J.B. Priestley,

An Ins;Jpector CallsRevision Guide

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The chronology of the playThemesPlot and structure . \What is the significance of Priestley writing ~ play in:1946 which is set in 1912?Who is the Inspec..t~? ---~~ ~~Revision ideas about narrative structure .Looking at two characters in detail: Mr Birling and Sheila

The chronology 'of the play:

Year and month - What 'happensSeptember 1910 -'December 1910Late January 1911March 1911Early September 1911

Eva sacked by Bir1ing & Co.Eva employed by Milwards.Eva sacked by Milwards.Eva becomes Gerald's mistress.Gerald breaks off the affair. Eva leaves Brumley for twomonths. .Eric meets Eva.Eva fmds she is pregnant.

'Mrs. Birting turns down Eva's application for help.Eva's suicide/the Inspector calls*

'November 1911December 1911/January 1912(Late March 1912Early Apri11912

ResponsibilitySocial responsibility - everyone is responsible for evet]one else. Who says this? Knows this?Learns this? Refuses to accept this? Group people in term~ of how they respond to thesequestions.Personal responsibility: who does -and does not - accept responsibility for his or her ownactions? How closely are the two types of ,responsibility linked?

LoveWhat kinds oflove do we see in the play? Husband and wife; parents and children; brother andsister; engaged couple; illicit lovers. Do the characters' lives and places in society affect theircapacity to love? Does anyone feel true love? For whom? Include family as a related theme.

Time r-.~

What is the importance of time passing in the play? Of past and future? Youth and age? Notethat the play has at least two time periods: 1912 (when set), 1946 (when first performed) andnow - how far is it still relevaP-t? .

Role of womenHow are women presented in the play? What does this say about their position in society?

ClassHow is the class system presented in the play? How important are Priestley's socialist views?

Plot and structure ,~~~~The acts are structured to lep.vethree dramatic pauses: Gerald's affair, Mrs Birling's denunciationof the father ofthe baby, and the [mal phone call. This gives the playa whodunit structure, eventhough we quickly see the play is a whydunit.

Act One introduces the Birling family, theInspector's arrival, Birling's story of why he fIred thegirl, Sheila's story of her vindictive complaint against her, ~nd Gerald's private admission to hisfIancee of his involvement with Paisy.

Act Twobegins with Gerald's story of his somewhat exploitative relationship with Daisy,followed by Mrs Birling's unremorsefu,l account of her rejection of the girl due to her pregnancy.Eric returns and ....

Act Three move into the sordid story of Eric's one night stands with a now desperate woman, hisimpregnation of her, and his resorting to stealing to support her. This final act also deals withtheIr reactions to this new knowledge, their discovery of the apparent hoax, and the [mal phonecall taking the story back to its starting point. j •.

What is the significance of Priestley writing a play in 1946 which isset in 1912?

The play opens with a scene of great luxury: a wealthy family is celebrating an engagement in avery lavish fashion. This will be obvious to an audience that has spent the Second World Warwithout the luxuries that the Birlings are so abundantly enjoying (rationing contmued into the1950s). Although Churchill (a Conservative) is seen as a war hero for leading the fight againstNazism (he led a coalition govern~fep.t of Labour, Conservative and Liberal elements) a Socialistgovernment has won a landslide victory in the 1945 General Election. Priestley was a supporterof the Labour party, and made many broadcasts on radio in which he tried to persuade people ofthe merits of socialism.

In order to do this, Priestley sets the play in a time before there was a welfare state in the UnitedKingdom, and when employers had great power over their workers.

Historical events of the time:Sailing of the Titanic (imminent departure mentioned in the play)Captain Scott and his expedition failed to reach the South Pole.The Suffragette movement campaigning for women's rights. ~Coal miners and others on strike for better pay and conditions.- %

''''''GDmeumest in Russia beginr~l'1g,mentioned in the play:- .-"~Trade unions beginning to gain some power in society. f1l

Advances oftechnology: electric lighting in homes & cinema (mass media).Motor cars developing, but only owned by those who were rich enough to do so.No help from the state for poor. No DHSS or NHS & life expectancy about 46 years.Events leading to World War I are well under way.

Society in 1912 ., 1/. .

People were expected to know their place in society and stitk to it and moving from one sectionof the class system to another was frowned upon by those in power. .

