An Inspector Calls - J B Priestley - English Literature - Pearson IGCSE

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Welcome to Your Study Guide: An Inspector Calls

Hello! You've picked one of the most powerful and exciting plays in Modern Drama. An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley isn't just a story; it's a dramatic experiment and a challenge to the audience.

In these notes, we will break down the play's structure, examine the key characters, and unlock Priestley's important social messages. Don't worry if the language or context seems complicated; we'll explain everything clearly. By the end, you will be able to confidently discuss why this play is so important and how Priestley uses dramatic techniques to shock and persuade us.

Section 1: Context and The Purpose of the Play

The Two Worlds: Setting (1912) vs. Performance (1945)

To understand the play, you need to remember that the events take place in 1912 (a time before the two World Wars and the sinking of the Titanic). However, the play was written and first performed in 1945. This gap is vital!

1912 (The Setting):

Society was rigidly divided by class (rich factory owners like the Birlings had all the power).
It was a time of strong belief in Capitalism and Individualism (the idea that everyone should look out only for themselves and their family).
Women had fewer rights, and servants were treated poorly.

1945 (The Audience's Time):

The world had just survived World War II, bringing people closer together.
There was a strong desire for Socialism, community spirit, and the creation of a Welfare State (systems designed to help everyone).
Priestley wanted the post-war audience to reject the selfish values of 1912.

Did you know?

Priestley was a strong supporter of Socialist policies and used his writing to push for a more fair and equal society in Britain after the war.

J.B. Priestley's Core Message

Priestley’s play is a form of social campaigning. His main purpose is to attack the selfish attitude of the wealthy middle class and promote Social Responsibility.

Analogy Check: Individualism vs. Social Responsibility

Imagine a small boat.

Individualism: You only worry about keeping your own corner of the boat dry, even if others are bailing water.
Social Responsibility: Everyone works together to ensure the whole boat stays afloat because if one part sinks, the whole boat sinks.

Quick Review Box: Context
The Birlings live in 1912 (Selfish/Capitalist era), but the audience watched in 1945 (Community/Socialist era). Priestley uses the play to show the audience the dangers of the 1912 mindset.

Section 2: Plot Summary and Structure

The structure of An Inspector Calls is unusual and highly controlled. It follows the classical Three Unities of drama:

Unity of Time: The action unfolds in real time (the play lasts exactly as long as the events take place).
Unity of Place: All the action happens in the Birlings' dining room.
Unity of Action: There is only one central plot—the investigation into Eva Smith's death.

This tightly controlled structure builds massive pressure, making the audience feel trapped alongside the Birlings.

Act I: The Celebration and The Hook

The play begins happily with the Birlings celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft. Mr. Birling delivers long, pompous speeches about business and prosperity, making several claims that the audience (knowing the future) knows are laughably wrong (this is dramatic irony).

Suddenly, the Inspector Goole arrives. His entrance is loud and interrupts the cozy atmosphere. He is investigating the suicide of a young working-class woman, Eva Smith (also known as Daisy Renton).

Mr. Birling is questioned first. He admits firing Eva Smith for asking for higher wages. He feels no guilt.
Sheila Birling is questioned next. She admits getting Eva fired from a department store out of jealousy and a petty fit of anger. She is the first to show deep remorse.

Key Takeaway for Act I: The Inspector establishes that Eva’s life was a chain of suffering, and the Birlings have started the links. Sheila begins her emotional transformation.

Act II: The Breakdown and The Exposures

The tension increases dramatically.

Gerald Croft is questioned. He admits having an affair with Daisy Renton during the previous summer, treating her like a mistress, and then abandoning her.
Mrs. Birling (Sybil) is questioned. She is the most cold and resistant. She used her influence on a women's charity committee to deny Eva financial help, claiming Eva’s story of pregnancy was untrue and immoral.
Mrs. Birling proudly states that the father of the child should take full responsibility and be made an example of.

