“AN INSPECTOR CALLS”

by

J B Priestley

Study Guide
Contents:

J B Priestley – the man and his work

The plot
The set
Characters
 Arthur Birling
 Sybil Birling
 Sheila Birling
 Eric Birling
 Gerald Croft
 The Inspector
 Eva Smith

Themes
Structure and tension
Using quotations
The extract question
The essay question
Past GCSE questions
Writing in role
J B Priestley – the man and his work

Priestley was born in 1894. The son of a schoolmaster, he himself left school at
sixteen and worked as a junior clerk in a wool firm. He had grown up listening to
the views of his father‟s socialist friends and this, along with his own
experiences in the workplace, was to colour his thinking and his writing. He was
later to say that it was the years 1911-1914 “that set their stamp on me”.
Interestingly, “An Inspector Calls” is set in 1912.

Priestley joined the infantry in 1914 (aged 20) and saw active service in France
during World War 1. He narrowly missed death on a number of occasions and
this too informed his writing. He wrote: “ I was lucky in that war and have
never ceased to be aware of that fact.”

In the years that followed the war, Priestley was busy. He wrote plays, novels,
essays and was a regular broadcaster for the BBC. His work put forward the
strong views he had formed and ruffled a few feathers in the process.

Priestley wrote “An Inspector Calls” in 1945, at the end of the Second World
War; interestingly, he sets it before the outbreak of the First World War.

In 1962, Priestley said of himself: “The most lasting reputation I have is for an
almost aggressive ferociousness when in fact I am amiable, indulgent,
affectionate, shy and rather timid at heart.” The editor of our edition of the
text describes Priestley as: “a prolific and versatile writer whose passion and
compassion were his strongest traits”. We might find echoes of the Inspector
in these comments.

Priestley died in 1984.

The plot

“An Inspector Calls” is set in the fictional town of Brumley, in 1912. At the
beginning of the play, the prosperous, middle class Birling family is celebrating
the engagement of the daughter, Sheila, to Gerald Croft, son of Lord and Lady
Croft. During the celebration, an inspector arrives, asking questions about the
suicide of Eva Smith, a young working class woman.

As the play proceeds, it becomes apparent that the whole family and Gerald
Croft have been involved with the girl in some way or other. Each one of them
has helped to push her to suicide through a chain of events.

Through the story, Priestley deals with themes such as the gulf between the
rich and poor and the status of women at the time the play was set. His aim is to
make the audience think about social responsibility. He does this largely
through the character of Inspector Goole; however, Sheila Birling rapidly
realises the need to accept responsibility and as the play goes on she begins to
take over the role of the Inspector in trying to teach the others.

The play ends with a cliff hanger.

The set

The entire play takes place in the Birlings‟ dining room. The set is realistic and
Priestley provides precise information about what needs to be included (“good
solid furniture of the period”, “fireplace”, “small table with telephone on it”).
The effect he wants is, “substantial and heavily comfortable but not cosy and
homelike”. The stage directions even dictate the way the set should be lit, “The
lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives and then it
should be brighter and harder.” As the play continues, the solidity of the set
acts as a counterpoint to the revelations that emerge: nothing is quite as solid
as it seems.
Just as Priestley establishes a real place, so he establishes real time. The play
spans an evening: the audience sits and watches for exactly the amount of time
that the drama takes to unfold. In the same way that the solidity of the
Birlings‟ world is fractured, so too there is a sense of time being fractured. As
the curtain falls, the play threatens to repeat the events of the evening - deja
vu?
Characters

Arthur Birling

Arthur Birling is described in the stage directions at the start of the play as a
"heavy-looking, rather portentous man in his middle fifties but rather provincial
in his speech."
He has worked his way up in the world and is proud of his achievements. His
success has brought him a wife of higher social stature than himself. He boasts
about having been Mayor and tries (and fails) to impress the Inspector with his
standing in the community and his influential friends.
Although full of self-importance, Birling nevertheless seems aware of people
who are his social superiors and tries to be like them. He shows off about the
port to Gerald, "it's exactly the same port your father gets." He is proud that
he is likely to be knighted, as that would move him even higher in social circles
and he lets Gerald in on this secret in order to impress him (Gerald‟s parents
have not turned up to celebrate with the Birling family. Perhaps they are a little
disappointed in their son‟s choice?). He claims the party "is one of the happiest
nights of my life." This is not only because Sheila will be happy, but because a
merger with Crofts Limited will be good for his business.
Birling has a strong sense of optimism about the future – he is riding high and
sees nothing beyond this. He is confident that there will not be a war. As the
audience knows there will be a war, we begin to doubt Mr Birling's judgement.

Throughout the play Birling is seen to be extremely selfish:

o His own and his family‟s good is all that matters to him. He claims that "a
man has to make his own way" in the world; he has no time for “community
and all that nonsense”.
o He cannot see that he did anything wrong when he fired Eva Smith - he
was just looking after his own business interests.
o He is keen to protect his reputation. As the Inspector's investigations
continue, his selfishness gets the better of him: he is worried about how
the press will view the story in Act II, and accuses Sheila of disloyalty at
the start of Act III. He wants to hide the fact that Eric stole money:
"I've got to cover this up as soon as I can."
o At the end of the play, he knows he has lost the chance of his
knighthood, his reputation in Brumley and the chance of Birling and Co.
merging with their rivals. Yet he hasn't learnt the lesson of the play: he
is unable to admit his responsibility for his part in Eva's death.
 Sybil Birling

 A rather cold woman and her husband‟s social superior

 Corrects her husband when he shows a lack of breeding
 Typical of her time (1912) and class (upper middle class)
 Tells Sheila that she must accept that men will spend „nearly all their time
and energy on their business‟, just as she had had to
 She is not present when the Inspector arrives and she does not hear Birling‟s
or Sheila‟s confessions. When she re-enters early in Act 2 she is brisk and
self-confident and quite „out of key‟ with the scene that has just passed
 She is patronising – calls the Inspector „impertinent‟
 She threatens the Inspector with rank and social connections
 She treats Sheila and Eric as children rather than the young adults they are
 She ignores Eric‟s drinking and the lewd behaviour of „respectable‟ men like
Alderman Meggarty
 She is a snob, looking down on girls like Eva Smith – „a girl of that sort‟, „a girl
in her position‟
 She is condemned by Eric for killing her own grandchild and for never even
trying to understand him
 She is bitterly condemned by the Inspector for refusing Eva even a pitiable
little bit of charity
 Mrs Birling retreats behind words like „duty‟, „respectable‟, „deserving‟
 She learns nothing from the evening believing that they can all go on
behaving in the same way
 Her cold-hearted and arrogant attitude illustrates the hypocrisy and double
standards of the class system that Priestley hated.

