An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls

1. Characters

   • Mr Birling
     • Arthur seems very confident. His is head of his family and the boss of his own buisness
     • He likes to be in control and he keeps reminding everyone that he's in charge.
       • for example: birling doesnt want to be told what to do and 'angrily' tells the insepctor, 'well-if you dont mind-i'll find out first'
     • over the course of the play, Birlings authority is undermined. the inspector reveals birling as an ambitious anxious man who'll ignore the needs of others to keep up profits and a good reputation.
       • ambitious:'theres a very good chance of a knighthood'
       • buisness minded: 'a hard-headed, practical man'
       • anxious:'there'll be a public scandal-unless were lucky'
       • selfish: 'a man has to make his own way'
     • Buisness man
       • see's daughters marriage as a buisness deal and hopes it will bring lower costs and higher prices
       • He is very optimistic about the future. he thinks that strikes wont be a problem for his company and dismisses any fear of war
     • Social responsibility- birling dismisses the idea of social responsibility. he calls people like goole 'cranks'
       • wont accept his responsibility for the death of Eva Smith
   • Mrs Birling
     • proud of her social status
     • follows the rules of etiquette as it improves her families staus
     • she has a strong set of beliefs and rules which makes her prejudice
       • 'as if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money'
     • she is prepared to be cruel to preserve her own status
       • 'i used my influences to have it refused'
     • social superior to Mr birling
       • Sybil tells her husband off for saying the food was good in front of a guest
         • it isn't polite to mention people of a lower class
       • reminds her family of having better manners
       • doesn't let anyone boss her about especially not the inspector
     • Strict Standards
       • Sybil's social standards make her prejudice against people from a lower class
         • even though it was sybil herself who refused to help eva/daisy, she blames the father of the unborn child
         • he condemns her own son and demands that he should be made to pay and to confess publicly
     • Mrs Birling supports charity- but is not charitable herself
       • says the Brumley Women's charity only supports deserving cases
         • social responsibility- deserving was originally used to distinguish between who should be helps
     • self centred
     • dismissive
     • doesn't learn
   • Shelia Birling
     • Shelia is quick witted and strong minded
       • she hands Gerald's ring back when she finds out that he had been unfaithful
     • the year before she was very selfish and childish
       • used her social status to get Eva/daisy sacked
       • selfish: you used your power you had (...) to punish the girl'
     • however now she is very sensitive and moral
       • moral: 'but these girls aren't cheap Labour-they're people'
     • as the play moves on shelia grows for the better knowing the difference between right and wrong and even questions her own family
       • tells her mother of Eric's drinking problem
       • out of character for a child in 1912 to question olders
       • shes socially aware that men like alderman Meggarty use prostitutes
   • Eric Birling
     • Eric's isolated from the rest of his family
     • irresponsible as cant remember himself getting with the girl
     • sensitive: 'my God-i'm not likely to forget'
     • an alcoholic: 'i was in a state when a chap easily turns nasty'
     • hints are dropped by Priestley throughout the play to show Eric isn't all right
       • odd behavour foreshadows the disruption and threat later
     • hides dirty secrets which shows the dark side of the family life
     • Eric is not the only one who has a bad side however he is the only on eto be found out
       • theme of judgement
         • Gerald treats eva as his mistress and ends the affair his reputation is not damaged.
           • but Eric goes on to steal money and get her pregnant which brings scandal to the family
     • Eric is a villain and a victim
       • Birling seems disappointed in his son, and gets on better with Gerald.
       • he's the obvious villain but he accepts his repsonsibility
   • Gerald Croft
   • The Inspector
     • Takes charge
       • unexpectedly arrives
       • he says he's there to ask some questions
       • leaves after delievering a speech on social responsibility
       • described as a authorative and imposing.
         • authorative: 'all in good time'
         • mysterious: ' was it a hoax?'
         • moral: 'we don't live alone. we are members of one body'
     • driving force of the play
       • starts off by summarising the events: 'suicide,of course'
       • forces information out of characters by bluntly saying what the other characters are trying not to say
       • reveals new infromation increasing the tension
     • Language
       • uses emotive language to stir things up
       • uses personal language to make characters feel guilty and raise the theme of social responsibility
       • he does not take some answer and follows up with questions
     • From a different world
       • he is not impressed by Mr birlings profile
       • he talks about subjects like sex and politics which the Birlings would never talk about as it may affect their social class
       • he does not follow the etiquette that Mrs birling does as he interrupts, repeats and puases in ways which were not normal in middle class society
       • Could be consider more that a police officer as he represents the police and courts by finding out the truth
       • inspector is a joke with the name goole sounds like ghoul relating to a ghost or could represent the spirit of a religious figure

