An Inspector Calls: Study Notes, Schemes and Mind Maps of Voice

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An

Inspector

Calls

By

J.B.

Priestley

GCSE English Literature

Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry

The Exam

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes. Marks : 96 Weighting : 60% of the English Literature GCSE

You must answer four questions in total: one from Section A , one from Section B and two from Section C. This is a closed text exam, so you will not be able to use the texts.

Section A – ‘An Inspector Calls’. (30 marks plus 4 marks for SPaG = 36 total)

You have a choice of two questions. Pick one to answer. One question will usually focus on character and the other on theme. You should spend 50 minutes on this response.

Section B – Power and Conflict Poetry. (30 marks)

There is no choice of tasks. The question will name a poem and provide a copy of this poem, as well as a list of the other poems you’ve studied in that cluster (along with their authors) that you can use for comparison. You should spend 45 minutes on this response.

Section C – Unseen Poetry. (32 marks)

You will be given two unseen poems in this section and two tasks. You must complete both tasks. The first task will ask you to analyse a poem and comment on how particular ideas are developed. The second task will ask you to compare and contrast the methods used in your first unseen poem with another unseen poem. Spend 30 minutes on the first task (24 marks) and 15 minutes on the second task ( marks).

What the examiners are looking for…

Assessment Objectives You are assessed on the following in your responses:  AO1: respond to texts critically and develop an informed personal response using textual references and quotations – line of argument  AO2 analyse how language, structure and form are used by writers to create meaning and effects. Use relevant subject terminology – points of analysis and evaluation  AO3 show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written – context and comparisons across text/time/audience  AO4 : Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures with accurate spelling and punctuation. (only tested in Section A for both papers)

Revision Checklist

Characters Themes Context Plot Writer’s Craft

Focus

 The Inspector  Mr Birling  Mrs Birling  Sheila  Gerald  Eric  Eva Smith

 Charity  Greed  Poverty  Social Injustice  Class Divide  Age vs Youth  Gender

 Socialism  Capitalism  Women’s Rights + suffrage  1912 & pre- war  1945 + post-war fallout  Welfare State

General story as well as the progression of characters, themes and settings

 Foreshadowing  Archetype  Dramatic Irony  Foil  Entrances  Exits  Stage Directions  Irony  Juxtaposition

What you need to know

 Who they are  What they do and when they appear in the play  What their purpose is in the story/what they represent  Why Priestley chose to present them in this way/the effect it has on us (the reader)  How this character links to central themes/ messages  At least 5 key quotes to support your understanding of this character, fully annotated

 Where do we see them in the play  Which characters or ideas link to that theme and why  Priestley’s intention and message about that theme  How the context affects his reasoning for that theme  The effect the theme has on the audience

 How do they appear in the story  What effect do they have upon the characters  What was Priestley’s opinion on this  Why did this aspect affect Priestley so much

 What happens  Which event is revealed at which point  Why Priestley chose to structure his writing in this way  How the characters or themes evolve over the course of the play  The dramatic significance of each act and key events

 Why is it used  What effect does it have on the structure or layout of the text  How does it develop the central message or idea

Writer’s message is crucial and should be interwoven throughout each element of the story (character/theme etc…) as the whole purpose of writing a play is to get the message across! Using techniques to support your comments is also a key element of strong revision

Context

Timeline of events

Year and Month What happens? Person involved September 1910 Eva is sacked by ‘Birling & Co.’ Mr Birling December 1910 Eva is employed by Milwards Late January 1911 Eva is sacked by Milwards Sheila Birling March 1911 Eva (now Daisy Renton) becomes Gerald’s mistress

Gerald Croft

Early September 1911 Gerald ends the affair Gerald Croft Eva leaves Brumley for two months November 1911 Eric meets Eva Eric Birling December 1911/ January 1912

Eva discovers that she is pregnant

Eric Birling

Late March 1912 Mrs. Birling turns down Eva’s request for charitable help

Mrs Birling

Early April 1912 Eva commits suicide and the Inspector visits the Birlings

All

Priestley’s Intentions  He wrote the play to warn people to learn from past mistakes and

not to repeat them

 The play is set in 1912 – Edwardian England – two years before the start of WW

 The play was written in 1945 – just after WW2 – when the world had become more fragmented and the population disillusioned with society and traditional practices.

