Icknield High School
An Inspector Calls
Revision Activities
1
Preparing for Unit 1 Section A: An Inspector Calls
There will be a choice of two questions on An Inspector Calls (questions 17 and 18 on the exam paper). You have 45
minutes to answer one of these questions.
Your answer will be assessed for AO1 (interpretation) and AO2 (analysis).
According to the mark-scheme, a top band response will show:-
-an insightful understanding of the task and the text
Does your answer actually answer the exam question?
-close analysis of detail to support opinions
Have you based your answer on specific examples from the text?
-analysis of the writer‟s use of language and its effect on the audience
Have you written in PEE paragraphs?
Do you use literary terms?
Do you comment on Priestley’s intentions?
Do you comment on the effect on the audience?
-a convincing interpretation of the ideas and themes in the play
Do you understand how the examples you’ve used fit in with the bigger themes and issues in
the play?
Exam questions will assess your knowledge of characters or their relationships, themes and issues in the text or will
ask you to focus on a particular moment and comment on how it fits with the rest of the play.
Example questions are on the next page. Use these questions in your revision.
2
KNOWLEDGE OF CHARACTERS AND RELATIONSHIPS
a) How far do you believe Mrs Birling is more responsible for the death of Eva Smith than the other characters?
b) What do you think is Inspector Goole‟s role in the play? How does Priestley present him?
c) How does Priestley build sympathy for Eva Smith throughout the play?
d) How does Priestley present the change in Sheila during the course of the play An Inspector Calls? How do you
think this change reflects some of Priestley’s ideas?
e) Write about the way the relationship between Gerald and Sheila develops during the play.
f) The audience never actually meets Eva Smith but only hears about her from different characters. What does
Priestley achieve by withholding Eva’s character from the audience in this way?
g) What is revealed about family relationships throughout the play?
h) How does the younger generation differ from the older generation in the play?
i) How does Priestley show that tension is at the heart of the Birling family?
KNOWLEDGE OF ISSUES AND THEMES
a) “An Inspector Calls is full of lies and deceit.” How far do you agree with this statement? What methods does
Priestley use to lead you to your view?
b) How is the theme of gender inequality explored in the play?
c) How does Priestley present the theme of class differences in An Inspector Calls?
d) How does Priestley present ideas about social duty in An Inspector Calls?
e) How does the play explore the issue of time and the past’s impact on the present?
f) What do you think the Inspector set out to achieve? How successful do you think he is?
g) Priestley criticises the selfishness of people like the Birlings. What methods does he use to present this
selfishness?
h) An Inspector Calls has been called “a play of contrasts”. Write about how Priestley presents some of the
contrasts in the play.
CLOSE READING QUESTIONS
1) In the opening of the play, how does Priestley hint at events which are to come in the rest of the play?
2) “The way that Priestley has written the end of this play makes it seem as though the play is about to begin all
over again.” How effective do you think this is as an ending to the play?
3
Eva Smith Chain of Events
The Inspector refers to the family’s behaviour as a „chain of events‟. Complete the „chain‟
below to record how each of them contributed to the girl’s suicide.
Eva Smith approaches
Arthur Birling for a
raise in
4
Arthur Birling sacks
her from Birling &
Co
CHARACTER MIND MAPS
Use the character-mind maps to help you to plan essays. Each box could be used for a PEE paragraph, but you need
to find the supporting quotes!
Birling is more concerned
Birling is proud of his social
achievements and boasts
about these.
about his status and
reputation than
Birling is aware that others are
socially superior to him and is
keen to impress the Croft family
discovering the truth
MR BIRLING
Birling puts business
Birling has a selfish outlook
interests first – especially
on life; he is not concerned
before the welfare of his
about social responsibility.
employees
He represents Capitalism.
