An Inspector Calls Revision Booklet Higher 13xmb6p

AN INSPECTOR CALLS 

MR JOHNSON’S EXAM REVISION BOOKLET 

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HOW SHOULD I REVISE?

1. Firstly, you need to look at some past exam questions so you know what to expect – see pages 3 and 4. Do this now. Once completed put a tick next to this first step.

2. OK, now that you’e done that you need to understand what to write and how to write it. !ou’ll find all of this information on page 5. "ead and di#est this information now. Once completed put a tick next to this second step.

$. Okey dokey. %ow you need to refamiliarise yourself with the playwri#ht, the play, its characters, themes, etc. "ead pa#es & – 12. Don’t forget all the class notes & discussions! Once completed put a tick next to this third step. 'appy readin#.

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(. )lri#hty, now for the most important part of your reision. *reate a list of the top 2+ uotes from the play -with pa#e numers if you hae the correct exam edition/ that will allow you to answer most uestions aout the main themes, e.#. responsiility, class and a#e. *reate quick minimindmaps -or ullet points if you prefer/ for each quote. On each mindmap link to use of lan#ua#e, themes, character-s/ concerned, deices used, 0riestley’s ideas -incl. t heories of time/, effect on audience, etc. se colour and ima#es to rin# it alie your rain likes colour and ima#es. 0erhaps stick them up on your edroom wall and coer up those posters that you think are so hip, fly, sick -whateer you cool cats say/. 3ick the ox when done.

4. Practise answering Possile "xam #uestions’ $see %urton log – (4 minutes. )lthou#h we’ll do a couple in class, the more you do, the etter you’ll #et. 'and t o me for markin#5feedack.

&. )s you approach the exam, look at your mindmaps, ensure you know where to find your eidence -or een etter, memorise it6/ and reread this ooklet. 0ut in the time and it’ll pay off, 7 promise. 8ood luck !ear 11. 9r :

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,0,*6 7899 Page 2 of 12

"(%'"* #uestion 9: 'ow does 0riestley show that tension is at the heart of the ;irlin# family< (30 marks) 2* #uestion 9; 0riestley criticises the selfishness of people like the ;irlin#s. =hat methods does he use to present this selfishness< (30 marks)

0" 7899 "(%'"* #uestion 9: An Inspector Calls has een called >a play of contrasts’. =rite aout how 0riestley presents some of the contrasts in the play. (30 marks) 2* #uestion 9; 'ow does 0riestley present the chan#e in ?heila durin# the course of the play An Inspector Calls< 'ow do you think this chan#e reflects some of 0riestley’s ideas< (30 marks)

,0 7897 "(%'"* #uestion 9: )rthur ;irlin# says, >7f we were all responsile for eerythin# that happened to eeryody we’d had anythin# to do with, it would e ery awkward, wouldn’t it word$s in the question =rite essay

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?riefl> answer the question in one sentence you can asically mention $ or ( points that you’re #oin# to make. Don’t waste time writing “In this essay, I will…, !"st answer the #"estion$ %o e&i'ence re#"ire' here$  $5 mins

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learned aout each other and felt responsile for each other as indiIiduals and as a countr>@ 3his play has a moral message -like a fale, with a lesson to e learned at the end/ that we should think of others and work together to ensure a fairerH more equal societ> , 3his idea is known as socialism een now, the political party aour to some extent follow this idea. =hen the play was first pulished, aour had Eust taken oer the country for the first time. ;efore aour, the country was run y 1apitalists these people elieIed that each person had to look after themselIes  – this elief, howeer, resulted in uneual treatment of people. Durin# Jdwardian Jn#land -9F97/, there was also a diide etween the people of Jn#land at that time the rich and the poor. ;:J of all the mone> in "ngland elonged to onl> 5J of the population! (n 9F97H "ngland had little welfare s>stem , in other words, there was no dole if you didn’t hae a Eo. Jen when you did hae a Eo, there were no real unions or laws that helped people at work – there was no minimum wa#e and the aera#e numer of hours people worked each week was up to &4, we only work an aera#e $6 Jmployers could asically treat their workers as they wanted. 7f you were ill, you were unlikel> to e ale to see a doctor if >ou were poor@ 3he pla> is set in the fictional town ?rumle>  – a northern town like ?radford $where Priestle> is from@ ;radford had many factories owned y rich people who paid ery little for ack reakin# work. et won the right to Iote. 3hey were not expected to work unless the> were the lower class , then they would hae to work to surie. 3he eldest male of any home would e the main readwinner -the person who rin#s the money home/, they were also in char#e at home, and their word was law a wife would neIer argue or answer ack to her husand or eldest son@

