TITUS SALT SCHOOL REVISION GUIDES
An Inspector Calls
Context
AIC is set in the early months of 1912. This is weeks before the sinking of the Titanic and only two years before the Great
War of 1914, dubbed “the war to end all wars.” It was a great time of shift in Britain, where the old Victorian way of living
made way for the hardships of living during and after two very destructive, very expensive wars.
During the 1800s, Britain experienced the Industrial Revolution. Technology and machinery were developed so products were no longer made by hand in small houses by specialist skilled workers, they allowed products to be made by machinery in huge factories and by unskilled, cheap labour. Because of this change in the way manufacturing was done, cities
swelled, the rich became very rich and the poor were exploited. For factory workers, conditions were poor and dangerous,
wages were low and the hours were long. For the factory owners, their profits sky rocketed and huge houses were built on
the outskirts of the cities to house this new generation of rich. If you look out of the window if you ever drive into Bradford,
especially past Lister Park, you will see some of these houses that are still around today. These would have once been on
the edge of the city and would have housed the very rich. Nowadays, most are broken up into flats, too big and expensive
for families to own and upkeep as a whole house. The Birlings would have lived in a house like those, or maybe something
even bigger.
Mr and Mrs Birling represent the older generation who are resistant to change and believe that there lifestyle is justified and right. They are clear snobs and think the poor are lower beings. Gerald Croft seems to straddle the line between the
two generations of Birling, sometimes agreeing with Mr Birling, other times showing more compassion. Eric and Sheila show
that they are more open to the idea of equality between the classes. However, they are still a product of their privileged upbringing and think they are superior without realising it.
J B Priestley was born and grew up in Bradford. Although Brumley is a made up place, it is not hard to make some
parallels between Brumley and Bradford. In the Victorian era, Bradford was a very successful mill town - some of the buildings are still around today - and Brumley is the same. It is a northern town, where much of the woollen and cloth industry
was based. Most of this has now disappeared nowadays.
Although set in 1912, the play was written and first performed in 1945. The Second World War had just finished, and
so audience’s would be very aware of the historical and cultural changes the Birling family are just about to encounter. It is
important to remember this when talking about the play, because some of the things that are mentioned and said in the play
would be very topical to its original audience, it would have much more of an impact on them than it does on us, 70 years
after its first showing. Another thing to remember is that it was already set in the past. This allows it to be dated without being out of fashion, no doubt one of the reasons why it is still about today.
Socialism
J B Priestley was a very political man. Throughout his lifetime he campaigned for several political causes, although he never
joined any official party for any length of time. Nevertheless, Priestley believed in something called Socialism. This is a
branch of politics that believe everybody is equal. In 1912, Britain had a very rigid class system. If you were born poor you
would die poor and it was virtually impossible to move up a class. As you get higher up the classes, the boundaries become
a bit more flexible - for example, Gerald’s family is richer than the Birlings’ but they are still part of the same class so it is
acceptable for the two to marry. Gerald’s relationship with Eva was doomed from the start because she was of a too lower
class to even be considered as marriage material for Gerald.
Socialism is about breaking those boundaries between classes, for getting a better deal for the poor and taking away
some of the monopoly of power the richer classes have over the community. Priestley uses the Inspector as the voice of
Socialism within the play and slowly breaks down and ridicules the Birling’s superior viewpoint of themselves because of
their money and status.
Real Time
This is a specific theatre technique used by Priestley. Usually, when we watch plays and films, they can be set over a long
period of time; days, months, years, decades, sometimes even centuries. Real time, on the other hand, is where every second of time in the play is the same length as a real second in reality. Confused? Basically, this means that the two hours it
takes to perform the play is actually just two hours of time. It is one slice of an evening in the (fictional) life of the Birling family. Another famous example of the use of real time in film is Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, which is about a department store heist that goes wrong and the men have to work out who is the snitch before the police find them. Watch it.
When you’re old enough.
Anyway, one of the reasons for using real time in this play is to show just how much destruction can be done in such
a short space of time. Within those two hours, everything that the Birling family thought about themselves and the things
they have done are completely demolished and they are left broken and fearful of what their future holds. Priestley does this
to show his audience just how important it is to wake up to the reality of life and how people are treated… before it is too
late.
The Audience
Like I said, this play was written for an audience that had just experienced six years of war. Virtually a whole generation of
men had died for the second time in thirty years and everyone was subjected to the constraints of rationing and shortages.
Therefore, Priestley’s audience would be more accepting of his Socialist message because of their shared experience. Also,
his audience would be made up of middle to upper class people. The poor, even now if you think about it, don’t go to the
theatre, so he was using his power as a playwright to preach to the people who, in his mind, needed to change and become
more aware of their social responsibilities.
Plot Summary
Act 1
Mr Birling, his wife and their grown-up children, Eric and Sheila, have been enjoying a family dinner celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft. In a self-important mood, Mr Birling makes pompous speeches (where someone
thinks they know everything) outlining his views on technology and industrial relations. He says that a man only needs to
care for himself and his family and that they should ignore the people who claim that everybody has a responsibility to care
for everybody else in the community. The evening is interrupted by the arrival of a police inspector named Goole making
enquiries about the suicide of a young woman, Eva Smith.
Shown a photograph of the girl, Mr Birling admits he had employed her in his factory some two years previously but
had sacked for her being one of the leaders of a strike for higher wages. Gerald Croft supports Birling’s claim that he had
acted reasonably, while Eric and Sheila both feel that their father acted harshly in sacking her. When Sheila is also shown
the photograph she realises that, driven by jealousy and bad-temper, she later had the same girl sacked from her job as a
shop assistant.
The Inspector appears to have an uncanny knowledge of the family’s dealings with Eva Smith. When he announces
that the girl had changed her name to Daisy Renton, Gerald’s reaction makes it clear that he too had known the girl. By the
end of the act the Inspector has begun to suggest that many people share a joint responsibility for the misery which prompted Eva Smith/Daisy Renton to end her sad young life. Sheila warns Gerald not to try to conceal anything from the Inspector.
Act 2
The strain of the earlier part of the evening is evident in the tension between Sheila and Gerald. Gerald admits that in the
spring of the previous year he had met Daisy Renton and she had become his mistress. He had ended the affair some six
months later. Sheila is hurt and angry at Gerald’s involvement with the girl, yet she feels a certain respect for the openness
of his confession.
Despite Mrs Birling’s attempts to intimidate the Inspector and to control events, Sheila’s feeling that it is foolish to try
to hide things from the Inspector becomes increasingly correct. Sheila is concerned that her mother will also be guilty for the
girl’s suffering. While Eric is out of the room, despite her blustering, Mrs Birling is forced to admit just two weeks earlier the
girl had tried to get help from Mrs Birling and had been refused. It is revealed that the girl was pregnant and there is now a
strong suspicion that Eric might have been the father of the unborn child.
Act 3
Eric confesses that he had got the girl pregnant. He had also stolen money from his father’s firm to try to support her. Eric is
horrified to learn that his mother had refused to help the girl and he blames his mother for the death of the girl and her child.
Any pretending at family togetherness starts to dissolve. The Inspector had done his job and shown that each of them had a
part in ruining the girl’s life. He makes a dramatic speech about the consequences of the sort of social irresponsibility that Mr
Birling had been preaching at the end of the dinner, and he leaves.
Between them Gerald and Mr Birling are gradually able to prove that the man was not a real police inspector. This
raises doubt about whether they have really all been talking about the same girl – and about whether any girl had actually
killed herself. A telephone call to the hospital confirms that there is no record of any girl dying there that afternoon. Sheila
and Eric still feel guilty for their actions and they seem to have changed for the better by what has happened. The others
feel a huge sense of relief; their confidence and belief in the rightness of their actions is restored. At this point the telephone
rings. Mr Birling answers it to find that it is the police calling. He is told that a young woman has just died on her way to the
hospital and an inspector is on his way to make enquiries into her death.
Eva
Gerald
Eric
Sheila
Mrs B
Birling
Guilt Graph
Below is a graph. Make a bar chart that represents how responsible each character is for Eva’s death. Make sure you can
justify each choice with reasons.
Mr Arthur Birling

From the description of him at the beginning of the play, we know that Birling is a man that has probably worked for
his wealth. His “provincial” speech shows a lack of a refined accent that the true rich are taught, so it is slightly ironic
now that he sees himself so much higher than his possible humble beginnings.
“a heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties with fairly easy manners but rather provincial in
his speech.”