Possible essay questions:

What advice would you give to the actor playing Mrs Birling? (This question
asks you to write a character study not simply suggest how she should talk and
move etc.)

Imagine you are Mrs Birling. What are your thoughts and feelings at the end of
the evening? (This question requires you to write in role.)

What do we learn about the character of Mrs Birling in the play „An Inspector
Calls‟?
Sheila Birling

Overview

At the beginning of the play Sheila is described as ”a pretty girl in her early
twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”. She is preparing for her
wedding and spends a great deal of time talking about clothes and buying
clothes: “I left „em talking about clothes”. Before the arrival of the Inspector,
Sheila Birling appears to have had a picture book view of the world. She is a
little naïve and there are suggestions that her parents have tried to shelter her
from the realities of life:

Sheila is the character who develops most in the play. From being revealed as
spoilt and self-centred, she learns to admit her shameful behaviour and to take
responsibility for her actions. She faces up to unpleasant truths about her
future husband and family and learns lessons which will influence her forever.

Character and development

Sheila is not a likeable character at the start of the play: she is silly and
shallow, overly-impressed by Gerald‟s ring and rather passive: “I‟m sorry, Daddy.
Actually I was listening. Her keen intuition is soon apparent: she knows Gerald
is lying to her about his whereabouts the previous summer, and she is aware of
Eric‟s drinking: “You‟re squiffy”.
Sheila is shocked and distressed by the details of Eva‟s death: “Oh, how
horrible!” but is also self-centred: ”- and I‟ve been so happy tonight. Oh, I wish
you hadn‟t told me.”
Sheila‟s more thoughtful side is revealed when she says, ”But these girls aren`t
cheap labour they‟re people.”
When she tells the story of her own involvement in Eva Smith‟s death, she is
honest and ashamed. She does not gloss over her temper tantrums and feelings
of jealousy; she faces up to what she has done and accepts responsibility. “So
I‟m really responsible?”, “I was in a furious temper.” “It was my own fault.”
The Inspector makes Sheila realise exactly what she has done: “you used the
power you had as the daughter of a good customer . . . to punish the girl”.
Sheila realises that she had not thought of the consequences of her actions: “It
didn‟t seem to be anything very terrible at the time.”

Sheila is the first person in the play to realise that the Inspector is unusual.
At the end of Act One, Sheila takes over the questioning role of the Inspector;
“How did you come to know this girl-Eva Smith?”
She will not help Gerald hide his role in Eva`s death because she knows
intuitively that such an effort would be futile; “Why-you fool- he knows.”
Notice how assertive she is, calling her fiancé a fool. By the end of Act one she
has lost her passive role.
When Mrs Birling arrives, Sheila tries to warn her of the Inspector‟s
knowledge, “we all started like that – so confident, so pleased with ourselves
until he began asking questions”, but Mrs Birling dismisses her.
When Gerald is describing his relationship with Daisy Renton, Sheila is
determined to stay, “but you‟re forgetting I‟m supposed to be engaged to the
hero of it.”
She is sarcastic to Gerald:” You were the wonderful Fairy Prince. You must have
adored it.”
Sheila shows great maturity when she returns the ring to Gerald; she tells him
that she respects him and believes that he is honest: “And I believe what you
told us about the way you helped her at first. Just out of pity. And it was my
fault really that she was so desperate when you first met her. But this has
made a difference. You and I aren‟t the same people who sat down to dinner.”
When her father tries to intervene, she cuts him off telling him: “Don‟t
interfere”.
Like the Inspector, Sheila addresses the whole family:
“We‟ve no excuse now for putting on airs”. She tells them that, as their
wrongdoing is now out in the open, they cannot hide behind their social status;
she goes on to remind them and the audience of all that they have done to harm
Eva:
“Father threw this girl out because she asked for decent wages . . . I pushed
her into the street, just because I was angry and she was pretty. Gerald set
her up as his mistress . . .”
She tells her mother that she cannot hide the truth: “Go on, Mother, you might
as well admit it.”
She is horrified at her mother‟s behaviour: “I think it was cruel and vile”.
She is the first to realise that it is Eric who made Eva pregnant.

In the final act, after the Inspector has left, Sheila is ashamed of her parents‟
reactions; she sees clearly that they are only concerned with their reputations:
“The point is you don‟t seem to have learnt anything.”
She understands the implication of the moment when the Inspector arrived.
She realises he was not a police inspector, but sees this is not relevant; she says
“it doesn‟t much matter who made us confess.”- and she (again like the
Inspector) repeats what each of them did to Eva. She agrees with Eric that
the important thing is what they did: “Between us we drove that girl to commit
suicide.”
Once it is decided that it could be a hoax, Sheila tries to impress on them that
“if it didn‟t end tragically, then that‟s lucky for us.” She is sarcastic in an
attempt to get her parents to think differently: “So there‟s nothing to be sorry
for, nothing to learn. We can all go on behaving exactly as we did.”
She refuses to take back the ring- perhaps because Gerald, like her parents,
does not seem to have learnt anything and is only concerned to prove the
Inspector is a fake.

Function

Priestley uses the character of Sheila Birling and her involvement with Eva
Smith to illustrate the ways in which the rich have power over the poor. He also
shows that Sheila is willing to learn from the Inspector‟s visit - accepting blame
and being responsible for your actions is one of the lessons which the Inspector
tries to teach the Birlings. Priestley was a socialist who wanted a fairer
society; he uses the character of the Inspector to put forward his socialist
views. As the Inspector says:

“it would do us all a bit of good if sometimes we tried to put ourselves in

the place of these young women counting their pennies in their dingy little
back bedrooms.”
Eric Birling

The stage directions tell us that Eric is "in his early twenties, not quite at ease,
half shy, half assertive" and he seems rather awkward at the beginning of the
play.

The first mention of him in the script is "Eric suddenly guffaws," and then he is
unable to explain his laughter; it is as if he is nervous about something. There is
another awkward moment in Act 1 when Gerald, Birling and Eric are chatting
about women's love of clothes before the Inspector arrives. Eric starts to
speak about something he remembers and then stops himself. There is a sense
that he is concealing something. There is tension in Eric's relationship with his
father – Birling frequently overrides Eric, not listening to his point of view.

It is soon apparent to the audience (although it takes his parents longer) that
he is a heavy drinker. Gerald later admits, "I have gathered that he does drink
pretty hard."