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%o ummariseE %he pla> is aout social responsiilit> . 0riestley uses the play to present his ideas on responsiility and society. 'e uses the character of the (nspector as a mouth-piece for his ideas . For example the 7nspector exclaims >=e are memers of one ody. =e are responsile for each other’ @ Priestle> is suggesting that we should all look after one another , and that those who hae power oer others should use it for the common #ood, not Eust for their  own enefit. 7t is clear y the end of the play that these are 0riestley’s iews. Plot 1. 2. $. (. 4. &. H. I. . 1+. 11. 12.

3he ;irlin# Family and 8erald *roft are hain# a dinner celeratin# ?heila ;irlin#’s en#a#ement to 8erald *roft. :ust as 9r ;irlin# is at his most confident an inspector arries to inesti#ate a suicide. 9r ;irlin# reeals he sacked Ja ?mith. ?heila explains that she had Ja sacked from her next Eo at 9ilwards. 8erald reco#nises the name Daisy "enton -Ja’s second name/ 8erald admits that he kept Daisy as his mistress. 9rs ;irlin# tells the #roup that she denied help to a pre#nant #irl when she went to 9rs ;irlin#’s charity or#anisation Jric enters, Eust as we realise he is the father of the child. Jric explains his relationship with the #irl and how he stole money to help her. 3he 7nspector leaes. 3he family #radually realises the 7nspector could hae een a fraud. 3he celeratory mood is almost restored – then a phone call announces that an 7nspector is on his way to inesti#ate a #irl’s suicide.

Dramatic DeIicesE 0riestley uses a ran#e of dramatic deices for different purposes. For example, setH lightingH sound effectsH propsH characterisationH timing and dramatic iron>@ tage Directions  )t the e#innin# of )ct 1 he uses stage directions to set the scene and giIe us information aout the ?irling famil> efore we een see them. =e can tell that the ?irling famil> are a comfortal> off  middle to upper middle class family. =e can also tell that they are all feeling relaxed and confident at the e#innin# of the play. set G large s""ran ho"se • •

furniture G 1soli' …"t not cosy an' homelike’ 

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props – su##ests wealth 1champagne glasses’, 1'ecanter o port’ 

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costume 1e&ening 'ress o the perio'’ white tie and tails – a formal occasion

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li#htin# – 1pink an' intimate’ 

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characters and how they are descried y 0riestley

,t the start of the pla> the ?irlings are seated and relaxed@ ?> the end all standing and shoutingCcr>ing@ taging  )ll the action takes place in one room – it is claustrophoic and intenseG the pressure uilds within the closed room. ;irlin#s are shown to lie in a closed, protected world and the 7nspector is not welcomed from the outside. ?tephen Daldry’s 12 production showed the house on stilts. 'ei#ht showed the ;irlin#’s separation from the rest of the town, ut the stilts seemed unsteady – showin# the ;irlin#’s could easily fall from their status. Dramatic (ron> -when an audience knows more aout the characters5action than the characters on sta#e/. 0riestley uses dramatic iron> to show how ridiculous and wrong ?irling’s opinions are@ J.#.B