Mrs Birling tries to deny
Mrs Birling does not want to
learn any lessons from the
the things she doesn’t
Although Mrs Birling has a
want to believe
sense of responsibility to do
events of the play. She and
„good deeds‟ by being on
her husband symbolise
Priestley’s fears if the
privileged classes continue to
the Women’s Charity
MRS BIRLING
sense
of responsibility
for
Mrs Birling
has the least
what
happens
Eva Smith
respect
for theto
Inspector;
follow their own interests
Mrs Birling is concerned
her pride means that she
with things being done
“properly”
Mrs Birling is prejudiced
towards the lower classes
5
Organisation, she feels no
has the furthest to “fall”
Sheila is more perceptive
Sheila is angered by her
parents‟ refusal to learn
than other characters; she
Sheila becomes more mature as the
quickly works out that
play progresses
Gerald was unfaithful and
is the first to understand
the Inspector‟s methods
SHEILA
Even though she’s obviously never
Sheila is quick to admit her
responsibility and is horrified by the
part she played in the events
considered their plight before,
Sheila shows compassion when she
hears about her father‟s employees
Gerald is from a wealthy family and
has similar business ideas to Mr
Birling
At the end of the play, it is clear that
Gerald does not want to change. He
focuses his energy onto protecting
GERALD CROFT
himself rather than changing his
behaviour
However, Gerald then used Eva for
his own purposes and discarded her
once she was of no further use to
him.
In some ways, Gerald seems
honourable: he shows a reasonable
attitude when he rescued the girl
from Alderman Meggarty and made
Eva genuinely happy for a while.
6
Eric takes responsibility for his
He seems to have learnt something
actions, recognising his contribution
from the affair.
to the destruction of Eva Smith.
Eric has a problem with alcohol – his
Eric is awkward and embarrassed at
the start of the play
behaviour is uncontrolled when he
ERIC
Eric is the only character who has
has been drinking
Eric is appalled by his parents‟
behaved illegally in the play – but the
refusal to face the truth. He
theft from his father was in order to
represents the conflict between the
support the girl. Does this also make him
older and younger generations.
the most socially aware character?
Despite Mrs Birling’s prejudices
against her, Eva is shown to have
morals
EVA SMITH/DAISY
Priestley uses her as a symbol of the
8
common
man or woman to remind
RENTON/THE GIRL
She never appears on stage, we
never know her real name, but the
play revolves around her. She
exposes the selfishness of the other
characters
She is pretty, a good worker, and
shows leadership potential. Her only
us of our need to take responsibility
fault seems to have been being born
for our actions
in the ‘wrong’ social class
7
The Inspector is a deliberately
The Inspector seems all-knowing. He
mysterious figure.
speaks prophetically about what will
-what unanswered questions are we left
happen in the future
with?
-what impression does his name give
THE INSPECTOR
The Inspector is direct and takes
charge. He is single-minded in his
focus and is not intimidated by the
the audience?
The Inspector is Priestley’s mouthpiece –
speaking up for the working classes and
representing his strong view that morality
is more of a concern than law.
Birlings.
The Inspector is a dramatic device
who links the characters and their
stories together. He reveals the
„chain of events‟ which led to the
suicide.
8
The Inspector is sometimes seen as a confessortype figure – he is able to manipulate characters
into revealing things they would rather keep
hidden
KEY QUOTATION CHALLENGE
Complete the table below to develop your understanding of key quotations in the play:
Quote
Arthur, you‟re not supposed to say such things I was awfully busy at the works all that time
You‟re squiffy
We hard-headed practical business men must say something sometime
You seem to be a nice well-behaved family A man has to make his own way – has to look after himself...
Yes, she was in great agony.
It‟s the way I like to work. One person and one line of enquiry at a time.
If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody
we‟d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward...
It isn‟t as if you can‟t go and work somewhere else
I don‟t play golf
But these girls aren‟t cheap labour – they‟re people
A nice little promising life there, I thought...
You‟ve been through it – and now you want to see somebody else put
through it
You see, we have to share something. If there‟s nothing else, we‟ll have
to share our guilt
9
Who says? To
What does it show
whom?
about the speaker?