‘An Inspector Calls’

By J.B. Priestley

Revision Guide

Essential Exam Information

Which exam is this?‘An Inspector Calls’ in assessed on GCSE English Literature Paper 2: Modern Texts and Poetry.

Section A: ‘An Inspector Calls’

Section B: Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology

Section C: Unseen Poetry

The exam lasts 2 hours 15 minutes.

What will I have to do in the exam?For ‘An Inspector Calls’ you will have a choice of two essay questions, probably on characters or themes in the play. They will be in the following format:

You should spend 45 minutes planning and answering one question on the play. It is worth 30 marks, plus an additional 4 marks for AO4.

What is assessed?AO1: Read, understand and respond to texts. (12 marks)Students should be able to: • maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response • use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.

AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate. (12 marks)

AO3: Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written. (6 marks)

AO4: Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation. (4 marks)

How and why does Sheila change in An Inspector Calls?

Write about: • how Sheila responds to her family and to the Inspector • how Priestley presents Sheila by the ways he writes.

Keywords for ‘An Inspector Calls’Use the table below to practice the spellings of these keywords for ‘An Inspector Calls’. Add and practice any other keywords you know you need to work on in the spaces at the bottom.

Word Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 3Priestley

socialism

capitalism

hierarchy

euphemism

independent

interrogation

social

superior

hypocrite

hyperbole

omniscient

tension

hoax

criticism

suffragette

authoritative

scandal

judgement

stereotypical

morally

arrogant

assertive

Using Keywords

Task: Look up and write down the definition of any keywords you don’t currently know the meaning of.

Task: Use each of the keywords in a sentence relating to the play.

E.g. Priestley uses the Inspector to communicate his ideas about socialism.

Character Profiles

On the following pages, make a Facebook profile for each of the main characters. For each one, you should include the following:

Basic information: age, social status, job/role, what they had to do with Eva/Daisy

Friends: who they do get on with in the play Likes: their values – the things they care about Posts: Write four posts for each character. Try to include key quotations, and things other

characters say back. You should include one conversation with the Inspector.

1. Arthur Birling

2. Sybil Birling

3. Sheila Birling

4. Eric Birling

5. Gerald Croft

6. The Inspector

7. Eva Smith / Daisy Renton

ThemesClass

Priestley is trying to show that the upper classes are unaware that the easy lives they lead rest upon the hard work of the lower classes.

Task: Complete the table below about the attitudes each character has to the lower and upper classes. Include brief quotations.

ATTITUDES TO THE LOWER CLASS: ATTITUDES TO THE UPPER CLASS:

To this character, Eva was...

At the start of the play, this character was:

Mr Birling

Sheila

Gerald

Eric

Mrs Birling

AgeThe older generation and the younger generation take the Inspector's message in different ways. While Sheila and Eric accept their part in Eva's death and feel huge guilt about it, their parents are unable to admit that they did anything wrong.

Task: Complete the table below with example of how the old and the young behave and speak differently.

The Old (Mr and Mrs Birling) The Young (Sheila and Eric)

The old are set in their ways.

For example…

The young are open to new ideas.

For example…

The old will do anything to protect themselves.

For example…

The young are honest and admit their faults.

For example…

They have never been forced to examine their consciences before and can’t do it now.

For example…

Sheila and Eric see the human side of Eva's story and are very troubled by their part in it. They do examine their consciences.

For example…

Mr and Mrs Birling have much to fear from the visit of the 'real' inspector because…

Sheila and Eric have nothing to fear from the visit of the 'real' inspector because…

Task: Gerald Croft is caught in the middle. Who does he side with by the end of the play and why do you think this is?

Task: What do you think Priestley is saying ultimately about the younger generation? Link this to the context of the play.

ResponsibilityAt the beginning of the play, the Birlings and Gerald Croft have individualistic mindsets: they are concerned with their own lives and don’t see themselves as having any responsibility for anyone outside their families.

Task: For each of the characters listed below, write down whether they do or don’t take responsibility for their part in Eva/Daisy’s death. Add a key quotation to show this.

Mr Birling

Does he take responsibility?

Key quotation:

Mrs Birling

Does she take responsibility?

Key quotation:

Sheila

Does she take responsibility?

Key quotation:

Eric

Does he take responsibility?

Key quotation:

Gerald

Does he take responsibility?

Key quotation:

Task: Explain what causes some of the characters to take responsibility for their part in Eva/Daisy’s death. Use quotations and refer to language techniques.