-Workers were beginning to l5;:tit be known that they wanted to have a say in what happened tothem and did so through strikes and the formation of trade unions to co-ordinate these actions.This was a strange idea to those who owned the fac;tories and workplaces, who expected to havecomplete control over all aspects oftheir workers lives. The bosses wanted things to stay as theyalways had been, with them in control of the lab~ur, Jobs, conditions and pay. The bosses, beingof a higher class thap. the workers, believed that they knew best and should make decisions forthe masses. These were mainly based on how much profit they could make and they rarelyconsidered the welfare of the workers.

In the play itself the main family, the Birlings are wealthy middle class landowners andproprietors of a large factory that was built up by the father ofMr Birling. He has hopes ofgaining a knighthood, due to his service .as a magistrate and as Lord Mayor, which he sees as hisway to climb the social ladder to the lower rungs ofthe aristocracy. Mrs Birling, who is clearly ofa higher social class than her ,husband, represents an earlier run on this ladder. Sheila's marriageis another rung -Lady Croft, in particular, is a member of the aristocracy and hoped for a: better

match for her son .. Note that both Mrs Birling and Lady Croft have married 'down' socially--presumably for money. Class therefore operates at every level in this play. Birling's knighthoodwill bring hinf closer to the Crofts (though still not equal) and is clearly his main concern whenconsidering Eva's fate. '

This rigid social hierarchy is repeated in the family unit. Father was head of the family and hisword was law. Mothers had some influence, especially over daughters, but were less direct inshowing power. Children, even when adult, were expected to obey parents. As Sheila isunmarried and Eric lives at home and works for his father they are treated as dependent children.

Being above the law (or playing goI{with the Chief Constable)Setting the play in 1912 enables Priestley to portray Mr Birling as a man who can use hisinfluence to stop the Inspector from continuing with his investigation. Many people in 1946 fe'ltthat ending this kind of inequity was partly why World War II was fought. In the same way,Sheila is able to have Eva sacked from Millwards' shop by threatening the manager that herfamily will close its account there unless Eva goes. It would be hard to refuse such a threat.

Mr Birling's idea of progressMr Birling's views of the likely results oftechnological change (see his comments on cars andaeroplanes) are deeply ironic. The audience would be keenly aware of how wrong he was aboutthe Titanic, Russia and the unions. (The play was \Yfitten before most people realised how brutalStalin's regime was in Russia.)

Young men and wild oats .This play depicts a common situation from the early years of the 20th century - young womenfrom the middle classes would not be sexually active before marriage. This has little to do withvirtue - but much to do with securing a good match. But poorer women could sometimes beseduced in return for material rewards (Eva's life wIth Gerald is considerably more comfortablethan she could ever manage with her own earnings, though that is not her motivation). However,a man who married completely out of his class (e.g. Gerald marrying Eva) would find his wife asocial outcast - and he with her to a lesser extent. Middle .and;tipper class men were allowed

....•.""",-

considerable sexual freedom (if they were discreet) - but onty with working class women.?

Seducing a middle-class girl meant breaking a powerful moral code.

Working class girls were at the mercy of rich men and could find it hard to refuse sex as thesemen held social and economic power. Many became pregnant and had no resources to care for 'themselves or their children. Unmarried mothers were frowned upon and in some cases treated asif they were mad and locked up.

Charity and the welfare stateBecause this is 1912, there is no system of benefit payments for 'impoverished people; Eva has toapproach a committee of which Mrs. Birling is the chairman, but is refused help. Charity workwas one area where wealthy women had some independent power. While many were no doubtgenuinely charitable, Mrs. Birling's exploitation of her position to feel self-important (whiledenying help to those who really need it) was quite common.

Women who disapproved of their husbands and sons sleeping with working-class girls wereexpected to overlook and forgive tlfeir b~haviour. They may well have felt tempted to show their

"1;;'--w. ,

,anger by refusing help to the girls themselves instead. Think about how Mrs Birling insists uponthe responsibility of the father - this could almost be a kind of feminism.

