An inspector calls

• What is the play about?

  • Inspector bringing out families consciences and mistakes.
  • family drama
  • exploration of consciousness being a mirror of what is wrong in society
  • comfortable bourgeoise - went to the theatre because they liked to see a mirror of their life
  • characters facing the consequences of their own actions
• Why is the Birling’s house significant in the play?

  • Emblematic of a wealthy middle class family - you can still see this today
• Why is Inspector Google important in the play?

  • “Goole“ like “Ghoul” - ghostly
  • Is the inspector real?
  • We all have faults that can be inspected - makes audience question their actions
• What older play may have influenced J.B. Priestly in An inspector calls?

  • The government inspector - Nikolai Gogol (1809-52)
  • The word ”inspector“ fears characters - they try to persuade the inspector in both plays to clear their own consciences and to feel safer
• Which Norwegian playwright wrote a lot of middle class setting in the 1880-90s?

  • Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906)
  • characters faced consequences for their flaws, faults, history’s and sins.
• Why were lots of books/ novels set around the time an inspector calls was written?

  • 1912 is looked upon as an innocent period
  • Pre war (1914-18)
  • Priestly showed many of the undercurrents of that time that were wrong
  • Represents climax of industrialisation - Birling’s factory
• Why does priestly examine society and the consciences of people?

  • To portray his political views
  • Priestly includes lower class characters just as much as upper class - made to feel just as important
  • Aims to address some ills of the world
  • Responsibility for our own actions becomes a key to societal self awareness
• Why is the Industrial Revolution significan?

  • The Industrial Revolution began in the 1760’s
  • Many writers criticised it - loss of agricultural land, lack of trade union etc
  • However made England very wealthy
• Which characters are important to analyse?

  • Those who don’t appear on stage and who are only talked about
  • looking back from the 21st century to the 20th century, we can see many of the faults and flaws there were in the system
• Why did priestly choose to set the play in 1912

  • 1912 was the Edwardian period (Queen Victorias son)
  • To create a sense of relatability with audience as published post war (1945)