Inspector Calls

• 'I'm not going to be bullied by an inspector!' - Birling
• One of the central themes in "An Inspector Calls" is social responsibility, highlighting the idea that individuals have a duty to consider the impact of their actions on others.
• "I don’t want any trouble from this girl, do you hear? " - Mr Birlings attitude towards Eva shows how little regard he has for women
• Eva smith is lower working class, she has no money and no power over anyone else
• Eva smith is lower working class, she has no money and no power over anyone else
• "We are all responsible for each other" - The inspector calls out the hypocrisy of the upper classes who claim they have nothing to do with the poor.
• Eva smith is lower working class, she has no money and no power over anyone else
• 'The girl was my responsibility, and I shirked it.' - Birling
• Another key theme in the play is class discrimination, showcasing the disparities and prejudices that exist between different social classes.
• The theme of guilt and conscience is prevalent throughout "An Inspector Calls," as characters are forced to confront their past actions and their moral implications.
• 'We are members of one body...we have responsibilities to every human being that we come into contact with...' - Inspector Goole
• 'We are members of one body...we have responsibilities to each other.' - Inspector Goole
• "We don’t live alone. We are members of one body." - The Inspector
• 'It is the duty of every decent person to prevent crime.' - Inspector Goole
• The play explores the theme of class inequality through its portrayal of the Birlings as wealthy capitalists who exploit working-class people like Eva Smith/Daisy Renton.
• Who changes the most in Inspector Calls?

  Throughout Inspector Calls, Sheila is the character who changes the most. At the beginning of the play she is a young, naïve girl who is happy to be told what to think and do; by the end she is the only character who really takes responsibility for the death of Eva and is happy to tell her parents that she thinks they are wrong.
• Why does Sheila move towards the Inspector? This physical movement towards the Inspector is a reflection of Sheila’s mindset moving towards that of the Inspector’s socialist ideology. Priestley suggests, through the Inspector, that Sheila’s youthfulness is responsible for her assimilation (understanding) of the Inspector’s message as “we often do on the young ones
• How is Sheila receptive to the Inspector? Sheila is receptive to the Inspector’s message and noticeably evolves as a character. Her jealous instincts are replaced by a sense of maturity by the end of the play. Sheila is a part of the younger generation, alongside Eric. Each child shows resentment towards the lack of social responsibility their parents feel.
• How has Sheila changed?

  The change in Sheila here is clear. She has become more assertive, using phrases such as 'I tell you'. The events of the evening have made her aware of the serious impact one's actions can have. At a number of points, Sheila shows that she can see things that the other characters cannot. "Yes, of course it is.
• Sheila takes responsibility for her actions and tells the truth. Gerald is being judgemental of her even though he has not yet taken responsibility for his own actions.
• Mr Birling dismisses the idea that we should be responsible for each other, suggesting that such a situation would be 'awkward'.
• Eric clearly shows that he has a sense of social responsibility. Whilst Gerald and Eric's parents are enjoying being in the clear, Eric still takes the matter of Eva's death very seriously. He is even brave enough to tell his mother that she should feel responsible too.
• In telling Eric that she is ashamed of him she shows that she has learned nothing from the Inspector’s investigation. The audience would know that she is in no position to be questioning the behaviour of anyone else given her own treatment of Eva Smith and lack of social responsibility.
• In telling Eric that she is ashamed of him she shows that she has learned nothing from the Inspector’s investigation. The audience would know that she is in no position to be questioning the behaviour of anyone else given her own treatment of Eva Smith and lack of social responsibility.
• How is the theme of social responsibility shown in the play? In An Inspector Calls, Priestley explores social responsibility through: the treatment of Eva Smith how each character does or doesn’t take responsibility for their behaviour the Inspector's lessons
• Mr Birling shows that he has a patronising view of women, making the suggestion that clothes are a sign of self-respect for them. He has a stereotypical view of women here and does not see them as individuals but suggests that all women think in the same way.
• Gerald shows that he can be very superficial in his view of women. If they don’t meet his standard of how they 'should' look, he dislikes them.
• Priestley shows that even women like Mrs Birling can be just as cruel and old fashioned as he men are. She does not try to empathise with a member of her own gender. This also highlights her negative attitude towards the working class
• Mr Birling feels that it is his responsibility to come down 'Sharply' on 'these people' Priestley wanted the audience to realise that this is the wrong attitude to have, we should be looking after these people not just punishing them.
• Mrs Birling refers to Eva Smith as a 'girl of that sort'. She clearly has preconceptions about working class girls suggesting that they lack morals and will always take money.
• Despite hearing about all the misfortune that Eva Smith has suffered, Mrs Birling is unmoved and stubbornly stands by her decision to turn Eva away.
• Mr Birling implies here that Eric is a 'fool' because he is young. Ironically, it is the older Arthur who nearly resorts to physical violence.
• Eric sees that his parents are trying to pretend that nothing happened. when it is suggested that the Inspector was not real. He and Sheila, the younger characters, still feel responsible.