An inspector calls

• Q: What is the setting of An Inspector Calls?

  A: The play is set in the Birling family’s dining room in 1912.
• Q: What is the central event that prompts the investigation in the play?

  A: The central event is the suicide of a young woman named Eva Smith.
• Q: How does Mr. Arthur Birling contribute to Eva Smith’s downfall?

  A: Mr. Arthur Birling had Eva Smith dismissed from his factory for participating in a strike for higher wages.
• Q: What role does Sheila Birling play in Eva Smith’s life?

  A: Sheila Birling had Eva Smith fired from a subsequent job due to jealousy over a dress.
• Q: What is Gerald Croft’s involvement with Eva Smith?

  A: Gerald Croft had a romantic affair with Eva Smith.
• Q: What significant action does Eric Birling take concerning Eva Smith?

  A: Eric Birling had a relationship with Eva Smith and stole money to support her, which led to her despair.
• Q: How does Inspector Goole impact the Birling family?

  A: Inspector Goole exposes the family’s involvement in Eva Smith’s demise, causing tension and prompting self-reflection.
• Q: What are the key themes in An Inspector Calls?

  A: Key themes include social responsibility, class and inequality, and guilt and conscience.
• Q: What is the significance of the Inspector's character?

  A: The Inspector represents moral truth and social justice, though his true identity and motives are ambiguous.
• Q: How does the setting contribute to the play's atmosphere?

  A: The confined setting of the Birling’s dining room creates a claustrophobic atmosphere, reflecting the family’s insular world.
• • Q: Who wrote An Inspector Calls and when was it written?
  • A: An Inspector Calls was written by J.B. Priestley in 1945.
• • Q: When is the play set, and why is this significant?
  • A: The play is set in 1912, before World War I and the sinking of the Titanic. This allows Priestley to use dramatic irony to highlight the arrogance and ignorance of the upper class at that time.
• • Q: What are the main political ideologies debated in the play?
  • A: The play critiques capitalism (represented by Mr. Birling) and promotes socialism (represented by the Inspector’s message), emphasizing social responsibility.
• • Q: What is the main theme of the play?
  • A: Social responsibility is the central theme, as the play advocates that individuals are accountable for the well-being of others, especially the vulnerable.
• • Q: How is the theme of class explored in the play?
  • A: The play critiques the exploitation of the working class by the upper class, represented by the Birlings' treatment of Eva Smith, a working-class woman.
• • Q: How does the play present generational conflict?
  • A: The younger characters, Sheila and Eric, show openness to change and responsibility, while the older generation, Mr. and Mrs. Birling, are stuck in their selfish capitalist views.
• • Q: What does the play say about the role of women in society?
  • A: The play highlights the marginalization of women, as seen in Eva Smith's struggles, and critiques the patriarchal attitudes of the time.
• • Q: How are morality and guilt explored in the play?
  • A: Each character is forced to confront their moral failings, but their willingness to accept guilt varies, revealing their true nature (e.g., Sheila accepts guilt, while Mrs. Birling denies it).
• • Q: What does the character of Inspector Goole represent?
  • A: Inspector Goole represents social justice, morality, and possibly a supernatural force. He serves as Priestley's mouthpiece, delivering the play's moral message about social responsibility.
• • Q: What does Arthur Birling represent?
  • A: Arthur Birling represents the complacent upper class and capitalist ideology. He dismisses social responsibility and is focused on personal success and profit.
• • Q: How is Sybil Birling characterized?
  • A: Sybil Birling embodies snobbery and lack of empathy. She refuses to take responsibility for her actions towards Eva Smith and shows no remorse, representing the entrenched attitudes of the upper class.
• • Q: How does Sheila Birling change throughout the play?
  • A: Sheila starts as naive but becomes increasingly aware of her social responsibility. She accepts guilt for her role in Eva's demise and symbolizes hope for the future and change.
• • Q: How is Eric Birling portrayed in the play?
  • A: Eric is initially immature and irresponsible, but his guilt over his actions towards Eva shows his vulnerability and potential for change, making him a complex character.
• • Q: What role does Gerald Croft play in the story?
  • A: Gerald represents the moral hypocrisy of the upper class. Though he admits to an affair with Eva, he doesn’t fully accept responsibility and seeks to avoid blame.
• • Q: How does Priestley use dramatic irony in the play?
  • A: Priestley uses dramatic irony through Mr. Birling’s false predictions (e.g., "The Titanic is unsinkable"), making the audience doubt his judgment and critique his capitalist views.
• • Q: How does Inspector Goole drive the plot?
  • A: The Inspector’s methodical questioning slowly reveals each character’s involvement with Eva Smith, building tension and exposing their moral failings.
• • Q: What is significant about the ending of An Inspector Calls?
  • A: The ending is ambiguous. After the Inspector leaves, the Birlings find out there was no suicide—until a real inspector calls, suggesting that the lesson must still be learned.
• • Q: What might Inspector Goole symbolize?
  • A: Inspector Goole may symbolize socialism, morality, or even a supernatural force sent to judge the Birlings and deliver Priestley's social message.
• • Q: What does Eva Smith represent?
  • A: Eva Smith represents the oppressed working class. Her lack of physical presence on stage emphasizes her role as a symbol of those exploited and marginalized by society.
• • Q: What might the photograph symbolize in the play?
  • A: The photograph shown by the Inspector may symbolize the subjectivity of guilt. Each character might see a different photo, representing how guilt is personal.
• • Q: What is the Inspector’s key quote on social responsibility?
  • A: "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other." – Inspector Goole
• • Q: What quote shows Mr. Birling’s capitalist ideology?
  • A: "A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course." – Mr. Birling
• • Q: Which quote from Sheila challenges gender inequality?
  • A: "But these girls aren't cheap labour – they're people." – Sheila Birling
• • Q: What is Mrs. Birling’s key quote about her refusal to accept guilt?
  • A: "I did nothing I'm ashamed of." – Mrs. Birling
• • Q: What final warning does the Inspector give?
  • A: "If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish." – Inspector Goole