Mr Birling is a smug and successful factory owner and an ex-Lord Mayor. He enjoys his power and status within the
community and takes pride in being recognised for it. He is flattered by Gerald’s desire to marry Sheila, who is technically of lower class than Gerald, and cannot stop himself from boasting about a possible knighthood.

He thinks highly of himself and from the reactions of the other characters in Act1 he often speaks at length with what
he considers valuable life lessons. However, Priestley undermines and ridicules Birling when he makes a lengthy
speech contradicting several historical facts (remember, an audience would already know all about them and realise
he’s talking rubbish). As we know, the Titanic sank, WW1 broke out in 1914 and Russia had a massive Revolution. It
makes the reader distrust any other thing he says and we do not value his opinion. When he sacks Eva, we dislike
him for it, mainly because of this earlier episode.
“just let me finish Eric. You’ve a lot to learn yet. And I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business.
And I say there isn’t a chance of war. The world’s developing so fast that it’ll make war impossible. Look at
the progress we’re making... Why, a friend of mine went over this new liner last week - the Titanic - she sails
next week - forty-six thousand eight hundred tons… and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable. That’s what
you’ve got to keep your eye on, facts like that, progress like that - and not a few German officers talking nonsense and a few scaremongers here making a fuss about nothing...In twenty or thirty years’ time - let’s say, in
1940 - you may be having a little party like this...by that time you’ll be living in a world that’ll have forgotten
all these Capital versus Labour agitations and all these silly little war scares. There’ll be peace and prosperity
and rapid progress everywhere - except of course in Russia, which will always be behindhand naturally.”

When the Inspector arrives, Birling tries to take charge of the situation, although he fails miserably. Again, he tries to
intimidate the Inspector with his connections and his power in the community, but again that is no use. The Inspector
robs him of all the power he has within his little world, therefore leaving him helpless and with no choice but to answer
the questions he is asked.
“I was an alderman for years - and Lord Mayor two years ago - and I’m still on the Bench - so I know the
Brumley police officers pretty well”

Birling refuses to accept responsibility for his part in Eva’s death, even though he says she’s a “good worker” and was
to be promoted. He does not consider the workers as people, only things that sap profits and therefore he shows his
callous side when he refuses a wage rise. Although barely enough to live on, he considers himself fair because he
pays the going rates.
“it’s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I’d agreed to this demand for a new rate we’d have added
about twelve percent to our labour costs.”

Although at the beginning of the play he talks about looking after your own, he is delighted to find out that other people have played a part in Eva’s death and is quick to judge. He has double standards and believes he is better than all
others - even his own children.
“(With marked change of tone) Well, of course, if I’d known that earlier, I wouldn’t have called you officious
and talked about reporting you.”

He tries to protect Eric and Sheila from getting involved, not because he wants to spare them, more that he still thinks
and treats them as children. Of course, he is also denied this piece of power and it only frustrates him. Equally, he is
completely blind and deaf to the things that Eric and Sheila say and do throughout the play, unless they directly affect
him badly.

He and Mrs Birling stick together throughout the play although it is clear that they do not have a loving relationship.
They work more as a team or a business and together they are twice as stubborn and arrogant. At the end of the play,
they congratulate each other on how well they withstood the Inspector’s “joke”, showing that they have learnt no lesson from the Inspector’s interrogation. Priestley is showing that the older generations are the ones still causing the
great rich/poor divide and how they think they know best and refuse to listen to the more open-minded younger generation.
“you allowed yourself to be bluffed… not you, my dear. But these two. That fellow obviously didn’t like us. He
was prejudiced from the start.”

When he finds out Eric stole money, he is less concerned that he got Eva pregnant than he is that the money was
stolen from his office. It reinforces our understanding of our character and that he cares more about his wealth and his
reputation than he does about anyone else - not the dead girl and certainly not his son. He clearly is not a very approachable man and is taken aback when Eric informs him of this. Obviously, he is unused to people challenging the
accepted opinion he has of himself.
“You must give me a list of those accounts. I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can. You damned fool - why didn’t
you come to me when you found yourself in this mess?”

It is only at the end, when the real police inspector is on his way, that it dawns on Briling that this could be serious.
Again, he is still only thinking about the implications for himself and how it will affect his reputation. In short, he is a
very selfish man.
“he puts the telephone down slowly and looks in a panic-stricken fashion at the others.”
Sheila Birling

Sheila is clearly oblivious to the world outside of her own little bubble. She has been spoilt and molly-coddled by her
parents, who have kept her immature and naïve, so when she gets Eva sacked it is this side of her personality that
comes to the fore.
“Sheila is a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited.”

Her relationship with Eric at the beginning of the play accentuates their childishness, even though they are both in
their early twenties. They bicker and squabble at the dinner table and they cannot help getting in a few childish jibes
at each other.
“ERIC: (rather noisily) All the best! She’s got a nasty temper sometimes - but she’s not bad really. Good old
Sheila!
SHEILA: Chump! I can’t drink to this, can I? When do I drink?”

However, it is clear that she has a social conscience even before the Inspector interrogates her, as she tells Birling
that what he did was unfair and that the workers are “people”. We see this develop throughout the play until the very
end where she and Eric become the voice of Socialism after the Inspector leaves.
“I think it was a mean thing to do. Perhaps that spoilt everything for her… But these girls aren’t cheap labour
- they’re people.”

At the beginning of the play, she is clearly concerned about money, material goods and status - she is heavily into
shopping and she can’t take her eyes off the ring Gerald has bought her. We associate this with the upper classes,
especially with upper class women - we consider them to be shallow and therefore dislike their character.
“Oh - Gerald - you’ve got it - is it the one you wanted me to have?... Oh - it’s wonderful! Look - Mummy - isn’t
it a beauty?... (who has put the ring on, admiringly) I think it’s perfect. Now I really feel engaged.”

Although unsure, she has a pretty good idea that Gerald was not being truthful about his summer with Eva, and she
rejects her mother’s comment about just having to accept it. This shows a change between generations - she is a
stronger and more independent woman than her mother, who relies on her status as wealthy wife, which maps the
change in how women were seen and accepted within society. Within 10 years if 1912, women had successfully won
the right to vote and the start for gender equality had begun.
“except for all last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you.
...MRS B: Now, Sheila, don’t tease him. When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do
sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You’ll have to get used to that,
just as I had.
SHEILA: I don’t believe I will. (Half playful, half serious, to Gerald.) So you be careful.”

Sheila takes her responsibility really hard and it changes her almost immediately. Her character develops from silly
little girl to mature and socially aware young woman within a few pages of the play. She continues to develop until she
is predicting what is going to happen next. However, her power is limited. She is unable to persuade her mother that
what she says is going to rebound nastily and she is unable to convince Gerald and her parents at the end that they
have to still accept their responsibility regardless how true the story was or not.
“I’d gone in to try something on. It was an idea of my own - mother had been against it, and so had the assistant - but I insisted. As soon as I tried in on, I knew they’d been right. It just didn’t suit me at all. I looked silly
in the thing. Well, this girl had brought the dress up from the workroom, and when the assistant - Miss Francis - had asked her something about it, this girl, to show us what she meant, had held the dress up, as if she
was wearing it. And it just suited her. She was the right type for it, just as I was the wrong type. She was a
very pretty girl too - with big dark eyes - and that didn't make it any better. Well, when I tried the thing on and
looked at myself and knew it was all wrong. I caught sight of this girl smiling at Miss Francis - as if to say:
‘Doesn’t she look awful’ - and I was absolutely furious. I was very rude to both of them, and then I went to the
manager and told him that this girl had been very impertinent - and - and (she almost breaks down, but just
controls herself) How could I know what would happen afterwards? If she’d been some miserable plain little
creature, I don’t suppose I’d have done it. But she was very pretty and looked as if she could take care of herself. I couldn’t be sorry for her.
INSPECTOR: In fact, in a kind of way, you might be said to have been jealous of her.
SHEILA: Yes, I suppose so.”

It seems that Sheila is the only one who truly understands the Inspector, and the Inspector understands her. He defends her when Gerald tries to make her leave and he shows some kindness towards her. She, on the other hand,
understands what his purpose was and she gets why he sees one person at a time.
“He was our Inspector all right”.

