An Inspector Calls

• summarise Act 1


  - begins in the Birling's dining room where they r celebrating Sheila and Gerald's engagement. Mr Birling is clearly very egotistical(self centred) and is constantly talking about the war and the titanic.

  - The Inspector arrives, interrupting their engagement party. He tells them that Eva killed herself. Every1 is shocked and denies knowing Eva. After some investigation, it is found out that Mr Birling got her sacked. Sheila is very distressed at her father's contributions to the suicide and his dismissive behaviour( she starts to change to socialism.)

  - Its then revealed that Sheila got Eva sacked from Milwards. She is very upset about this and shows intense remorse. Gerald sees that everyone is getting questioned so he tells Sheila that he had a relationship with Eva.
• summarise Act 2


  - Eric is absent for the whole scene. Gerald admits to his affair with Eva. Sheila returns the engagement ring.

  - Mrs Birling is now questioned and its revealed that she turned Eva away when she was pregnant and desperate. She tells Eva that the father is responsible. During her investigation, she remains ignorant and has no remorse for Eva's death.
• summarise Act 3


  It is revealed that Eric is the father. As soon as he found out that Eva was pregnant, he stole from his father's business to support her, but she refused to take the money because she knew it was stolen. (She contrasts the depiction of the lower class being thieving and immoral)

  - The Inspector delivers a speech before he leaves about responsibility, social inequality and compassion to them. He warns them that if they don't change there will be severe consequences.

  - Gerald tells them that there is no Inspector Goole force he claimed to be from. The three capitalists are triumphantly celebrating this as they can avoid the public scandal. Sheila and Eric are appalled at their attitudes.

  - Then they get a phone call about a girl died and an Inspector is on his way
• Class system in 1912

  - Rigid class system with little social mobility - this was a continuation of the Victorian eras fixed social structure.

  Link to play: Priestley is critical of the lack of social mobility in 1912. He creates Eva as an emblematic of the inhumane treatment the lower classes faces due to the restrictive class system. He also constructs Mr Birling as a pompous unlikeable character to vilify the people who perpetuate this rigid system.
• Class system in 1945

  - Equal Franchise Act in 1945 - all men and women over 21 could vote. Lower classes had a voice too.

  - Despite enfranchisement still prejudices around working classes.

  Link to play: The increased social mobility can be seen through Sheila's development of a voice throughout the play. This could symbolise how women had gained a political voice. Although Eva doesn't have a voice, Priestley constructs the Inspector to speak on her and the lower class's behalf. This could symbolise how the lower classes were not more represented despite the once completely rigid class system.
• Politics in 1912


  - Britain was capitalist and conservative.

  - Liberal government supports social reform (change in society) but had a laissez-faire approach with the economy and businesses could set their own rates.

  Link to play: Capitalism is personifies through Mr Birling as he would have been a member of society who would have strongly favoured the laissez faire approach to exploit his workers for extra profit.
• Politics in 1945


  - Biggest electoral swings in the 20th century. In 1945 Labour Party won by a landslide victory.

  Link to play: The electoral swing is evident in Sheila and Eric as they had a huge swing from capitalism to socialism. when introduced to the Inspector (who would have promoted welfare rights). The general need for society to be united in society is replicated in Sheila and Eric understanding that the segregation of classes wasn't beneficial and needed to be abolished.
• JB Priestley


  - He was surrounded by socialism and socialist ideoligies.

  - He was scathing about WW1 which he fought in and how they were 'throwing men away for nothing'

  Link to play: His strong socialist ideologies are personified through the inspector, who acts as a moral compass to guide the Birlings to guide them away from their capitalist views by introducing them to socialism. Thus, he vilifies capitalists through Mr and Mrs Birling making socialism seem like a more favourable approach.
• women in 1912


  - they were disenfranchised (no vote)

  - they were inferior to their husbands and father in the patriarchal society.

  Link to play:Sheila is presented as disenfranchised at the beginning - her infantile language and short dialogue representing how women were oppressed and silenced politically and socially. in 1912. Evas animalistic treatment - she was more susceptible to this abuse due to her status as a lower class woman.
• women in 1945


  - Women's effort on the Homefront was a pivotal turning point - seen as valuable.

  - Before WW2 changes were still made like in 1928 when all women gained equal voting rights to men.

  - Women had gained more right but not equal.

  Link to play: The change of women being more outspoken in their need for rights is used by Priestley through Sheila. Her uncensored and developed voice may emulate the politics of women at the time. Women were not entirely equal in society; however, a shift was seen post WW2 with people treating each other with more humanity and compassion due to the devastating loss of life.
• Personification of capitalism - Mr Birling act 1

  "a heavy...."


