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AN INSPECTOR CALLS
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Including:
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A play by JB Priestley

Background information
Play structure
Act summaries
Character profiles
Relationships between characters
Theme analysis
Final message

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

A play by JB
Priestley

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
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The book is set in 1912, two years before the outbreak of World War I
Titanic set sail in April, 1912
Book is written in 1945, following World War II
Following the two wars was a time of great social change
Priestley himself had served in the First World War

STRUCTURE


A ‘well-made’ play – has a progression in which the audience and characters are taken from
ignorance to knowledge
 Takes place in one night, the events follow real time so there is a constant build-up of tension
 The setting is constant with nothing to distract the audience from the core message; there are no
subplots
 Each act ends with a cliff-hanger to keep audience interested
 Begins with a naturalistic tone with the characters celebrating in a self-satisfied way
 Actors have precise and demanding instructions – Priestley had a very clear idea for the way this
play was to be performed
 The plot does not move out of the dining room, creating sense that their responsibility for the death
of Eva Smith can never be escaped
 There is careful acing (speed / regularity of mini-climaxes)

ACT 1 SUMMARY
1
...
The scene should be ‘not cosy and homelike’ although the furniture is ‘heavily comfortable’ – all is
for show in this family
3
...
The men are in ‘tails and white ties’, hinting at class and the importance of the celebration
5
...
The family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald Croft, although there seems to be
underlying tension in their relationship, with Sheila accusing him with a ‘half serious, half playful’
(pg
...
Mr Birling makes speeches in which there is dramatic irony, e
...
about the Titanic being ‘unsinkable’
(pg
...
7) about the possibility of war, creating some unease for audience
as all is not as it seems
8
...
8) as long as his family ‘don’t get into the police court
or start a scandal’ (pg
...
An Inspector arrives to make some enquiries and there is tension between him and Mr Birling as Mr
Birling tries (unsuccessfully) to assert himself, wants to ‘warn’ the Inspector about his connections
(pg
...
The Inspector explains the situation with the suicide of Eva Smith
11
...
15) as he ‘refused, of course’ (pg
...
Mr Birling asks whether she went ‘on the streets’ (pg
...
16), suggesting that what happened to her was somehow like her resorting to
prostitution
13
...
19) – this is strange as he seems very
involved in her situation for a police officer
14
...
Inspector mentions Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton and Gerald reveals he has a connection
with her and ‘gave [himself] away’ (pg
...
Tension between Gerald and Sheila created at the end as Sheila asks questions rapidly and
accusingly about whether he was ‘seeing her last spring’ (pg
...
Gerald tries to convince Sheila to not say ‘anything to the Inspector’ (pg
...
Sheila begins to act ‘hysterically’ (pg
...
The ‘door opens slowly’ (pg
...


ACT 2 SUMMARY
1
...
27) rather
than have to listen – is he protecting her or himself?
2
...
There is tension between Inspector and Mrs Birling as they disagree on the family’s involvement
as they ‘look at each other for a while’ (pg
...
Sheila becomes more and more ‘hysterical’ (pg
...
Mrs Birling refuses to listen and eventually finds out about Eric’s drinking problem and is
‘staggered’ (pg
...
Gerald reveals how he was connected to Eva Smith, as he met her in a bar and he ‘decided to keep
her’ (pg
...
38)
and left her
7
...
40)
8
...
40), raising questions
in the audience’s minds

2

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

A play by JB
Priestley

9
...
42) and was the chair at the meeting in which Eva appealed for help
due to her pregnancy
10
...
46) (situational irony)
11
...
49) – very dramatic

ACT 3 SUMMARY
1
...
The scene is hectic as Eric blames his mother, ‘almost threatening her’ (pg
...
55)
3
...
55) and delivers his last speech in which Priestley uses
him as a vessel for his own message and this causes guilt in the characters and acts as a warning to
the audience
4
...
56) with the family appearing to
have been blown apart and scattered as Sheila is ‘quietly crying’ (pg
...
56) etc
...
Mr Birling begins the argument by telling Eric he’s to ‘blame for this’ (pg
...
There is a row within the family as Mr and Mrs Birling continue to refuse to accept responsibility as
they believe ‘there is every excuse’ (pg
...