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?irling sa>s war won’t happen >7 say there isn’t a chance of war’ ut audience knows there were two ear@ ;irlin# thinks there’ll e no tension etween emplo>ers and emplo>ees  >you’ll e liin# in a world that will hae for#otten all these *apital ersus aour a#itations’ ut there were strikes in1+HG112 ecause of poor conditions and the )eneral trike of 9F7K 3he dramatic irony makes the audience think ?irling is foolish and lacking in knowledge aout the future@ (t also makes his political opinions seem wrong@  Priestle> is also showing an audience his concern that such idiotic people haIe some degree of power in this societ>@ 1ould >ou relate this to his Priestle>’s experiences=

%he entrance of the inspector ound "ffect – 3here’s a ‘sarp ring o! a !ront door "ell#  and Jdna interrupts ;irlin# in the middle of his speeches. 3he 1sharp’  rin# would startle the audience – and su##ests that the 7nspector may e a >sharp’ -as in intelli#ent and possily a##ressie/ person. 3he rin# also interrupts ;irlin# su##estin# that the 7nspector will hae power and control oer ;irlin#. 3here is a change of lighting from pink and intimate# to ‘"rigter and arder ’ when the inspector arries. 3his su##ests a#ain that the 7nspector is a >hard’ character who will wreck the cosy world the ;irlin#s lie in. 'is name >7nspector 8oole’ also su##ests somethin# unpleasant5interestin# aout the inspector – e.#. >#houl’ means #host •

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%he inspector deIelops the dramatic tension 3he inspector 1creates at once an impression o massi&eness, soli'ity an' p"rpose"lness’$ 'e also speaks 1care"lly, weightily’ and 1has a 'isconcerting hait o looking har' at the person he a''resses eore act"ally speaking’$ 3his interests an audience – we want to know wh> he is there and how people will react  to his uestionin#. 3he 7nspector >inspects’ or interro#ates each person in turn he controls the pace and tension + information is graduall> released. 'e shows a photo of Ja ?mith to each character in turn that only they see. 3he audience is intrigued. ?lowly the story of JaLs life is unraelled, like in a LwhodunnitL. 'e is ery mysterious and seems to know what is #oin# to happen efore it does. *onsider his name >8oole’. ) #houl is a #host. 7s he a supernatural ein#< 3he oice of 0riestley or een 8od, come to morally Eud#e them< •

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7nterro#ation of ;irlin#. ;irlin# feels uncomfortale and tries to threaten 8oole with his friendship with *olonel "oerts. )udience think ;irlin# is selfish and arro#ant. ;e#innin#s of conflict etween >ounger generation -?heila/ and older #eneration -;irlin#/. ?heila responds much more instinctiely and emotionally to the report of Ja ?mith’s death. 3his creates tension and the audience feel some sympathy for ?heila. 7nspector leaes the room, hain# introduced Ja ?mith’s chan#e of name to Daisy "enton. ,udience want to know wh> this has occurred@ ook at the final exchan#e etween ?heila and 8erald. 7n a sense, ?heila e#ins the inspector’s task. 3he fact that the audience knows that 8erald is inoled -the third out of fie characters/ suggests to the audience that the momentum will continue and that all the characters will e inIolIed@ 3he inspector returns at the end of the scene and asks his uestion 1-ell/’ 3his is a cliff-hanger + audience want to watch on to see how )erald and heila react@ ,ct 7 also ends with 1(BB ',0)"*@ %he front door slamsH announcing "ric’s returnH ut the audience haIe to wait until ,ct 3 for his confession@ $%he front door angs eery time someone enters or leaes the house. 3he characters and audience can hear this, and wonder who enters the houseG  effectiIe sound effect in creating tension@

%iming •

%iming of entrances and exits is crucial. For example, the 7nspector arries immediately after ;irlin# has told 8erald aout his impendin# kni#hthood and aout how Ma man has to look after himself and his own.M

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heila runs off stage when she realises she is the reason "Ia was sacked - creates intense atmosphere@ heila and )erald are left alone to discuss Dais> *enton- this draws information out for audience@  ) great deal of tension has een created for the audience > the end of ,ct 9  and they hae the desire to know how all the characters were inoled. ;y hain# a reak at this point etween )cts One and 3wo and creatin# a dramatic pause 0riestley creates tension for the rest of the pla> . )ct 1 ends with the 7nspector askin#, @=ell reIealed, one person at a time. 3he audience and characters are kept on their toes.

