Social Responsibility and Guilt in "An Inspector Calls
The play "An Inspector Calls" by J.B. Priestley revolves around the Birling family and Gerald celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald. As the Inspector arrives and starts making inquiries about the suicide of Eva Smith, dark secrets begin to unravel. Each family member is implicated in the tragedy, highlighting themes of social responsibility, guilt, and the consequences of one's actions. The Inspector's revelations challenge the characters' perception of themselves and their role in Eva's demise, leading to a powerful climax that exposes their individual contributions to her tragic fate.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
An Inspector Calls Act 1 summary An Inspector Calls Act 1 summary 1. Birling family and Gerald celebrating engagement of Sheila and Gerald 2. Mr Birling makes pompous speech about the future, cranks and the need to be responsible for yourself and own family 3. Inspector arrives making enquiries about a suicide of Eva Smith 4. Mr Birling questioned first. Admits sacking her and other ringleaders for strike for wanting pay rise 22 6 to 25 shillings 5. Sheila & Eric (younger generation) think father acted harshly but Gerald supports him 6. Sheila questioned next. Driven by jealousy and a bad temper she had Eva sacked from Milwards. 7. When Gerald hears Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton his reaction shows he knew her. 8. Inspector suggests that many people share responsibility for the misery which prompted Eva to end her life. 9. Left alone with Gerald, Sheila warns him not to try to hide anything from the Inspector.
An Inspector Calls Act 2 summary An Inspector Calls Act 2 summary 1. Gerald questioned: he admits he met daisy Renton in the spring of 1911 at The Palace Bar and she was his mistress at Morgan Terrace for 6 months. 2. Sheila is hurt and angry at Gerald s involvement with the girl, yet she feels a certain respect for the openness of his admission. 3. Mrs Birling tries to bully the Inspector and to control events. 4. Sheila realises that the Inspector s enquiries are well founded, and that her mother might also have had some dismissive dealings with the girl. 5. While Eric is out of the room, Mrs Birling is questioned: she is forced to admit the girl asked for the help of Brumley Women s Charity Organisation that she worked for and was refused. 6. It is revealed that the girl was pregnant, and Mrs Birling lays the blame for the girl s death on the father of the unborn child. 7. There is suspicion that Eric might be the father of that unborn child.
An Inspector Calls Act 3 summary An Inspector Calls Act 3 summary 1. Eric confesses that he got the girl pregnant and that he stole 50 from his father s firm to support her. 2. Learning that the girl had appealed to his mother for help and been turned down, Eric blames his mother for the girl s death. 3. The Inspector makes a dramatic speech about the consequences of the sort of social irresponsibility that Mr Birling was preaching at the end of the dinner. 4. The Inspector, having shown that each had a part in ruining the girl s life, leaves. 5. Between them Gerald and Mr Birling gradually prove that the man was not a real police inspector. 6. A telephone call to the Chief Constable established that there is no Inspector Goole on the police force. 7. A telephone call to the Infirmary reveals that there has been no recent suicide. 8. Eric and Sheila continue to feel guilty about what they have done, but the others now shrug off any guilt. 9. Mr Birling answers the telephone: a young woman has just died on her way to the Infirmary and an inspector is on his way to make enquiries.