7
...

8
...
58); Sheila continues to say that it ‘doesn’t matter much’ (pg
...
58)
9
...
62)
10
...
62) but
Eric and Sheila continue to argue that ‘he inspected [them] all right’ (pg
...
Gerald tries to settle the argument by phoning the infirmary and he concludes that the infirmary
‘haven’t had a suicide for months’ (pg
...
70)
12
...
70), their children believe that it was ‘anything but a joke’ (pg
...
Suddenly, the ‘telephone rings sharply’ and causes there to be a ‘moment’s complete silence’ (pg
...
The play ends with drama as Mr Birling reveals that ‘a girl has just died… after swallowing some
disinfectant’ (pg
...


3

A play by JB
Priestley

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

Arrogant and self-important, constantly referring to himself
as a ‘hard-headed practical man of business’ (pg
...
6) although the audience
knows that what he is saying is nonsense, e
...
he believes that
the Titanic is ‘unsinkable’ (pg
...
1)

Very image conscious as he
feels the need to repeatedly
mention that he was ‘Lord
Mayor two years ago’ (pg
...
g
...

6) and says that ‘Russia will
always be behindhand
naturally’ (pg
...
8) of finding
himself on the ‘next Honours
List’ (pg
...
9) to his mother about

Insecure as he feels the
need to assert himself to
the Inspector, warning
him that the Chief
Constable is ‘an old
friend’ (pg
...
4)

Has false modesty in
explaining to Gerald that he
may be anointed with ‘just a
knighthood’ (pg
...

59)
Feels he ‘can’t accept any
responsibility’ (pg
...

4)
Insensitive, calls the suicide
‘unpleasant business’ (pg
...
15)

Sees himself as a family man – he is protective,
protesting when the Inspector upsets Sheila (pg
...
34)
...
50)

A play by JB
Priestley

AN INSPECTOR CALLS
Has a lot of pride and talks
‘with dignity’ (pg
...
1)

SYBIL BIRLING

Narrow minded as she
‘never even tried’ (pg
...

30) that she can
‘understand why the girl
committed suicide’ (pg
...
1) –
this was very uncommon at the time and
may reflect Mr Birling’s want for climbing
the social ladder

Very class conscious and wary of what others think of her
family, telling off her husband that ‘he shouldn’t say such
things’ as thanking the cook for dinner (pg
...
29) into
the room and talks with an
‘easy tone’ (pg
...
29) with the enquiry

Tries to take charge
‘rather grandly’ (pg
...
31)

Naïve about true society as
she is ‘staggered’ (pg
...
35),
although even Sheila knows;
to this she is ‘shocked’ (pg
...
50)

Has a gossiping tone
when she hears about
Alderman as she says ‘we
are learning something
tonight’ (pg
...
41)
to understand the situation and she does not
realize / will not accept Eric’s drinking
problem although ‘his whole manner… shows
his familiarity with quick heavy drinking’ (pg
...
32)
Quick to judge on very little e
...
didn’t like
Eva’s ‘manner’ (pg
...
44)
Never accepts
responsibility as she
always thinks she was
‘justified’ (pg
...
1)

Emotional and childish at
the beginning as ‘she
almost breaks down, but
just controls herself’ (pg
...
38)

Shows some intelligence at beginning, distrusting Gerald’s reasons
for not seeing her: ‘that’s what you say’ (pg
...