2. Themes

   • Britain in 1912
     • divided by class- those who had the most money had the most power
     • Only men who owned property could vote. women did not have the right and were controlled by their husbands
     • There was not much governement help for people. this is why charities like Mrs birlings were so important
   • Britain in 1945 (when priestley wrote the play)
     • britain was still divided by class, however men and women over 21 got the vote, which meant power was shared evenly
     • From 1930 an economic depression hit many British industries, which caused an increase in unemployment
     • Socialism and left wing ideas become moree popularas it called for more equal sharing out of wealth and power
   • Family
     • Expectations of middle class families in 1912
       • family members were expected to know there role and be content with their position
       • Parents were incharged and children expected to be obedient and unquestioning
       • Men were expected to work to support their family and protect their wives and daughters
       • Women were expected to marry into money so they didnt have to work and plan parties , visit friends and have children
     • working class families
       • women were expected to have jobs , many worked in factories or as servants
     • The Birling family
       • want everyone to believe they are the perfect family
       • roles are clearly defined
       • Mrs Birling keeps correcting the families social mistakes
   • Social Class
     • class puts across the message of social responsibility
     • working class- hard jobs and earns very little money
       • Eva Smith/ Daisy Renton
     • Middle Class-Owned factories, had money and control
       • Birling Family
     • Upper Class- inherited loads of land and money , were often lords or ladies
       • Gerald Croft
       • did not question the class system as it worked for them
     • The birlings believe Class is all the matters
       • Mr Birling uses Gerald to promote his social class, and hints hes expecting a knighthood. He sees his daughters marriage as an oppurtunity to increase his status
       • Mrs Birling is the leading member of the Brumley women's organisation which is to give money to the desperate but shes only involved for her social class
   • Social Responsibility
     • Characters Views are challenged
       • Birling- thinks community responsibility is nonsense. The interests of buisness ismore important than workers right
       • Mrs Birling- believes that they have no responsibility to the working class
       • Shelia- realises getting Eva/daisy sacked out of spite was irresponsible but she didnt do anything at the time. the inspector challenges her to improve her behaviour
       • Eric- realises too late that his selfish actions were responsible for ruining eva/Daisy's chances of improving her life
     • Main focus of the Inspector
       • His final speech is clear and to the point- summarising the lesson of responsibility
       • The inspector aim is not to make The Birling family guilty its to make them aware of the difficulties faced by the lower classes
     • Priestley's moral seems to be that it doesnt take great people to change the world as we change it every day
   • Judgement
     • morality plays
       • morality plays were religious plays written in the middle ages. they tried to teach people how to behave
         • An inspector calls follows the same idea, that they need to learn about other classes and how they all played a part in Eva Smiths death
           • the inspector plays the part of representing the moral judge
     • Shelia picks up on something odd about the inspector and questions it all along
     • unbelieveable that the inspector would know so many details
     • Geral, Mr and Mrs Birling believe it to be a hoax
     • Eric and Shelia hold true to their moral instincts- even when they are given an opportunity to pretend it never happened
   • learning about life
     • Birling sneers at Eric's private education and the younger generation who 'know it all' because he's worked his way up and doesnt believe they can be smarter
       • This arrogance is the reason Birling is stubborn believe no one lower than him has any use to tell him except Gerald due to his high class
     • Mr Birling, Mrs Birling and Geralds arrogance prevents them from changing. they dont believe the way they acted was in the wrong
     • The inspector has more of an effect on Shelia and Eric, who are ashamed of their behaviour
       • Shelia does not jusr change her views but her personality- at the beginnin
     • the older generation do not think of troubling situations
       • e.g prostitution-' i see no point in mentioning the subject' Mrs Birling
         • Drinking-'it isnt true' Mrs birling when erics habit is revealed