Gerald’s testimony changes her even further and although it is clear from the beginning of the play that being engaged and consequently married thereafter has been one of her main goals in her life, she hands the ring back to
him. This shows a maturity of character that we had not seen beforehand. She admires Gerald’s honesty, however
late it has come, but neither are the same as they once were.

Sheila defends Socialism at the end of the play when it seems the family have managed to forget the lesson of the
evening. She is part of the “famous younger generation” as Mr Birling calls it, who have the open-mindedness to
make things change. Suddenly, the Inspector has given her the first taste of responsibility she has ever had in her life
and it changes her dramatically from child to woman.
“I’m going anyhow in a minute or two. But don’t you see, if all that’s come out of tonight is true, then it
doesn’t much matter who it was who made us confess. And it was true, wasn’t it? You turned the girl out of
her job, and I had her turned out of another. Gerald kept her - at a time when he was supposed to be too busy
to see me. Eric - well, we know what Eric did. And mother hardened her heart and gave her the final push that
finished her. That’s what’s important - and not whether a man is a police inspector or not.”
Gerald Croft

Gerald is a trendy young man about town who can be very charming. Socially, he is a good catch for Sheila, as his
parents have titles, “Lady Croft” , and his father’s business is bigger and more successful than Birling’s. There are
hints that the match is also financially convenient as it may mean that both businesses could be merged in the future
and allow bigger profits across the board.
“Gerald Croft is an attractive chap about thirty, rather too manly to be a dandy but very much the easy wellbred young man-about-town.”

He is a charmer that is trying to impress. Obviously, by trying to marry his daughter, Gerald has to show respect to
Birling. He does this by agreeing with his speeches and opinions and also reacting appropriately to Briling’s knighthood boast.
“Oh - I say - congratulations!”

He gives Sheila what she wants - something expensive and sparkly - and fields her questions about his summer
away. It is clear they have had this conversation before and it possibly Mrs Birling and the situation of being around
the table that stops them going into any further detail.

Gerald is shocked by Sheila’s treatment of the girl and we see the first cracks in their relationship. Sheila gets defensive and the snippiness carries on right into Act 2.
“SHEILA: All right, Gerald, you needn’t look at me like that. At least I’m trying to tell the truth. I expect you’ve
done things you’re ashamed of too.
GERALD: (surprised) Well, I never said I hadn’t. I don’t se why—”
When he hears the name “Daisy Renton”, Gerald gives himself away, but tries to cover it up. He asks Sheila to not tell
the Inspector what she has suspected from his reaction, which shows his naivety in the situation - he clearly doesn’t
understand the Inspector and the way he works like Sheila does. He is shifty and tries to get Sheila to cover up for
him, showing his sense of self-preservation and pride at not having to confess his part of the story.
“So - for God’s sake - don’t say anything to the Inspector.”

Gerald turns on Sheila at the beginning of Act 2 and says some quite nasty things to her. He values his own reputation over the budding relationship between him and Sheila as he tries to keep his infidelities away from her. Sheila
only wants the truth and some peace of mind, but Gerald thinks she just wants to see him under the spotlight. He is
being so defensive because he knows he has done wrong and he has lied to her, on more than one occasion, about
what he was doing during the summer he ignored her. Gerald has seemed quite a credible character up until this
point, but Priestley shows the audience this bitter side so we see he is also “civilised” and a “criminal”.
“GERALD: (bitterly) I see.
SHEILA: What do you see?
GERALD: You’ve been through it - and now you want to see somebody else put through it.”

Gerald is the only one who shows any compassion towards Eva/Daisy. He takes her in, feeds her, gives her a place
to stay and some companionship. He shows some feelings towards her during his testimony when he is taken aback
by the reality of her death. However, he still uses her, however unintentionally. He knows that this could never be a
true relationship because of the class divide between him and Daisy, therefore he enters into a sexual relationship
with her, all the while courting Sheila, in the full knowledge that it could be nothing more. Nevertheless, Priestley
seems to think that Gerald is more honourable than the others as the Inspector doesn’t really give him a hard time
and the audience is told that the time with Gerald was one of Daisy’s happiest. This skews our perception of him and
we are less inclined to dislike him.
“I discovered, not that night but two nights later, when we met again - not accidentally this time of course that in fact she hadn’t a penny and was going to be turned out of the miserable back room she had. It happened that a friend of mine, Charlie Brunswick, had gone off to Canada for six months and had let me have
the key of a nice little set of rooms he had - in Morgan Terrace - and had asked me to keep an eye on them for
him and use them if I wanted to. So I insisted on Daisy moving into those rooms and I made her take some
money to keep her going there. (Carefully to Inspector.) I want you to understand that I didn’t install her there
so that I could make love to her. I made her go to Morgan Terrace because I was sorry for her, and didn’t like
the idea of her going back to the Palace bar. I didn’t ask for anything in return.”

Gerald leaves. This is for two reasons. One, it increases our sympathy for his character. He clearly is affected by the
things he has heard tonight and the news of Daisy’s death, which shows an appropriate emotional response for the
nature of their relationship during that summer. Two, to aid the plot. By leaving, Priestley can sow the seed of doubt
more effectively in Act 3. Gerald meets a policeman who confirms the Inspector’s fictional status and therefore it allows Gerald and Birling to check and consequently incriminate themselves at the end of the play.

At the end of the play, Gerald seems to have learnt nothing. This confuses the audience, as he is the one we’ve disliked the least up until this point. As a contrast to Sheila and Eric, Gerald is very confident about the “joke” that has
been played on them and is the most vocal when they are trying to prove the story wasn’t true. He misses the point
that he has admitted to cheating on his now fiancée. He tries to give the ring back to Sheila at the end, this is insensitive and arrogant, especially the way he says it. The audience sees Gerald in a less flattering light.
“Everything’s all right now, Sheila. (Hols up the ring.) What about this ring?
SHEILA: No, not yet. It’s too soon. I must think.”
Mrs Sybil Birling

Mrs Birling has little to no maternal instinct. She likes the control she has over her children and the social control over
her husband. She is flattered that Gerald has chosen her daughter for a wife and sticks up for him when Sheila tries to
tell him off. Her views are old-fashioned and snobby. She thinks believes whole-heartedly in her opinion of herself and
the things in her “world” and nothing but overwhelming proof and facts can persuade her otherwise.
“His wife is about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior.”

She understands her husband and allows him the control he wants and craves whereas also being the one really in
charge. She cuts him off without him realising when he starts talking too much at the beginning of the play, she clearly
runs the household, but she refers to him on important matters.
“(rising. The others rise) Yes, of course, dear. Well - don’t keep Gerald in here too long. Eric - I want you a
minute.”

She is completely blind to her children’s real nature. She treats Sheila like a child even though certainly by the end of
the play she is a young woman and is completely oblivious to Eric’s drinking addiction. Her underestimation of Eric
costs her dearly.
“INSPECTOR: Isn’t he used to drinking?
MRS B: No, of course not. He’s only a boy.”

She keeps out of the action for quite a lot of the play, popping in and out as different characters move on and off the
stage. This would have been quite authentic for her character at the time, as women would usually retire after dinner
and allow the men some time to talk by themselves. Also, She leaves Birling to deal with the Inspector until it becomes apparent that she is involved too. This absence makes her terrible confession all the more dramatic.

She is highly prejudiced towards the poorer classes. She comes into the very last bit of Gerald’s confession and is
appalled not by the affair, but that he could have had sexual relations with a working class girl. She calls it a
“disgusting affair” and refuses to hear any word against her opinion. Furthermore, when describing Eva and the reasons why she refuses her, she talks about her as if she is an animal, a lower life creature that could not possibly be
compared to herself. The things she says are absurd and would inspire an audience to dislike her intensely.