19) whereas her father just
wants to ‘keep labour costs
down’ (pg
...
17) about Eva’s
death

Easily affected by the
situation as she begins to act
‘rather hysterically’ (pg
...
40)

Quick to repent her actions
and to feel guilt as she says
that she’s ‘to blame’ (pg
...
29)

Following her confession, she begins to
call her mother ‘mother’ (pg
...
1)

Creates intrigue for the audience at the beginning as he is on
edge and paranoid, saying with an ‘uneasy’ (pg
...
10), in complete
contrast to the easy mood between Mr Birling and Gerald
...
g
...
3)

Immature, which Eva could
see since she treated him ‘as
if [he] were a kid’ (pg
...
53)

Exploits Eva as he ‘wasn’t
in love with her or
anything’ (pg
...
16)

At the end he is
remorseful for his actions
with Sheila, as he says he
takes ‘too much
[interest] in it’ (pg
...
3)

Irresponsible; the audience doesn’t
really believe him when he says that he
‘intended to pay [the money] back’ (pg
...
6)

7

Knows the consequences
of his actions and he feels
that he can’t ‘let himself
out nicely’ (pg
...
51), but it is suggested
that he is trying to escape his own situation
through drink

A play by JB
Priestley

AN INSPECTOR CALLS
GERALD CROFT

‘Easy well-bred young man
about town’ (pg
...
27)

Feels guilt about what he has done,
talking in a ‘troubled tone’ (pg
...
39)

Liked to be a strong man of the time,
admits to like being the ‘wonderful
Fairy Prince’ (pg
...
35) when
he ‘suddenly realized’ (pg
...


On a superficial level, he was
the kindest to Eva because he
went to her ‘cry for help’ (pg
...
37) and he did not
intend to ‘make love to her’ (pg
...
37); as if there
was no other choice with a
vulnerable woman

On a more emotional level, he was
perhaps the cruelest because he
exploited her since he ‘didn’t feel about
her’ (pg
...

I’ve admitted it
...
66)

Happy to side with older
generation – caused by
class or need to impress
Birling? He defends Birling
against the Inspector,
saying ‘you couldn’t have
done anything else’ (pg
...
22)

Obviously was quite affected by
Eva because after telling his
story, he’d ‘like to be alone for a
while’ (pg
...

69)

A play by JB
Priestley

AN INSPECTOR CALLS
INSPECTOR GOOLE

Goole = ghoul, spiritual and
supernatural

Omniscient character; Sheila
observes that they ‘hardly ever
told him anything he didn’t
know’ (pg
...
11)
Very emotionally involved with Eva, never
mentions any legal implications, focused
on moral right and wrong, ‘you made her
pay a heavy price for that’ (pg
...
21) and
Sheila ‘goes close to him,
wonderingly’ (pg
...
11)
and he is ‘imperturbable’ (pg
...
11) – he is
more powerful and bigger than
the Birlings

Has a grim police-style
humour, e
...
‘she wasn’t
pretty when I saw her today’
(pg
...
27)

Straight talking, does not use
euphemisms for Eva’s death –
he says ‘harshly’ (pg
...
35) for
more impact on audience and
characters

Keeps calm, talking ‘steadily’
(pg
...
21)

In control, ‘massively taking
charge’ (pg
...
21)
when Sheila became upset

Has an aura about him and
‘somehow he makes you’ (pg
...
58) but almost a foreshadowing
of the ‘real’ Inspector about to arrive
at the end of the play
The catalyst for events that
unfold

Cannot be intimidated or sidetracked, shortly remarking
‘dryly’ that he doesn’t ‘play golf’
(pg
...
2), the subtext of which is saying that they are equal; although
Gerald’s family is of a higher class, Mr Birling is able to afford the same port
Gerald heartily agrees with Mr Birling on what he says, e
...
‘I believe you’re right, sir’ (pg
...
6)
They have a closer relationship than Mr Birling and Eric, with Mr Birling remarking that Gerald is
‘just the kind of son-in-law [he] always wanted’ (pg
...
8) so he mentions his ‘chance of a knighthood’ (pg
...
10)
Mr Birling offers Gerald a cigar (pg
...
2),
showing jealousy, and she warns him to ‘be careful’ (pg
...
3)
tone
The relationship seems a little superficial because when Sheila receives her ring, she kisses him
‘hastily’ (pg
...
6)
She has obviously been suspicious of Gerald for a while because she expects that he’s ‘done things
[he’s] ashamed of’ (pg
...
3) her
Gerald tries to cover things up and just wanting to ‘leave it at that’ (pg
...
28) to each other and accuse each other, with Sheila saying ‘if you really
loved me’ (pg
...
g
...
28) – he is becoming impatient with her
Sheila makes ironic comments during Gerald’s confession, showing she is a little spiteful, e
...
‘I’m
supposed to be engaged to the hero of it’ (pg
...
40) showing
that it is not certain that she and Gerald will get back together