ConclusionWhen you have looked at all of these ideas, you should consider the question in a more generalsense. Th~ Inspector, in his [mal speech, tries to show how both the First World War, and theSecond, which had just ended when Priestley wrote the play, were the result of attitudes andbehaviour such as those of powerful and wealthy families like the Birlings: This may 'explainWhy all the worst features of such families seem to be present in the Birlings: they represent theworst qualities of their class. ,Consideqwhether you think they are believable as individuals, orhave they been made too bad to be tro€'1 . '

Who is the Inspector?

Priestley used supernatural effects in other plays to make a moral point. (He also played withtime - in this play the Inspector's visit seems to have taken notime at all.)

• The timing of his entry (noted by Eric);~' His method of working:-"l:lfieperson and one line of enquiry at ~" (A policeman Q~

would not insist on this. A r~alpoliceman would interview people alone. This IT/spectoralready knows; he wants the others to see what they have done.)

• His asking Birling why he refused Eva's request for a pay rise.• His saying that he never takes offence.• His statement that he does not see much of the chief constable.• His failure to be alarmed by Birling's threats.• His reply to Birling's question: "You sure of youI factf?"! "Some of them - yes". (Not all, .

because not all have happened yet: Eva Smith has not yet killed herself it would seem.)• His concern for moral law not for criminallaw.• Sheila's recognition of his authority arid supernatural knowledge - as shown in her

warnings to Gerald and to'her mother.• His statement about his impression on Sheila: "We often do on the young on,es".• His impatience to "get on" with his questioning followed by his statement that he hasn't

"much time". (A police officer would take as much time as was needed. Does he needs tofinish before Eva decides whether or.not to end her life?)

• His saying, "I don't need to know any more", once he has shown the Birlings and Geraldwhat each has done.

• His [mal speech, which has nothing to do with criminal law, but which is a lecture on 'social responsibiility and the perils of ignoring it.

• The Birlings' discovery that no such officer is on the local police force.• The Inspector's telling Sheila there is "no reason why" she should "understand about" him• Eric's saying ''He was our police inspector all right" followed by Sheila's comment "Well,

he inspected us all right" I

Who or what is the Inspector? In the text there are many clues. Examine each of these and try tointe~r~it ' .

• His foreknowledge of Eva's death and intimate knowledge of Eva's life although he neverspoke to he~ .

• His prediction of a massive social catastrophe ("fire and blood and anguish") whichclearly refers (for the Birlings) to the First World War and (for the audience) to bothWorld Wars. •

• His name: a "ghoul" is an evil demon, which eats the flesh'ofthe dead, or, .metaphorically, a person obsessed by another's d~ath. After he has gone the Inspettor issaid by Birling to have exploited Eva's alleged death to frighten the "victims" of hissupposed practical joke. Is it more important to know who the Inspector is, or what he hasto say? Should Priestley (the playwright) have made him more obviously spooky?

Some useful ideas to remember as you read through the play:

• Structure: this is very compact; nothing is allowed to distract the audience from thecentral theme. There is no sub-plot. This gives a more intense and even claustrophobiceffect:

• The Classical Unities: Priestley obeys all three - again, for an intensive effect. Oneplace, one plot, and one time - in fact stage time and 'real time' are the same.

• Establishing the scene: Act One begins by introducing the characters and establishingthe idea of a happy and united family looking forward to the future with confidence. Inretrospect, there are hints that all is not as it seems but these are not obvious until later.There is nothing to warD.us of the shock of the Inspector's visit

• Crisis: With the arrival of the Inspector, tension builds up to the play's crisis: we arequickly inf9rmed of Birling and Sheila's involvement with Eva Smith. Tensions increase,firstly as Gerald's affair is unveiled (and the scandal it would cause) and Sheila begins torealise that they are all implicated in some way 'hej.s giving us rope - so that we'll hangourselves'. -..-Ii .

• Dramatic irony: Mrs Birling's attempts to shift the blame for the girl's suicide leads herto blame the father of the unborn child. The tension is heightened further at this point bythe dramatic entrance of Eric.

• Apparent resolution: with the departure of the Inspectpr it would appear that whatfollows will be an anti-climax as the Inspecto,.r'sidentity is put into doubt by Mr and MrsBirling and Gerald. Even the existence of Eva is called into question. However, sometension remains as the two generations argue about what has really happened - the moraldivide is very great indeed

• Actual resolution: the final denouement, the phone call announcing that a policeinspector is on his way to ask some questions about a girl who has just died in theinfirmary ensures that the audience will leave the audit<;>riumin a state of real shock Thefalse ending followed by a real one gives a real detective thriller effect.

