1. Kelso High School English Department

2. ‘An Inspector Calls’

3. Learning Intentions – Act Three  Plot / Key incidents  Characterisation – Arthur Birling / Sybil Birling / Sheila Birling / Eric Birling / Gerald Croft / Eva Smith (Daisy Renton) / Inspector Goole  Dramatic Techniques : Tension  Themes : Social Class / Social Responsibility

4. Plot / Key Incidents  Eric returns. He knows that everyone thinks he is the father of Eva / Daisy’s child.  He confesses that he forced her to have sex, got her pregnant and then stole money to support her.  Eva / Daisy rejected the money and turned to Sybil’s charity for help.  The Inspector warns that unless everyone learns to look after each other, that there will be more suffering.  The Inspector leaves the Birling’s house.

5. Plot / Key Incidents – Final Twist  Gerald returns and says he doesn’t think the Inspector is who he is supposed to be.  Birling calls the police and finds there is no Inspector Goole.  Gerald calls the hospital and finds no-one has committed suicide.  They all decide they have been tricked.  The phone rings. A young woman has been found dead and an Inspector is coming to question the Birlings…

6. Characters and relationships. 1.By the end of the play, which of the characters have changed and which haven’t? 2.At the end Gerald thinks Sheila will want her engagement ring back. What do you think he would be like as a husband and what does Sheila think of him by the end? 3.How would you explain Sybil as a mother? 4.How does Arthur treat Erica and Sheila?

7.  Name  What grade you would like to aim for in the prelim.  What do you need to work on to get there?

8. Characterisation : Arthur Birling  Only worried it will bring shame on the family.  Wants things to go back to how they were.  Hasn’t learnt anything. Characterisation : Sybil Birling  Cares about how reputation than having a good relationship with her children.  Doesn’t change/doesn’t learn anything. Characterisation: Sheila Birling  She is the only character who shows real compassion for working people.  Thinks they should all face up to what they did.

9. Characterisation: Eric Birling  He is a victim and a villain: 1. Feels he doesn’t fit in –turns to drink and women 2. He is portrayed as a villain (forces Eva to have sex and gets her pregnant), but accepts responsibility for what he does  He criticises his parents for pretending that nothing has happened.  He wants to protect their reputation.  Learns nothing from the visit, thinks it can all go back to the way it was. Characterisation: Gerald Croft

10. Characterisation: Eva Smith  Real identity never revealed. Could be the same person or different people. The Birlings see all working-class girls in the same way, so it doesn’t matter who she really is.

11. Characterisation: Inspector Goole He seems to know everything; nothing is properly explained. Suggests that the Inspector is not a 'real' person. So, what is he? A ghost? (Goole reminds us of 'ghoul‘) The voice of Priestley? The voice of God? The voice of all our consciences? The lesson he tries to teach them is the important thing.

12. Dramatic Techniques - Tension  In Act One, the family are seated, but by the end the characters are standing, shouting, drinking and crying.  The tension has increased to the point that the Birlings are falling apart.

13. Theme: Social Class  Priestley suggests that the richest members of society didn’t want to change the class system because they didn’t want to share their money or their power.  Play isn’t about one family’s scandal – it was how Priestley saw society. They are used to represent all middle/upper class people.

14. Theme: Social Class  Priestley shows how unfair class system is for people like Eva / Daisy.  Birlings think class is all that matters. Priestley believes opposite. He wants people to be judged by what they do, not by which class they belong to.  At end of play, Eric and Sheila realise they have a responsibility to the working class. Priestley shows that people can choose to act differently from the rest of their class.

15. Theme: Social Responsibility  Play’s purpose is to show how important social responsibility is.  Inspector shows how each of characters are responsible for Eva / Daisy’s death.  Inspector’s final speech is clear and to the point – it is a summary of what he’s tried to teach the Birlings about responsibility – “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other”.  He wants to make people aware of problems faced by working class.