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An Inspector Calls - Breakdown of Plot and Overview

AIC Plot Breakdown

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Celia Bisceglie
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28 views

An Inspector Calls - Breakdown of Plot and Overview

AIC Plot Breakdown

Uploaded by

Celia Bisceglie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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An Inspector Calls: plot

An Inspector Calls may initially seem to be a straightforward ‘whodunit?’, but its


structure, combined with the moral questions it raises, posed significant
challenges to British post-war audiences.

OVERVIEW

Brumley, North Midlands. Spring 1912.

A dining room in a substantial suburban house.

The Birlings are gathered to celebrate the engagement of


their daughter Sheila to Gerald Croft, the son of a wealthy
businessman.

The engagement will see not only the union of two people,
but also of two businesses, placing Economics at the heart
of the play.

The evening is interrupted when a mysterious inspector


arrives and announces the suicide of a young woman called
Eva Smith.

Although initially it appears no one knew the girl, the


Inspectors questions reveal that each family member had
some contact with her.

The Inspector highlights how their actions played a part in


Inspector The mysterious Inspector
Eva’s death, forcing is ableto
them toquestion
pull apart every
their character with
responsibilities
Goole his apparent omniscience (knowing everything). He has little
respect for the social status of those he questions, putting his duty
first.
Mr Arthur Head of the Birling family and a man with traditional views. He is a
Birling hard-headed businessman, which has led to financial success.
Mrs Married to Mr Birling. She enjoys being regarded as a charitable
Birling woman, but her prejudices about the working classes reveal her
true feelings.
Sheila Dasughter of Mr and Mrs Birling. She is engaged to Gerald and is
initially regarded as selfish, but changes, realising her
responsibility to others.
Gerald Son of a wealthy businessman and engaged to Sheila. While his
instinct is to agree with Birling’s approach, he also recognises his
responsibilities to others. He initially treated Daisy honourably, but
then took advantage.
Eric Son of Mr and Mrs Birling. Regarded as a disappointment, he
quickly recognises his responsibility and feels guilty about the way
he treated Eva.
ACT 1 – The Dining Room

The Birlings are celebrating Sheila’s engagement to Gerald Croft. Mr Birling


makes a speech focusing on the economic environment. The women leave the
men to talk and Mr Birling reveals that he may be in line for a knighthood.
Inspector Goole arrives and announces a young woman named Eva Smith has
committed suicide. Mr Birling cannot see why he is being questioned about this,
until the Inspector reveals that two years earlier he sacked her for a pay rise.
Sheila enters and is questioned about an incident at a shop where she used her
influence to get the girl sacked, because she looked better in a dress than Sheila
did. These actions again led Eva into poverty. When the Inspector announces
that Eva also used the name Daisy Renton, Gerald is shocked. He admits to
Sheila that he had a relationship with Daisy in the previous year.

ACT 2

The Inspector returns to question Gerald about his relationship with Daisy
Renton. Before he can do so, Mrs Birling enters and tries to take control. Sheila
warns her mother to stop, without success. The Inspector begins to question
Gerald, who reveals that he initially tried to help Daisy escape the attentions of
an older man. Her arranged for her to stay in a friend’s room and a relationship
developed. When his friend returned, the relationship ended and she moved out.
Sheila returns Geralds engagement ring and Gerald leaves to get some fresh air.
The Inspector now reveals Mrs Birling turned a pregnant and desperate Eva
Smith away from her charity. Defensive, Mrs Birling claims the baby’s father
should take the responsibility and be publically humiliated. It is only then that
she realises the father is her own son, Eric.

ACT 3

Eric confesses to his relationship with Eva, revealing he tried to give her money
stolen from the factory. Eva refused it, despite her desperation. She wanted to
protect Eric from shame, which is why she approached the charity for help. When
Eric finds out his mother had turned her away, he becomes angry, blaming Mrs
Birling for Eva’s death. The Inspector again takes control, delivering a family in
turmoil. As a sense of unease grows, Mr Birling phones the infirmary to discover
that no girl has been admitted that day. Some of the characters remain
disturbed by the evenings events while other family members celebrate.
However, celebrations are short lived as the telephone rings to inform them that
a girl has committed suicide and an Inspector is on his way to question them all.

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