When Eric hears how his father sacked Eva Smith, he, like Sheila, supports the
cause of the workers. "Why shouldn't they try for higher wages?"
As Eric‟s part in Eva‟s Smith‟s story becomes clear so does the guilt and
frustration he feels over his relationship with the girl. As he tells his story he
cries, "Oh - my God! - how stupid it all is!" He, again like Sheila, is horrified
that his thoughtless actions had such consequences.

Despite not knowing how his actions had affected Eva in the long term, he
clearly did have some sense of responsibility at the time and saw that he had a
duty to the mother of his unborn child. He was concerned enough to give her
money. He was less worried about stealing (or 'borrowing' from his father's
office) than he was about the girl's future. It could be argued that Eric was,
initially, the most socially aware member of the Birling family.

He is appalled by his parents' inability to admit their own responsibility. He tells

them forcefully, "I'm ashamed of you." And when Birling tries to threaten him
in Act 3, Eric is aggressive in return: "I don't give a damn now." The events of
the evening seem to have given Eric the courage to stand up to his father.

At the end of the play, like Sheila, Eric is fully aware of his social responsibility.
He is not interested in his parents' efforts to cover everything up: as far as he
is concerned, the important thing is that a girl is dead. "We did her in all right."
Gerald Croft

Background:
Gerald comes from an upper middle class family, with high social status and
wealth. He is the son of a successful businessman and appears to have clear
opinions on business management. His father, Sir Croft, owns Croft Ltd and is
Birling‟s rival industrialist. Gerald is described as an „easy well-bred young man-
about-town‟.

Physical appearance:
In the stage directions, Gerald is described as „an attractive chap about thirty‟.
He is older than Eric and Sheila and Mr and Mrs Birling treat him as more of an
equal.

Personality:
Confident and well-mannered – He behaves appropriately for his status. He
patiently listens to Birling‟s endless lectures with good humour. He speaks in an
authoritative manner towards the inspector in the early part of the play.
Polite/tactful – He is careful to refer to the less pleasant aspects of life in a
sensitive way in front of Mrs Birling e.g. he describes „women of the town‟ and
admits his knowledge of Eric‟s drinking with care.
Business minded – He agrees with Birling‟s handling of Eva Smith – „You couldn‟t
have done anything else.‟
Clever/inquisitive – He investigates the Inspector when he leaves the house and
questions whether all the events were tied to one girl.
Protective and caring – He is caring towards Daisy Renton when he realises her
situation. He has good intentions – „I didn‟t install her there so that I could
make love to her.‟ He genuinely cared for Daisy and is notably moved when he
realises that she is dead – „I‟ve suddenly realised – taken it in properly – that
she‟s dead.‟ He wants to protect Sheila from the Inspector and his involvement
with the girl.
Deceitful – He has an affair with Daisy Renton, lies to Sheila and does not take
much responsibility, preferring to see the result of his phone call to the
infirmary as a lucky escape from a scandal.
What he says:
 To the Inspector – „we‟re respectable citizens and not criminals.‟
 About Daisy – „She was young and pretty…‟
 About Daisy – „I didn‟t feel about her as she felt about me.‟

What others say about him:

 Sheila - „except for all last summer when you never came near me.‟
 Sheila - „You were the wonderful fairy prince.‟
 Mrs Birling - „Gerald, you‟ve argued this very cleverly, and I‟m most
grateful.‟

Key actions:

 He presents Sheila with an engagement ring.

 He demands that the Inspector lets him see the photograph of the girl
and is refused - „Any particular reason why I shouldn‟t see this girl‟s
photograph, Inspector?‟
 He recognises the name Daisy Renton - „(pulling himself together) D‟you
mind if I give myself a drink, Sheila?‟
 He admits to lying to Sheila and having an affair with Daisy Renton.
 He leaves the house after confessing his involvement with Daisy Renton.

 He returns with news that Inspector Goole is an imposter - „There isn‟t

any such inspector. We‟ve been had.‟
 He phones the infirmary to find out if a girl had died from drinking
disinfectant.
 He suggests that more than one girl was involved and that the incidents
were unrelated. His assumption is that no girl has died - „What girl?
There were probably four or five different girls.‟
 He tries to get Sheila to take the engagement ring back – „Everything‟s
alright now Sheila. What about this ring?‟
 Along with everyone else at the end, he is shocked at the news that a girl
has just died and an inspector is en route.
Gerald’s link to themes:

Class – He represents the class above the Birlings in the play. Birling mentions
his concern that Gerald‟s parents may think he could have done better for
himself than marrying Sheila.

Responsibility – He is perhaps the least responsible because he genuinely cared

for Daisy Renton and had good intentions. The Inspector says that he „made her
happy for a time‟. However, he says „I don‟t come into this suicide business‟ and
at the end he refuses to acknowledge that they have something to learn. He is
more interested in getting things back as they were with Sheila. He also has
similar views on business to Birling and therefore does not think Birling should
feel responsible for starting the „chain of events‟.
Love – Gerald and Sheila‟s relationship is the focus of the party at the beginning
of the play. It becomes clear that they lack knowledge of each other and that
Gerald cheated on her „last summer‟. Gerald explains his feelings for Daisy
Renton, saying he „didn‟t feel about her as she felt about me.‟
Power – Gerald has great power because he is male, a wealthy businessman and is
upper class. He uses his power for good when he initially saves Daisy, but he
proves morally weak and abuses his power when taking her as a mistress.

Stage directions for Gerald:

 Act 1 – politely, smiling, laughs, lightly, rather uneasily, startled, trying to

smile

 Act 2 – with an effort, bitterly, cutting, rather impatiently, apologetically

to Birling

 Act 3 – decisively, smiling, Holds up the ring,

 The Inspector

Of all the characters in the play, the Inspector is likely to

intrigue the audience the most. At the end of the play, the
audience is left wondering what has happened and questioning
what is going to happen; some people even ask if there is “An
Inspector Calls Again”! In order to unravel the mystery, a
close look must be taken at Inspector Goole – both his
character and his function within the play.

Who is he?

