An inspector calls

• "a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own"


  Birling

  • irony as he is now involved in Eva's business
  • "business","himself","own"-shows that money is more important
  • "man"- patriarchal- head of everything
  • "mind"- metaphorical- do anything to protect image
  • highlights capitalist mindset
  • Birling and Croft were brought up with
• "But these girls aren't cheap labour -they're people "


  Sheila

  • "girls"- noun- highlights insignificance
  • "cheap"-suggests easily disposable
  • lower class people especially the women weren't view as people
  • highlights the exploitation of the lower class by upper class
  • "they"- grouped as one - neglected
• "I wasn't in love with her or anything - but I liked her - she was a pretty and a good sport


  Eric

  • "wasn't in love"- used her for his own pleasure and gain
  • superficial
  • reflects how all upper class disregards lower class
  • justifying what he did as if it would be deemed normal because he wasn't attached
  • upper class men could do how they want because they had power
• "a chap easily turns nasty - and I threatened to make a row"

  Eric

  • violence against women
  • abusing his power for pleasure against woman with no power
  • shows upper class' entitlement
• "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other."


  Inspector

  • "one", "we" - theme of unity
  • reflects priestly's socialist views
  • we should stop thinking for ourselves and think about others as well
  • "each" - provides significance to every individual in society
  • wants characters and audience to rethink their behaviour
• "they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish"


  Inspector

  • "fire and blood and anguish" - connotation to war
  • foreshadows WWI
  • final message for audience and characters so they won't repeat history
  • hint that capitalism will begin to be deminished
• "The point is you don't seem to have learnt anything"


  Sheila

  • older generation don't accept any responsibility
  • sheila now adopts inspector's mindset
  • sheila is now willing to change
  • represents Priestley has hope for change through the younger generation
  • mr,mrs birling and croft and willing to ignore what happened so it won't affect their title
• "unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable"


  Birling

  • making a fool of his attitude
  • "absolutely"- shows the certainty and arrogance
  • dramatic irony - titanic sinks a week later
  • attitude that defined upper class because they believed nothing goes go in their way
  • shows the power they withhold with this attitude bc nothing can go against them
• "lower costs and higher prices"


  Birling

  • "lower" and "higher"- represent the worth of upper and lower class
  • shows mr birling's greed
  • capitalism
  • doesn't care about wellbeing of workers
  • not willing to improve attitude
• "as if a girl of that sort would refuse money"


  Mrs Birling

  • "that sort" - lower class girl needed it more
  • couldn't fathom that she is not immoral for refusing stolen money
  • prejudice and preconceptions
  • lower class is never viewed in a positive light
• “Clothes mean something quite different to a woman.”


  Birling

  • patronising against women
  • sexist - clothes are important to women than men
  • highlights sexist attitudes that are present in men
• Key themes

  responsibility

  gender

  socialism vs capitalism

  young and old

  Class
• what is capitalism?


  Economic system based on private ownership and free market competition.
• what is socialism?


  factors of production is owned by everybody equally in society
• British government in 1912

  • laissez faire
  • liberal party
• British government in 1945

  • labour party
  • desire for social reform
• Birling

  Birling is rich, pompous and ambitious - and he represents Priestley's opinion of Capitalists. He made his own fortune and he lacks sympathy for other people. .He represents the sin of greed and is driven by a desire for more for himself and his family. The working classes are a commodity, dehumanised for the purpose that they can fulfill. As a male head of a household in a patriarchal society, he also sees his daughter in a similar way - as a commodity, useful for the betterment of his family.
• How does Priestley present Capitalism

  Amoral

  self absorbed

  individual is reduced to their ability to make money
• seven deadly sins

  wrath, greed, lust, sloth, envy, pride, gluttony
• Mrs Birling

  Comes from an aristocratic background and looks down on everyone! She doesn't work and instead volunteers at a local charity where she decides who should benefit from their money. We get the impression that she feels she's more than capable of judging other people. Though she is from a higher social class than her husband, she knows her place as a woman and will often defer to his judgement.
• Sheila

  Represents the archetypal Edwardian woman, submissive and subservient to men. She commits the sin of wrath, envy and vanity. Represents the social change that is needed. She embodies social change -her acceptance of her role, her repentance and her determination to improve lives. In one way , she is diametrically opposed to Eva. She is privileged and protected. However, both women must submit to the power of men. Priestley uses her character to explore gender issues that exist, even with the benefit of class. The quality that both women share is the willingness to speak up.
• Inspector Goole

  The inspector is Priestley's mouthpiece on stage - he says what Priestley thinks. Though he's not described as being physically big, he's assertive and capable of dominating the other characters. He's also a devout socialist - a complete contrast to Mr Birling's capitalist beliefs. He arrives and ensures that all the characters are aware of their involvement in the death of Eva Smith. There is also some question over whether he is "real" or some kind of Angel or spirit - a ghoul, after all, is a kind of ghost.
• Eric Birling

  Represents men and the upper classes, but also the conflict of youth when the status quo is challenged.. Eric argues frequently with his parents. Eric is critical of his parents but still benefits from the privilege of his upbringing. This and his playful language at the beginning shows Priestley saw him as a sympathetic character. He is guilty of theft but acts immorally for a moral reason. He represents the sin of gluttony - consuming alcohol and women. He is truly repentant by the end - even the news that the inspector was not real, does not lessen his sense of burden.

• gerald croft

  Represents privilege, men and capitalism. Gerald seems to change in the play, by showing remorse for what happened to Daisy, but ultimately uses his class and position to protect himself and his reputation. He epitomises the hard reality of what will happen if there is no social change - delight in ‘getting away with it’. He attempts to use his intellect to absolve himself of responsibility, similar to the way Priestley felt politicians would attempts to absolve themselves of taking responsibility for the working classes
• Eva smith

  Represents poverty, the working classes and women. Smith has traditionally been the most common surname in Britain. Her multiple identities , not just to herself, but in different roles to the family, show that she can be anyone, anywhere struggling to survive the consequences of capitalism. Eva embodies social responsibility. Even with the risk she was taking, Eva ‘started the trouble’ by asking for higher wages for the girls. She is voiceless to show that she has no power. She is female, poor and without family. Eva is used to Priestley to explore Class and Gender.
• “A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course”


  selfish- puts himself before his family
• “Probably a Socialist or some sort of crank”
• “I’ve done nothing wrong – and you know it.”
• “She was a very pretty girl…that didn’t make it any better.”
• “It frightens me the way you talk”
• “You’re not the kind of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble that’s why.”
• “You couldn’t have done anything else” (sacking Eva Smith)
• ‘[Daisy] gave me a glance that was nothing less than a cry for help”-Gerald uses imagery of a rescue mission when describing his role in Daisy Renton’s death. He does this to lessen his guilt and try and justify his behaviour.
• “Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”-
• "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other." - contrast with the language of Mr and Mrs Birling who normally use ‘I’ as their primary concern is themselves. The use of ‘we’ further emphasises Priestley’s ideas of collective responsibility and how society should be formed.
• “you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense.”
• “About fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”
• "Go and look for the father of the child. It’s his responsibility.”
• “A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”
• “I’ll never, never do it again to anybody…I feel now I can never go there again”