Looking at two characters in detail: Mr Bitting and SheilaMr Birling

• prosperous factory owner, not the social equal of his wife. He is 'a self made man'. .

• first priority is to make money '!t'y my duty to keep labour cost down'

• welcomes Croft into his family as he represents a business link between his firm and thatof Gerald Croft's father (a rival)

has an honest approach to life, se tells the Inspector that he wouldn't listen to Eva Smith'sdemand for a wage rise 'I refust~!d,of course' and is surprised why anyone should questionwhy.

• strongly believes that 'a man has to make his own way'. He does not consider the harm hemay cause to other people because of his attitude. He is a 'hard headed business man '

• he is a magistrate and former mayor who is looking forward to receiving a knighthood

• he is very aWare that Gerald's mother is rather against her son's marriage because shebelieves him to be marrying beneath him socially

• he is optimistic about the future, yet we know that what he predicts will not become true(NB dramatic irony)

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• he refuses to accept any responsibility for Eva's death. He £Jcomes increasing annoyed=- by the Inspector's questigr:;llig and Eric's uns'yrnpathetic attituue~ 6~

. ~• he tries to threaten the Inspe.ctor by talking about his friendship with the Chief Constable

• the most disturbing part of the play for Biding is the scene in which he learns that his ownson is shown to be a thief, a drunkard and is responsible for fathering a child. When helearns of all this he exclaims 'You damnedfool- fIlhydidn'tyou come to me when youfound yourself in this mess?'

• Eric's reply indicates that Mr Biding was never close ,to his son 'Because yo~'re not thekind of chap a man could turn to when he's in troubl~~",Such a response indicates thatthings aren't going to improve much after the play ends

• he.represents a very unattJactive sort of person. At the end of the play he grudginglywishes things were better but even here he still thinks in terms of money 'Look, Inspector- I'd give thousands'

• he continues to ignore the shameful things that his family has done. When it appears thatthe Inspector might be a hoaxer he is.happy to believe that everything is as it was a fewhours ago. He copies the Inspector and laughs when he re:rp.embersthe faces of Eric andSheila and accuses them of being 'thefamous younger generation who know it aIr. This isan example of pride coming bef<,?rea fall, a moment later of course he is panicking as thephone rings again '. '

• Mr Birling represents Priestley's hatred of businessmen who are only interested in makingmoney. He will never alter his ways and it is left to the younger generation to learn fromtheir mistakes

Sheila

• at the start ofthe play she is 'very pleased with life'. She is young, attractive and has justbecome engaged

• her happiness is soon to be destroyed as is her faith in her family

.• her response to the tragedy is one of the few encouraging things to come out of the play.She is genuinely upset when she hears of Eva's death and learns from her own behaviour

• she is very distressed by the girl's suicide and thinks that her father's behaviour wasunacceptable. She readily agrees that she behaved very badly and insists that she nevermeant the girl any harm.

• the Inspector says that she is only partly responsible aria later on, when he is about toquestion Gerald, he encourages her to stay and listen to what he has to say so that shedoesn't feel entirely responsible '.

• not only is she prepared to admit her faults, she also appears' keen and anxious to changeher behaviour in the future, 'I'll neNer, never do it again'

• she is aware of the mystery surrounding the Inspector, yet realises that there is no point intrying to hide the facts from him

• she is mature about the breaking up of her engagement and remains calm. She won't berushed into accepting the ring back once the Inspector has left

• she is unable to accept her parents attitude and is both amazed and concerned that theyhaven't learned anything from the episode. Although the Inspector might be a hoax, thefamily have still behaved in an entirely unsuitable manner

• she leafns of her responsibilities to others less fortunate than herself (the idea ofthecommimity) and is sensitive. Her readiness to learn from experience is in great contrast toher parents

Looking at these notes, make some of your own about the ojh.erc)laracters based on yourknowledge of the play and the historical background in this:t(;:vision guide.

This revision guide should help you with ·the sort of questions that are likely to appear on theLiterature Paper - but remember, the most important revision is to read the play carefully. Itwon't take long - and it is absolutely essential.