Shortly after the doorbell rings early in Act 1, Edna announces the arrival of „an
inspector‟. He is described on his entrance as creating „an impression of massiveness,
solidity and purposefulness . . . he speaks carefully, weightily, and has a disconcerting
habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking.‟

The immediate assumption is that he is a police inspector. Initially, his demeanour and
questioning of the Birling family support this assumption. However, as the play
continues his behaviour and attitude appear to be less like that of a conventional
policeman; the characters and the audience begin to wonder „was he really a police
inspector?‟ Early in her encounter with him, Mrs Birling describes him as „„impertinent‟
and she is quick to challenge his credentials. Birling too claims to have his suspicions
and when Gerald re-appears and states „That man wasn‟t a police officer‟, Birling is
quick to agree. Denying the Inspector‟s authority allows them to diminish their
individual responsibility. Sheila too questions who the Inspector is but for very
different reasons. Whoever he was, wherever he came from, she feels „he inspected us
all right‟; this suggests that she feels the authority he possessed was sufficient for
him to sit in judgement upon the family. Eric shares her opinion, „he was our police
inspector all right‟. The similarity of their words echoes the similarity of their thinking
on the subject. Both Sheila and Eric respond with honesty to the Inspector accepting
his omniscience, „Of course he knows‟, without understanding how he knows, „(She goes
close to him, wonderingly.) I don‟t understand about you.‟ The Inspector does seem to
know and understand an extraordinary amount. He knows the history of Eva Smith and
the Birlings‟ involvement, even though she only died a few hours ago. He also appears to
know how and when things will happen - he says “I‟m waiting – to do my duty” just
before Eric‟s return as if he knows exactly when Eric will reappear.
What is he trying to do?

The Inspector interrogates each member of the family and Gerald Croft. He states
that he is trying to establish the “chain of events” leading up to the death of a young
girl, Eva Smith. Questioning each of them, he charts her downward spiral and eventual
suicide. Using a photograph (in three cases but not in two), he confirms their
connection to the dead girl and exposes their involvement and culpability. All of this
could be considered to fall within the remit of a genuine police officer. He works
systematically: he likes to deal with „One person and one line of enquiry at a time‟. His
method is to confront a person with a piece of information and then make them talk.
Sheila says „He‟s giving us enough rope – so that we‟ll hang ourselves‟.

As the play develops, the Inspector continues to establish what has happened but
seems equally concerned to confront the characters with their own flaws/failings. His
investigation takes on a moral dimension: his questions and promptings challenge the
family to consider their actions and attitudes. He is the catalyst for change for Eric
and Sheila: „You seem to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector […] We
often do on the young ones. They‟re more impressionable.‟ This shows that the
Inspector is, on the one hand, attempting to identify who is responsible for Eva‟s death,
and, on the other, ensuring that the character feels personally responsible or
remorseful for their actions. Sheila and Eric perhaps are easier to sway.

When he leaves the stage, half way through Act 3, the Inspector explains that we are
all responsible for each other. His words do not sound like a policeman speaking at all;
biblical in scale and scope, they are more like the words of an avenging angel or a
preacher: „ . . . the time will soon come when, if men will not learn (their) lesson, then
they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish‟. Fire and blood and anguish could
refer to hell or eternal damnation - paying for our sins. However, Priestly could be using
dramatic irony here, by referring to the world wars that will come.

The Inspector appears to be emotionally involved: he repeats the details of Eva Smith‟s
death in graphic detail and uses strong language to accuse the Birling family: „used her
for the end of a stupid drunken evening – as if she were an animal, a thing, not a person‟
and „you refused her the pitiable little bit of organised charity you had in your power to
grant her.‟

He takes every opportunity to remind the Birlings of what they did to her and he makes
it clear that he thinks Mr Birling is contemptible: „Don‟t stammer and yammer at me
again, man. I‟m losing all patience with you people‟ and „(rather savagely to Birling). You
started it. She wanted twenty-five shillings a week instead of twenty-two and sixpence.
You made her pay a heavy price for that.‟
Where is he from?

„There‟s no Inspector Goole on the police. That man definitely wasn‟t a police inspector
at all.‟ Birling‟s words confirm where the Inspector is not from. No clear answers are
provided about where he is from so members of the audience are left to draw their
own conclusions. Many theories have been put forward. Is he:

 a ghost (the name Goole is literally spelt out in the course of the play!). If he is
a ghost, whose?
 an avenging angel – even God Himself?
 a time-traveller who knows of the wars to come (note the date of the writing
of the play – 1945 - and the time of the action – 1912. Note the references to
time in his speech)? The Inspector refers to time several times: “I haven‟t much
time” as if he knows the real inspector will soon arrive, or that he doesn‟t have
much time to complete his work.
 a moral force that demands that the characters explore their consciences?
Throughout the play he reminds the audience of Eva Smith‟s life – remember the
play is set in the dining room of a wealthy man with all the trappings of wealth on
display – but the inspector paints a clear picture of the life of someone like Eva
Smith – „dingy back bedroom‟, „desperate‟ He reminds Mr Birling that privilege
brings with it responsibility: „Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well
as privileges‟ – his purpose is clearly to teach. He says everyone is responsible:
„if there‟s nothing else, we‟ll have to share our guilt.‟
 Priestly himself- the Inspector appears to emulate the socialist ideals that
Priestly holds dear.

The Inspector‟s reply to Birling‟s question, „You‟re new, aren‟t you?‟ is „Yes, sir. Only
recently transferred.‟ We never know from where; he remains a mysterious figure.

When does he appear and disappear?

The Inspector‟s arrival is announced by the ringing of a bell, „We hear the sharp ring of
a front door bell‟. The sound cuts into some self-centred words being uttered by
Arthur Birling: „a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own‟.
Birling had been mocking the view put forward by people he describes as „cranks‟ that
„everybody has to look after everybody else‟, describing it as „nonsense‟. Later in the
play, Sheila is interested to discover that this was the moment the Inspector arrived:
„(sharply attentive) Is that when the Inspector came, just after father had said that?‟
Eric comments, „and then one of those cranks walked in‟. Just before the Inspector
arrives Birling says to Edna “Give us some more light” – the Inspector‟s arrival could
symbolise that he is going to provide light – he is going to show them the error of their
ways.

The Inspector leaves after he has interrogated all of the Birlings and Gerald Croft. He
has established the chain of events and brought each character face to face with their
actions and the consequences of those actions. His words are damning: „each of you
helped to kill her‟. He draws the family‟s attention to all the other Eva Smiths and
John Smiths in the world, saying that they are „all intertwined with our lives, and what
we think and say and do. We don‟t live alone. We are members of one body‟. After
quoting these words from the New Testament, he leaves. It is as if everything that he
has shown them is an attempt to refute the words Birling was saying when the
Inspector arrived.

Why has Priestley created this character?

A writer may set out simply to entertain the audience. A writer may want to entertain
and at the same time share ideas that he or she feels to be important (remember
Steinbeck on loneliness and friendship, Shakespeare on love and enmity). A writer may
be hopeful that they can teach the audience something through a story and the
characters that exist within the story. „An Inspector Calls‟ is an entertaining play; it is
also an extremely thought-provoking play.