Characters and Places in An Inspector Calls Characters and Places in An Inspector Calls Major characters Minor characters Places Mr Arthur Birling Sir and Lady Croft Dining room Edna Drawing room Mrs Sybil Birling Cook West Brumley golf course Sheila Birling Finchley Birling and Company factory Eric Birling Milwards department store Miss Francis The Palace Bar Gerald Croft Police Constable Colonel Roberts The County Hotel Charlie Brunswick The Inspector The Infirmary Eva Smith/Daisy Renton (the exploited working class) Alderman Meggarty The town hall Girl with torn blouse Morgan Terrace Fire, blood and anguish
Quotations you (probably) already know: An Inspector Calls Quotations you (probably) already know: An Inspector Calls Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Please sir, an inspectors called Fire and blood and anguish A girl of that sort Eric, you re squiffy Was pretty and a good sport I didn t think you meant Buckingham Palace Gerald, is it the one you wanted me to have? Not the sort of father a chap could go to Wonderful fairy prince Millions and millions and millions Absolutely unsinkable Rough sort of diary Son-in-law I always wanted Have responsibilities as well as privileges We are responsible for each other. Pretty (said about Eva and Sheila)
An Inspector Calls: recommended quotations to learn These quotations are particularly useful as they show meaning as well as character or theme AND terminology Quotation Theme/character (AO1) Terminology (AO2) 1 Pink and intimate brighter and harder Stage directions to show changing light from celebration to interrogation The family view life through rose-tinted spectacles at the start but the Inspector makes them face harsh reality 2 That s what you say Sheila doubts Gerald being busy all last summer . DIRECT ADDRESS of you, infers that he is lying. This FORESHADOWS the revelation that he was with Eva. 3 Don t be an ass Sheila says this to Eric Brother/sister bickering COLLOQUIAL Language (slang) spoken as part of the SOCIOLECT of the upper middle-class younger generation. METAPHOR: ass = silly animal 4 Mixed up together like bees in a hive Mr Birling is happy to benefit from whatever he can get from the community, but also ridicules community SIMILE: like bees HYPOCRITICAL attitude MONOLOGUE: Mr B goes on and on and on 5 Chain of events The inspector creates the idea of a chain of events leading to Eva s death CUMULATIVE negligence and abuse by each member of the extended family 6 Fat old tarts Eric says this about the usual women in The Palace Bar NEGATIVE ADJECTIVES Harsh dental alliteration (consonance) of Ts
An Inspector Calls: recommended quotations to learn These quotations are particularly useful as they show meaning as well as character or theme AND terminology Quotation Theme/character (AO1) Terminology (AO2) Sheila says this, agreeing with the Inspector: sign that she is showing a sense of morality and progress in society (she s a mini-inspector) 7 aren t cheap labour they re people ITALICISED word people shows Sheila s compassion; an actress would emphasis it. 8 Yes, but you can t. It s too late. She s dead. The Inspector is not gentle with Sheila when she expresses regret. MONOSYLLABIC words in three dramatic simple sentences show the Inspector s no nonsense approach 9 Well? (end of act 1) Well? (start of act 2) Inspector uses a one word question to Gerald, this adds tension at end of act 1. The inspector is an OMNISCIENT INQUISITOR who uses ANAPHORA to link acts 1 and 2 as he accuses Gerald. METAPHOR for hell/war DRAMATIC IRONY the audience know that WW1 and WW2 will happen. SYNDETIC LIST with repetition of the connective AND draws out the meaning and impact of this statement 10 Fire and blood and anguish Inspector tells the family that if they don t learn their lessons now they will learn them in hell/wars 11 Unpleasant and disturbing Gerald wants to avoid Sheila hearing something that might upset her Gerald is being HYPOCRITICAL when he uses these NEGATIVE ADJECTIVES as Daisy Renton was not spared an unpleasant and disturbing time.
An Inspector Calls: recommended quotations to learn These quotations are particularly useful as they show meaning as well as character or theme AND terminology Quotation Theme/character (AO1) Terminology (AO2) 12 aren t cheap labour they re people Sheila says this, agreeing with the Inspector: sign that she is showing a sense of morality and progress in society (she s a mini-inspector) ITALICISED word people shows Sheila s compassion; the actress would say it with emphasis. 13 Yes, but you can t. It s too late. She s dead The Inspector is not gentle with Sheila when she expresses regret. MONOSYLLABIC words in three dramatic simple sentences show the Inspector s no nonsense approach 14 Well? (end of act 1) Well? (start of act 2) Inspector uses a one word question to Gerald, this adds tension at end of act 1. The inspector is an OMNISCIENT INQUISITOR who uses ANAPHORA to link acts 1 and 2 as he accuses Gerald. 15 All helped to kill her Eric understands that the whole family is responsible. They have individually behaved badly with a cumulatively terrible result. MONOSYLLABIC DECLARATIVE sentence has a lot of impact as it JUXTAPOSES the positive all helped with the negative to kill her