Task: Summarise Priestley’s overall message about responsibility. Why did he believe this? What had he experienced?

Men and WomenMen and women’s roles were very different from one another in 1912, and the expectations of how they should behave in society were different as well. At the beginning of the play, men and women fulfil very stereotypical roles. For women, this usually meant being interested in domestic (home) life and being protected from anything that might upset them. For men, this usually meant involvement in public life, maybe politics or business, and protecting women.

Task: Brainstorm how men and women are presented at the beginning of the play. Where do they go? What can they do? What do others expect them to do / not do? What do they care about? How do they speak? Try to include quotations.

Men

As the play goes on, we see Eva/Daisy and Sheila challenging the roles society has given them. For example,

Eva/Daisy questioned Mr Birling’s decision about workers’ pay, rather than just quietly accepting it.

Eva/Daisy refused to depend on a man to save her, as she wouldn’t accept Eric’s stolen money.

Sheila starts to interrupt and challenge everyone else (except the Inspector).

Task:

Explain in your own words why you think Priestley chose for his female characters to challenge the traditional roles they held in society. Try to think about the context and what you know about Priestley’s own beliefs.

Women

Revising ContextTimelineTask: Create a timeline using the key historical events from the box below. These events help us understand the ideas in the play and why Priestley wrote what he did.

You will need to:

Match the date with the event Add to your timeline a label explaining how it is relevant to the play

Events

WWI WWII ‘An Inspector Calls’ was

written General Miners’ Strike Sinking of the Titanic Women over 30 allowed to

vote Setting of ‘An Inspector

Calls’

Dates

1912

1912

1914-18

1918

1926

1939-45

1945-46

The AuthorTask: Research ten facts about J.B. Priestley’s life and beliefs. Write them below.

Task: Explain how we see some of these beliefs being expressed in ‘An Inspector Calls’. Try to give specific examples.

Key quotations with analysis Key stage directions or punctuation with analysisP4 – wealth rather than daughter’s happiness, selfish and hungry for more wealth

P7 (dramatic irony)

P10, pride in himself

P6, Sense of self importance, use of personal pronouns

P14/15 – lack of empathy

P53 inability to relate to his children

P70 inability to learn

Stage direction P1

Hints that things could go wrong

Ring of the door bell

Arrival of Inspector(lighting explained on P1)

Key QuotationsUse the following pages to collect key quotations and stage directions for each character. In the boxes, write short quotations and notes analysing them.

Mr Birling

SheilaP23, abuse of power/ bad temper

P19 ‘people’ in italics emphasis on humanity. Prepared to admit to her mistakes

P38 her use of sarcasm and irony

P49 repetition shows her much more she sees than her mother.

P70- what she has learnt/ her intelligence.

P24, stage directions show her remorse in contrast with her mother and father.

P26, cliff hanger, look at repetition of stage directions

Dramatic dashes P17, P50 and P52.

How much she’s changed: P23

P40

P71

Mrs Birling

Prejudice P 30/43/47

P31 her social standing is very important to her

P34 trying to protect Sheila, sees her as a child also ironic, protecting the wrong girl

P47 failure to see her actions are in any way to blame, same attitude as Mr Birling.

P55 “I didn’t understand” ironic because she still doesn’t.

Dramatic irony with Eric’s involvement and the killing of her own grandchild

Situational irony – she would not deal with her own family in the same way

Inspector deals with her very severely

Eric is condemned by her words

Gerald

P35 – 38 saviour?

P39, breaks in his speech show genuine remorse

Birling’s reaction p40

Dramatic end to act two

EricP3 Sheila makes an allusion to his drinking. Why is this covered up?

P6 tries ineffectively to challenge his father

P15/16 shows compassion from the start

P54 difficult relationship with his father

P64 shows what he’s learnt

P3, Socially awkward

Feels overlooked by his parents

His conscience: P15

P53

P59

P68

Inspector

Use of short sentences / questions p41

Repetition p26/7 “well?” demands an answer. Shows his confidence, no need to elaborate

P18 repetition of ‘he’ shows his importance.

P19 use of list to highlight how desperate Eva’s situation is.

P30, hope for the future another criticism of the Birlings

P55 “Stop!”

Who is the Inspector?

Instils fear p45

In control p55, various stage directions show his authority/ power.

P56, his morality speech Repetition

Eva represents more than one girl

Use of long and short sentences

Imagery

P55 Shows authority