  ..looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties"

  This allows his to be a microcosm of the older generation. After the wars in 1945, a plumper frame was synonymous with affluence and indulgence. The adjective "portentous" is used to expose the superficiality of capitalism.
• Personification of capitalism - Mr Birling act 1

  "heavily comfortable....

  ..but not cozy or homelike"

  This portrays the cosmetic nature of Birlings wealth. The unorthodox phrase "heavily comfortable" is almost an oxymoron to present the luxury of the social elite as a facade. The adjective "heavy" brings connotations of exhaustion and intensity which juxtaposes the comfort we would expect from a home.
• Personification of capitalism - Mr Birling act 1

  "hard -headed,...


  ..practical man of business"Mr Birling stands to represent these affluent businessmen who callously took advantage of suffering of war for financial gain.
• Insecure and unacquainted with aristocratic life - Mr Birling Act 1

  "rather....

  ..provincial in his speech"

  His voice was tainted by a regional accent; in 1912 this would have been seen as a sign that he is unrefined and comes from lower class roots.

  - He is a member of the Nouveau riche.

  (insecure and unacquainted with aristocratic life)
• Insecure and unacquainted with aristocratic life -Mr Birling act 1

  "Finchley told me....

  ..its exactly the same port your father gets from him"

  - His use of name dropping exposes that he is trying to impress.

  - Mr Birling embarks on a sycophantic investigation to copy Gerald's father's taste in port. Port is used as a metonym for wealth, which highlights how superficial it is.

  - Mr Birling is obsessive in his attempts to assert his status which likely comes from a place of insecurity.
• Insecure and unacquainted with aristocratic life - Mr Birling act 1

  "you're not...


  ..supposed to say such things"

  - He is scolded by his wife for committing social indiscretions showing he is not well versed in aristocratic life.

  - His attempts to assert his status are rendered futile as his true nature will always shine through.b
• Denying responsibility - Mr Birling act 1

  "As it happened...

  ...eighteen months -nearly two years ago- obviously it has nothing to do with the wretched girl's suicide"

  - His reasoning is ignorant and illogical, yet his use of the adverb "obviously" shows his arrogant defensiveness.

  - His inability to display any kind of remorse is reflective of the older generations, he doesn't allow there to be any question of him being responsible.
• Preoccupied with reputation - Mr Birling act 2

  "if this comes out at...

  ..the inquest, it isn't going to do us much good"

  - His only concerns is how he will appear in the public eye, the "press" evokes a stronger emotional response from him than the notion of suicide.
• Misogynistic to assert his power -Mr Birling act 2

  "is there any...

  ..reason why my wife should answer any questions from you, Inspector?"

  - The possessive pronoun 'my' shows that he is establishing control to elevate himself.

  - The use of a rhetorical question paints him as patronising. He is in a power struggle with the Inspector and immediately resorts to aggression and disrespect to win the social battle, painting him as undeserving of respect.
• Misogynistic to assert his power -Mr Birling act 2

  "A young...

  ..unmarried girl is being dragged into this-"

  - His care for his daughter is ironic as we know that he exploits Sheila for social and financial gain through marriage.

  - We also see his insincerity as he doesnt care about Eva's suicide, who is also a young girl.
• Dispassionate to his family Mr Birling act2

  "What's the....

  ..matter with that child?"

  His language transitions from 'my' to 'that' metaphorically expels him from the ownership of Sheila as soon as she started to demonstrate socialist ideologies. He refers to her as a 'child' to dismiss her beliefs as unimportant and childish
• The Inspector as a foil to Mr Birling - Mr Birling act 3

  " We are members..


  ...of one body. We are responsible for each other vs like bees in a hive"

  - The Inspector presents socialism as a humane idea by using bodily imagery but Mr Birling uses zoomorphism to present it as animalistic, absurd and foreign which implies his unwillingness to accept new ideas.
• cyclical structure and characterisation- Mr Birling act 3

  The play begins and ends with Birling offering Gerald a drink.

  - Priestley present him as stagnant within his capitalism, to metaphorically represent this cycle of immorality the older generation is stuck within.

  - Alcohol is used as a motif of superficial wealth and materialism, but also irresponsibility.
• moment of catharsis -Mr Birling act 3

  After discovering that the Inspector is not real,...


  ...begins speaking "eagerly" and "excitedly"

  - He feels intense excitement when he realises his reputation and status is no longer at threat.

