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An Inspector Calls -Deep Analysis Exam Questions
And Answers
How is the inspector's demeanour? - answers✔✔He arrives at a critical time - to interrupt Mr Birling
and his selfish views: 'a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own - and -
We hear the sharp ring of a front doorbell.' The Inspector's role is to show that this is not the case.
He is described in the stage directions as giving 'an impression of massiveness, solidity and
purposefulness'. He takes charge immediately and remains in control throughout. He remains solid
as each of them breaks down and nothing distracts him from his purpose.
He is clearly there to challenge and investigate. He has a habit of 'looking hard' at the person he is
interrogating before starting to speak. This unnerves the characters.
He directs the investigation carefully, dealing with 'one line of enquiry at a time'. Therefore, he is
controlling the structure of the play.
He is a teacher - to teach each character (and the audience) of the importance of social
responsibility.
He uses aggressive, shocking emotive language to make the characters feel guilty for the part they
played in Eva Smith's death: 'she died in misery and agony'
How does Priestley use the Inspector to voice his message on Social Responsibility? -
answers✔✔Indeed, it may be said that An Inspector Calls is a play more centred on themes and
ideas than one driven by plot. Hence, Priestley uses a number of devices throughout the text to
convey his ideas about social responsibility - juxtaposition being perhaps one of the more significant
strategies employed by Priestley to highlight his ideas about the community and social responsibility.
Thus, when Mr Birling - a stereotypical construct of Aristocratic English society - presents his
monologue about the „unsinkable Titanic‟ and the „scaremongers making a fuss about nothing‟, the
audience are immediately made aware of his ignorance and self-inflated, pompous attitude, thus
casting doubt over his capitalist ideas about „mind[ing] his own business‟. This, then, is in direct
contrast to the Inspector‟s message on socialism, further highlighted by the clever timing of the
doorbell which is designed not only to unnerve the audience and the characters, but to create a
conflict between Mr Birling and the Inspector.
This conflict between the Inspector and Arthur Birling serves as a powerful dichotomy of ideas -
between capitalism and socialism - and is thus amply exploited by Priestley to highlight both the way
things were in British society during the Pre-World War 1 era, and the immense need for change.
This juxtaposition and power play, thus, add strength to the ideas presented by Priestley. The use of
the Inspector as author surrogate gives further credence to the socialist ideal and is enforced
through Priestley‟s clever crafting of characters; Birling who is set up as a sanctimonious, arrogant,
yet ignorant fool is juxtaposed by the Inspector - a modest, yet informed individual who represents
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the common people; Mrs Birling who is clearly disliked by Priestley himself, is portrayed as an
egotistical, uncaring and self-important
how Priestley uses the inspector to get the message of social responsibility? further -
answers✔✔The contrast between the characters of Mr and Mrs Birling to that of Sheila and Eric also
help to highlight the gradual change affecting pre-World War 1 society which led to a demand for
better working conditions for the working classes, and a smudging of those lines which, until then, so
uncompromisingly defined the social classes. Accordingly, the younger generation - represented by
the characters of Eric and Sheila - portray societal shifts towards greater equality and, subsequently,
become author surrogates to some extent, joining forces with the Inspector to give further weight to
Priestley‟s socialist ideal. The conflict between the Inspector and Mr Birling are sustained not only
by the use of dramatic irony to create a negative impression of Birling and a lack credibility which
impacts on the audience‟ perception of his values, but through his shaping of the Inspector‟s
character who, despite his muted and inferior appearance, is revealed to be the most authoritative
voice in the play; the almost transcendent, god-like voice given to the Inspector by Priestley, which
carries forward this vital message about society, individuals and the need for human understanding
and compassion, though ignored by the two older members of the family, finds root in the hearts of
the younger members- the generation who will, in time, be responsible for shaping a new society,
and thus, those who matter most.
This authority stems not only from his role of Inspector, but through his persistent use of Socratic
questioning which is merciless and unforgiving towards the other characters despite their social
superiority. Moreover, Priestley‟s perpetual use of the word „authority‟ to describe the Inspector‟s
manner, tone and register, along with his frequent referral to the Inspector‟s „cutting in‟ of other‟s
speech, immediately gives hi
'The Inspector need not be a big man but he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity
and purposefulness.' 'cutting through, massively' - answers✔✔The Inspector assumes control, which
is a disturbing shift for Birling and he immediately tries to regain it. The Inspector interrupts Birling
'cutting through, massively'. The omniscient Inspector is used by Priestley to further convey his
views on collective / social responsibility. The Inspector is used very effectively to highlight the
corruption and the selfish attitudes of the Edwardian society. Compare this description to Mr Birling
at the beginning. Not physically large but has authority and presence. The adjectives, massiveness
and "solidity" almost feels he is that solid, impenetrable object which will metaphorically sink this
family. Notice again, he like Mr Birling is also in his fifties. We, the audience, are being invited to
compare these men. The three adjectives are significant as they are used to describe the presence of
the inspector and demonstrate his disruption to the natural hierarchy of the house. Each adjective,
in a sense elevates the inspector above Mr Birling. Structure of the language is important, the words
appear long visually and also verbally, heightening the idea that the Inspector is a huge power which
with only words will bring down a family.
