Complete Guide to 'An Inspector Calls' for GCSE English

Getting Started with An Inspector Calls

You're about to dive into one of the most clever plays ever written for GCSE English. J.B. Priestley wrote this in 1945 but set it in 1912 - and there's a brilliant reason for this time trick.

The play explores social class and how the rich treated the poor back in 1912. Priestley wanted his 1945 audience (who'd just lived through World War II) to think about whether society had actually improved. Spoiler alert: he didn't think it had improved enough!

💡 Quick Tip: Remember the dates! 1912 (when it's set) vs 1945 (when it was written). This time gap is crucial for understanding Priestley's message.

The World of Brumley

Welcome to Brumley - a fictional industrial town in the North Midlands where factory owners lived comfortably whilst their workers struggled. Think Victorian-style inequality that was still going strong in 1912.

The Birling family represents everything Priestley wanted to criticise about middle-class attitudes. Arthur owns a factory, Sybil cares obsessively about social status, and their children Sheila and Eric are just starting to question their privileged bubble.

Then there's Eva Smith (also known as Daisy Renton) - the working-class woman whose death drives the entire plot. We never see her on stage, but her story reveals how each family member has failed someone in need.

💡 Key Point: Pay attention to how the characters' comfortable world gets completely turned upside down by one mysterious visitor.

What Actually Happens

Act One kicks off with Sheila's engagement party to Gerald Croft - everything seems perfect until Inspector Goole arrives with news of Eva Smith's suicide. Arthur and Sheila both discover they've treated Eva badly in the past.

Act Two gets messier as Gerald confesses to having an affair with Eva (now calling herself Daisy), and Sybil admits to refusing her charity help when she was pregnant. The family's unity starts cracking.

Act Three delivers the knockout punch when Eric reveals he got Eva pregnant and stole money to support her. Just when you think it's over, the play hits you with its famous twist ending that'll leave your head spinning.

💡 Remember: Each family member has contributed to Eva's downfall - this isn't about one villain, but a whole system that fails people.

Arthur Birling - The Overconfident Businessman

Arthur Birling is basically that relative who thinks they know everything about politics and won't stop talking at family dinners. His engagement party speech is packed with predictions that the audience knows are completely wrong.

He confidently states the Titanic is "unsinkable" and that there won't be a war with Germany. This is dramatic irony at its finest - Priestley makes Birling look like a fool because we know what's coming next in history.

His motto "every man for himself" represents everything Priestley wants to challenge. Arthur believes in capitalism, individual responsibility, and keeping the workers in their place - attitudes that Priestley argues lead to disasters like wars.

💡 Essay Gold: Arthur's wrong predictions make the audience question all his other beliefs, especially about social responsibility.