Priestley was a life-long socialist. The views scorned by Birling at the start of the play
are the views that Priestley himself held dear. In exposing the self-centred attitudes
of the Birling family, the Inspector is exposing the self-centred attitudes of many
people in society at the time of writing. The Inspector is a mouthpiece for Priestley;
he offers the socialist viewpoint in the face of an insensitive capitalism that takes no
notice of those who struggle. Here it is interesting to note the part played by Gerald
Croft in Eva‟s tragedy. Though a product of his background, the son of a wealthy man,
nevertheless Gerald can see and alleviate the suffering of another human being. For
this compassion, he is judged lightly („that young man, Croft, at least had some
affection for her and made her happy for a time‟) and allowed to go.

It is interesting to note that the Inspector‟s (and Priestley‟s) attitudes are still
present after the Inspector‟s departure. Sheila takes on some of the Inspector‟s
characteristics – questioning, contradicting and challenging the views of her parents.
 Eva Smith

Eva Smith never appears in person the play: we only know about her from the
information that the Inspector, the Birlings and Gerald Croft supply.
 The Inspector, Sheila, Gerald and Eric all say that she was "pretty." Gerald
describes her as "very pretty - soft brown hair and big dark eyes."
 Her parents are dead.
 She came from outside Brumley: Mr Birling speaks of her being "country-bred."
 She was working class.
 The Inspector says that she had kept a “sort of diary”, which helped him piece
together the last two years of her life.
 It is Eva‟s story that provides the structure of the play. The “chain of events”
that ends with her death provides the focus for the Inspector‟s investigation.
 In Act 3 the characters and the audience begin to wonder whether Eva ever
really existed. Gerald says, "We've no proof it was the same photograph and
therefore no proof it was the same girl." Birling adds, "There wasn't the
slightest proof that this Daisy Renton really was Eva Smith." Yet the final
phone call, announcing that a police inspector is shortly to arrive at the Birlings'
house to investigate the suicide of a young girl, makes us realise that maybe Eva
Smith did exist after all.
 Think about Eva's name. Eva is similar to Eve, the first woman created by God in
the Bible. Smith is the most common English surname. So, Eva Smith could
represent every woman of her class.

Stages in Eva‟s downward spiral to suicide:

Year and month What happens

September 1910 Eva sacked by Birling & Co.

December 1910 Eva employed by Milwards.

Late January 1911 Eva sacked by Milwards.

March 1911 Eva becomes Gerald's mistress.

Early September 1911 Gerald breaks off the affair. Eva leaves Brumley for two
months.

November 1911 Eric meets Eva.

December 1911/January 1912 Eva finds she is pregnant.

Late March 1912 Mrs Birling turns down Eva's application for help.

Early April 1912 Eva's suicide . . . the Inspector calls

Themes in „An Inspector Calls‟

 Social Comment
The main function of the play appears to be to comment upon society.
Arthur Birling bears all the hallmarks of rank, wealth and privilege and his
family would be considered a decent and respectable one. The family is
presented as typical of wealthy people of the time but the Inspector scrapes
away the glossy surface to reveal the rottenness beneath. Each of the
people at the meal table abused the privileges of their position and the
innocent Eva Smith suffered the consequences. Find quotations that show
how the Inspector makes them aware of this.

 Hope in the Younger Generation

It is not by coincidence that it is on the youngest members of the family
that the Inspector makes the most impression. The old appear too rigid in
their attitudes to learn any lessons but the young are impressionable enough
to learn by the mistakes of their elders. Even after they learn that the
inspector was likely to be a hoax, they still learn from their mistakes and
Eric and Sheila have learnt a bitter lesson. Priestley‟s point is clear, only if
the young learn that the mistakes made by their elders must not be
repeated, will the world of strife and war and misery end and a better
future for mankind begin. Find quotations to support the idea.

 Political View
J B Priestley was a socialist. Socialists believe that society should be
responsible for looking after all its members and that all members are equal.
Find quotations to show the Inspector taking the socialist view. Priestley
also explores the concept of power in society. Power is presented in
different forms; industrial, financial, physical, emotional, sexual and
parental. The play looks at the reasons why people abuse power; envy, pride,
lust, anger, idleness and greed. The abuse of power is fuelled by a person‟s
selfish desire and by his or her own insecurity.

 Time
Priestley wrote the play just after WWII about a family in 1912, before
WWI. At the end of the play events are about to be repeated (a telephone
 call announces that an inspector is to descend on the Birling family for the
second time). Priestley is demonstrating that unless we change society will
never develop and move on.

 Responsibility
The thread that runs throughout the play and the lasting impression upon
the audience is the thought that, not only are we responsible for the
consequences of our own actions, we are also responsible for the welfare of
others. Priestley‟s generation had suffered from two world wars that,
historically, had come close together. His appeal to his audience and to
society is that mankind should find a way to live together as a community, as
one unit and not as a series of individuals with little concern for others. He
sees the acceptance of our responsibilities as the only hope for mankind and
the only condition in which world peace might be possible. The Inspector‟s
worlds should act as the „moral‟ that emerges from the play.
Initially, all the characters have very little understanding of responsibility.
Birling‟s responsibility is to his business and to be successful. He claims to
feel responsible to his family. Does he fulfil it? What do his children think
about him?
Mrs Birling has a responsibility to her charity, but she plays God. She feels
responsibility to maintain her family‟s high standards.
Sheila recognises her responsibility as an important customer. By abusing
her power she causes real misery.
Eric displays little responsibility; he drinks too much and forces himself on
Eva without thinking of the consequences. He then steals to get himself out
of trouble. Why? Was he ever given responsibility?
Gerald shows some responsibility towards Eva, but even he ends up abusing
her and abusing his power. The Inspector‟s role is to shake these people up.
Priestley felt attitudes had to change if the world was ever going to learn
from its mistakes.

 Charitable Organisations
At the time of writing, Priestley was a strong public speaker in support of a
scheme to assist the country‟s poor and needy. He realised that the
 charities of the time tended to be run by the wealthy but they were out of
touch with the real needs of those in want. Worse still, like Mrs Birling,
many of these people used their positions wrongly, guided by prejudice
rather than a desire to be charitable. Find quotations that reflect these
two opposing views. In this theme, Priestley is echoing the mood of the
nation that was, at the time of writing, feeling the need for organised
charity and assistance for the poor. Indeed, only four years after writing
the play, the National Health Service was launched under the guidance of
Bevin in 1948.

Structure and tension

How does Priestley create tension in An Inspector Calls?