She copies Birling by trying to intimidate the Inspector. She puts up more of a fight than her husband and the Inspector has to become very short with her to put her in her place. She is not used to being refused power and it angers her
intensely and makes her stubborn. This could be one of the reasons why she so vehemently refuses to accept responsibility.
“I realise that you may have to conduct some inquiry, but I must say that so far you seem to be conducting it
in a rather peculiar and offensive manner. You know of course that my husband was Lord mayor only two
years ago and that he’s still a magistrate”

She clearly loves being the chairwoman of her charity. It allows her the freedom to be openly in charge where her
marriage does not. In a way, she is playing God by choosing which women are suitable for help and which women are
not worthy. She enjoys making the decisions and clearly enjoys refusing her good will. She believes that she does this
for good and worthy reasons, but the way she treats Eva shows she does it for herself to make her look good within
the community and to massage her own ego. She refuses Eva on the grounds of pride. She cannot cope with this
poor woman using the good and powerful name of Birling; she considers it the largest possible insult and this makes
her instantly “prejudiced towards her case”. Being the stubborn and proud woman that she is, she refuses her help on
the basis of this insult alone.
“First she called herself Mrs Birling… I think it was simply a piece of gross impertinence - quite deliberate and naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case…If you think you can bring any
pressure to bear upon me, Inspector, you’re quite mistaken. Unlike the other three, I did nothing I’m ashamed
of or that won’t bear investigation. The girl asked for assistance. We are asked to look carefully into the
claims made upon us. I wasn’t satisfied with this girl’s claim - she seemed to me to be not a good case - and
so I used my influence to have it refused. And in spite of what’s happened to the girl since, I consider I did
my duty. So if I prefer not to discuss it any further, you have no power to make me change my mind.”

She refuses to take any responsibility for Eva’s death. In her mind, because she has such a high opinion of herself
she has convinced herself she is right and no one can budge her from this. Even though she knew Eva was pregnant
and being a mother herself should have had come compassion for the girl, she flatly refuses to entertain the thought
she was wrong, even when Sheila tells her how wrong she is.

She digs her own grave because of her arrogance and stubbornness. The Inspector allows her to incriminate Eric and
dish out a harsh punishment without letting her know who the father is. She tries to backtrack when she knows, showing her double standards - she clearly thought that because the girl was poor then father must also be poor and therefore in her mind poverty must be punished.
“And if you’d take some steps to find this young man and then make sure that he’s compelled to confess in
public his responsibility - instead of staying here asking quite unnecessary questions - then you really would
be doing your duty.”

Her pride in her lack of responsibility at the end of the play shows that she has not learnt anything from this experience. She is too close-minded to understand the message the Inspector tries to give and continues to ignore her children’s please to think differently, which she has done constantly throughout the play. She and Birling stick together
and support each other’s old-fashioned opinions. It is them who will be hit the hardest when the real inspector arrives.
“I was the only one of you who didn't give in to him. And now I say we must discuss this business quietly and
sensibly and decide if there’s anything to be done about it...They’re over-tired. In the morning they’ll be as
amused as we are.”
Eric Birling

Eric is a young boy who is clearly not happy with his life. He thinks he is a man, yet his parents treat him like a child.
This provokes him to do outrageous things in the name of being “adult” and “mature”. We get the impression that he
could be a bit of a loner and has few friends. Having no one to talk to could be another reason for his binge drinking
and his relationship with Eva, because he certainly can’t talk to his parents about it.
“Eric is in his early twenties, not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive.”

He shows that he has more of an idea about the world than his father does. Birling tries to squash his ideas about war
and Eric cannot be bothered with the hassle of arguing back, because he would clearly get nowhere. This gives us
the impression that he is more aware of Socialism and changing the ideas about community than any of the other
characters at this point.
“What about war?”

Consequently, he does not fit in with the rest of the family. He’s drunk at the dinner table and he shouts out random
comments that have no relevance to the conversation. This shows his inability to depend or relate to his family, especially his parents.

He proves himself to be immature and childish with Sheila at the beginning. He calls her names and tries to embarrass her, just like a boy would try to do his sister, not a young adult.

Like his mother, he spends a lot of time away from the action. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, just like Mrs
Birling, his entrance at the end makes his confession more dramatic and shocking. Secondly, it helps the plot that Eric
is not on stage when Mrs Birling is being interrogated. It allows both characters to receive maximum humiliation.
Thirdly, we get the impression that maybe he had some inkling where the story would end - with him getting her pregnant. He listens in the beginning of the play to some of the evidence the Inspector has to give. After a while, when the
pieces start to be put together, he slopes off and disappears. Coincidence or not? You decide.

Eric is irresponsible and selfish. He effectively rapes Eva and is so drunk he can’t really remember it. Binge drinking
was not nearly as common as it is nowadays, so this sort of behaviour would have shocked the audience and maybe
created a bad opinion of young men about town. However, he clearly regrets what he ahs done and does try to do
something about it. Priestley is showing us that he has already tried to take responsibility for his actions, no matter
how poorly he went about them.
“INSPECTOR: Where did you meet her?
ERIC: In the Palace bar. I’d been there an hour or so with two or three chaps. I was a bit squiffy...She wasn’t
the usual sort. But - well, I suppose she didn’t know what to do. There was some woman who wanted her to
go there. I never quite understood about that.
INSPECTOR: You went with her to her lodgings that night?
ERIC: Yes, I insisted - it seems. I’m not very clear about it, but afterwards she told me she didn’t want me to
go in but that - well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty - and I threatened to make a row…
that’s when it happened. And I didn’t even remember - that’s the hellish thing. Oh - my God! - how stupid it all
is!”

He resents Eva classing him as a child. He tries to marry her and she refuses because he was too young. He is bitter
at this reaction - he gets some sort of solace in his relationship with Eva because she listens to him and he can tell
her things. However, she has the same reaction as his parents, something he has been trying to escape from.

His reaction to finding out his mother refused her help shows the audience that he clearly cared for her and the baby.
He becomes aggressive and violent and almost has to be restrained. He is the only one who can get through to his
mother any sense of responsibility for her part in the story.
“No. She didn’t want me to marry her. Said I didn’t love her - and all that. In a way, she treated me - as if I
were a kid. Though I was nearly as old as she was.”

He has no sense of self-preservation. In a way he wants to be properly punished for the bad things he has done, because then there is a sense of closure. Eric is quite a sensitive character and what he has done has clearly been playing on his conscience. He supports his sister at the end when trying to get the others to realise that what they have all
done is wrong.
“Whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of
you did what you did to her. It’s still the same rotten story whether it’s been told to a police inspector or to
somebody else. According to you, I ought to feel a lot better - (To Gerald) I stole some money Gerald, you
might as well know - (As Birling tries to interrupt.) I don’t care, let him know. The money’s not the important
thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we all did to her that matters. And I still feel the same about it,
and that’s why I don’t feel like sitting down and having a nice cosy talk.”
The Inspector

The Inspector is mysterious and enigmatic (a puzzle). He creates the impression of power just by the way he looks
and stands, something none of the other characters have. He does not need status or a reputation, although there is
a certain power in being a police officer. He denies power from other characters and refuses to be intimidated or persuaded by any argument that takes him off the course he has come to walk.
“The Inspector need not be a big man but he creates at once the impression of massiveness, solidity and
purposefulness. He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period. He speaks carefully,
weightily, and had a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking.”

He is very blunt. He delivers the shocking news about Eva’s death quite graphically for that very reason - shock. Not
only is he trying to shock the characters, but shock the audience as well. He disregards the arguments about protecting the younger members of the family from this horrific tale - Sheila especially - but he refuses to do that too, instead
treating them all equally. At times when characters try to make light of the situation, he brings them back to the crux of
the matter by reminding them of the graphic details of the suicide.
“Two hours ago a young woman died in the Infirmary. She’d been taken there this afternoon because she’d
swallowed some strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course.”

He talks disrespectfully to all characters. The older Birlings are certainly not used to this sort of treatment and have
become soft from the usual respect they get through their status and power. The Inspector takes no notice of this,
because of the Socialist message he is trying to deliver, and this cows the other characters into answering his questions.
“(rather savagely to Birling) You started it. She wanted twenty-five shillings a week instead of twenty-two and
sixpence. You made her pay a heavy price for that. And now she’ll make you pay a heavier price still.”

He is also a major plot device for J B Priestley. By interrogating one person at a time, it draws out the story and allows
the plot to be developed slowly. To an audience who have never seen the play before and don’t know the story, it is
quite a dramatic and exciting unfolding of events. It keeps the audience engaged and the plot twists fresh and dramatic. He also acts as the storyteller, linking the separate stories together and keeping the central plotline fresh in
everyone’s memories.
“It’s the way I like to work. One person and one line of inquiry at a time. Otherwise there’s a muddle.”

