"An Inspector Calls" is a powerful dramatic play that explores themes of social responsibility, class division, and moral accountability in early 20th century Britain.
The play centers around the wealthy Birling family's interrogation by the mysterious Inspector Goole, who investigates the suicide of a young working-class woman named Eva Smith/Daisy Renton. Through skillful questioning, the Inspector reveals how each family member contributed to Eva's downfall, creating intense dramatic tension throughout the narrative. The story particularly highlights the conflict between socialism versus capitalism, with Inspector Goole representing socialist ideals of collective responsibility and Mr. Birling embodying capitalism through his self-interested business practices.
Key character developments include Sheila Birling's transformation from a privileged young woman to someone who acknowledges her past mistakes and embraces social responsibility. The Inspector's methodical questioning technique builds suspense as he shows Eva's photograph to different characters, revealing their connections to her tragic story. The play's structure cleverly uses dramatic irony, especially in Mr. Birling's confident predictions about the unsinkable Titanic and the impossibility of war, which the audience knows are wrong. The falling action occurs after the Inspector's departure when the family discovers there's no Inspector Goole at the police station and no suicide case reported, leading to a powerful twist ending that questions whether the Inspector was real or supernatural. Throughout the play, Priestley uses powerful quotes to contrast the older generation's stubborn adherence to capitalist values with the younger generation's growing social conscience, making it a masterful critique of class inequality and social injustice in pre-war Britain.
