AIC - Act 1

• When did Eva change her name to Daisy?

  After she is sacked from Millwards - Eva changes her name to Daisy when she starts a new, more shameful stage in her life
• True or false? The Inspector shows the photograph of Eva/Daisy to the whole Birling family in Act One

  The Inspector shows the photograph to only Mr Birling and Sheila in Act One. He refuses to show Gerald and Eric the photograph. This is an essential dramatic device to increase the tension in the play.
• Who is described as "crushed" at the end of Act One?

  Gerald - Gerald is described as "crushed" in the stage directions because he realises that his affair with Eva/Daisy is about to be exposed
• What word completes the quotation?"The girl had been causing trouble in the works. I was quite __________."

  Justified - Mr Birling says this to try to explain why he sacked Eva Smith.
• What character says this quotation?"But these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people."

  Shiela - Sheila shows herself to have a greater sense of empathy than her father or Gerald
• What three words complete the quotation?"Now she felt she was making a _________ __________ __________."

  Good fresh start - The Inspector is describing how Eva Smith felt once she had got the job at Milwards. The fact that we know her relief was short-lived adds to the pathos of the quotation
• What character says this quotation?"At least I'm trying to tell the truth."

  Shiela - Sheila is honest about her treatment of Eva Smith, unlike her parents and Gerald, who try to evade responsibility for their actions.
• What two words complete the quotation?"A nice little promising life there, I thought, and a __________ __________ somebody's made of it."

  Nasty mess - The Inspector uses "nasty mess" to create a sense of the physical damage done to Eva Smith's body. The phrase also applies to the impact Gerald and the Birlings have had on her life
• When the Inspector mentions that a customer complained about Eva/Daisy, Sheila becomes "agitated". What does her response suggest?

  She is upset when she realises she is responsible for getting Eva/Daisy fired and therefore contributed to her death - Shelia's response is in direct contrast to Mr. Birling, who calmly denies any responsibility for Eva/Daisy's death
• How does Priestley end Act One on a cliff-hanger?

  The inspector returns to the dining room where Gerald and Shiela have been talking and delivers the line of dialogue: "Well?" - This ending creates a cliffhanger because the audience wants to know whether Gerald can hide his involvement from the Inspector. The next act begins with the same piece of dialogue
• In what way does Sheila contrast with the rest of her family by the end of Act One?

  She seems to understand the extent of the inspectors power - Sheila warns Gerald that "he knows … of course he knows". She seems to appreciate the seriousness of the Inspector's purpose and his powers of understanding. While it's true that Sheila shows sympathy for Eva/Daisy, so does her brother Eric
• Who is shown the photograph of Eva/Daisy in Act One?

  Mr Birling and Shiela - The photograph is an important dramatic device in the play. The characters are shown the photograph individually, in an order decided by the Inspector. This leaves open the possibility later that they may have been shown different photographs.
• What does the audience feel for Sheila by the end of Act One?

  Sympathy because she deeply regrets her actions - Shelia feels ashamed of her actions at Milwards and the audience can see she wants to change
• Mr and Mrs Birling keep asking Sheila to leave the room as they think she is too young to listen to the details of Eva/Daisy's fate. She insists on staying. What does this action reveal about Sheila's character?

  She is starting to think for herself - Sheila's character seems to be developing already, and will not accept her parents' demands