Inspector Calls Background and overview
- Created by: cristelle_bae
- Created on: 29-04-17 12:16
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- An Inspector Calls
- Background Information
- The play is about class and social divide
- Written in 1945
- So this was during the second world war, and so war clearly influenced J.B Priestley's writing.
- The play itself is set in 1912, just before the start of the first world war.
- Message:
- He wanted his audience to think about the consequences of their actions, especially at a time of war.
- An Inspector calls is basically asking everyone to unite and improve society.
- The Play was written by a man named J.B. Priestley, who was very socialist, especially after being wounded in world war one.
- Setting
- The play is set in Brumley, a city in the midlands.
- Brumley would have been quite industrial and busy. With factories and terraced houses for workers.
- Characters
- Arthur Birling
- Successful business- man. Owns a factory. Cares about reputation.
- Sybil Birling
- Arthur's wife. Obsessed with etiquette and status.
- Eric Birling
- Mr and Mrs Birling's son. Secret alcoholic who has lots of pressure from parents as he will inherit family business.
- Gerald Croft
- Upper-class businessman. Engaged to Sheila. Thirty years old. Family competitor of the Birling's.
- Sheila Birling
- Mr and Mrs Birling's daughter. Engaged to Gerald. Early twenties. Cares about material things.
- The inspector
- Mysterious character who claims to be with the police. Investigating death of Eva Smith.
- Eva smith/daisy renton
- Victim of the play, although we never see her.
- Edna
- Birling's parlour maid, only a few lines. Only working class woman on stage.
- Arthur Birling
- What happens?
- Act One
- 1.One spring evening, 1912. Celebratory meal for engagement. Birling gives speech to Eric and Gerald about how "A man has to make his own way"
- 2. Inspector Goole arrives, gives news about Eva. He begins to question members one by one. Audience finds out that Mr Birling had sacked Eva from his factory.
- 3. Then we discover that Sheila had gotten her fired from her job at Millwards for giving her a funny look.
- 4. Finally, Inspector says she changed name to Daisy Renton. Gerald is shocked.
- Act Two
- Although Gerald tries to hide it, he admit Daisy Renton was his mistress last summer. Sheila gives him back his ring and Gerald goes for a walk.
- The inspector gets Sybil to confess that she got her group to deny Eva/Daisy help when she was pregnant. Sybil Blames the baby's father.
- Sheila guesses that Eric is the father of the baby.
- Act Three
- 1. Eric returns from his walk. He knows its inevitable the truth will come out. He explains how he met Eva at a bar and drunkenly forced her to have sex.
- 2. This got her pregnant, and he stole money from his dads company to support her, but Eva/Daisy rejected it and turned to Sybil's charity for help.
- 3. Eric blames Sybil for killing his child, and the inspector reminds them all that we are all "members of one body"
- Act Four
- Goole leaves, and Gerald returns saying he spoke to a policeman and he didn't recognize the name Goole.
- Gerald calls the hospital to see if anyone had committed suicide and there is no one. Gerald, mr and mrs birling all decide they can relax
- Sheila and Eric argue that they all still did horribke things but they wont listen.
- The phone rings. A young woman has killed herself and an inspector is coming to visit.
- Act One
- Background Information
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