An Inspectors Calls Flashcards
What have the Birling family been doing just before Act One begins?
They were having dinner to celebrate the engagement of Gerald and Sheila.
When Gerald tells Sheila he was busy working over the summer, she replies “Yes, that’s what you say.” What does this suggest about their relationship?
This shows there is some tension between them because Sheila thinks Gerald is lying.
What is dramatic irony?
Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the characters on stage don’t.
Give two examples of dramatic irony from Arthur’s speech.
→ Arthur claims that there won’t be any serious “labour trouble in the near future”, but the audience knows that there were actually many strikes between 1912 and 1945.
→ He also says “there isn’t a chance of war” (the First World War broke out in 1914) and that the Titanic is “unsinkable” (it sank later the same year, 1912).
How does Priestley’s use of dramatic irony affect the audience’s initial impression of Arthur?
Priestley’s use of dramatic irony makes Arthur appear overconfident and foolish. He tells Eric that he has “a lot to learn yet”, but the audience knows that it’s Arthur who is misguided. This means they are less likely to trust his judgement in the rest of the play.
What evidence is there from the beginning of Act One to show that class is important to Arthur and Sybil Birling?
Here are some points you could have made:
▢ Arthur is happy to have Gerald as his son-in-law because Gerald comes from an upper-class family, so he is seen as a good match for Sheila. ▢ Sybil is worried about what Arthur says in front of Gerald. She tells him that a man of his class is "not supposed to say such things" when he praises the dinner.
What does Arthur tell Gerald when they are alone before the Inspector arrives?
Arthur tells Gerald that he is expecting a knighthood. He wants Gerald to tell this to his mother, because he’s worried that Gerald’s mother thinks the Birlings are socially inferior.
Why do you thing Eric is “uneasy” when Arthur and Gerald joke that he has “been up to something”?
Eric is uneasy because he has been up to something. He’s stolen money from his father to give to Eva/Daisy, who he got pregnant, but his family don’t know about this.
Why does Arthur suspect that Inspector Goole is new to the police force?
Arthur suspects that Inspector Goole is new because he knows the local policemen “pretty well” and he has never heard of him.
Arthur tells Eric and Gerald that “a man has to make his own way”, and he is critical of the idea of “community and all that nonsense”.
What does this suggest about his approach to business and the people he employs?
This suggests that Arthur believes that a man should look after his own interests first in business and not expect to b helped by others. This attitude, combined with the dismissive term “nonsense” when talking about “community”, implies that he is unlikely to care much about the welfare of his employees.
Explain how the mood of the play changes when the Inspector arrives.
Here are some points you could have made:
▢ The atmosphere in the room becomes more serious, as the Inspector gives a graphic description of Eva/Daisy’s tragic death as soon as he arrives.
▢ His arrival creates tension — he doesn’t reveal the purpose oh his visit immediately, causing Arthur to get impatient and making the audience wonder why he is there.
True or false? Arthur thought Eva Smith was good at her job.
True. Arthur describes her as a “good worker” who was on track for promotion.
How do each of these characters feel about Arthur’s decision to sack Eva?
(a) Eric (b) Gerald
(a) Eric criticised his father and insists that he “could have kept on”.
(b) Gerald defends Arthur’s decision, claiming that he “couldn’t have done anything else”.
Why does Arthur mention to the Inspector that the Chief Constable is “an old friend”?
Arthur mentions that he knows the Chief Constable because he thinks he can intimidate (frighten) the Inspector by showing that he has contacts high up in the police.
Explain how Arthur reacts to the Inspector’s style of questioning in Act One.
Arthur is shocked and offended by the Inspector’s abrupt style of questioning. He warns the Inspector that he doesn’t “like the tone” of his questions and speaks to him “impatiently” and “angrily”
Arthur claims that sacking Eva had “nothing whatever to do with the wretched girl’s suicide”. What does this quote suggest about his attitude to Eva?
This shows that Arthur doesn’t have any regret for what happened to her and can’t see how his actions could have affected her. Calling her “wretched” shows that he has a condensing attitude towards her — he doesn’t seem to care that she’s died a gruesome death and is frustrated that her death has interrupted his evening.
Sheila admits that she got Eva/Daisy sacked from Milwards because:
A. Eva/Daisy spoke rudely to her.
B. She thought Eva/Daisy wasn’t important.
C. She was jealous of Eva/Daisy.
D. She just loves a good bit of drama.
C. Sheila was jealous because Eva/Daisy was “a very pretty girl” and the dress suiter her much better than it suited Sheila.
How did Sheila abuse her position of power to get Eva/Daisy sacked?
Sheila abused her position “as a daughter of a good customer” to persuade the manager to sack Eva/Daisy by threatening to get her mother to close their account.
How does Sheila know that Gerald is lying to her at the end of Act One?
Sheila knows that Gerald is lying because he said “What?” in a “startled” manner when the Inspector mentioned the name “Daisy Renton”.
How does Sheila respond to finding out she was involved in Eva/Daisy’s death? How is her response different to Arthur’s?
Sheila is upset by the tragic death and feels responsible for it — she clearly regrets her actions, saying “if I could help her now, I would”. Her response is different to Arthur’s — he wasn’t upset and was only interested in proving to the Inspector that he’s not responsible. This suggests that Sheila shows remorse but Arthur doesn’t.
The Inspector says he “wouldn’t know where to draw the line” between respectable citizens and criminals. What do you think he means by this?
He means that it can be difficult to tell what a person is really like and that appearances can be deceiving. His words hint at the fact that seemingly respectable people like the Birlings and Gerald are capable of immoral and illegal actions. This also suggests that the Inspector is going to show the other characters that these categories aren’t as clear cut as they might think.
Briefly summarise the key events of Act One.
The Birlings are celebrating Gerald and Sheila’s engagement. The Inspector arrives and starts asking questions about a girl who’s killed herself. It is revealed that Arthur sacked the girl and Sheila got her fired from her next job.
Who is the only character who doesn’t meet the Inspector in Act One?
Sybil — she doesn’t meet the Inspector until early in Act Two.
Which word best describes how Eric feels around his family in Act One?
A. uncomfortable
B. casual
C. disgusted
D. content
A. Eric is “not quite at ease” around his family — he feels like his parents don’t understand him, he is hiding habit from them and he argues with Sheila.
