An Inspector Calls (Pg 161-168)

By J.B Priestly
J. B Priestley's 'An Inspector Calls';

• Was set in 1912 (before WW1) and first

performed in London in 1946.

• A thriller, An Inspector Calls has been reenacted

ever since... and is a widely appreciated play
around the world.
Who was J.B Priestly?
John Boynton Priestley was born as ‘John Priestley’ in 1894, choosing
later to add ‘Boynton’ to his name. The First World War broke out in
1914, when Priestley was just 20 years old. By this time he had
already discovered his love for literature and was a promising young
writer with a column in his local newspaper and a number of
published political articles.

J B Priestley wrote An Inspector Calls in 1945, the year that saw the
Second World War come to an end. Not surprisingly, the central
theme of the play is war. Although the play is written in 1945, it is set
in 1912. All the action of the play occurs just two years before the
First World War breaks out. By choosing to set the play in this period,
J B Priestley can write about the attitudes of a typical upper-middle-
class British family in pre-war England, and use them to reflect the
broader attitudes of British society.
It is important to understand
the concepts of Capitalism,
Socialism and Pre-War
World before we begin to
analyze the play.
Capitalism
• Capitalism is an economic system in which
money and property are owned by people or
an individual and can be amassed in any
proportion.
• People may sell or lend their property, and
other people may buy or borrow them.
• It has the view that if you work hard you will be
rewarded.
• Everyone should pay their own tax
• The poor should work harder to earn more
 • In theory, this system results in the divide
between classes getting smaller, with the poorest
of a nation's people getting better taken care of
while the richest make sacrifices in terms of
higher taxes and regulation of business
• Where people work together to gain a fair
standard of living
• Traditional views of the labor party

Socialist Principles • The views of Priestly, Bernard Shaw & H G Wells

• The view of living together and looking out for
each other
• Thinks people should share their wealth
• Equal access to resources for all
• An extreme of this would be where an authority
enforces sharing of wealth and does not allow
people to own privately.
Pre-War Britain – it’s important to note the changes in
society between the time set and the era in which the
audience lived as this would affect how they would
perceive the play.

▪ A world prior to the Great War

▪ Society was clearly divided by class
▪ Men had all the power – had property and could vote
▪ Government support was not generous for the lower classes
▪ The world was headed towards 'The Great War'
 • Priestly provides explicit STAGE DIRECTIONS
throughout the play. The Stage directions mut be
considered: extra pieces of information within the
script. They reveal details about the position,
movement and tone of the characters. They also
reveal information about lighting, sound and
general appearance of the set to alter mood of the
play.
The stage directions indicate a number of things about the Birlings.

1. Wealth – the descriptions of the room and furniture, give the impression
of a rich and privileged background.
2. Relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Birling – Mr. Birling is at the top of
the table, reflecting the acceptable attitudes of the time, but also a potential
emotional disconnect between these two characters. You can describe
‘space’ as a metaphor for their separate relationship.
3. Change in the lighting – ‘pink and intimate, becomes ‘ brighter and
harder’ when the Inspector calls. Pink – rose tinted glasses reference – the
Birling’s don’t live in the real world and look at things in their own way. The
‘brighter and harder’ light could be the truth, and also could be seen to be
angelic. Also, behaves as a spot light on the Birlings’ mistakes.
4. Edna clearing the table – this highlights the social class of the Birlings and
the colonial way in which they appear to live at this time. Further more, it would
appear that she is clearing away the remains of a celebration and this tells us
that the family are celebrating, particularly as it mentions that ‘they are all
pleased with themselves’.
5. Focus on appearances – Each character is described in physical detail, which
highlights to the audience how much people were judged on the basis of
physical appearance at this time. It also leads us to make a judgement on these
characters before we meet them.
Location
There are a number of locations mentioned outside of the
dining room, where each of the characters spend time
outside of the family.
This achieves two things:
• It seems like the members of the family all lead different
lives, that the rest of the family don’t know about.
• It makes the dining room scenario even more surreal and
the life of the Birlings’ appear even more detached from
reality.