0riestley has already suggested to the audience some of the themes  that he deelops later in his playB e.#. the idea that those in power are often undeserIing of that power  and foolish -as shown in his presentation of ;irlin# in particular/ and that the >ounger generation are more open to positiIe change  -as in his presentation of ?heila’s remorse/. 9ost importantly he has su##ested that the 7nspector is #oin# to e the character to uestion the arro#ant selfGconfidence that the ;irlin#s hae, Eust as he as a playwri#ht confronts his audience’s own preEudices aout power in society. %he "nding 3he endin# leaes the audience on a cliffGhan#er. 7n )ct $ the ;irlin#s elieed themseles to e off the hook when it is discoered that the 7nspector wasnLt real and that no #irl had died in the infirmary. 3his releases some of the tension G ut the final telephone call, announcin# that a real inspector is on his way to ask uestions aout the suicide of a youn# #irl, suddenly restores the tension ery dramatically. 7t is an unexpected final twist. *onsider 0riestley’s interest in Ouspensky’s and Dunne’s 3heories of 3ime.

Dramatic tructureC)enre Follows the rules of )reek DramaG the three unities of placeH action and time are kept to in a realistic manner . i.e. 3he Drama all unfolds in one placeG ;irlin#’s Dinin# room. )ction all takes place in one eenin#, time passes in the same way as in real life. 3his makes the play realistic. 3he (nspector acts like a )reek chorus $0arrator@  'e sums up what has happened, and explains to oth actors and the audience the lessons we must learn. Jually mi#ht e seen as a simple crimeC m>ster> pla>G >=ho dunnitth-like qualit> in that it carries a moral message  that we should take etter care of our fellow human ein#s, so in some ways is like a parale.

%hemes *esponsiilit>B 3he 7nspector wanted each memer of the family to share the responsiility of JaLs deathB he tells them, $eac o! you elped to kill er.$  'oweer, his final speech is aimed not only at the characters on sta#e, ut at the audience tooB $One Eva %mit as gone & "ut tere are millions and millions and millions o! Eva %mits and 'on %mits still le!t wit us( wit teir lives( teir opes and !ears( teir su!!ering and cance o! appiness( all intertwined wit our lives( and wat we tink and say and do.$ 

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1lassB 0riestley is tryin# to show that the upper classes are unaware that the easy lies they lead rest upon hard work of the lower classes. 3hey’re selfish5uncarin# and immoral.  )3373DJ? 3O 3'J O=J" *)??B

)3373DJ? 3O 3'J 00J" *)??B

%o this characterH "Ia was@@@

,t the start of the pla>H this character wasE

cheap laour 

/r ?irling

keen to e kni#hted to cement his hardGfou#ht rise to the upper class

someone who could e fired out of spite

heila

happy spendin# a lot of time in expensie shops

a mistress who could e discarded at will

)erald

prepared to marry ?heila, despite her lower social position

easy sex at the end of a drunken ni#ht "ric out a presumptuous upstart

/rs ?irling

awkward aout his LpulicGschoolGandGNarsityL life socially superior to her husand, and emarrassed at his #affes

,geB 3he older #eneration and the youn#er #eneration take the 7nspectorLs messa#e in different ways. =hile ?heila and Jric accept their part in JaLs death and feel hu#e #uilt aout it, their parents are unale to admit that they did anythin# wron#. %he 2ld -9r and 9rs ;irlin#/

%he 6oung -?heila and Jric/

3he old are set in their ways. 3hey are utterly confident that they are ri#ht and they see the youn# as foolish.