SYBIL AND ARTHUR AND THEIR CHILDREN


The parents treat Eric and Sheila younger than they actually are; Mr Birling patronises Eric greatly
by telling him that ‘one day’ (pg
...
32)

10

AN INSPECTOR CALLS





A play by JB
Priestley

Mr Birling keeps on trying to take Sheila out of the situation by saying it’s ‘nothing to do with you
...
17) and tells off the Inspector for ‘upsetting the child like that’ (pg
...
38) and she is being more
mature than her parents in accepting her responsibility
The parents refuse to listen to their children telling Sheila that she’d ‘better keep quiet’ if she had
‘nothing more sensible to say’ (pg
...
16)
Mr Birling threatens Eric towards the end with an intimidating ‘get back – or I’ll…’ (pg
...
65) and demanding that Eric
‘pay [the money] back’ (pg
...
57)
Eric finally undermines his father, mocking that the Inspector came and put him in his place just
when he was ‘feeling so pleased’ (pg
...
49)
When Mr Birling asks why Eric didn’t come to him about the situation, Eric replies that he’s ‘not the
sort of father chap could go to when he’s in trouble’ (pg
...
1) so she tells him off when he behaves
inappropriately, e
...
‘you’re not supposed to say such things’ (pg
...
9) which is different to how men treat their appearance
...

Not independent, expected to rely on men – ‘a man has to look after himself – and his family too’
(pg
...
14)
Expected to be ‘seen and not heard’, lower class women were seen as ‘cheap labour’ (pg
...
There were few rights for women,
especially working women: Birling fired Eva because ‘she’d had a lot to say… so she had to go’ (pg
...
This shows injustice in society at the time
...
27) – not respected, treated as children
...
35)
Expected to be very innocent and naïve: ‘I protest against the way in which my daughter, a young
unmarried girl, is being dragged into this’ (pg
...

It was a social taboo to become pregnant out of wedlock and the girl is often blamed and shunned
from society; Mrs Birling first condemns ‘the girl herself’ (pg
...
Injustice towards genders, makes audience fell sympathetic
...

Mr Birling tells Sheila to ‘take [Mrs Birling] along to the drawing room’ (pg
...
They are seen as weak, the use of the word ‘along’ is
patronising
...
56) – note use of word ‘used’ –
injustice towards women
...
CAPITALIST VIEWS
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



Mr Birling, embodying capitalism, very early on mocks ‘community and all that nonsense’ (pg
...
6)
The Inspector explains clearly for benefit of audience and characters the chain reaction effect: ‘what
happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards…’ (pg
...

14) about the chain of events, he still says he ‘can’t accept any responsibility
...
14)
...


12

AN INSPECTOR CALLS
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

A play by JB
Priestley

Sheila quick to feel guilt – ‘I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a lot worse’ (pg
...

Priestley’s message also that no one is completely to blame, only ‘partly’ (pg
...
If there’s nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt’ (pg
...
24),
making audience evaluate own lives and feel some guilt
Inspector is very accusatory to make sure the characters remember their part – ‘had to leave there
because you were annoyed with yourself and passed the annoyance onto her’ (pg
...

Sheila very influenced by Inspector and begins to repeat his message to the rest of the family,
making it stronger because two voices support it: ‘probably between us we’ve killed her’ (pg
...
43) and saying ‘I have done nothing I am ashamed of’ (pg
...
Exasperating and annoying
...
It’s his responsibility’ (pg
...
Radical views of the time to blame the father but this can be
interpreted as Mrs Birling trying so hard to get rid of responsibility that she inadvertently gives a
message of social change
...

Even Eric, a member of the younger generation wants to accuse someone else, his anger and
emotion state shown through hyphenated speech, ‘then – you killed her’ (pg
...
57)
...