  - This makes the audience feel pitiful for how closely his emotions are intertwined with his status.
• Conserved within her class -Mrs Birling

  "husband's...


  ..social superior"

  - Priestley criticizes a society that allows human beings to be defined by their role or purpose within the class system.
• Conserved within her class - Mrs Birling act 1

  referred to as Arthur Birling's..


  .."wife"

  - Her social role dehumanises her and detaches her from any sense of being.
• (Conserved within her class) -Mrs Birling

  "Arthur you're not..


  ...supposed to say such things"

  - She is trying to iron out any social faux pas so her and her husband can fit in seamlessly within the the expectations of their class.

  - She is reluctant to deviate from these in any way.
• (Conserved within her class) - Mrs Birling act 1

  "I think Sheila and I..


  ..better go to the drawing room and leave you men"

  - Mrs Birling works to uphold the patriarchy in dismissing herself from the room

  - This ensures the men and women can reside in separate spheres.
• (Emphasises the disparity between generations) -Mrs Birling act 1

  "Sheila! What an..

  ..expression! Really, the things you girls pick up these days!"

  - This exposes her superficially driven codes of conduct as she cares more about etiquette more than morality. She is opposed to Sheila's use of colloquial language which is an emblem of the progressive younger generation that challenge her beliefs.

  - She belittles Sheila through the noun 'girl' to dismiss her behaviour and portray it as foolish or uncouth.
• (Shrouded in pomposity and egotism) -Mrs Birling Act 2

  "girls of..


  ..that class"

  - She dismisses the lower class as an aggregate inferior group that all behave in the same way.
• (robust to accepting responsibility)- Mrs Birling act 2

  "gro..

  ..ss", "disgusting", "wretched"

  There is a semantic field of disgust woven into Mrs Birling's vocabulary concerning the working class to portray her overt repulsion of the lower classes.
• (unfair distribution of power)- Mrs Birling act 3

  "I was the only..

  ..one who didn't give in to him"

  - This portrays her distorted perception of pride, she boasts about a lack of moral sensitivity which seems corrupt and callous.
• (oppressed by the patriarchy) - Sheila act 1

  Mr B calls it...

  ..."the happiest night of my life"

  - Sheila and Mr B's relationship is a microcosm of the oppression inflicted by the patriarchy.

  - women were used as a transaction to advance the political and social status of their fathers - hence why Mr B calls it the "happiest night" of his life as it will elevate his status.
• (liberation through socialism)- Sheila act 1

  "but these girls...


  ..aren't cheap labour- they're people"

  - Inspector liberates Sheila through the introduction of socialist ideologies.

  - she juxtaposes her father's exploitative and dehumanising behaviour. 'girl' connotates to vulnerability and innocence; she recognised that the upper class exploits the lower class.
• (silenced and infantile treatment)- Sheila act 1

  "yes, go..

  ..on, mummy"

  - short simplistic speech shows she is silenced and represents how she is a disenfranchised woman in society.
• (her realisation of the larger impact of capitalism)- Sheila act 2

  "no, he's giving..

  .. us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves"

  - acts as a foil to her irresponsible parents

  - disillusioned with the ideas of capitalism

  - 'rope' has fibres suggesting that everybody in society is intertwined with their own responsibilities.
• Acts as the inspector's proxy - Sheila act 3

  What he made me feel. Fire and blood and anguish"

  - emulates the Inspector's final speech.

  - 'and' makes the sentence seem ongoing- she warns her family of the ongoing consequences of having no social conscience.
• Rejection of patriarchy - Sheila act 3

  beginning of Act 1: calls her ring "perfect" which makes her feel "really engaged"...


  ..end of act 3: (when Gerald holds up the ring) " no, not yet. It's too soon. I must think"

  - cyclical presentation of their engagement.

  - hesitation shows that she is freeing herself patriarchy and capitalism which constrained her from socialism.
• Silenced supporter of the class system - Eric act 1

  " Half-shy,..


  ..half assertive"

  - unable to accept his father's behaviour, and yet not at ease with his own either.

  - he notices his father's unscrupulous, inhumane treatment of the lower classes but lacks conviction to act on these feelings.
• socially awkward to socially defiant - Eric act 1

  "not..

  ..quite at ease"

  - Priestley illustrating how he views the younger generation. Eric is nothing like his self-indulgent father but he is not the perfect socialist either so he comes off as awkward.

  - However his personality changes as he embraces his past mistakes and moves towards socialism