3he youn# are open to new ideas. 3his is first seen early in )ct 1 when oth Jric and ?heila express sympathy for the strikers G an idea which horrifies ;irlin#, who can only think of production costs and i#nores the human side of the issue.

3he old will do anythin# to protect themselesB 9rs ;irlin# lies to the 7nspector when he first shows her the photo#raph 9r ;irlin# wants to coer up a potential scandal.

3he youn# are honest and admit their faults. Jric refuses to try to coer his part up, sayin#, $te !act remains tat ) did wat ) did.$ 

3hey hae neer een forced to examine their consciences efore and find they cannot do it now G as the sayin# #oes, Lyou canLt teach an old do# new tricks.L

?heila and Jric see the human side of JaLs story and are ery trouled y their part in it. 3hey 'o examine their consciences.

9r and 9rs ;irlin# hae much to fear from the ?heila and Jric hae nothin# to fear from the isit of the LrealL isit of the LrealL inspector ecause they know inspector ecause they hae already admitted what they hae they will lose eerythin#. done wron#, and will chan#e )erald 1roft is cau#ht in the middle, ein# neither ery youn# nor old. 7n the end he sides with the older #eneration, perhaps ecause his aristocratic roots influence him to want to keep the status uo and protect his own interests. ltimately, we can e optimistic that the youn# G those who will shape future society G are ale to take on oard the 7nspectorLs messa#e. 2/" character #uotes $Please note that page numers are for a different edition (nspector  ystical and gostly !igure wo calls to reveal to te +irlings ow dangerous( sel!is and immoral teir li!estyles are.

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>7t’s etter to ask for the earth than to take it.’ -1(/ 3he 7nsp’s lesson to 9r ; is that at least Ja ?mith only asked for  a rise. 9r ; Eust takes all of his money without askin# anyone. >3here are a lot of youn# womenC if there weren’t the factories and warehouses wouldn’t know where to look for cheap laour. )sk your father.’ -1/ 3he 7nsp shows he knows how usiness works and how the workers are exploited y 9r ;. 8erald points out that they are respectale citiens, not criminals. 7nsp says >?ometimes, there isn’t as much difference as you think C 7 wouldn’t know where to draw the line.’ -22/ 7nsp su##ests that een thou#h no le#al crime has een committed, they are #uilty of a moral crime. >!ou were annoyed with yourself and passed the annoyance onto her.’ -24/ 3he 7nsp knows why ?heila did what she did to Ja ?mith. >?he wanted to keep this youn#ster out of any more troule – isn’t that so!ou’re offerin# the money at the wron# time, 9r ;irlin#.’ -4&/ 3he 7nsp offers moral, not le#al lessons. 9r ;irlin# appears not to know the difference. >One Ja ?mith has #oneC ut there are millionsC of Ja ?mithsC all intertwined with our liesC if men will not learn that lesson, then they will e tau#ht it in fire and lood and an#uish.’ -4&/ 3he messa#e 0riestley wanted to put across when he wrote the play< ?irling +ullying( mean ead o! te !amily wo sees is employees as expensive macinery rater tan uman "eings. >look forward to a time when *roft’s and ;irlin#’s are no lon#er competin# ut workin# to#ether – for lower costs and hi#her prices.’ -(/ 9r ; may only want 8erald to marry his dau#hter for usiness purposes.  >3he 8ermans don’t want warC the 3itanic, she sails next weekC and unsinkale, asolutely unsinkale.’ -H/ 9r ; is wron# aout the war and the 3itanic. 3his is how the writer tells us he is wron# in the way he treats people too – dramatic irony to 1(4 and modern audience. 3his links to pa#es 51+ and his iews, which the audience will also see as wron#. ,ood evidence to sow you understand ‘structure#. >3he way some of these cranks talk now, you’d think eeryody has to look after eeryody else.’ -1+/ 9r ; can only eer think of lookin# after himself. >;ut it doesn’t coney anythin# to me.’ -12/ 9r ; doesn’t een rememer sackin# Ja ?mith until he is reminded aout it. >0ulic men, 9r ;irlin#, hae responsiilities as well as priile#es.’ 7nsp su##estin# that 9r ; has a >duty of care’ to his employees – somethin# we take for #ranted in 2+12. -(1/ /rs ?irling  - sno""is woman wo udges everyone "y teir !inancial situation( not "y teir caracter. >8irls of that classC’ -$+/ 9rs ; looks at eeryone as memers of arious classes, not as human ein#s. >)lderman 9e##artyC we are learnin# somethin# toni#ht.’ -$4/ 9rs ; realies that people she thou#ht were ciilised are corrupt and immoral. ?u##ests the wealthy are remote from reality< ink to today< >?he seemed to me to e not a #ood case – and so 7 used my influence to hae it refused.’ -((/ 9rs ; admits turnin# the #irl away ut refuses to accept that this was wron#. Nery matter of fact lan#ua#e. >?ome drunken youn# idler, then that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape.’ -(I/ 9rs ; doesn’t yet know that the drunken idler is her own son. )s a hypocrite, she doesn’t say the same when she finds out6

