Inspector Calls Plot Summary Notes

The Inspector Arrives and Mr Birling's Guilt

Picture this: you're celebrating an engagement when a police inspector shows up with devastating news. That's exactly what happens to the Birling family when Inspector Goole arrives to investigate Eva Smith's suicide. She died by drinking disinfectant, and somehow, this wealthy family is involved.

Mr Birling quickly becomes the first suspect. It turns out he had Eva sacked from his factory simply because she joined a strike asking for better pay. Even when the Inspector suggests this could have started a deadly chain of events, Mr Birling refuses to accept any responsibility. His attitude reveals a lot about his character - he's more concerned about protecting his reputation than acknowledging his role in someone's suffering.

The play's opening gives us major clues that Mr Birling isn't trustworthy. He confidently predicts that war will never happen and the Titanic is unsinkable - predictions that audiences in 1945 knew were completely wrong. This immediately signals that his judgement is seriously flawed.

Key insight: Priestley deliberately makes Mr Birling wrong about historical events to show audiences that his views about social responsibility are equally misguided.

Family Secrets Exposed

The investigation takes a personal turn when Sheila Birling discovers her own shocking connection to Eva. After being fired from the factory, Eva found work at Milwards department store - until Sheila complained about her. Sheila thought Eva was mocking her when she tried on an unflattering dress, so she had her fired. Unlike her father, Sheila immediately feels genuine remorse and shame.

Then comes the biggest revelation yet: Gerald Croft had been having an affair with Eva (who called herself Daisy Renton) during the previous summer. This explains why he'd been distant from Sheila. Gerald had rescued Daisy from a difficult situation and provided her with money and accommodation, but when he ended the relationship, she was heartbroken.

Mrs Birling's involvement proves especially cruel. As a member of a women's charity, she was Daisy's last hope when she arrived pregnant and desperate for help. But Mrs Birling turned her away, partly because Daisy had used the surname "Birling" - something that offended her pride.

Remember: Each family member represents a different aspect of how the upper classes failed the working class in Edwardian society.

The Shocking Truth and Twist Ending

The final piece of the puzzle is the most disturbing. Eric Birling admits he got Eva pregnant after meeting her during a drunken night out. His confession reveals he'd pressured her into sleeping with him and later stole money from his father's business to help support her. Eva refused the money once she discovered it was stolen, leaving her completely desperate.

After the Inspector delivers a powerful speech about social responsibility and leaves, the family makes a stunning discovery. There's no Inspector Goole on the police force, and no record of any girl dying from disinfectant at the local infirmary. Gerald suggests they might have been talking about different girls entirely - that the whole evening was an elaborate trick.

While Mr and Mrs Birling celebrate their apparent escape from scandal, Eric and Sheila understand the real point: it doesn't matter whether the Inspector was real or not. Their actions were still wrong, and they still caused harm to vulnerable people.

The play ends with a brilliant twist - just as Mr Birling is mocking the Inspector, the phone rings. A girl really has just died from drinking disinfectant, and a real police inspector is on their way to investigate.

The message: Whether the first Inspector was supernatural, a hoaxer, or something else entirely, the family's guilt remains real - and now they'll face the consequences all over again.