An Inspector Calls: Unraveling Responsibility and Guilt
Date:
Title:
Cold read: An Inspector Calls.
Understanding the plot.
Recap questions:
1.
How was Mrs Birling and Eric
connected to Eva Smith?
2.
The Inspector suggests they are all
responsible for Eva Smith’s death. In
your opinion, who do you think is the
most responsible and why?
Pen to paper
The first
literary text
we are going to study is An
Inspector Calls by JB Priestley written in 1945
but set in 1914.
It is a play that explores the key concepts of
identity
(individuals vs collective, gender);
perspective
(life in 20
th
century Britain – pre and
post-war);
culture
(society during this time,
attitudes towards class, power structures);
transformation
(Priestley’s intention mirrored
through character transformation);
representation
(society during this time, class,
gender);
communication
(JB Priestley’s intent)
As a play, this text was meant to be viewed – it is
a performance piece so we will start our study of
this text by watching an adaptation for the big
screen. What we have to bear in mind is that
this is an adaptation and is not always as faithful
to the text as it should be.
1.07.30-1.25.45
Pen to paper
As you are watching, I would like you
to track the following:
1.
How each of the characters’
respond once the Inspector has
left.
1.07.30-1.25.45
New knowledge
What have we seen?
Gerald announces that as he was walking he met a policeman and
discovered that the supposed Inspector wasn’t really an inspector after
all, and proposes his further hypotheses that there was no single girl that
all of the Birlings offended, and no suicide that the Birlings precipitated.
He and Birling prove these hypotheses to be correct after calls to the
Police Department and to the Infirmary. The Birling parents celebrate
these discoveries, as they feel they have escaped both scandal and guilt,
but Sheila and Eric remain affected by the proceedings and cannot forget
what’s been revealed.
The telephone rings. After Mr Birling hangs up, he reports that it was the
police, informing him that a girl just died on her way to the infirmary after
swallowing some disinfectant, and that a Police Inspector is on his way to
ask some questions. The Birlings stare ‘guiltily and dumbfounded’.
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/an-inspector-calls/summary
Reflection
What impact has the Inspector’s visit had on the Birling
family?
Consider each character in turn
An Inspector Calls presents a gripping narrative where the Birling family is confronted with their connections to Eva Smith's tragic demise. As the Inspector prods into their past actions, the family's facade crumbles, revealing a web of lies, deceit, and hidden guilt. Each character responds differently to the Inspector's visit, prompting deep reflections on responsibility and accountability. With themes of class divide, societal constructs, and individual culpability, the play delves into the complexities of human behavior and morality.
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Presentation Transcript
A n Inspector C alls Date: Title: Cold read: An Inspector Calls. Understanding the plot. Recap questions: 1. How was Mrs Birling and Eric connected to Eva Smith? 2. The Inspector suggests they are all responsible for Eva Smith s death. In your opinion, who do you think is the most responsible and why?
The first literary text we are going to study is An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley written in 1945 but set in 1914. It is a play that explores the key concepts of identity (individuals vs collective, gender); perspective (life in 20th century Britain pre and post-war); culture (society during this time, attitudes towards class, power structures); transformation(Priestley s intention mirrored through character transformation); representation (society during this time, class, gender); communication(JB Priestley s intent) Pen to paper As a play, this text was meant to be viewed it is a performance piece so we will start our study of this text by watching an adaptation for the big screen. What we have to bear in mind is that this is an adaptation and is not always as faithful to the text as it should be. 1.07.30-1.25.45
As you are watching, I would like you to track the following: Pen to paper 1. How each of the characters respond once the Inspector has left. 1.07.30-1.25.45
What have we seen? Gerald announces that as he was walking he met a policeman and discovered that the supposed Inspector wasn t really an inspector after all, and proposes his further hypotheses that there was no single girl that all of the Birlings offended, and no suicide that the Birlings precipitated. He and Birling prove these hypotheses to be correct after calls to the Police Department and to the Infirmary. The Birling parents celebrate these discoveries, as they feel they have escaped both scandal and guilt, but Sheila and Eric remain affected by the proceedings and cannot forget what s been revealed. New knowledge The telephone rings. After Mr Birling hangs up, he reports that it was the police, informing him that a girl just died on her way to the infirmary after swallowing some disinfectant, and that a Police Inspector is on his way to ask some questions. The Birlings stare guiltily and dumbfounded . https://www.litcharts.com/lit/an-inspector-calls/summary
What impact has the Inspectors visit had on the Birling family? Consider each character in turn What impact has the Inspector s visit had on the Birling family? Birling Reflection Sheila Gerald Mrs Birling Eric