J B Priestley creates tension in a number of ways. In Act 1 he gives very

precise stage directions at the beginning: “The lighting should be pink and
intimate until the INSPECTOR arrives, and then it should be brighter and
harder.” This is symbolic. The pink and intimate lighting lures the audience into
a false sense of security. The ambient lighting at the beginning suggests that
this is a happy and loving family celebrating a family occasion. The Birlings lead
comfortable, protected lives until the Inspector brings in the harsh reality of
life outside their household. The lighting changes the mood of the play.
Furthermore, the increased intensity of the lighting suggests the Inspector is
going to throw some light on events that have been concealed. The spot light is
directed at each character in turn.

There are subtle hints during the engagement meal that all is not as it seems.
Sheila wonders where Gerald was “all last summer,” Eric is clearly nervous about
something and Lord and Lady Croft have not attended the celebration. The
atmosphere seems slightly forced, which arouses a keen interest in the audience
which wants to know more.

Dramatic irony is used throughout the play to create tension. The audience
is aware that Mr Birling‟s faith in technology and prosperous peace in Europe is
mistaken. His confident predictions regarding the Titanic and World War I put
the 1947 audience at an advantage and highlight Birling‟s shortcomings. Sheila is
quick to work out that Eric is the father of Daisy Renton‟s baby – as is the
audience; the audience sees the irony when Mrs Birling, who has not realised
this, demands that the father - her son - is made an example of.

Timings of entrances and exits are crucial to the tension of the play. The
Inspector arrives just after Birling has told Gerald about his impending
knighthood and “how a man has to look after himself.”

The action is taken forward by the Inspector following “one line of inquiry at a
time.” The characters‟ reasons for leaving are plausible and allow for new
revelations to be introduced. Eric‟s departure allows for his role in the lead up
to Eva‟s death to be realised gradually; adding a great deal of tension between
the characters, particularly Sheila and Mrs Birling. When Gerald goes for a walk
it means he can return and influence the course of events after the Inspector‟s
departure. Tension mounts as each member of the family is found to have played
a part in the events leading up to Eva‟s death.

One of the ways mood and atmosphere is established is by the way the
Inspector „cuts in‟ to the conversation. He creates a sense of urgency, with his
statement, „I haven‟t much time.‟ This quickens the pace of the revelations that
are still to come out. The quickened pace and heightened tension ensures the
audience is engaged with the action and dialogue on the stage and the urgency
of the Inspector‟s dialogue sustains interest. When things get out of control, he
steps in „taking charge masterfully‟. He has to raise his voice, indicated by the
use of an exclamation mark to get their attention: „Stop!‟ This slows the pace
down so he can summarise each of their roles in Eva‟s death and remind them
and the audience of the gravity of their actions.

Tension is also created through the use of props. Important props are the
photograph, which the Inspector shows selectively, and the diary to which he
refers. Using the prop of a notebook to signify the closing of events brings a
sense of finality. The Inspector involves the audience further by making his
moral message universal: “We are members of one body. We are responsible for
each other.” The audience cannot fail to „get‟ this hard-hitting message, even
though some of the characters have not been able to. The use of the telephone
creates high drama on the stage: the first of the two calls introduces relief;
the second call, announced by the ringing of the phone, heralds the climatic
ending, the coup de theatre (sudden and spectacular turn of events).
“An Inspector Calls” is a carefully crafted play. Its plot flows smoothly and all
the parts fit together in the manner of a jigsaw puzzle leading to a final
revelation in the form of a cliff-hanger.

Using Quotations

- You should use quotations to support your points. Doing this will
strengthen your argument.
- As a rule of thumb use five quotations in your essay. Note them down
before you start.
- You should embed your quotations e.g. Mr Birling is most responsible for
“the chain of events” leading up to the death of Eva Smith. This is
because . . .
- A quotation can just be one word.
- If you can‟t remember the exact quotation, put it in anyway. For example,
on seeing the photo did Sheila “rush” or “run” out of the room. This detail
doesn‟t matter too much. The important point is that you know the
essential feature of what happened and that you able to comment on it.
The extract question

Tips on tackling the extract questions . . .

• Before you start, check the focus of the question, then highlight or underline
relevant details (words/phrases, rather than big chunks) covering key relevant
parts of the extract.

• It‟s useful to ask yourself why this particular extract has been chosen: it may
be a turning point in the story, or it may reveal something new or significant
about a character, for example. This could be a starting point for your
answer.

• Then, establish an overview, summing up what you will say in the rest of your
answer, clearly addressing the question. Focus is really important here. You
need to position yourself and make clear what your point of view is: so long as
you back up what you say with evidence from the text, you can‟t be wrong. Be
specific - for example, if the question is about how the writer creates mood
and atmosphere, say straight away what the mood and atmosphere is, or if it is
about a character, make a clear point about the character in question.

• Tackle the key areas of the extract, selecting and highlighting detail. DON‟T
FORGET THE QUESTION! Make sure you go right to the end of the extract -
there will be a good reason why it starts and ends where it does.

• If it‟s relevant, you may make brief reference to other parts of the text - to
put the extract in context - but your main concern is the extract

• Don‟t get so caught up by analysing the detail that you neglect the content -
what is actually going on in the extract.

• In the play extract, make full use of the stage directions, and analyse them as
closely as you do the dialogue - look really closely at how the characters speak
and behave.

REMEMBER THAT EACH EXTRACT QUESTION SHOULD TAKE YOU ABOUT

20 MINUTES TO COMPLETE!
Response to an extract question with examiner‟s annotations:

At the start Sheila is obviously in her usual, pleasant mood. She first
enquires about Eva Smith and says „Never heard it before‟. At this point
she obviously has no idea whether or not she is involved.
The Inspector then begins to talk about how Eva Smith had „had enough
of it‟. Sheila is then a bit hostile towards her dad „I think it‟s a mean
thing to do. Perhaps that spoilt everything for her.‟ Her father‟s
treatment of Eva Smith shocks her, as he describes her situation as
„desperate‟. This cold, bleak descriptionis met with Sheila „warmly‟
proclaiming „I should think so. It‟s a rotten shame‟. language
I get the impression that at this stage that although Sheila is genuinely
upset that this girl is dead and was in such an unfortunate position, she
doesn‟t feel that strongly or passionately about it as it doesn‟t affect
her. evaluating

However, as the Inspector carries on saying there are a lot of young

women who live like this, the Inspector‟s message starts to hit 
home.appreciating the development of Sheila’s feelings 
She gets excitedwhen the Inspector mentions Milwards, as she exclaims
“Milwards!” This is the point when she really starts to take
moreinterest, as the reality of this situation which was once a million
miles away from her upper class life, is now closer to home. succinct
overview/evaluation

Her mood change is sudden and dramatic. Upon the news that Eva Smith 
was sacked as someone complained, Sheila stared at the inspector
„agitated‟. Something is starting to click. well put
She hesitatesas she says „What – What did this girl look like?‟ which
gives the impression that she is even more agitated and possibly a little
bit frightened. nicely tentative

The climaxarrives when she looks at the photograph. She „recognises

it with a little cry, gives a half-stifled sob, and then runs out‟. She is
totally mortified now she recognizes the photo and realises that she was
involvedall along. The shock is too much for her to take which is why
she has reacted the way shedid.