Priestley also uses him as the voice of Socialism. Throughout the play he delivers his moral standpoint wherever it is
challenged. His leaving speech is very powerful, because this is the message he wants to leave the characters and
the audience. It also contains enough menace to make it powerful and persuasive - people must take responsibility or
we are all going to suffer. This would have been a particularly powerful message for the original audience, because
they had just experienced 6 years of war - who would want to chance another conflict?
“You see, we have to share something. If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”
“But just remember this. One Eva Smith is gone - but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva
Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of
happiness, all intertwined with our lives, with what we think and say and do. We are responsible for each other. And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught
in fire and blood and anguish. Good night.”

His character never changes or develops. He has a single objective and he does not get sidetracked throughout the
play. His moral position and his facts never change during his time on stage and it is only when he has left that any
character questions or challenges them.

He makes judgements about each of the characters which they feel are unusual in a police inspector. He undermines
their complacent and easy belief that they are respectable citizens. Each of the characters find this a shattering experience.

Those who resist his questioning and in turn resist accepting responsibility are the ones he makes suffer the most. He
makes no judgement on Gerald and deliberately tries to stop Sheila from blaming it all on herself. He allows Eric to
have a drink during his confession. However, Mrs Birling, who resists him he hardest, receives the harshest punishment.

He persuades people to admit things they don’t want to share. He is tenacious and refuses to let go of a line of inquiry
until the person has confessed. He releases new facts every time he needs extra ammunition to loosen the tongue of
whoever is confessing. There is also the impression given that he makes you tell because he gives the air that he already knows. All each character is doing is confirming what he already was sure of. It is not for him that he makes
them tell, it is for themselves and the other members of the family.
“SHEILA: I know. Somehow he makes you.”

The Inspector’s mystery is rooted in two things. Firstly, the fact that he acts like the ghost of Judgement Day. His
name Goole is a pun for ghoul, which is a type of evil spirit or ghost. It could be that he has been sent to avenge Eva’s
tragic end. It could be that he is there to warn the Birlings that if they carry on the way they are they will eventually
crumble. He also plays the traditional police inspector role in a “whodunit” murder mystery story, slowly uncovering
the evidence and revealing who the culprit is. The twist being that they are all culprits.
Eva Smith

Although we never actually get to meet her, Eva dominates the action and story throughout the play. We have so
many different character portraits of her by the different characters and their experience of her that by the end the
audience has quite a rounded impression of her. Below are different people’s descriptions of her. Can you work out
who they are? What do they tell us about her? What do they tell us about the speaker?
1. “Two hours ago a young woman died in the Infirmary. She’d been taken there this afternoon because she’d
swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course… Eva Smith, was a bit out of the ordinary.”
2. “I remember her quite well now. She was a lively good-looking girl - country-bred, I fancy - and she’d been
working in one of our machine shops for over a year. A good worker too… And this girl, Eva Smith, was ine
of them. She’d had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go.”
3. “Well, this girl brought the dress up from the workroom, and when the assistant - Miss Francis - had asked
her something about it, this girl, to show us what she meant, had held the dress up, as if she was wearing it.
And it just suited her. She was the right type for it, just as I was the wrong type. She was a very pretty girl too
- with big dark eyes - and that didn’t make it any better.”
4. “But then I noticed a girl who looked quite different. She was very pretty - soft brown hair and bog dark
eyes...she looked young and fresh and charming and altogether out of place down there… I suppose it was
inevitable. She was young and pretty and warm-hearted - and intensely grateful.”
5. “I didn’t like her manner. She’d impertinently made use of our name, though she pretended afterwards it
just happened to be the first she thought of. She had to admit, after I began questioning her, that she had no
claim to the name, that she wasn’t married, and that the story she had told at first - about a husband who’d
deserted her - was quite false. It didn’t take me long to get the truth - or some of the truth - out of her… She
was giving herself ridiculous airs. She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply
absurd in a girl in her position.”
6. “She wasn’t the usual sort. But - well, I suppose she didn't know what to do...And this time we talked a bit.
She told me something about herself and I talked too. Told her my name and what I did… I wasn’t in love with
her or anything - but I liked her - she was pretty and a good sport… And the next time - or the time after that she told me she thought she was going to have a baby. She wasn’t quite sure. And then she was.”

It is important she never gets a voice. This represents the lack of power and lack of voice that poor people had in society at the time. It is only through the Inspector’s defence of her actions and her sad ending that she gets any chance
of recognition for the exploitation she has been subjected to.

Eva is the victim of selfishness. Birling chooses profits over his staff welfare, Sheila takes out her bad mood on her,
Gerald abandoned her when she was no longer convenient, Mrs Birling refuses to help through pride and Eric gets
her pregnant and tries giving her stolen money.

Birling and Sheila’s testimonies depict her as a “good worker” and an intelligent and efficient woman. It is not her fault
or her performance that gets her sacked, it is other people’s motives that are outside her control.

She is exploited by men because she is young and pretty. Both Gerald and Eric remember her with affection, though
their arrogance and disregard for her feelings mean that both relationships end disastrously for her. They consciously
or subconsciously treat her unequally because of her social class.

In spite of the way society and the “respectable” people treat her, she never stoops to their level. She is kind and considerate and has a sensitivity that goes beyond anything the others show. She refuses to treat others like they have
treated her, which is one of the reasons why she gets duped by Eric as well as Gerald, she is noble throughout.

Although exploited by others, she allows herself to fall victim to the men in the play. She speaks out and causes trouble, allowing Birling to sack her. She enters into a sexual relationship with Gerald even though she is intelligent
enough to know that it could never be a serious or permanent thing. She allows Eric to see her again after he drunkenly forces himself onto her and again she knows that she does not and most probably could not have a proper relationship with him. In a way, you could say that her naivety and kindness allows her to take some of the blame for her
situation.

Eva Smith and her fictitious counterpart “John Smith”, represent ordinary people who can be destroyed by indifference when society fails to grant them the right of basic human dignity and equal rights.
Edna


Although a small and somewhat insignificant part, Edna plays a significant role within the play. Firstly, she is very effective as a servant of the time. She is seen but only heard when necessary, when she’s not needed she fades into
the background until needed again. This was expected and prized in servants to large wealthy families at the time the quiet and more discreet you were, the better.
Secondly, and most importantly, she is the only character who tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Although she only speaks a handful of times throughout the play, she stands apart from the rest, because she never
deceives, conceals or dupes anyone. Everything she says is completely transparent. Could we say she is the most
honourable character of the play????
Lies
Clear that love
is superficial in
this play - mostly for
convenience.
Supposedly,
Gerald and
Sheila.
Love
Act
Three
Birling has power over
family.
Birling proud of
his success.
Sheila bitterly
regrets her
actions.
Regret
Inspector makes
a powerful
speech.
Birling regrets
giving Eric
responsibility in
his works.
Mrs. B and Birling stick
together, but it is
not really love,
it’s convenience.
Power is taken
away again at
the end of the
play.
Mrs. B and Birling’s
ignorance about
Eric comes to
light.
Older characters
The older
Sheila and Eric's are proud of
characters lie to bond becomes
their
themselves
stronger.
understanding
about their need
of the “joke”,
to feel
Mrs. B’s and
only for it to fall
responsible at
Eric’s
apart again.
the end.
relationship is
broken.
Mrs. B regrets
dishing out such
a harsh
punishment then
finding out it’s
Eric.
Gerald regrets
her end, but
doesn’t regret
his relationship
with her.
Eric clearly
regrets what he
has done to
Eva.
Gerald abuses
his power and
with Eva when
he starts having
sex with her.
Mrs. B abuses
her power when
she refuses to
help Eva.
Birling tries to
show his power
over Eric, but
Eric rejects it.
Sheila shows
pride in
admitting the
truth.
Mrs. B is proud
of her
“charitable
deeds”, yet she
only does them
to massage her
ego.
Sheila’s pride is
hurt in the shop, Inspector strips Birling does not
making her do
Birling of power. regret, in fact
terrible things.
congratulates
Sheila finds
himself.
Proud of
power in the
engagement.
truth.
Power
Pride
Eric’s pride and
pride in Eric are
both
demolished.
uncovered.
between Gerald
and Sheila.
Mrs B tries to lie They decide to
about her
start again.
knowledge of
the girl. She is
In contrast, Mrs.
unsuccessful.
B shows her
almost hatred
for poorer classes.
Act Two Gerald’s lies are Love is lost
Belief that they
are
“respectable”
people.
about summer.
Act One Gerald lies
Themes
Older characters
Inspector makes think status is
a speech on
restored when
responsibility.
Inspector is
found to be a
fake.
Their pride
causes a real
Inspector to be
on his way.
Eric is facing
criminal charges.
Mrs. B
unwittingly
betrays her son.
She learns
things about
Eric that she
never knew.
Gerald and
Sheila’s
relationship is in
tatters.
Briling cannot
see the
consequences
of his actions,
does not think it
matters.
Sheila is
devastated by
her actions and
vows never to
do that again.
Consequences
Inspector sums
up his socialist
message before The family unit
he leaves.
has completely
fallen apart.
Eric and Sheila
show they have
accepted
socialist ideas
from the things
they say.
Eric takes
responsibility for
his actions and
is ready to face
real charges for
stealing.
Eric’s status as
an upper class
man allows him
to force himself
on Eva.
The Inspector
destroys Mrs. B
because of her
lack of social
conscience.
Birling
ridicules
socialist ideas
before
Inspector’s
arrival.
Inspector
questions Birling’s
business
methods.
Socialism
Inspector gives
Gerald an easy
time because of
they good things
he did for Eva.
Gerald’s status
allows him to
help Eva, and
then to exploit
her sexually.
Gerald higher
status than Birlings, but
trying to fit in
because of
engagement.
Birlings have
status in
community.
Birling has status in
family.
Status
Gerald feels
Mrs. B uses her
responsible and status to say no
has to leave to
to Eva.
get control of his
feelings.
Mrs. B accepts
no responsibility
for her actions
or for Eva’s
death.
Birling takes no
responsibility for
his actions,
whereas Sheila
does.
Birling doesn’t
believe in
social
responsibility.
Responsibility
Lies
There are many different lies told and believed within this play. Here are categories of lies:

