Lecture Notes: An Inspector Calls Revision Guide

Key Areas Covered

• Overview of 'An Inspector Calls' play
• Themes and Characters
• Context and Author Background
• Exam Preparation and Assessment Objectives

Overview

• Author: J.B. Priestley
• Setting: 1912, written in 1945
• Plot Summary:
  • Arthur Birling’s celebration is disrupted by Inspector Goole investigating a girl’s suicide.
  • Themes of social responsibility, class, and morality are explored.
• Genre: Morality play with elements of a murder-mystery.

Context and Author

• J.B. Priestley: Born 1894, influenced by WWI experiences and socialist ideals.
• Historical Context:
  • Post-WWII Britain, rise of socialism, and welfare state discussions.
  • Industrial Revolution's impact on social classes.

Form and Structure

• Well-Made Play:
  • Single setting: Birlings' dining room.
  • Three-act structure for suspense and revelation.
• Stage Directions:
  • Lighting changes to reflect thematic shifts (e.g., pink and intimate to bright and hard).

Key Characters

• Arthur Birling: Capitalist, dismissive of community.
• Sybil Birling: Social superior, lacks empathy.
• Sheila Birling: Young, perceptive, grows sympathetic.
• Eric Birling: Troubled, seeks redemption.
• Gerald Croft: Aristocratic, evasive.
• Inspector Goole: Represents social conscience, ambiguous identity.
• Eva Smith/Daisy Renton: Represents the oppressed working class.

Themes

Social Class

• Binary Opposition: Upper class versus working class.
• Social Responsibility: Demonstrated through the inspector’s questioning.

Gender Roles

• Gender Stereotypes: Examines women’s roles and patriarchal influence.
• Sheila’s Growth: Independence and defiance of gender norms.

Age and Time

• Generational Conflict:
  • Old vs. Young: Traditional views vs. progressive ideas.
  • Hope in younger generations like Sheila and Eric.

Morality and Legality

• Moral Responsibility vs. Legal Responsibility:
  • Inspector's role in highlighting moral obligation over legal action.
  • Characters’ realizations about their moral failures.

Exam Preparation

• Assessment Objectives: AO1 through AO4 explained.
• Exam Style: Essay response, focusing on themes and character analysis.

Sample Exam Questions

• Social Class: How Priestley presents the Birlings and explores class ideas.
• Gender Roles: Use of characters to explore gender stereotypes.
• Age and Time: Generational conflict through characters like Sheila and Eric.
• Morality: Inspector Goole’s role in exploring moral themes.