An Inspector Calls

Question 1

Describe the inspector

Answer 1

-A mysterious man who claims to be police inspector
-He’s investigating the death o0f Eva smith/daisy renton

Question 2

Describe Gerald

Answer 2

-an upper class business
-engaged to Sheila

Question 3

Describe Sheila birling

Answer 3

-Birling’s daughter
-in her early twenties
-engaged to Gerald
-immature

Question 4

Describe Eric birling

Answer 4

-Birling’s son
-secret alcoholic
-going to inherit father’s business

Question 5

Describe Sybil birling

Answer 5

-Arthur’s wife
-obsessed with etiquette and her status in society

Question 6

Describe Arthur birling

Answer 6

-a successful businessmen who is well respected in Brumley
-owns a factory and is head of the Birling family

Question 7

Describe Eva smith/Daisy Renton

Answer 7

-lower working class
-victim of the play
-we never see her
-she might be loads of different girls or maybe not even dead

Question 8

What are the main themes?

Answer 8

-family life
-social class
-young and old
-men and women
-social responsibility

Question 9

What part did Arthur play in Eva smith’s death?

Answer 9

He sacked her for striking in protest against low wages

Question 10

What part did Sheila play in Eva smith’s death?

Answer 10

Asked for Eva smith to be sacked from a department store

Question 11

What part did Sybil birling play in Eva smith’s death?

Answer 11

She persuaded the women’s charity organisation to reject Eva’s appeal for help

Question 12

What part did Eric play in Eva smith’s death?

Answer 12

-was the father of her baby and left her
-he was drunk and forced her to have sex with him

Question 13

What part did Gerald play in Eva smith’s death?

Answer 13

She was his mistress and left her at the end of the summer

Question 14

How is the theme responsibility shown in an inspector call?

Answer 14

The inspector makes each character confess to their role in Eva smith’s fate and hope they need to take responsibility
He advocates collective social responsibility

Question 15

How is the theme social equality shown in an inspector calls?

Answer 15

Priestley shows the inspector to highlight social injustice and inequality

Question 16

How is the theme morality and the law shown in an inspector calls?

Answer 16

Inspector acts as a judge of morality rather than a legal position

Question 17

How is the theme of age shown in an inspector calls?

Answer 17

An inspector calls shows how the older generation are set in their ways, while the younger generation are open to change

Question 18

How is the theme public image shown in an inspector calls?

Answer 18

The Birling’s are portrayed as caring about appearance and reputation.
The inspector reveals their hypocrisy as he exposes their moral flaws.

Question 19

How is the theme of gender shown in an inspector calls?

Answer 19

Priestley highlights the patriarchal society through limited opportunities
-signs of change in Sheila

Question 20

What does the quote “i speak as a hard headed business man” show?

Answer 20

-mr birling represents himself as a typical capitalist - he sees being egotistical as a good thing
-he is all about money
-metaphor
-we are more susceptible to socialism

Question 21

What does the quote “as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonsense” show?

Answer 21

-socialism is shown in a positive light, although mr birling doesn’t agree

Question 22

What does the quote”it is better to ask for the earth than to take it” show?

Answer 22

-the inspector is teaching the Birling’s about the affects of their capitalist ways on the lower class
-hyperbolic metaphor-rich + powerful take all money + resources for themselves
-Shows social responsibility

Question 23

What does the quote “but these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people” show?

Answer 23

-Sheila responds to her capitalist father’s views
-Sheila reveals she’s able to change - socialism
-suggesting more equal rights + responsibility

Question 24

What does the quote “why - you fool - he knows” show?

Answer 24

-Sheila is perceptive + has realised the inspector’s role in the family
-Sheila recognises the omniscience of the inspector
-audience question what he knows
-Sheila is beginning to see Gerald in a different light

Question 25

What does the quote “no, he’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves” show?

Answer 25

-the inspector will get the Birling’s to admit their own guilt -they’re opinions and attitudes of the Birling’s incriminate them -the Birling’s have done this to themselves

Question 26

What does the quote “miserable plain little creature” show?

Answer 26

-Sheila attempts to rid herself of her guilt by blaming Eva from being pretty -lower class have no right to be pretty -Eva smith is compared to an animal -lower classes should be easy to manipulate -power of women lies in attractiveness - patriarchal society

Question 27

What does the quote “girls of that class” show?

Answer 27

-mrs birling thinks poorly of the lower classes -mrs birling is disrespectful of the lower classes -Mrs birling is distancing herself from the lower classes -age and gender

Question 28

What does the quote “i became at once the most important person in her life” show?

Answer 28

-Gerald explains the massive effect he had on daisy’s life -Gerald’s view could be unreliable

Question 29

What does the quote “you and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here” Show?

Answer 29

-Sheila is changing and distancing herself form Gerald -Gerald doesn’t change but Sheila has -Sheila is changing and breaking patriarchal boundaries - distancing herself from the dominant male

Question 30

What does the quote “ public men, mr birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges” show?

Answer 30

-the inspector is criticising mr Birling’s attitude to social responsibility -status means nothing to the inspector -mr birling is obdurate of older generation

Question 31

What does the quote “I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end. But i accept no blame for it at all” show?

Answer 31

-Mrs birling refuses to take social responsibility -her apology is insincere and not genuine

Question 32

What does the quote “i was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty” show?

Answer 32

-Eric hints that he acted immoral with Eva/daisy — alcohol and male violence -normalising violence against women -suggests state is normal

Question 33

What does the quote “there are millions and millions and millions of Eva smiths and john smith still left with us” show?

Answer 33

-the inspector is Priestley’s mouthpiece — prophetic message -audience is thinks of them too -many other people like Eva -common names to show they are working class

Question 34

What does the quote “we don’t live alone - we are members of one body.we are responsible for each other” show?

Answer 34

-metaphor -didactic message-didactic message -anaphoric

Question 35

What does the quote “if men will not learn that lesson, they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish” show?

Answer 35

-if we don’t change we will suffer -prophetic message -polysyndetic list