 The audience know that the characters are about to experience some of the terrible experiences and tragedies that they have lived through

• WW1, the Great Depression, WW2, labour strikes  The play uses dramatic irony to ridicule the views of people like Birling (capitalists). It

exposes these views as ignorant and self-centred and encourages the audience to side with the Inspector who expresses socialist ideals.

 The moral message of the play is a socialist one – that society and individuals have a responsibility to work together, support each other and treat everyone equally.

 The play is set in the fictional northern town of Brumley, based on the city of Bradford – an industrial town with factories owned by wealthy capitalists.

 Society in 1912 had extreme class divides with the vast majority of the population living on very low wages - 8 million people were living on £1.25 per week. People of different classes did not mix or associate with each other and class divide was fixed – there was very little social mobility.

Capitalism  Capitalism: the belief that people should only look after themselves and do not have to share their wealth with others. The focus of capitalism was on accumulating wealth and power.

 During the Second World War he broadcast a massively popular weekly radio programme which was attacked by the Conservatives as being too left wing.  The BBC eventually cancelled the programme, as it was too critical of the Government.  He continued to write into the 1970s, and died in 1984.

Society in 1912 (play set) Society in 1945 (play written)

WW1 would start in two years’ time.

WW2 ended in 1945 and people were recovering from years of warfare, shortages, danger and uncertainty.

Strong distinctions between the upper and lower classes.

Class distinctions had reduced because of two world wars and the necessity to fight alongside others.

Women were subservient to men. No significant role in society except as a wife and mother for the higher classes.

Because of the wars, women had earned a more valued place in society and the right to vote.

Women could not vote – suffragettes were protesting for suffrage

Women were able to vote and had become equal to men in terms of voice

The ruling classes felt that nothing needed to change politically.

Socialism grew more popular after WW and this lead to the creation of the welfare state.

Plot

Act 1, Part 1

• Spring evening 1912; the Birling family celebrates Sheila and Gerald's engagement.
• Mr Birling gives a pompous speech about his views on business and the economy
• Gerald presents Sheila with an engagement ring
• The evening is interrupted by an Inspector.

Act 1, Part 2  Inspector Goole is enquiring about the suicide of a young girl  He questions Mr Birling about his treatment of Eva as his factory worker.  Sheila admits she treated Eva badly.  Gerald reveals to Sheila that he knew Eva by the name Daisy Renton

Act 2, Part 2

• Mrs Birling is forced to admit that she knew Eva.
• Eva was pregnant and Mrs birling refused to help her
• Mrs Birling says the father of the unborn child is to blame. Sheila tries to stop her speaking.
• There is a realisation that Eric is the father. Eric enters

Act 2, Part 1

• Gerald and Sheila argue
• Mrs Birling enters and tries to bully the Inspector. Gerald gives details of his affair with Eva/Daisy
• Sheila expresses shame for the way she treated Eva
• Sheila gives the ring back to Gerald

Act 3, Part 1

• Eric confesses that he got Eva pregnant. Mrs Birling is distressed
• Eric revels that he stole money to give to Eva
• Eric learns that his mother refused to help and accuses her of killing her grandchild.
• The Inspector give a monologue on social justice, then exits

Act 3, Part 2

• Mr and Mrs Birling refuse to accept responsibility for Eva's death. Sheila and Eric acknowledge their part in it.
• Gerald returns, having discovered there is no evidence of An Inspector Goole on the force
• the family works out that the Inspector was an imposer an there was no suicide
• The phone rings - a police inspector is on his way to talk to them about a suicide.

 We learn Mr Birling sacked Eva from his factory two years ago, in September 1910. She led a group of women to ask for a pay rise in line with other factories in the area.  Mr Birling refused to give them a pay rise, instructing them to work elsewhere if they didn’t like what they were currently being paid.  This resulted in an unsuccessful strike, after which the ringleaders (including Eva Smith), were sacked.  Mr Birling finds himself defending his actions and Gerald supports him.  Hearing Eva’s story, Eric feels sorry for her, which causes him to argue with his father.  The Inspector is clearly on Eva’s side and this angers Mr Birling. He tries to intimidate the Inspector by listing who he is friends with and that he was once Lord Mayor.  The Inspector is not intimidated by Mr Birling, he ignores his comments.  At this point, Sheila enters the room unaware of what is going on.

