wouldn't take any money for him because:

  • he was "youngster - silly and wild and drinking to much"
  • the money was stolen
  • he didn't love her
• after trying to resist the inspectors questions mrs birling realised that she can blame the father of the child instead of admitting her own guilt
• sybil starts to tell everyone what she thinks should happen to punish this "younge man2
• sybil blames the father for getting involved with a girl from a different class. she assumes she wouldn't know a man who drinks and steals she says that the inspector should punish the man "very severely" before making him "confess in public his responsibility"
• while sybil is blaming the father of the chid, the inspector doesn't intervene but instead lets her walk straight into a trap - demanding that he punishes her own son. this is the most dramatic result of questioning each person secretly - sybil answers the inspectors questions, totally unaware of what eric is going to say