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heila  - "asically warm earted girl wo admits tat se su!!ers !rom sudden ealousies. %e eventually realises tat tey did wrong to te girl( unlike er parents.  >?he was a ery pretty #irl tooC and that didn’t make it any etter.’ >7 couldn’t e sorry for her.’ -2(/ ?heila admits to ein# Eealous of Ja ?mith. >Ctalked aout uildin# up a wall that’s sure to e knocked flat.’ -$2/ )s one of the more intelli#ent characters, ?heila suspects that it is useless to try and fool the inspector. >7 don’t care aout that, the point is that you don’t seem to hae learnt anythin#.’ -4I/ ?heila reeals her #enerous nature and that she knows that whether the #irl died or not, the sins they committed are still with them 5 hae taken place. >7 suppose we’re all nice people now.’ -&$/ )s aoe. 7ronic tone. "ric  - "asically pleasant young man "ut e admits e drinks too muc and doesn#t work ard enoug. /e eventually reali0es tat tey treated te girl "adly. >?he wouldn’t take any more and she didn’t want to see me a#ain.’ -4(/ Jric explains how Ja5Daisy ehaed more decently, een in poerty, than any of the ;irlin#s did. =ouldn’t accept stolen money. >and the child she’d had too – my child – your own #randchild – you killed them oth – damn youG> -44/ Jric reeals the 7nsp’s aility to turn them a#ainst themseles. 'yphens used to show his distress – harsh lan#ua#e used. Don’t for#et to look at the sta#e directions as well6 >3he money’s not the important thin#. 7t’s what happened to the #irl and what we all did to her that matters.’ -&4/ Jric proes that he is #ood at heart and understands that they were morally ery ad to the #irl. )erald  -noter gentle caracter wo migt ave elped Eva in generosity "ut allowed is superiority over er to lead to sex. Peraps e sould ave considered wat would appen to te girl wen is elp stopped( as it  was always going to. >)nd 7’e told you – 7 was awfully usy at the works all that time.’ -$/ 8erald proes that he is capale of ein# so dishonest to someone he should respect, i.e. ?heila. >7 didn’t install her there so 7 could make loe to herC 7 was sorry for her.’ -$H/ 8erald may hae tried to help her ut he neer considered what would happen when he took the help away. >?he told me she’d een happier than she’d eer een efore.’ -$/ )s aoe. 8erald’s sense of #enerosity is not only proidin# him with sex without responsiilities, it is also misplaced.

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