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An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls. What you will need to know. Context. When the play is set and when it was written Historical/social factors that are relevant to the time it is set and the time it was written How the context affects the plot, characters and themes

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An Inspector Calls

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  1. An Inspector Calls What you will need to know

  2. Context • When the play is set and when it was written • Historical/social factors that are relevant to the time it is set and the time it was written • How the context affects the plot, characters and themes • Could you answer the question How are the Birlings affected by the context of the play?

  3. Context 1912 -1945 • An Inspector Calls is as much about 1945 as it is about 1912 • Despite Birling’s smugness, the history of Britain from 1912 onwards was far from trouble free • Make sure you know what happened • Make a list of the ironic statements that Birling makes

  4. Setting April 1912 Celebration of engagement Titanic sailed late April Dining room ‘Fairly large suburban house’ Materially well off ‘Substantial and heavily comfortable’ Port, cigars and champagne

  5. Plot • Know the play inside out ie. READ and RE-READ • Write detailed summaries of each of the three acts so you know the order in which the characters are questioned and exactly who did what and when • Consider what we learn about each character and their role in Eva’s death • Be clear about what happens at the end of the play and formulate your own view on the twist

  6. Characters • Physical description • Personality and behaviour • What events/themes they are involved in • What role they play/their importance • Relationships with other characters • What they say/what others say about them • Use of language • Could you answer the question It is possible to blame all the characters in the novel for Eva’s death. Which of the characters do you feel is most responsible?

  7. Inspector Goole Mr Birling Mrs Birling Edna Eva / Daisy Sheila Eric Gerald Croft

  8. Who… • Is hoping for a knighthood? • Kept a diary? • Tried on a dress? • Drinks too much? • Steals money? • Phones the infirmary?

  9. Who is the Inspector and what is his role? • You need to be aware of the two different questions here • You must be aware of the possibilities as well as having your own views on this • Why Goole? • Is he a catalyst? • Link to Priestley’s purpose • Why NOT a conventional police officer?

  10. Themes • Themes are the main ideas which run through the novel • They help us to identify Priestley’s intentions when writing the play ie. the issues he wanted to highlight • Link them to characters and events • Could you answer the question Discuss the importance of time in the play.

  11. Power and Responsibility Parent / child relationships Class system Respectability and Hypocrisy Social Message Status of Women Individual v Community Guilt and Conscience 1912 and 1945 Love Morality Political View Time

  12. Key Quotations • Learn some short quotations so that you can use them in your longer essay response • Organise these under the headings: characters, themes, plot, structure, language • Keep the quotations short • If you can’t remember them exactly, you can paraphrase

  13. Who says? • ‘there’s a lot of wild talk about possible labour trouble in the future’ • ‘I think it was a mean thing to do. Perhaps it spoilt everything for her.’ • ‘I didn’t feel about her as she felt about me.’ • Sheila, I simply don’t understand your attitude.’ • ‘She wasn’t the usual sort.’ • You’ll be able to divide the responsibility between you when I’ve gone.’ • Well, he inspected us alright. And don’t let’s start dodging and pretending now.’ Mr Birling Sheila Gerald Mrs Birling Eric Inspector Goole Sheila

  14. Structure All the action takes place on one night in real time However, Priestley uses the time release mechanism which allows the characters to relive the events. Why? What is the Inspector’s role in the structure of the play? How is An Inspector Calls different from a typical detective thriller?

  15. Entrances and Exits • Who is present when Mrs Birling is interrogated? And more importantly – who is not? Why? • How does the lighting change when the Inspector arrives? Why? • Why are Gerald and Sheila left alone at the end of Act 1? • Why does Gerald leave then come back – dramatically? • How is the Inspector’s exit made effective?

  16. Language and style • The realism of the play, its realistic sets and incidents is reinforced by realistic language – of 1912 • Language reinforces the Inspector’s authority – How? • Look at his style and sentence lengths… • Correct manner – Mrs Birling • Provincial, bullying – Mr Birling • Gerald – correct, euphemisms • Sheila and Eric - slang, less restrained • How does language link Sheila and the Inspector?

  17. Dramatic Irony • How are Mr Birling’s views on the future ironic? • What does Sheila realise before Mrs Birling? • Who is the Inspector talking to? • How would we fare under his interrogation?

  18. Big Questions • Which of the characters is most affected by the events of the evening? • Examine the evidence to decide whether Eva Smith and Daisy Renton are the same person • How does the play show up the contrast between the philosophies of Mr Birling and Inspector Goole? • What aspects of British society does the play criticise?

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