General Knowledge

Question 1

Gerald makes sexist and superficial comments about the women in the bar he visits.

Answer 1

“I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women.”

Question 2

How does Priestley explore ideas about gender in An Inspector Calls?

Answer 2

Eva Smith is a modern woman - she is independent and fights for her own rights and those of others.

Mr Birling is very patronising about women, claiming that they couldn’t organise a proper strike and makes sweeping statements about how they love clothes.

Mrs Birling fulfils old-fashioned female roles. She thinks that women should support their husbands and not speak against them. She also turns against Eva Smith because she is going to be a single mother.

Priestley would have hoped that by the end of the play the audience have questioned their views of stereotypical gender roles.

Question 3

When was AIC written

Answer 3

1945

Question 4

EVIDENCE Mr Birling does not feel socially responsible

Answer 4

“If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody we’d had anything to do with, it would be very awkward, wouldn’t it?”

Question 5

What focuses on the aspect of class

Answer 5

Class issues are also dealt with by having a middle-class family involved in the death of a working-class girl.

Question 6

EVIDENCE HOW Sheila feels socially responsible

Answer 6

“All right Gerald, you needn’t look at me like that. At least I’m trying to tell the truth. I expect you’ve done things you’re ashamed of too.”

Question 7

EVIDENCE Mr Birling implies here that Eric is a ‘fool’ because he is young. Ironically, it is the older Arthur who nearly resorts to physical violence.

Answer 7

“Why, you hysterical young fool - get back - or I’ll -“

Question 8

What focuses on the aspect of gender

Answer 8

How the male characters behave towards the females in the play highlights important points on gender and inequality.

Question 9

When was AIC set

Answer 9

1912

Question 10

How does Mr Birling refer to women
When Mr Birling is telling Eric and Gerald about women’s attitudes towards the clothes they wear.

Answer 10

“…not only something to make ‘em look prettier - but - well, a sort of sign or token of their self-respect.”

Question 11

EVIDENCE Mrs Birling does not feel socially responsible

Answer 11

I should think not. Eric, I’m absolutely ashamed of you.

Question 12

How are the younger Birling’s, Sheila and Eric, different to their parents in An Inspector Calls?

Answer 12

Mr and Mrs Birling are both unrepentant about their involvement in Eva’s death.

Sheila and Eric develop a sense of social responsibility during the course of the play.

Sheila and Eric are ashamed about their involvement in the death and are desperate to make amends.

When Gerald suggests that the Inspector was not real, Mr and Mrs Birling are over the moon that they could be ‘off the hook’. However, Sheila and Eric are convinced that even if the Inspector was not real and a girl didn’t die, they still behaved badly and should change their ways.

The older characters are painted in a more negative light and they don’t learn from their mistakes. The younger characters admit they were wrong and try to make things better.

Question 13

EVIDENCE- Eric sees that his parents are trying to ‘pretend’ that nothing happened when it is suggested that the Inspector was not real. He and Sheila, the younger characters, still feel responsible.

Answer 13

“You’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all.”

Question 14

How does Priestley explore the theme of social responsibility in An Inspector Calls?

Answer 14

Eva Smith dies because no one takes responsibility for their actions against her.

Sheila and Eric develop a sense of social responsibility during the course of the play.

Mr and Mrs Birling do not develop any sense of responsibility and are made to look even more foolish at the end of the play.

The Inspector teaches a number of lessons about how we should be responsible for each other.

Priestley uses the events of the play to suggest that if we do not take responsibility for each other the world will become a terrible place.

Question 15

What are the themes of AIC

Answer 15

Responsibility
Age
Gender
Class

Question 16

What focuses on the aspect of social responsibility

Answer 16

The consequences of the Birlings’ actions highlight Priestley’s ideas on social responsibility - do we look after one another in society?

Question 17

What does the Inspector mean by It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”

Answer 17

Here the Inspector is suggesting that it is socially irresponsible to be greedy and ‘take’ things without permission. This is a practice the privileged Birlings would be used to.

Question 18

What should you consider to analyse the form of An Inspector Calls

Answer 18

remember that An Inspector Calls is a play and so it is meant to be seen in performance

consider how the events that happened before the action on stage keep the audience guessing

as it is a morality play, think about how the audience judges the characters and themselves

remember that the audience would be trying to work out if any one person was to blame for Eva Smith’s death

Question 19

EVIDENCE Eric feels socially responsible

Answer 19

“I don’t see much nonsense about it when a girl goes and kills herself. You lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but I can’t. Nor can mother. We did her in all right.”

Question 20

How many acts are there in AIC

Answer 20

THREE

Question 21

When Mrs Birling suggests that Eva is incapable of having feelings

Answer 21

“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl in her position.”

Question 22

EVIDENCE Despite hearing about all the misfortune that Eva Smith has suffered, Mrs Birling is unmoved and stubbornly stands by her decision to turn Eva away.

Answer 22

“So I was perfectly justified in advising my committee not to allow her claim for assistance.”

Question 23

How does Priestley use Eva Smith to explore ideas about class?

Answer 23

As a factory worker Eva asks for higher wages and is sacked by Mr Birling.

When Eva works as a shop assistant she is sacked following an unnecessary complaint from Sheila.

Gerald looks after her when she has nowhere to stay, but dumps her when he no longer wants her.

Overall, working-class Eva is treated very badly by the wealthy middle and upper-classes.

Priestley wanted the audience to see the injustice in this.

Question 24

What focuses on the aspect of age

Answer 24

The difference between the younger and older characters’ reactions to Eva Smith’s death shows how Priestley viewed different generations . He viewed the younger generation as hope for the future and this is why both Sheila and Eric learn a lesson from the Inspector.