Lying to others. Gerald, Eric and Mrs. Birling all lie to other characters to maintain their reputation and status with
other members of the group. Gerald has continuously lied to Sheila about his affair with Eva and this results in her
handing back her engagement ring that, at the beginning of the play, wouldn’t have parted with for the world. Eric
lies about taking money, covering his tracks by giving bogus receipts. Also, although he’s not lying outright, but he
has been allowing his parents to believe in the lie about himself; that he a good and respectable young man rather
than a drunkard and a sex pest. Mrs. Birling lies about her knowing Eva, but she is forced to admit by the Inspector.

Believing in lies. Sheila is forced to believe in Gerald’s denial, but her questioning him again on the subject shows
she has her doubts. Birling and Mrs. Birling both believe their two children are just that - children. They don’t realise
that they are both young adults and their parents’ overbearing control has led them to do terrible things. The whole
family believe the lie of the Inspector until he has left. His presence and power over the situation deters them from
questioning his authority.

Upholding lies. The older characters restore their lie that they are respectable and good citizens of the community
at the end of the play, with disastrous consequences. They cannot bring themselves to believe that all the things the
Inspector made them realise about themselves is true. Mrs. Birling upholds the lie that Birling is in charge of the
house. He has the power, but she clearly has the control, an important difference. Gerald upholds the lie of the
possibility of his relationship with Eva. In a way, they both uphold the lie as Eva plays along with it.

Lying by accident. Birling makes some very ridiculous comments about things in history that have not yet happened in 1912, but have happened by 1946, when the audience first saw the play. This discredits his character.
Look at the quotation below made by the Inspector. He’s talking about lying. What is he trying to say to the characters and
what happens when people aren’t “easy”?
“I’ll be easy with you if you’re easy with me.”
Love
Just like lies, there are many different types of love in the play.

The husband-and-wife love of the Birlings. You could argue that there is no real love between them, but there is a
partnership. Although they never touch throughout the whole play, they do stick together and present a united front
when threatened by the Inspector, finding out about Eric and enjoying the joke at the end.

The romantic love of Gerald and Sheila. They are supposed to represent young love and passion, however their
happiness is marred by the truths they are made to admit. We get the impression therefore that unlike Birling and
Mrs. Birling, they do not present a united front and therefore maybe aren’t as serious as they said they were.

Love of parents. It is clear that both Birling and Mrs. Birling want their children to well and succeed in life, but their
overbearing natures and lack of actual faith in them has made them reckless and self-centred. Really, it is the Inspector and his truth that really shapes Eric and Sheila. It is important to note, however, that the Birlings love what
they want to see about their parents, but when they actually find out the truth, they reject them. Especially Eric.

Brother and sisterly love. At the beginning of the play, Eric and Sheila squabble in the same way that most siblings
argue, although there is a tinge of nastiness to it - “you’re squiffy”, “don’t be an ass Eric”. We do not see them as
particularly close until the end when Sheila tries to protect Eric by stopping her mother from incriminating him. Furthermore, they stick together and present a united front, much in the same way as Mr and Mrs. Birling do, although
they are fighting for the other side, for Socialism instead.

The Inspector’s love of truth. Throughout his time on stage, the Inspector never waivers from his mission and continues to fight for and uncover the truth, even when other characters are trying so hard to hide it. In fact, you could
say that this is the only love that doesn’t actually change or die within the play. This reflects his unchanging character within the play.