 Well conceptualised
 Appreciative of stylistic
features A* 9
 Evaluative
The essay question

Here are some tips to help you answer the essay questions on “An Inspector
Calls”. You will usually have a choice of two essay topics (sometimes you might
get a question asking you to write in role). You should spend about 40 minutes
on the essay. This includes time spent planning, writing and checking.

What do you need to do for each grade?

To achieve a grade C, make sure you show:

- A good understanding of the characters, their motivations and

relationships.
- A good understanding of themes and ideas that the writer wanted you to
think about.
- You can “read between the lines”
- You are able to support your points with quotations and reference to
specific events in the text.
- You are able to offer a personal response

DO NOT re-tell the story or any aspects of it. A C grade and above will be
consistently focussed on analysing and explaining with a clear focus on the
question.

To achieve a grade B, make sure you can do all of the above in increasing depth
and detail. Also, make sure that when you answer the question you have a
sustained focus on the question.

To achieve a grade A, you will do all of the above. Your responses will be
increasingly perceptive and consistently focussed on the question. A perceptive
response might offer the following:

- It might notice and comment on ironies (e.g. Gerald perhaps is regarded

by the Inspector as – perhaps – being least to blame and yet he could be
seen as the one who let Eva Smith down the most.).
- It might notice interesting links (e.g. Sheila has a “nasty temper” which
leads her to getting Eva dismissed. However, it could be argued that this
angry attitude gives her the strength to confront her parents more
directly.).
 - It might notice and comment on the wider significance of details (e.g. the
fact that the Inspector arrives just after Mr Birling has talked to the
family about his attitude to life. His arrival is signalled by the ringing of
a bell. Could this represent a warning signal?).

Planning an essay

Spend 2 to 5 minutes before writing your essay, doing some planning.

Note down what you want to say. Put it in a logical order and note down
quotations that you can use.

After that, put a single line through it.

When responding to the title of the essay, make sure you are consistently
focussed on the question.

Writing the Essay

Title: Who do you think is most to blame for the death of Eva Smith?

There are two ways of approaching this. One way is to look at all the
different characters and discuss how much they are to blame; make sure
though that you do give your opinion. Another way is to choose one
character and explain in detail why you think they are to blame.

Introduction:

In the introduction, make sure you answer the question. Do this before
you do anything else. This will show you know what you are doing and if you
mess up further on, you can at least say you have answered the question. It
will also help you focus your mind. Think of the introduction as a mini-essay:
if you had to answer this question in three to five sentences what would you
write?

Example:

The character most to blame for Eva Smith‟s death is Gerald. The other
characters were either acting irresponsibly or, in Mr and Mrs Birling‟s case
doing what they believed was the right thing to do. With Gerald, however, he
made her feel loved and then he let her down.

The Main Body of Your Essay

This should consist of about 5 to 8 points with each point representing a

paragraph. There are two key things to keep in mind:

1. Open each paragraph with your key idea. Back it up and explain it. In
other words:

POINT – EVIDENCE- EXPLANATION

2. Answer the question. To do this, make sure the last sentence in each
of your paragraphs links back to the question. To do this, use words
from the question in your last sentence.

Remember:

POINT
EVIDENCE
EXPLANATION
. . . LINK back to the question.

Example:

POINT:

Firstly, when Gerald rescued Eva from Alderman Meggarty in the Palace Bar, he
perhaps became one of the only men in her life who had not made advances on
her.

EVIDENCE:

She was a “pretty young thing” as Gerald says, but he treated her with respect.
 EXPLANATION:

This attitude of his would have impressed her. She perhaps would have trusted
him and let her guard down.

LINK

This makes Gerald most to blame because he invited the most trust and hope,
knowing full well would not be able to have a proper relationship with her.

Example with comments:

This detail shows The opening
The use of “perhaps” a good knowledge sentence makes
shows that the student of the play. a clear point.
is not just making quick
judgements. This shows
a mature approach.

The quotation
is embedded
Firstly, when Gerald rescued Eva from Alderman Meggarty in the Palace Bar,
in the
he perhaps became one of the only men in her life who had not made
sentence.
advances on her. She was a “pretty young thing” as Gerald says, but he
treated her with respect. This attitude of his would have impressed her. She
perhaps would have trusted him and let her guard down. This makes Gerald
most to blame because he invited the most trust and hope, knowing full well
The student
he would not be able to have a proper relationship with her.
develops and
explains the
point, saying In the final sentence of the paragraph, the student links back
something to the question and uses words from the question in the final
interesting sentence.
about it.
Conclusion to Your Essay

This should be brief and you can use it for the following:

- To give a personal response and opinion. You could briefly state what the
play has made you think or feel as long as you relate the point to the
question.
- You can show the impact on the audience
- You can link to the historical circumstances of the time.

For example:

In conclusion, Priestley uses Gerald to show the audience the typical attitude of
upper-class so-called gentlemen of the time to working-class women. Although
he treated her well, he knew was never going to be able to have serious
relationship with her so, in effect, led her on which led to her suicide. Many of
the men watching the play would have been upper-class and in a similar situation
themselves. It is likely that Priestley‟s presentation of Gerald would have made
them feel very uncomfortable.

FINAL REMINDERS:

1. Answer the question.

2. Organise your essay into clear points.
3. Use quotations.
4. Say something interesting about the points you make.
5. Answer the question.

If you know the play, you will see the essay as an opportunity not a threat. It‟s
a chance to show what you know and explore ideas that you will no doubt have
about the play. The great Dutch player and coach of Barcelona in the nineties
said to his team before a European Cup Final – “Go out and enjoy!” You should do
the same with your essay!

REVISION TIPS:

1. Get to know the play. Re-read it or re-watch it on You Tube.

2. Revise it with friends.

- Test each other with quotations. Give each other points or sweets for
the best developed responses.
- Challenge each other by looking at an essay question and saying: “Tell me
the five key things you will say in response to this.” Or: “What five
quotations would you say about this?”

