An Inspector Calls by J. D. Priestley Summary & Analysis

✨ TOP SCHOLARSHIPS TO APPLY FOR 👇👇

ADVERTISING

Read Online African Drama: An Inspector Calls by J. D. Priestley Summary & Analysis, Comprehensive Chapter by Chapter Summary, Background, Plot, Major Events, Settings, Theme, Major Characters Summary and Analysis for JAMB UTME, NECO and WAEC Literature Students.

John Boynton Priestley (1894–1984) was a prominent British playwright, novelist, and broadcaster. His works often reflect strong social and political commentary. An Inspector Calls is one of Priestley's best-known plays, serving as a critique of the selfishness and irresponsibility prevalent among the upper class in early 20th-century Britain.

 

 

Plot Overview

An Inspector Calls unfolds on a single evening in 1912 in the Birling family’s home. As the Birling family celebrates Sheila Birling’s engagement to Gerald Croft, the mysterious Inspector Goole arrives. He announces the suicide of a young working-class woman, Eva Smith, and gradually reveals each family member's complicity in her demise. By exposing each character’s selfish and irresponsible actions, Priestley critiques upper-class indifference to societal injustices.

 

Settings

• Birling Household (Dining Room): Symbolizes the isolation and comfort of the upper class, contrasting sharply with the hardships faced by the working class.
• Brumley: Fictional industrial town representing English society and class divisions of the early 20th century.

 

Chapter-by-Chapter (Act-by-Act) Summary

Act 1: Arrival of the Inspector

• The Birling family celebrates Sheila’s engagement to Gerald.
• Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly, announcing Eva Smith’s death by suicide.
• Arthur Birling is revealed to have fired Eva from his factory due to a labor dispute.
• Sheila realizes she caused Eva's dismissal from her next job out of jealousy.

Act 2: Deeper Revelations

• Inspector Goole interrogates Gerald, uncovering an affair with Eva, who had renamed herself Daisy Renton.
• Gerald admits he kept Daisy as a mistress but ended the relationship, causing her despair.
• The Inspector exposes Mrs. Birling's harsh refusal to aid Eva when she sought help from her charity, pushing her closer to suicide.

Act 3: Family Breakdown and the Inspector’s Departure

• Eric Birling is revealed as having impregnated Eva and stolen money from his father’s firm to support her.
• The Inspector delivers a powerful speech about social responsibility and leaves the stunned family.
• Gerald returns, suspecting Inspector Goole may have been an impostor; a phone call then announces a real inspector will arrive to investigate Eva's death, leaving everyone shaken.

 

Major Events

• Sheila and Gerald's engagement party disrupted by Inspector Goole.
• Each character's personal guilt in Eva Smith’s tragic fate revealed.
• Inspector’s moral indictment of upper-class selfishness.
• Ambiguous ending: the revelation of Inspector Goole’s identity and the second inspector’s impending arrival.

 

Major Themes

Social Responsibility

• The play emphasizes the interconnectedness of society, highlighting individual responsibilities toward others.

Class Inequality

• Priestley exposes the vast differences and injustices between upper and working-class life.

Generational Divide

• Younger characters (Sheila, Eric) reflect openness to change, whereas older characters resist accepting responsibility.

Hypocrisy and Reputation

• The Birling family’s obsession with appearances reveals deeper societal hypocrisy and moral failure.

 

Major Characters Summary & Analysis

Inspector Goole

• Role: Mysterious Inspector; moral judge
• Traits: Authoritative, insightful, enigmatic
• Analysis: Symbolizes justice, social conscience, and morality. His ambiguous identity enhances the play’s symbolic impact.

Arthur Birling

• Role: Patriarch, businessman
• Traits: Arrogant, capitalist, dismissive
• Analysis: Represents capitalist greed and disregard for workers, reflecting Priestley’s critique of selfish industrialists.

Sybil Birling

• Role: Matriarch, charity worker
• Traits: Proud, cold, judgmental
• Analysis: Embodies upper-class hypocrisy, revealing the cruelty behind surface-level charity.

Sheila Birling

• Role: Daughter, initially naive but increasingly self-aware
• Traits: Sensitive, remorseful, reflective
• Analysis: Symbolizes hope for social change, demonstrating growth from ignorance to social consciousness.

Eric Birling

• Role: Youngest Birling; troubled youth
• Traits: Irresponsible initially, but ultimately remorseful
• Analysis: Reflects the younger generation's potential for moral redemption and social awareness.

Gerald Croft

• Role: Sheila’s fiancé, businessman
• Traits: Charming, superficially polite, ultimately deceptive
• Analysis: Reveals upper-class duplicity, complicity, and moral ambiguity through personal relationships.

Eva Smith/Daisy Renton

• Role: Working-class victim (not physically appearing on stage)
• Traits: Vulnerable, resilient, symbolic
• Analysis: Represents the exploited working class, her multiple identities symbolizing their invisibility and lack of voice.

 

WAEC/NECO-Style Practice Questions

Objective Questions

1. The setting of the play symbolizes:

   • A. Economic equality
   • B. Class isolation and privilege
   • C. Cultural diversity
   • D. Religious conflict

2. Inspector Goole’s primary purpose is to:

   • A. Entertain the Birling family
   • B. Expose societal injustice and irresponsibility
   • C. Congratulate Sheila and Gerald
   • D. Support capitalist ideals

3. The character who symbolizes hope for future change is:

   • A. Arthur Birling
   • B. Sybil Birling
   • C. Sheila Birling
   • D. Inspector Goole

Answers: 1. B, 2. B, 3. C

 

Essay Questions

1. Discuss how Priestley uses Inspector Goole to communicate his views on social responsibility.
2. Analyze the generational conflict between the older and younger characters in An Inspector Calls.
3. Explain the significance of Eva Smith’s character in exploring class inequality.
4. Examine the theme of hypocrisy as portrayed through Mr. and Mrs. Birling’s characters.