Common Mistake to Avoid

Students sometimes confuse the characters' contributions. Remember: Mr. Birling fired her; Sheila got her fired again; Gerald used her; Mrs. Birling refused to help her when she was desperate.

Act III: The Revelation and The Aftermath

The mystery of the father is solved: it is Eric Birling.

Eric confesses that he forced himself upon Eva and stole money from his father’s office to try and help her. He is deeply ashamed.
The Inspector delivers his dramatic final speech, warning them about social responsibility and the “fire and blood and anguish” that awaits them if they don't change (a reference to the future World Wars).
The Inspector leaves, and Gerald returns, having investigated Goole.
The Twist: Gerald announces that there is no police inspector named Goole, and the police confirm that no suicide has been reported. The whole interrogation might have been a hoax or a moral lesson.

The family splits: Sheila and Eric are horrified, feeling guilt even if the girl isn’t dead. Mr. and Mrs. Birling and Gerald are relieved and quickly revert to their selfish ways.

The Final Twist: The telephone rings. A police inspector is on his way to investigate the suicide of a young woman. This restores the sense of immediate consequence and completes the dramatic tension.

Key Takeaway for Structure: The play uses two endings—the moral ending (Goole leaves) and the real ending (the phone call)—to challenge the Birlings (and the audience) to choose how they will react before the ultimate judgement comes.

Section 3: Key Characters and Their Significance

Characters in An Inspector Calls fall into two main groups: those who change (The Young) and those who resist change (The Old).

The Old Guard (The Unrepentant)

Mr. Arthur Birling (The Capitalist)

Role: The proud, arrogant head of the family; a factory owner and former mayor.
Key Traits: Obsessed with status, money, and his knighthood. Represents Capitalism and Individualism.
Development: He learns absolutely nothing. He dismisses the Inspector's visit as a joke and is only concerned with protecting his reputation.
Key Quote Example: "The way some of these cranks talk and write now, you'd think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together." (This quote clearly establishes his selfish ideology.)

Mrs. Sybil Birling (The Snob)

Role: Mr. Birling’s social superior. She runs the charity committee.
Key Traits: Cold, snobbish, and concerned with maintaining high society standards. She symbolizes the hypocrisy of the upper class.
Development: She is the last person to accept responsibility, blaming everyone else, including the father of the child (not knowing it’s Eric). She is incapable of change.
Encouragement Note: Mrs. Birling can be tricky to analyze because her language is so formal. Focus on her lack of sympathy—she treats Eva not as a person, but as someone beneath contempt.

The Middle Ground

Gerald Croft (The Compromise)

Role: Sheila’s fiancé; he comes from a wealthier, more established family (Croft Ltd).
Key Traits: Initially charming, but proves to be opportunistic. He provided temporary relief for Eva (Daisy) but then carelessly abandoned her.
Development: Gerald is genuinely regretful about Eva, but his relief when he finds out Goole isn't a real inspector shows he is keen to forget the moral lesson and return to privilege. He acts as a bridge between the generations but ultimately sides with the Old Guard.

The Young Hope (The Repentant)

Sheila Birling (The Conscience)

Role: The daughter; starts spoiled but becomes the moral center of the play.
Key Traits: Intuitive, sharp, and deeply sensitive. She quickly understands the Inspector's purpose and recognizes the cruelty of her actions.
Development: She moves from a childish girl to a mature woman, realizing the need for social change. She challenges her parents directly.
Memory Aid: Think of Sheila = Socialist Soul. She represents Priestley's hope for the future.

Eric Birling (The Reckless Youth)

Role: The son; suffers from drinking problems and immaturity.
Key Traits: Awkward, emotional, and irresponsible. His relationship with Eva was abusive and exploitative.
Development: Eric faces his guilt with brutal honesty. Like Sheila, he rejects his parents' attempt to brush the incident under the rug, showing that he has learned the lesson.