Eva’s love for Gerald? We are given the impression that Eva falls in love with Gerald, although she is aware that
her time with him is only borrowed time. Although we never know for sure, but we think that if Gerald had actually
been brave enough to admit to his relationship with Eva, they would have been a happy couple.
There are other feelings explored within the play that link to the theme of love. Affection and gratitude are seen within the
relationships the two men have with Eva. They clearly like her and have feelings for her, but both admit to not loving her.
Eva shows gratitude towards Gerald for saving her from Alderman Meggarty. Eva also shows a sense of loyalty towards
Eric when he goes to see Mrs. Birling at the Brumley Women’s charity. She refuses to give up his name and tell them the
real story to protect him from blame and also the criminal charges for stealing money. She is also aware that, once the real
Mrs. Birling reveals herself, that it is of the utmost importance that she does not discover the faults of her son. Eva is, in a
way, helping to protect the image of Eric she knows his parents must uphold.
Another variation of the love theme is sexual feeling. All three men and Sheila refer to her looks and her liveliness, three
out of admiration and one out of jealousy. Both Eric and Gerald admit that she was very pretty and this is what draws her
to them. She is exploited sexually by both men because of her looks and her dependence on them because of her situation
and their status in society. Sexual feeling must not be confused with love, as it is based purely on the physical relationship
rather than the sentiments behind. Eric and Gerald are driven by their sexual feelings towards Eva, both with unfortunate
consequences for the girl. The men, however, do not realise the gravity of their sexual acts until it is too late to do anything
about them.
Pride
Each Birling and Gerald show that pride comes before a fall. As in their guilt in helping Eva to her death, each character
has varying levels of pride.
Birling Is very proud of who he is. He has built up his business and is now a successful man within the local area. He is rich
and has many powerful contacts that he likes to exploit when it pleases him. He is extremely proud of being mayor when
the Queen came to visit Brumley, but most of all, he is proud of his label as a “hard-headed businessman”. He dishes out
lengthy speeches detailing everything that he has done with a good lashings of his personal opinion. This is undermined by
the audience’s knowledge about history and also his pride in himself is demolished at the end of the play.
Mrs. Birling is a very proud woman. She is proud of her background and proud that she helps the community with her charity. She is clearly a force to be reckoned with within certain social circles of the town and her name is something she holds
as a beacon of pride. However, her pride is dented when the others find out she refused help to a woman because of her
pride, then later finding out how wrong she has been about her son.
Sheila is proud and insecure about her looks. We get the impression she is reasonably pretty and enjoys shopping and
looking good. Therefore a prettier girl making fun of her infuriates her and flares up that feeling of insecurity.
Gerald is proud because he feels it is his duty to help Eva even though it is effectively cheating on his future fiancée. His
pride is dented when he has to reveal the truth in front of Sheila and her mother.
Eric is proud because he cannot face the humiliation of not being able to support Eva when he finds out she is pregnant.
This leads him to steal money from his father’s works and committing an offense. His pride is also hurt when Eva refuses
to marry him, calling him a child. Eric is so desperate to be a man and be thought of as mature and capable so this is a
heavy blow for him.
Eva and the Inspector have a less clear relationship with pride. Eva is not shy about taking help from other people - Gerald
and Mrs. Birling - however she fights for her right to have better wages and enjoys working in a posh clothes shop. You
could say that the Inspector takes pride in his work, although he never shows any personal pride.
Power
Power is used and abused throughout the play, but power is also lost by all characters. In the table below, fill out how you
think each character gains power in the play… and how they lose it. You may not be able to fill all boxes.
Character
How they gain power
How they lose it
Birling
Intimidation
Taking control of conversations
Hinting at his success
Inspector ignores his power games
Forced to admit his faults
Through his actions, attracts the attention of a real
police inspector at the end
Sheila
Gerald
Mrs Birling
Eric
The Inspector
Eva
Regret and Responsibility
Regret is not something that is experienced by every member of the play. However, it is important that those who refuse to
show guilt or remorse are the ones who take the biggest fall at the end. Can you match up the quotations below with the
person who says them? What does it tell us of their character?
“What do you mean by saying that? You talk as if we were responsible… I’ve told my father - he didn't seem to
think it amounted to much - but I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a lot worse. Did it make much difference to her?... It’s the only time I’ve ever done anything like that, and I’ll never, never do it again to anybody. ”
“Sorry - I - well, I’ve suddenly realised - taken it in properly - that she’s dead… In that case - as I’m rather more upset - by this business than I probably appear to be - and - well, I’d like to be alone for a little while - I’d be glad if
you’d let me go.”
“Well, it’s my duty to keep labour costs down, and if I’d agreed to this demand for a new rate we’d have added
about twelve per cent to our labour costs. Does that satisfy you? So I refused. Said I couldn’t consider it. We were
paying the usual rates and if they didn’t like those rates, they could go and work somewhere else.”
“I wasn’t satisfied with the girl’s claim - she seemed to me to be not a good case - and so I used my influence to
have it refused. I did my duty. So if I prefer not to discuss it any further, you have no power to make me change
my mind… I didn’t see any reason to believe that one story should be any truer than the other. Therefore, you’re
quite wrong to suppose I shall regret what I did.”
“My God - I’m not likely to forget.”
Priestley’s main point is that people must learn to feel a sense of personal responsibility, not just for their own actions, but
also for the way their actions affect others, whether they like it or not. The play actually goes further than this, though, by
pointing out that we all have such responsibilities forced on us: we do not have any choice about this, it is a duty which we
cannot shirk. The Inspector is the character who voices these views most strongly, although he is joined by Sheila, and, to
a lesser extent, by Eric. In this sense these characters act as the communal (or joint) conscience of the other characters.
The opposite view is expressed by Arthur Birling, whose driving concern is his own self-interest.
Look at the quotations below from the Inspector, Sheila and Eric. What can you understand about Socialism and responisbility from them?
“SHEILA: But these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”
“INSPECTOR: Now Miss Birling has just been made to understand what she did to this girl. She feels responsible.
And if she leaves us now, and doesn’t hear any more, then she’ll feel entirely to blame, she’ll be alone with her
responsibility...If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt.”
“ERIC: Whoever that chap was, the fact remains that I did what I did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of
you did what you did to her. It’s still the same rotten story whether it’s been told to a police inspector of to somebody else. According to you, I ought to feel a lot better - (To Gerald) I stole some money, Gerald, you might as well
know - (as Birling tries to interrupt) I don’t care, let him know. The money’s not the important thing. It’s what happened to the girl and what we did to her that matters. And I still feel the same about it, and that’s why I don’t feel
like sitting down and having a nice cosy talk.”
The next quotations are from Mr Biriling. Instead of Socialism, he believes in its political opposite, Capitalism. This means
that everyone is out to look after himself and money and climbing up the money ladders is what everyone should be aspiring to do. What does it tell you about Birling’s character?
“But this is the point. I don’t want to lecture you fellows again. But what so many of you don’t understand now,
when things are so much easier, is that a man has to make his own way - has to look after himself - and his family
too, of course, when he has one - and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm. But the way these
cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense. But take my word for it, you youngsters - and I’ve learnt
in the good hard school of experience - that man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his
own”
“There’s a good deal of silly talk about these days - but - and I speak as a hard-headed business man, who has to
take risks and know what he’s about - I say, you can ignore all this silly pessimistic talk. When you marry, you’ll
be marrying at a very good time. Yes, a very good time - and soon it’ll be an even better time. Last month, just because the miners came out on strike, there’s a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the near future.
Don’t worry. We’ve passed the worst of it. We employers at last are coming together to see that our interests - and
the interests of Capital - are properly protected. And we’re in for a time of steadily increasing prosperity.”
Status
Status, or social position, social standing or prestige, is something which some characters in the play attach extreme importance to. For them, it is so precious that nothing must be allowed to damage it. It defines their value as human beings,
and insulates them from the unpleasantness of reality. Birling’s panic at the prospect of Eric’s actions, and those of his
wife's, made public are rooted entirely in his terror of scandal. This would damage his status permanently, and that of his
family. Other characters, like Eva Smith, appear to have no social status worth speaking of. In the eyes of some characters, this means that Eva has no value as a human being. The play invites us to question the false reality generated by
things like status, and to consider replacing it with something altogether more healthy, if painful, like truth.
As a practice, look at the extract below of Birling talking about scandal. How is the theme of status explored here?
Birling: (angrily to Eric) You’re the one I blame for this.
Eric: I’ll bet I am.
Birling: You! You don’t seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours
List Eric laughs rather hysterically, pointing at him.
Eric: (laughing) Oh, for God’s sake! What does it matter now whether they give you a knighthood or not?
Birling: (sternly) It doesn’t matter to you. Apparently nothing matters to you. But it may interest you to know that until every
penny of that money you stole is repaid, you’ll work for nothing. And there’s going to be no more of this drinking
round the town - and picking up women in the Palace bar Sybil: (coming to life) I should think not, Eric. I’m absolutely ashamed of you.
Eric: Well, I don’t blame you. But don’t forget that I’m ashamed of you as well - yes, both of you.
Birling: (angrily) Drop that. There’s every excuse for what your mother and I did - it turned out unfortunately, that’s all Sheila: (scornfully) That’s all.
Birling: Well, what have you to say?
Sheila: I don’t know where to begin.
Birling: Then don’t begin. No one wants you to.
Sheila: I behaved badly too. I know I did. I’m ashamed of it. But now you’re beginning all over again to pretend that nothing
much has happened Birling: Nothing much has happened! Haven’t I already said there’ll be a public scandal - unless we’re lucky - and who
here will suffer from that more than I will?
Sheila: But that’s not what I’m talking about. I don’t care about that. The point is, you don’t seem to have learnt anything.
Birling: Don’t I? Well, you’re quite wrong there. I’ve learnt plenty tonight. And you don’t want me to tell you what I have
learnt, I hope. When I look back on tonight - when I think of what I was feeling when the five of us sat down to
dinner at that table Eric: (cutting in) Yes, and do you remember what you said to Gerald and me after dinner, when you were feeling so
pleased with yourself? You told us that a man has to make his own way, look after himself and mind his own
business, and that we weren’t to take any notice of these cranks who tell us that everybody has to look after
everybody else, as if we were a;; mixed up together. Do you remember? Yes - and then one of those cranks walked