Setting
Set in the fictional town of Brumley, in 1912 (although
written in 1945). Essentially, this is a social commentary on
responsibility for the wars and the audience watching
would appreciate the irony of Mr. Birling’s comments, which
reflect the ignorance of people at the time.
▪ The Birlings are ‘very pleased with themselves’ - the audience joins the
Birlings part way through celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and
Gerald Croft.
▪ So many secrets – there are hints that not all is right with the Birlings. Where
was Gerald last Summer? Why do Sheila and Mrs. Birling have to leave the
room?
▪ Mr. Birling, the expert on everything – Mr. Birling likes to tell everyone else
about how much he knows about EVERYTHING. Priestley uses dramatic irony to
reveal the extent of Birling’s stupidity and ignorance and also leads us to
question whether he is right about other things that happen in the play.
▪ Introducing Inspector Goole - As the title suggests, ‘an inspector calls’,
and he reveals the death of a young woman, Eva Smith. His news and
manner changes the tone of the play, contrasting the light-hearted and
superficial tone of the play’s introduction.
▪ Admitting Responsibility – The Inspector reveals the role of each
character in Eva Smith’s death, showing them a photograph of the woman
and letting them tell their version of the story. We hear about Sheila and
Mr. Birling’s responsibility in the accusations.
▪ In this Act, we discover that: Birling sacked Eva after she led a request for
higher wages, causing her to have no money
▪ Sheila had Eva sacked from her next position, as she looked prettier in a
dress than she did, and she thought that Eva had been laughing at her.
▪ The theme of ‘Generational Differences’ is apparent in this scene, as
Sheila and Eric are sympathetic toward Eva Smith, where as their
parents are not.
▪ Both ‘Generational Differences’ and ‘Gender Differences’ are
apparent in the treatment of Sheila in Act 1. She is repeatedly asked to
leave for fear that she cannot cope. However, she stays out of a sense
of duty, which shows her strength.
▪ The significance of Daisy Renton – the audience learns that Eva’s
circumstances were so severe that she had to change her name to
make a fresh start. Consider how Priestley uses the name ‘Daisy’
(nature imagery) to reflect new beginnings.
▪ Sheila and Gerald – Gerald confesses to Sheila and this highlights the
things that women were expected to face men’s indiscretions as part
of their relationships (Gender Differences)
Character Analysis
 Obsession with Status Quantity of Speech
Physical Description in
Sheila’s marriage to Birling uses speech to ensure that
the Stage Directions
Gerald is business deal he can maintain control – as his
‘ a heavy looking, rather
to Birling – ‘Crofts and power diminishes, you can note
portentous man, in his
Birling are working that he speaks less and less. We can
middle fifties with fairly
together for lower costs surmise that that power does not lie
easy manners but rather
and higher prices’ will in how much you say, as the
provincial in his speech’
be the result. Inspector speaks little but maintains
– Priestley gives us a
He also has his own authority. Whenever Birling is
number of ways in
ambitions - ‘I was Lord challenged, note that he responds
which we can judge this
Mayor here two years ‘angrily’ in the stage directions.
character using fairly
ago. There’s a very good Note how this represents the
leading description
chance of a change in how his character is
here
knighthood’ presented by Priestley.

A criticism of society
As a previous Lord Mayor, you would expect Birling to care for his
community, yet we learn that in reality he does not support this – as
he refers to it as ‘community and all that nonsense’. Priestley is
criticizing those that would elect someone like Birling to this position.

Responsibility
An uncharitable
Mrs. Birling does not
charity worker
see others’ problems as
Brumley’s Women’s
her responsibility
Charity Organization –
‘Go and look for the
Yet she will not show
Father of the child. It’s
charity to Eva
his responsibility’.
Social Superiority
From the beginning,
Sybil Birling is
described as the social
superior and she is the
most callous and
unforgiving of all the
characters. Priestley is
commenting on the
cruelty of the upper
classes (an extreme
comment)

The relationship
between etiquette and
moral standards
Mrs. Birling is more
concerned about the
expectations of her
social status, than doing
the right thing.