Key quotations to learn:  Arthur Birling: o ‘It’s one of the happiest nights of my life’ o ‘It’s my duty to keep labour costs down’ o ‘I say there isn’t a chance of war’ o ‘community and all that nonsense’ o ‘She’d had a lot to say, far too much, so she had to go’ o ‘You’ll hear some people say that war is inevitable. And to that I say – fiddlesticks’

 Gerald: o ‘(laughs) You seem to be a nice well-behaved family’ o ‘You couldn’t have done anything else’

 Inspector: o ‘I’d like some information, if you don’t mind’ o ‘It’s better to ask for the world than to take it’

 Mrs Birling o ‘Men with important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business’

Exam Practice: Using one or more of the key quotations above, write a paragraph analysing how Priestley starts the play by establishing a happy, contented mood on stage.

In the same year Eva Smith was striking, Philip Snowden published ‘The Living Wage’ about the minimum amount of money a person needs to live on. This is something we still campaign for today.

AO

Act 1 (part 2)

Summary of events:

 Sheila feels sorry for Eva Smith. When she sees the photo, she becomes distressed and confesses that she knew the girl  Stella reveals that she complained about the girl, assuming she was laughing at her and mocking her. Her complaints got Eva Smith sacked from Milwards.  Eva Smith changed her name to Daisy Renton. Gerald reacts to this name and the act ends with the audience realising Gerald knew her somehow.

Key points from the scene:

The focus shifts to Sheila  Sheila is upset by the news of the girl’s suicide, particularly as the Inspector reveals she was both young and pretty.  The Inspector reveals that the case involves more than just Mr Birling.  The Inspector gives some background details to Eva Smith’s life and her situation.  Sheila agrees with him that the girl led a pitiful life and that she needed compassion.  The Inspector reveals that Eva took a job at Milwards in December 1910, but she was then sacked in the January after a complaint by a customer. Sheila recognises the girl’s picture and runs out of the room upset.  When she returns, Sheila admits that it is her fault that the girl was sacked.  She explains that she was in a bad mood and felt that the girl was laughing at her. She also admits that she was jealous because Eva was a pretty girl. She is clearly upset, partly for herself, but also for the role she has played in the death of Eva Smith.

The shift to Gerald  When Sheila leaves the room upset, Mr Birling departs to speak to her and his wife.  Eric and Gerald are left with the Inspector. Eric gets angry and tries to leave the room, but the Inspector insists that he stays.  After Sheila returns and confesses, the Inspector tells the three young people that Eva Smith then changed her name to Daisy Renton. From Gerald’s reaction to the news, he is clearly disturbed by this information.  The Inspector and Eric go to the drawing room to speak to Mr and Mrs. Birling, leaving Gerald and Sheila alone.  Sheila realises that Gerald knew Daisy during the previous spring/summer of 1911 and he had been having an affair with her.  Gerald thinks that he can keep this news hidden, but Sheila realises that the Inspector knows everything already.  The Inspector returns to the dining room and the act ends with his line: ‘Well?’

Both Sheila and Eva Smith are the same age but live dramatically different lives: Sheila’s is affluent, whilst Eva lives in loneliness and isolation. Priestley uses this to show just how much Eva suffered and therefore make us feel more sympathetic.

AO

Act 2 (part 1)

Summary of events:

 Gerald still hopes to hide his involvement with Eva/Daisy  The Inspector tells Gerald and Sheila that they are all responsible for her death  Mrs Birling behaves in a superior and condescending way to the Inspector  Gerald reveals details of his affair with Daisy, and Sheila breaks off the engagement

Key points from the scene:

The presentation of Mrs Birling

 Continuing from the end of Act 1, Gerald tries to get Sheila to leave so that he can hide his involvement. Sheila refuses.  The Inspector explains that Sheila wants to stay because she doesn’t want to nor should she have to shoulder all of the blame for Eva’s death  As the Inspector talks about their joint responsibility, Mrs Birling enters the room in a very confident manner. Sheila is immediately alarmed as she, Gerald and Arthur Birling all initially behaved in the same way.  Mrs Birling is condescending and patronising towards the majority of the characters: she refers to Eva’s lower class status, talks down to Sheila and tries to undermine the Inspector by boasting of her husband’s high status in the community. Despite this, the Inspector remains calm and blunt when speaking to her.  When Sheila reveals that Eric drinks too much, also confirmed by Gerald, Mrs Birling is shocked and annoyed, refusing to believe this could be true.  Sheila repeats her warning that her parents are making the situation worse and they are shocked to discover that Gerald knew Eva/Daisy as well.