Eric and Sheila argue the Inspector’s case after he leaves; ‘the girl’s dead and we all helped to kill
her – and that’s what matters’ (pg
...
16) after she was discharged
from his company, even though all he knew about her was that she was ready to stand up for
herself and was a ‘good worker’ (pg
...
22), as Gerald thinks that their class
will except them from any blame but the Inspector brings them together onto one level
Class gives ‘power’, e
...
Sheila used hers ‘as a daughter of a good customer and also of a man well
known in town’ in order ‘to punish the girl’ (pg
...
Girls of that class–’ (pg
...
The use of dismissive ‘that’ makes it clear
that Mrs Birling sees a very clear divide between herself and Eva
Sheila realises how foolish they must seem to the inspector as she says ‘we’ve no excuse now for
putting on airs’ (pg
...
42) without properly listening to Eva’s story
...
43), showing her pride and also hints at the father of the child
Instant judging of Eva leads Mrs Birling to deny her help because ‘she seemed… to not be a good
case’ so she ‘used her influence to have [Eva’s claim] denied’ (pg
...
She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that
were simply absurd in a girl of her position’ (pg
...
She seems to view people of ‘her position’ as being much less emotionally
developed than her, inferior
...

47) – note ‘that sort’, very dismissive, can hear her tone of disdain
Very hypocritical about inter-class marriages and relationships saying that if the father ‘didn’t
belong to her class… he shouldn’t escape’ (pg
...
This is revealed to be her condemnation of her
own son
...
50) in
defending herself to Eric shows that she would not want her own son to be punished

YOUNGER AND OLDER GENERATION











Sheila is quick to learn and easy to change, saying that she’ll ‘never, never do it again to anybody’
(pg
...
They’re more impressionable’ (pg
...
55), showing maturity and ability to grow
Eric proposes the idea of war at the beginning, showing that he is more respectable than his father
Sheila accuses her parents of ‘being childish’ (pg
...
g
...
65)
When it is revealed the Inspector may not have been what he said, the older generation begin to
laugh and joke, talking ‘jovially’ (pg
...

71) showing their own childish behaviour
...
And now
[they’ve] stopped
...
71), showing how at the end her parents are more changeable than the
children at the end
Before the final telephone call, Mr Birling was just saying ‘look at… the famous younger generation
who know it all
...
72), underlining how foolish he is as he is
about to be proved wrong once again
...
g
...
3) and
these are revealed as the play progresses – cannot run forever from the truth
Sheila says her family ‘really must stop these silly pretences’ (pg
...
g
...
32) when she finds out
about Eric even though the signs have been apparent even to the audience
Sheila wants to find out the truth instead of just convincing herself that she had nothing to do with
Eva like her parents, saying that she is not going to leave until she knows ‘why that girl killed
herself’ (pg
...
38), showing how juvenile she is
and also how adamant she is to remain in her own perfect world
Mr Birling constantly focussed on image because he is trying to climb the social ladder, with the
thought of ‘the Press’ (pg
...
I
was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List’ (pg
...
50), suggesting that tensions had slowly been building and it would have
been inevitable anyway but the Inspector catalyses events
Mr Birling hypocritical at the end when he angrily shouts at Eric saying that Eric ‘doesn’t realize yet
all [he’s] done’ (pg
...
57)
The engagement ring is mentioned again at the end, the action almost framing the novel to
emphasize the changes that have occurred in some of the characters as Mr Birling still believes that
Sheila will ‘feel better’ (pg
...
It is here that
Priestley really is able to convey his message and the Inspector speaks with his voice
...
55) and the rest of the characters are ‘suddenly quiet’
(pg
...
This acts as calm before the storm of the
Inspector’s speech and gives everyone a chance to reflect on the night’s occurrences
...
55), addressing the audience
as well as the characters, preparing them to expect a strong speech
He uses short sentences so that it is easy to follow and understand
...

Addressing the audience to change their ways as well, telling them that ‘there are millions and
millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John smith still left with us’ (pg
...
’ (pg
...

‘We don’t live alone
...
We are responsible for each other’ (pg
...
56)
...
15)

16



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