Foreshadowing the future
Sheila expresses her
concerns about where
Gerald has been over the
Summer: ‘Last Summer when
you never came near me,
and I wondered what had
happened to you’
The Maturing of Sheila – the ‘other
inspector’
Sheila becomes like the Inspector in
language and behaviour as she
seeks the truth. She uses shock
tactics, questions, makes revelations
and contradictions.
Traditional Values
In Act 1, Sheila seems like a silly,
but traditional girl. She reveals her
insecurity when she states that she
doesn’t ‘feel engaged’, until she
receives her ring from Gerald.
A change in Sheila
In Act 1, we discover that Sheila has
a part to play in the demise of Eva
Smith. ‘I told them that if they didn’t
get rid of that girl (Eva Smith), I
would never go near the place
again’. However, she changes and
part of the reason for this is that she
learns the importance of
responsibility, telling her Mother:
‘stop before its too late’.

Gerald – a changed
man?
Gerald takes the same
attitude at the end of
the play is similar to that
of the Birling's; he is
more concerned about
being caught than he is
about the action itself.
‘Everything is alright
now Sheila’.
Gerald and Daisy Gerald – the
Renton (Eva Smith) Gentleman
It is noted that Gerald Gerald is a Croft – a
did treat Eva well in wealthy family and is
some ways, yet she is his engaged to Sheila.
Mistress and he met her Note that Mr. Birling’s
in her role as a engagement speech is
prostitute. He would not directed primarily at
have taken the Gerald, and not Sheila.
relationship further due He is noted to be ‘the
to her social class. He easy, well-bred young
also makes her man, about town’.
homeless and leaves
her in a desperate
situation. The fact that
Eva seemed to be
happy as a result of her
relationship with Gerald,
makes we as an
audience, feel less angry
with Gerald – she ‘didn’t
blame me at all’.
Criminal Behaviour
Think about when the Scandal
Inspector notes that Eric’s behaviour will
there is a fine line cause scandal for the
between civil and Birlings and they are
criminal behaviour. Eric keen to ensure damage
is seemingly a limitation. Note that
gentleman, yet as he Gerald also did the
says himself, he got into An awkward character
same, but he didn’t get
a state where – ‘a chap Eric is socially awkward –
caught out!
easily turns nasty’. he ‘guffaws’ at strange
He steals from his Father times, when he doesn’t
to give Eva money, even find things funny in
forces himself upon Eva Eric – the silent one Act 1.
and gets her pregnant, Eric is often ignored and
and admits to a drinking overlooked by the other
problem. characters in Act 1. His
However, he wants to Father his far more
take responsibility: ‘it’s pleasant to Gerald, his
about the girl and what future son in law.
we all did to her that
matters’.

Ironically, Eva Smith is
presented as one of the
most moral characters in
the play.
Notably in the fact that
she refuses to marry Eric
and take his money.
This ironic because on
the surface, she is
judged because of the
actions that she takes
due to her desperation
i.e. prostitution. She is
also judged on the basis
of her social class; she is
not considered by polite
society to be someone
who can have moral
attributes.
Eva – the ‘silent woman’
Eva Smith Interestingly, for a character
that has so much bearing on
the events of the play, it is very
significant that Eva does not
actually feature at all in person
and her story is told to use by
Inspector Goole. This
highlights to us, that without
support, Eva would have no
voice – see Mr. Birling incident,
and therefore, she relies on
good people to ensure that
she is fairly treated. This is
likely to be a comment by
Priestly as to how women were
treated/represented at this
time – the ‘silent gender’.
Characteristics
Strategist – The Inspector will only
allow the characters access/to discuss
one by one
Blunt – the Inspector discusses the
death of Eva Smith in a straightforward
manner - ‘burned her insides out’
Inspector ‘Ghoul’
This is a play on words (pun) and
we can surmise that either/or:
this is a reference to him being
an allusion
or a figure from the afterlife –
linking to the allegorical nature
of the play.
Is the Inspector a Metaphor?
The Inspector manages to ensure that
each and every character reveals their
truth through out the play. Does he
represent their conscience or guilt?
(Metaphor)
A ‘classless’ Inspector
The Inspector does not have a
class – he wears a ‘plainish dark
suit of the period’ and therefore,
is not judged upon this neither
does he observe this as
important. He adopts an
approach of equality for all.
 • Pre-War Britain
• Family Life
• Social Responsibility

Key Themes in ‘An

• Personal Responsibility
• Gender Differences

Inspector Calls’ • Morality and Judgement

• Social Class
• Generational Differences
• Capitalism