Gerald and Daisy’s relationship

 Gerald reveals he met Daisy in March 1911 in a bar. Sheila’s parents don’t want her to hear this story, but she refuses to leave. The audience begins to recognise the juxtaposition between the protected life led by Sheila and the harsh existence and treatment of Eva Smith.  The reality of Daisy’s death suddenly hits Gerald and he becomes visibly distressed.  He describes taking Daisy for a drink to take her away from an upsetting encounter with Alderman Joe Meggarty (a city councillor who Gerald describes as a womanising drunk).  Mrs Birling is shocked by this revelation and the audience can see that she is blinded to the faults of those of a similar class/status to her.  Gerald explains to the Inspector that Daisy had no money and was hungry. He innocently moved her into his friend’s empty apartment, and they became lovers.  Mrs Birling is disgusted by his behaviour.

Gerald uses euphemism, referring to prostitutes as ‘women of the town’ – this is due to social expectations. In the Edwardian society even this wouldn’t have been said in front of women, so Goole is forcing the family to face the realities of Eva Smith’s life

AO

 Gerald reveals that he didn’t love Daisy, but he enjoyed the love and attention from her. He broke off the relationship in September 1911. The Inspector discloses that Daisy then went to the seaside as she was so upset; she wrote in her diary that she wanted to be alone to pretend that her time with Gerald was continuing.  Gerald asks to go for a walk. Before he goes, Sheila returns the engagement ring. She says that she respects his honesty, but they are now both different people as reality has removed any illusions.

Key quotations to learn:  Inspector: o ‘We’ll have to share our guilt’ o ‘We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable’  Mrs Birling: o ‘Girls of that class’  Sheila: o You mustn’t try to build a kind of wall between us and that girl’, o he's giving us the rope – so that we'll hang ourselves. o I don't dislike you as I did half an hour ago, Gerald. In fact, in some odd way, I rather respect you more than I've ever done before. o ‘and now, at least, you’ve been honest’  Gerald: o ‘All she wanted was to talk – a little friendliness’ o ‘women of the town’ o I didn't install her there so that I could make love to her

Exam Practice: Using one or more of the key quotations above, write a paragraph analysing how Priestley presents the different feelings that the characters have about Eva/Daisy.

It was common for upper- class and wealthy middle class men to have mistresses during the Edwardian era, provided it didn’t become public knowledge.

AO

 As Mr and Mrs Birling begin to realise the truth, Eric returns to the dining room.

Key quotations to learn:  Mrs Birling: o ‘I’m very sorry. But I think she only had herself to blame’ o ‘As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money!’ o I accept no blame for it all o She was giving herself ridiculous airs o She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position o Unlike the other three, I did nothing I'm ashamed of o ‘I used my influence to have it refused’

 Inspector: o you're not even sorry now, when you know what happened to the girl? o She needed not only money but advice, sympathy, friendliness o Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges.

 Sheila: o ‘(with sudden alarm) Mother – stop! – stop!’

Exam Practice: Using one or more of the key quotations above, write a paragraph analysing how Priestley presents Mrs Birling’s attitude towards Eva Smith.

Act 3 (part 1)

Summary of events:  We learn that Eric met Eva and forced himself on her.  Eric is revealed to be the father of Eva’s child.  Eric accuses his mother of killing Eva and the baby, and says that his father is unapproachable.  The Inspector reminds the Birlings that they are all responsible for Eva Smith’s death.  The Inspector states his belief that all members of society need to look after each other.

Key points from the scene:

Eric and Eva  The story picks up from the end of Act 2 and Eric realises that everyone knows the truth.  The family argue over Eric’s drinking and he retells how he met Eva in a bar.  Eric had been drinking a lot on the night they met.  After he turned aggressive, she let him stay at her flat where they had sex. At this point, Mr Birling orders Sheila to take her mother out of the room. Again, this highlights the contrast between the sheltered lives of the Birling women with the treatment and suffering of Eva.  Eric continues his confession. He met Eva again, by accident, and they slept together. Eva revealed that she was pregnant, but knew that Eric didn’t love her. To help her, he stole money from Arthur Birling’s office but when she found this out, she refused to take it.