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'Cutting through massively' - answers✔✔The directions describe the way the Inspector talks to
members of the family and is repeated constantly throughout the play to show his power. The
inspector is like the sharp sword of justice, cutting through the lies of the family. Whenever Priestley
describes the Inspector, he uses the semantic field of size: showing the sheer importance of this
man, and his power.
'We hear the sharp ring of the bell. Birling stops to listen.' - answers✔✔The inspector arrives just
after Birling has made his capitalist speech and the "sharp ring of the bell" interrupts his speech on
"social responsibility, it is almost as if the inspector was summoned by the words of avarice uttered
out of Birling's mouth. The ring of the bell is "sharp" meaning that it is almost cutting through
Birling's words.
'dressed in a plain, darkish suit of the period' - answers✔✔The adjective "darkish" connotes an
imagery of something ominous and sinister. The fact that the Inspector is dressed in a "darkish suit
of the period" could purport that the Inspector is going to inaugurate some gloom and misery into
the Birling family and the post-war audience in the reality of some 'darker' aspects of the Edwardian
society, such as the growing division of the proletarians and bourgeois, and the deep-rooted
patriarchal society where rich Edwardian men, in particular, use and abuse women due to their
authority and status. The otherwise ignorant Birling family are seeing the world through 'rose-tinted
glasses' and believe "everything is alright". They are unaware of the vast turmoil that many working
class individuals faced due to their harrowing actions. Priestley's motive here was to dress the
Inspector plainly was to divert any attention on his outward appearance and to have the audience
focus on on the intended basis of the Inspector, his dialect and the messages, such as social
responsibility that Priestly wanted the audience to procure. Or Perhaps this "plain...suit" could
represent the Inspector's outward simplicity and purity that Priestly wanted the Inspector to emit.
By having him dressed so simply, it gives him a neutral stance - the audience are unable to identify
him as an affluent or working class individual.
'has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person' - answers✔✔His sense of mystery is quite
ominous and means the audience and the characters are scared of him. This could show that he is
intimidating and that he is powerful before speaking as he has taken time to strategically analyse
and judge the person and what he is going to say beforehand. The stare suggests that he is able to
read a person by looking at them and that he can discern what they are thinking; a mind reader.
'The lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter
and harder.' - answers✔✔The lighting presents the changing mood of the play - the pink light
suggests that the family see life through rose tinted glasses, they do not see the reality of the
impending war, the suffering of the working classes, etc. The harsher lighting suggests the light of
truth which the inspector brings with him. The light used in an interrogation. It also reveals the truth
about the family; they begin to see each other in a different light. This particular usage of lighting is
called a dramatic device, as it helps tension rise within the play. everything is in a good ambiance
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until the arrival of the inspector. After the inspector arrives the lighting becomes harder and brighter
changing the mood of the play
"One person and one line of inquiry at a time" - answers✔✔The effect on the reader of the
Inspectors systematic working is one of curiosity, it is not till the closure of the play that we realise
that this is due to the inspector enforcing the idea that he is a real policeman and his ideas are not 'a
whole lot of moonshine'. This allows the audience to reflect on the attributes they share similar with
each individual character in question. The Inspector uses commanding language as he 'massively
takes charge' to show that he has the floor and will be maintain the authority. He uses instructive
language, to, for a change, deny them something. Shelia says the Inspector is giving the family 'rope
so we'll hang ourselves', and this is an important part in the overall structure of the play.
The Inspector uses Freytag's dramatic arc to evaluate 'one person' at any time and through this
allows the person to solely reflect on their actions alone. The inspectors method provides the overall
dynamic of the play.The idea of Freytag's dramatic arc ties in with the idea that each of the
characters questioned by the Inspector represent or uphold characteristics of the seven deadly sins.
Birling perhaps represents greed, Mrs Birling pride, Sheila envy and anger, both Gerald Croft and Eric
represent lust, however Eric also has traits of greed and laziness. The inspector is attempting to rid
each character of their deadly sin, and therefore the theme of the play revolves around sin and
responsibilities. Priestley's intended purpose for this is to use the inspector to narrate and take the
audience through a journey of how the family's harrow actions led to Eva's suicide.
'A chain of events' - answers✔✔In this fascinating excerpt, the Inspector outlines the nature of the
moral crime the Birlings and Gerald have committed against Eva. Each of them is responsible in part
for her death, and together they are entirely responsible (collective responsibility). This construction
is itself a metaphor for Priestley's insistence that we are all bound up together and responsible
communally for everyone's survival.
'...if men will not learn that lesson, when they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish.'
'there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths' - answers✔✔The
structure of the passage is important, it is one of the Inspectors longest periods of dialogue and
could be related to a sermon. These are his final words and signify that he will have a resounding
impact. The language used by the inspector is riddled with collective pronouns such as 'we', 'us' and
'our' showing that through his brusque language the Inspector is attempting to inflict moral
responsibilities and also offers a final warning for those who choose not to accept their responsibility
in the part of Eva's death.
The Inspector's final lines, from a longer speech he makes shortly before his exit, are a blistering
delivery of Priestley's socialist message. Moreover, his promise of "fire and blood and anguish" also