3. Get a list of quotations and write a paragraph on each. Look at a range of

quotations for different characters and themes. You might be able to
slot these paragraphs into your essay.

4. Make lots of essay plans. There are some previous essay titles to help
you do this. The more of these you have done, the easier it will be to
adapt them for the essays that come up in the exam
Past GCSE questions
(Remember - you only have to do one of the two that will appear on the paper.)

Either
What do you think of the Inspector and the way he is presented in the play? [20]
Or
Show how Priestley keeps an audience‟s attention and interest throughout the play.
[20]

Either
Imagine you are Eric. At the end of the play you look back over the events of the
evening. Write down your thoughts and feelings. Remember how Eric would speak when
you write your answer. [20]
Or
Think about how the Birling family and Gerald Croft speak and behave at the start of
the play, before the arrival of the Inspector, and then of how they speak and behave
at the end of the play, after he has left.
Choose two of the characters and show how, if at all, they have changed. [20]

Either
For which character in the play do you have the most sympathy? Look closely at how
J B Priestley‟s presentation of this character has created your sympathy for him or
her. [20]
Or
“An Inspector Calls is all about the use and misuse of power”. To what extent do you
agree with this statement? [20]

Either
At the beginning of the play Sheila Birling is described as being „very pleased with life‟.
Show how and why her attitude changes as the play develops. [20]
Or
An Inspector Calls is set in 1912, and was written in the mid-1940s.
Why do you think it is still popular today, at the beginning of the 21st century?
Remember to support your answer with close reference to the text. [20]
Either
Which character changes the most as a result of the Inspector‟s visit, in your opinion?
Show how this change is presented to an audience. [20]
Or
Give advice to the actor playing Mr Birling on how he should present the character to
an audience. [20]

Either
Imagine you are Sheila. At the end of the play you think back over what has happened.
Write down your thoughts and feelings. Remember how Sheila would speak when you
write your answer. [20]
Or
Show how J B Priestley creates and maintains tension throughout the play. [20]

Either
Give advice to the actor playing Mrs Birling on how she should present the character to
an audience. [20]
Or
How is the character of Inspector Goole important to the play as a whole? [20]

Either
Imagine you are Gerald. At the end of the play you think back over its events. Write
down your thoughts and feelings. Remember how Gerald would speak when you write
your answer. [20]
Or
Inspector Goole says “We are responsible for each other.” How does J B Priestley
present this theme in An Inspector Calls? [20]

Either
Give advice to the actor playing Sheila on how she should present the character to an
audience. [20]
Or
Show how Priestley keeps the interest of the audience throughout An Inspector Calls.
[20]
Questions that ask you to “Give advice . . .” are asking you for a character study.
Writing in role

If you are given the task of writing in role, you should write an account of the
evening from your given character‟s viewpoint. Imagine you have seen
everything through their eyes, spoken the words they have spoken, felt the
guilt (?) they feel, responded to the Inspector as they did. Try to empathise
with the character to such an extent that you write with their voice, using the
sort of language they would use. Look back at the text to see how they speak.

Here is an example of a successful response:

Task:
Imagine you are Sheila. Write down your thoughts and feelings as
you look back over the events of the evening.

Everything has fallen apart: my family, my engagement, my life. In the space of

one evening I feel as if I have been taken over by a new person completely, and
now not one of us knows what is going to happen.
My father, although I am ashamed to call him that now, has just answered a
phone call. A phone call I know will change our lives forever and set everything
into turmoil. But we have to change. I regret everything I ever did to poor Eva
Smith, and every other John Smith and Eva Smith out there. We are all
members of one body, we are all responsible for each other, and if we don‟t
realise this we will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. Perhaps that was
what that phone call was. We didn‟t listen the first time, and now we‟re going to
pay for what we‟ve done . . .
Everything was fine. I was so happy finally to celebrate my engagement to my
wonderful fiancé, Gerald. I was worried last summer, when Gerald seemed
distant and I feel stupid now for not seeing the signs. I was so wrapped up in it
all, with father making his usual extravagant speeches, I didn‟t see it coming for
one second. The Inspector . . .
I don‟t know who he was, or even if he was a real inspector… but he was OUR
Inspector all right. I was shocked and disappointed when he revealed my father
had sacked a girl from his works for asking for the tiniest more payment to
their almost non-existent wages. It felt horrible when I found out that this
was the same girl who drank disinfectant to kill herself. I couldn‟t come to
terms with it. Why would anyone want to end their life? But he made me
realise I‟ve been living in a bubble while thousands of people out there are being
treated like slaves by people like my father. They‟re people and he can‟t see any
responsibility for this, even after the visit from the Inspector.
But then of course that wasn‟t the end of it. It was just the beginning. It
wasn‟t only father‟s fault. It was all of us. And when I found out I had a part
to play in this beautiful, innocent girl‟s death, I could not bear it. Out of pure
jealousy, my previous ignorant, selfish, immature self had deprived Eva of her
only strand of hope. I cannot bear to think about what I‟ve done, it makes me
feel sick. It all makes me feel sick.
And then on top of all this, I found out my future husband had known this girl -
intimately. How could I ever marry a man like that? I loved him, and I thought
he loved me . . . Mother and father were so greedy, self-centred and ignorant
they still wanted to push me into this marriage, just to better themselves. The
looks on their faces when I gave the ring back were probably worse than when
the Inspector announced the girl‟s suicide, which just says it all doesn‟t it? I
swore when I first caught sight of that glistening diamond that I would never
take it off. It seemed so important to me, but now I cannot see why. How
could I value material objects above a human life? How could anyone?
Eric, through all of this, seems to be the only one who can see what terrible
mistakes we‟ve all made. I know he drinks too much and that he got a girl
pregnant. Whether it was the same girl I insisted was dismissed from Milwards
who Gerald embarked on a disgusting affair with, or even the one who has died
in the infirmary, it doesn‟t matter. We all did terrible things and we all need to
learn. It is our responsibility as the younger generation to do something before
it‟s too late.

The final member of my family to have played a part in Eva‟s death was my
mother. I‟m ashamed that my own mother refused a pregnant girl money and
help when she is the head of the Brumley Women‟s Charity Organisation . . . it
makes me sick. She killed her own grandchild, my niece or nephew. She‟s a
murderer and she doesn‟t feel the slightest bit sorry about it. We‟re all
murderers. I don‟t care if Gerald found that the Inspector wasn‟t real. He was
our Inspector. He made me realise my life is a sham. Whether this new
Inspector is real or not, I‟m going to stand my ground. I feel terrible for what
I‟ve done, for what my family has done, and I know we‟re going to pay . . . in
fire, and blood, and anguish.

A*