Inspector Calls

Question 1

Stage Direction

‘The lighting…’

Answer 1

‘The lighting should be pink and intimate until the inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder’ - Act 1
-Portrays a capitalist and nonchalant atmosphere in a soft light
-Shows the household is unrealistic
-The inspector brings a brighter and harder light which shines light on everything replacing the pink light with realism

Question 2

Mr Birling

‘The germans…’
‘and unsinkable…’

Answer 2

‘The Germans don’t want war. Nobody wants war.’ - Act 1
-Dramatic irony
-Immediately Priestley discredits Mr Birling showing his opinion is wrong
‘and unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’ - Act 1
-Shows a didactic nature
-Highlights the Edwardian hubris (pride/confidence) of the time
-Shows Mr Birlings Idiocy through his constant repetition and whatever he says is ironic

Question 3

Mr Birling

‘that a…’

Answer 3

‘that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own - and - ‘ - Act 1
-He thinks he knows it all and he thinks of himself as a teacher rather then a parent
-Portrays arrogance and a capitalistic view
-Cut off by the ‘sharp ring of the doorbell’ from inspector Goole who like then cuts off the assertions of Mr Birling like a sharp ring which could show how their Hubris is getting hurt by the Inspector even before he is seen

Question 4

Mr Birling

‘Look,…’

Answer 4

‘Look, Inspector - I’d Give thousands - yes, thousands’ - Act 3
-Still as capitalist as before and thinks money can cover/is everything
-By reaffirming ‘yes, thousands’ it shows how much he values money
-He also is unhappy showing how he doesn’t want to part with this money

Question 5

Mr Birling

‘Yes, yes….’

Answer 5

‘Yes, yes. Horrid business’ - Act 1
-He doesn’t care about lower class people at all and shows no empathy
-He seems annoyed by it
-Further depends the division between the younger and elder gens

Question 6

Mrs Birling

‘Certainly…’

Answer 6

‘Certainly. He ought to be dealt with very severely-‘ - Act 2
-Thinks lower class girls are sexually promiscuous -‘very loose’
-She traps Eric into harsh blame by being arrogant and ignorant
-Irony as sybil mean prophetess and suggests she should have foresight but in the case ironically not

Question 7

Mrs Birling

‘You know…’

Answer 7

‘You know of course that my husband was Lord Mayor only town years ago, and that’s he’s still a magistrate’ - Act 2
-Trying to reinstate the fact that Mr Birling holds great power which she uses to try to stop the Inspector and make him go
-She’s trying to use wealth and influence to undermine the law

Question 8

Mrs Birling

‘Arthur…’

Answer 8

‘Arthur, you shouldn’t be saying such things’- Act 1
-She is higher class then Mr Birling
-Married down the social hierarchy
-She is reprimanding him as he complimented a member of the lower class -their chef- and highlife how she is stuck up and sees herself as superior to everyone even Mr Birling

Question 9

Sheila

‘What…’

Answer 9

‘What was she like? Quite young? … Pretty…‘-Act 1
-She has an affinity towards Eva because of a similar age and also being pretty despite the class difference
-But with the foresight we realise that she thinks she knows Eva smith and feels guilt over her death

Question 10

Sheila

‘Oh-…’

Answer 10

‘Oh - its wonderful! Look - mummy -isn’t it a beauty’ -Act 1
-Shows her childish nature which has been highlighted by her use of mummy
-She had a sheltered upbringing
-Her childish nature has been exemplified by her uncontainment of excitement through the uncontrollable use of dashes
-She is very materialistic

Question 11

Sheila

‘Why-…’

Answer 11

‘Why - you fool - he knows. Of course he knows’-Act 1
-In response to Gerald trying to hide that he knows Daisy
-She seems to be an emotional wreck, and cynical
-Makes him seem omniscient and overwhelming

Question 12

Sheila

‘I rather…’

Answer 12

‘I rather respect you more than i have ever done before’-Act 2
-Demonstrates her change
-She has ditched her roles as a child
-She has matured and can forgive Gerald and also make him feel responsible for what he had done

Question 13

Sheila

‘If all…’

Answer 13

‘If all that’s come out tonight is true, then it doesn’t matter who it was who made us confess’-Act 3
-She feels a lot of guilt even with the possibility the accusations may be fake
-She parallels with Eric and contrasts with Gerald and the older Birlings

Question 14

Sheila
‘You…’

Answer 14

‘You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here’-Act 2
-Shows how even she has recognised she has matured
-Recognises both her and Gerald has matured
-Sheila has become more perceptive then ever

Question 15

Eric

‘Why…’

Answer 15

‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices’-Act 1
-Presents himself as more socialist rather then capitalist
-Displays his humanistic side
-Believes everyone should be allowed to try and better their own situation

Question 16

Eric

‘Whoever…’

Answer 16

‘Whoever that chap was, the fact remains that i did what i did. And mother did what she did. And the rest of you did what you did to her. It’s still the same rotten story whether its been told to a pole inspector or somebody else’-Act 3
-Eric is paralleling Sheila’s stance, that they’ve all done something bad and should take responsibility for it
-Arguing against Gerald and the older Birlings

Question 17

Eric

(defiantly)’…’

Answer 17

(defiantly)’Nothing”-Act 1
-In response to Mr Birling
-Shows discord between the generations, in the case of Eric this time

Question 18

Gerald

(with an effort)’…’

Answer 18

(with an effort)’Inspector, I think Miss Birling ought to be excused… She has had a long and exciting day’-Act 2
-Makes Sheila look childish
-Gerald is taking charge despite feeling uncomfortable in this atmosphere as he speaks with an effort
-Solidifies Geralds position among the Birlings’ as he treats Sheila like a a child and how she needs to be managed

Question 19

Gerald

‘Everything…’

Answer 19

‘Everything’s all right now, Sheila’
-Act 3
-Reverted back to his patronising tone with Sheila
-As long he isn’t blamed for any suicides, he is happy
-He expresses regret if he is involved but if he isn’t he doesn’t care

Question 20

Stage Directions

‘He creates…’

Answer 20

‘He creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity, purposefulness… has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking’
-Despite the Inspector being socially inferior he creates an impression of massiveness which hasn’t been created by any character so far
-His disconcerting habit makes him seem unnatural combined with his name makes him seem supernatural right from the start

Question 21

Inspector

‘Quite…’

Answer 21

‘Quite so’-Act 1
-Doesn’t recognise Mr Birling as a social superior after getting threatened through links with the police
-Contrasts with the two cold and objective words
-He doesn’t are about purposeless matters unlike Mr Birling
-Mr Birling disproves capitalistic concepts and the Inspector proves socialistic concepts

Question 22

Inspector

‘We often do…’

Answer 22

‘We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable’-Act 2
-The younger generations are able to change more

Question 23

Inspector

‘Public…’

Answer 23

‘Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges’-Act 2
-People who have great power also has great responsibility

Question 24

Inspector

‘There are…’

Answer 24

‘There are millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, with their lives, their hopes and fears, their suffering and chance of happiness, all intertwined with our lives… if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire, blood and anguish’
-Foreshadowing the world wars
-Represents the moral teaching of the play
-The ‘Smiths’ represents men and women of the lower class
-Shows they are also human just like the Birlings are
-He wants them to recognise they are all responsible for the events which took place