Inspector Goole (The Catalyst and Symbol)

Role: The mysterious visitor who forces confessions.
Key Traits: Authoritative, calm, methodical, and possesses an uncanny knowledge of the family’s secrets.
Interpretation: Goole might be a real inspector, a ghost (Goole sounds like "Ghoul"), or an embodiment of Priestley’s conscience or even God’s judgement. His job is to challenge the Birlings’ morality.

Section 4: Major Themes

Theme 1: Social Responsibility vs. Individualism

This is the heart of the play. Priestley argues that we are all responsible for one another. Eva Smith's death shows how individual, selfish actions, when connected, can lead to tragedy.

The Birlings practice Individualism: "Every man for himself."
The Inspector promotes Social Responsibility: "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other."

Priestley deliberately links the fate of Eva Smith (the working class) directly to the actions of the privileged Birlings. The play suggests that the wealthy must use their power to help, not harm, those less fortunate.

Theme 2: Class and Social Status

The play highlights the enormous power imbalance between the rich Birlings and the poor, vulnerable Eva Smith.

Eva is repeatedly abused because she is poor and has no power—she can be fired by Mr. Birling without consequence.
Mrs. Birling refuses help because Eva is the "wrong sort" of person, showing how class prejudice overrides compassion.

Priestley shows that wealth does not equal moral superiority; in fact, the Birlings' wealth seems to have corrupted them.

Theme 3: Time, Judgement, and Consequence

The play uses the concept of time brilliantly.

The Inspector functions as a figure of impending judgement. His warnings about "fire and blood and anguish" link the Birlings’ immediate actions to the future suffering of war, urging them to change *before* it’s too late. The final phone call proves that whether the Inspector was real or not, the moral consequence is inescapable.

Quick Review Box: Themes
* S.R. vs. I.: We are connected (Social Responsibility). * Class: The rich exploit the poor (Mr. B vs. Eva). * Time/Judgement: The lesson must be learned now, or the real judgement (the second Inspector) will come.

Section 5: Dramatic Techniques and Devices

Priestley uses specific elements of Modern Drama to ensure his message is impactful.

1. Lighting and Staging

The stage directions are extremely important.

Before Goole arrives: The lighting is described as "pink and intimate" – suggesting a warm, cozy, but slightly distorted view of reality (like looking through rose-tinted glasses).
When Goole arrives: The lighting changes to "brighter and harder" – suggesting a harsh interrogation spotlight. This change symbolizes the Birlings being forced into the harsh light of truth and judgement.
The claustrophobic setting of the dining room (Unity of Place) makes the family’s suffering inescapable.

2. Dramatic Irony (The Audience Knows Best)

Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows something the characters on stage do not. Priestley uses this to make Mr. Birling look foolish and foolishly arrogant.

Example: Mr. Birling confidently states there will be no war and that the Titanic is "unsinkable." Since the audience knows both World Wars occurred and the Titanic sank, this instantly undermines Mr. Birling’s credibility as a reliable character.

3. The Inspector’s Technique (Interrogation)

The Inspector questions them one by one, ensuring they cannot cover up for each other. This is like a theatrical detective game. By separating the confessions, Priestley emphasizes that responsibility is shared, forming a chain:

Mr. Birling → Sheila → Gerald → Mrs. Birling → Eric

Each person adds a link to the "chain of events" that led to Eva’s death. This technique visually demonstrates the play's core theme of shared Social Responsibility.

4. The Function of Eva Smith / Daisy Renton

Eva Smith is never seen, yet she is the most important person in the play. She is a symbol of the entire oppressed working class. Her name, "Eva," echoes "Eve" (symbolizing the first woman/all women), and "Smith" is the most common surname (symbolizing everywoman).

By making her an unseen victim, Priestley allows the audience (and the Birlings) to project their own experiences and guilt onto her, making the moral lesson universal.

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first...

The most important thing to remember about An Inspector Calls is its message. If you understand why Priestley wrote the play (to promote social responsibility and challenge the wealthy), you can analyse everything—the characters, the lighting, the ironies—as tools used to achieve that goal. Keep practicing your key quotes, and you will do brilliantly!