in - the Inspector. (Laughs bitterly) I didn’t notice you told him that it’s every man for himself.
Sheila: (sharply attentive) Is that when the Inspector came, just after father said that?
Eric: Yes, what of it?
Sybil: Now that’s the matter Sheila?
Sheila: (slowly) It’s queer - very queer - (she looks at them reflectively)
Sybil: (with some excitement) I know what you’re going to say. Because I’ve been wondering it myself.
Sheila: It doesn’t matter much now, of course - but was he really a police inspector?
Birling: Well, if he wasn’t, it matters a devil of a lot. Makes all the difference.
Setting
At the beginning of the play, Priestley gives a detailed description of characters and the setting of the play. Seems as
though the stage setting does not change throughout the play, it is important that it sets the right impression. Look at the
extract from the stage directions and explain to yourself what is each bold example telling us about the set.
The dining-room of a fairly large suburban house, belonging to a rich manufacturer. It has good solid furniture of the period. The general effect is substantial and heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike. (If a realistic set is used, then
it should be swung back, as it was in the production at the New Theatre. By doing this, you can have the dining table centre down-stage during Act One, when it is needed there, and then, swinging back, can reveal the fireplace for Act Two,
and then for Act Three can show a small table with telephone on it, downstage of fireplace; and by this time the dining
table and its chairs have moved well upstage. Producers who wish to avoid this tricky business, which involves two resettings of the scene and some very accurate adjustments of the extra flats necessary, would be well advised to dispense
with an ordinary realistic set, if only because the dining table becomes a nuisance. The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, then it should be brighter and harder.)
Quotations
The trick to having effective and memorable quotations to learn for the exam is to keep them short and sweet. The next
two pages are for you to make a list of good quotations for the different elements of the play to learn. Don’t make them
long, sometimes a word is enough. Look through your class book and through this booklet at the many extracts on characters, setting and themes.
Quotations Continued
Live Performance
Whether you went to the theatre with school to see an Inspector Calls, or if you have only seen film versions, all this is really good experience when answering questions that ask you to direct part of the play or a character. Go on Youtube and
check out different productions of the play - there are quite a few out there - you don’t need to watch the whole thing, but
enough to get a taste for how someone else has interpreted Priestley’s work.
Below are a few details remembered from the live performance that you may find useful.
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The use of the house on stilts in the middle of the stage showed that difference in status between the lower class
characters and the Birlings. This creates, through the elevation of the richer characters, an “us and them” idea,
which could be applied to the class divide, but also to show the difference of opinion at the end of the play. At the
beginning, the front of the house was closed, showing that the family are close knot and secure. The sound of the
dinner party was raucous and exaggerated, heightening the idea of the group having a good time. As the play develops, the front of the house opened up and as each character is interrogated, they walked down the stairs to the actual stage floor. This symbolises the move from lies to truth. At the end, when the family fabric is falling apart, the
whole house tipped forward, as if it was collapsing and breaking apart. Not only was it visually stunning, but it also
symbolised the collapse of the family unit and the status they upheld in society.
Edna, the maid, plays a significant role in the performance. She acts at the beginning as the go between the Birlings
and the Inspector. She never is permitted in the house because of her status as servant and unimportant to the play,
but they had her on stage all the time, fixing tea, sitting down, helping the women walk down the stairs from the
house. She acts almost as a pillar to the house, a point of stability.
Clothes are very important. All the clothes worn by the family were very expensive, with layer upon layer of finery.
Most notable, however, were Gerald and Sheila. They both looked like they were dressed as bride and groom, symbolising, at the beginning of the performance, how close they are as a couple. Clothes symbolise the family’s wealth,
their belief in the importance of themselves and the lack of social responsibility. Those who show guilt within the play
slowly discard elements of their costume to show they are being stripped of the feeling of self importance. Sheila
and Gerald no longer look like bride and groom at the end, though when he comes back to prove that the Inspector
was a fraud, he starts reapplying clothes.
The Inspector wore very traditional detective clothing. He had a hat (it’s called a trilby), a long mackintosh and a
briefcase. It was almost a cliché, but that is ok. It could have been deliberate, to show that the Inspector is supposed
to look like every detective from books, tv and film you have ever read, making him more of a mythical character.
The actor who played the character had a very strong Scottish accent. This could have been a deliberate choice by
the director, as certain Scottish accents can sound harsh and sharp.
The performance included several extras that never spoke, but at certain times clustered together in the far left hand
corner of the stage and watched the action. These people represented the “Eva Smiths and John Smiths”, the regular everyday people who the family have treated so badly.
At the beginning of the performance, even before the curtains were pulled up, a blitz siren sounded throughout the
theatre and a little boy ran up and down the stage trying to pull up the curtains. The siren was clearly a nod to the
original release of AIC in 1946 - the war would have been painfully fresh in the minds of that audience, this director
was making sure it was fresh in ours too. The stage also reflected a town hit by the blitz, with rubble and debris here
and there. However, another interpretation could be that the boy at the beginning is the ghost son that Eva could
have had if she had not committed suicide. It is a powerful reminder that the family’s actions against one person will
ricochet off into the future for countless other people.
Not sure what the blitz was? It was a bombing campaign during WW2 over the major cities of England. They targeted cities who were essential for supplies to help the war effort. Thousands upon thousands of normal people died
through bombs hitting their houses and streets.
Why not start your notes on performance here?
Different ways of Revising
Here is a list of different ways of making your notes more memorable. Not all of these are English-only, you can use them
in other subjects too. Oooh, look how useful I’m being!
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Colour code your notes: eg, pink for Sheila points, grey for the theme of regret etc.
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Flash cards - have key words, phrases, ideas, events etc on coloured card
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Posters - make posters to stick around your house with key information on. Eg, the toilet.
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Storyboards
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Make a collage of key words, pictures and images for characters or themes
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Brainstorms
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Word-picture association - link key ideas or phrases with a picture to help you memorise
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Flow diagram - showing sequences of ideas/events/consequences etc.
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Tape yourself talking about everything you know about a topic/key information/character/theme/event and listen to
yourself as you travel or as you exercise, or even as you go to sleep, it’s amazing how much the unconscious brain
can absorb.
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Write key words on scraps of paper, fold them up and put them into a hat. Pick each one out at a time and either
write down or explain out loud to yourself as much as you know about the topic.
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Write out key phrases three times and test yourself regularly until you’ve got them memorised.
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Mind maps
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Practise exam questions - they are on Moodle
How to Revise
When revising, it is a really good idea to:
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Make a timetable for yourself
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Get up and go to bed at the same time every day, eg. Get up at 8 and go to bed at 11.
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Break up your time into hour slots so you don’t overload your brain
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Vary the topics you study - you have more than one subject to revise for and so you should share out your time appropriately.
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If it’s sunny, go and study outside. It’ll give you a welcome change of scenery, you’ll get some fresh air and you can
soak up some good old vitamin D at the same time!
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Breaks are important - after each hour session, give yourself 5 minutes to make a brew, have something to eat or
have a walk around. However, make sure you don’t end up having more breaks than revision…
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Spend the first five minutes of a session going through what you did last time to refresh your memory.
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Get your parents to test you on your knowledge.
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Be a bee - study with a friend so you can share your ideas and cross-pollinate your knowledge. However, make sure
you stay focussed or you will waste your time.
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Have a chillout at least one day a week. Go and do something fun with your mates or just sit and veg in front of the
tv - it doesn’t matter what you do, just remember that all work and no play makes GCSE students frazzled stress
heads. It’s ok to go have some fun!
What the Exam Will Look Like
You will have two literature papers, both split into two sections. For AIC, you will have an extract to read and a question to
answer on it. For Foundation, it may split the question in two, maybe asking you to talk about one character per question
and having 5 marks per part. For Higher it will be one question and will usually be based on a character’s words and actions. This will be 10 marks.
The exam paper tells you to spend twenty minutes on the first question. That means you have to understand the
question, read the extract and pick out important points and write your answer in the time! So, read the question first. Then
you know what you’re looking for. As you read the extract, highlight or underline important evidence to help you answer the
question. When writing, work down the text methodically - from top to bottom - then your answer will look more organised.
The second question is worth 20 marks and you should spend 40 minutes answering it. You will have a choice between
two questions and you have to choose which one you want to answer. Usually, there will be a question on a character and
then a question about the play as a whole, or how Priestley explores a theme. It may also ask you how to direct a character or how you would build up tension. This is true for both foundation and higher, however, for foundation they give you a
set of handy bullet points to guide you on the things you say.
So, seems as though you have 40 minutes and you have no text to guide you, spend 5minutes planning. You should
write down your key points so that you have a clear focus for each of your paragraphs, then I would recommend writing
down any quotes you can remember that fit the question. Then you don’t have to worry about getting halfway through your
answer and panicking because the quote you thought you knew has suddenly flown out of your brain.
Always check through your answers. This is a way for picking up any silly little mistakes. Although you do not get marks for
spelling, punctuation and grammar, the marking guidelines all ask for clear, developed or sophisticated answers, which
means sentences that make sense and a clear order to your points.