Mr Birling’s reaction  Arthur loses his temper several times before Eric’s confession: first with the Inspector, who refuses to be intimidated by him, and then with Sheila when she doesn’t want to leave the room.  He also reveals his aggression during Eric’s confession. When Eric points out that some of Birling’s supposedly respectable friends have affairs, the Inspector has to stop Arthur from interrupting. He has another angry outburst when Eric admits to stealing. This action is what really makes Mr Birling angry  Arthur also comes across badly when Eric explains that he has a poor relationship with his father, feeling that he couldn’t have asked him for help.  Mr Birling still wants to cover the events up and avoid a public scandal.  It is particularly damning when he says that he would give thousands of pounds to make the problem go away, showing his capitalist values rather than any genuine regret.

The Inspector’s final message  When Sheila and Sybil return, the Inspector tells Eric how Eva was rejected by his mother’s committee, causing Eric to accuse Sybil of killing Eva and her own grandchild.  The Inspector sums up, telling them that they all killed Eva Smith. He goes through the family members, one

Eric now uses Euphemism! He says Eva ‘wasn’t the usual sort’, meaning the prostitutes at the Palace Theatre bar. The connections between prostitutes and theatres is one going back a long time, at least to Shakespeare’s time

AO

Some critics have said the Inspector’s final speech is unnecessary as it comes across as preaching at the audience. Others have said this speech is deliberately designed to make the audience think about their own responsibilities

AO

Act 3 (part 2)

Summary of events:  Gerald returns and reveals that the Inspector was not a real police officer.  They find out that there is no dead girl at the infirmary.  Arthur, Sybil and Gerald relax, thinking that everything can be covered up and forgotten.  Sheila and Eric still feel guilty and cannot understand the others’ behaviour.  The play ends with a phone call from the police saying that a girl has died and an inspector is on his way to the house.

Key points from the scene:

Reactions after the Inspector leaves  Arthur’s reaction to the Inspector and his revelations continues to be fear of the scandal. He also states his belief that he and Sybil can excuse their actions.  Sheila shows more guilt, pointing out that her parents haven’t learnt anything and criticising them for not focusing on the actual victim.  Sheila and Sybil begin to suspect that the Inspector was not a real police officer. Sheila doesn’t however, really think that this matters because they still killed Eva Smith. However, Mr and Mrs Birling focus on the possibility of the whole affair remaining private if the police don’t actually know.

Gerald’s return  When Gerald returns, Arthur tries to stop Sheila from telling him about Sybil and Eric’s involvement in Eva’s death.  Gerald reveals that the Inspector was not a real police officer.  Mr and Mrs Birling are relieved and believe the secret can be kept amongst them. Arthur telephones the chief constable and it is confirmed that Inspector Goole doesn’t exist.  While Gerald agrees with Arthur and Sybil, Sheila and Eric still feel guilt for what has happened.  Gerald, Arthur and Sybil begin to think the whole evening may have been a hoax. They ring the infirmary and find that there is no dead girl.

The end of the play  Arthur and Gerald relax and are pleased that their experience is over. Arthur raises a toast to the family but Sheila and Eric refuse to take part.  Arthur feels that everything is back to normal. He laughs about the evening’s events and suggests that Sheila asks Gerald for her engagement ring back.  Gerald offers her the ring but she refuses.  Sheila and Eric realise that the others haven’t learnt anything. She and Eric have been affected by the Inspector’s words of warning before he left.  Arthur laughs at his two children as the phone rings. It is the police: a girl has died after swallowing disinfectant and an inspector is on his way.

When Gerald discredits the Inspector, he conveniently forgets his involvement with Eva and the deception of Sheila! This is a pattern of his – he likes to avoid unpleasant truths, much like Eric.

AO

Key quotations to learn:  Sheila: o ‘Everything we said had happened really had happened’ o ‘You began to learn something. And now you’ve stopped’ o Between us we drove that girl to commit suicide.

 Mr Birling: o ‘(heartily) Nonsense! You’ll have a good laugh over it yet’ o ‘there’ll be a public scandal…and who will suffer from that more than I will?’ o ‘the famous younger generation who know it all’ o There's every excuse for what both your mother and I did o Probably a socialist or some sort of crank o a police inspector is on his way here – to ask some – questions –

 Eric: o And it doesn't alter the fact that we all helped to kill her. o The fact remains that I did what I did.

 Gerald: o Everything's all right now, Sheila. What about this ring?

Exam Practice: Using one or more of the key quotations above, write a paragraph analysing how Priestley presents the differences between Mr and Mrs Birling and their children.