An Inspector Calls

An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley, is a play that revolves around the apparent suicide of a young woman called Eva Smith.

In the play, the unsuspecting Birling family are visited by the mysterious Inspector Goole. He arrives just as they are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft. The Inspector reveals that a girl called Eva Smith, has taken her own life by drinking disinfectant. The family are horrified but initially confused as to why the Inspector has called to see them. What follows is a tense and uncomfortable investigation by an all-knowing Inspector through which the family discover that they are all in fact caught up in this poor girl's death. Priestley uses dramatic irony to great effect in the play.

An Inspector Calls is a modern morality play and drawing room play written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley. It was first performed in the Soviet Union in May 1945 and at the New Theatre in London the following year. It is one of Priestley's best-known works for the stage and is considered to be one of the classics of mid-20th century English theatre. The play's success and reputation were boosted by a successful revival by English director Stephen Daldry for the National Theatre in 1992 and a tour of the UK in 2011–2012.

An Inspector Calls has six main characters. The Birling family are Arthur, Sybil, Eric and Sheila. Gerald Croft, Sheila's fiancé, joins the Birlings for dinner. Inspector Goole arrives to conduct his investigation.

This investigation focuses on the death of Eva Smith, who changes her name to Daisy Renton. She is significant but we never actually meet her.

The Birlings' maid, Edna, may seem insignificant but she serves as a reminder of the Birlings’ wealth and the presence of the lower classes. She also introduces the Inspector and provides insight into the life of Eva Smith since they come from a similar background.

The consequences of the Birlings' actions highlight Priestley’s ideas on social responsibility - do we look after one another in society?

The difference between the younger and older characters' reactions to Eva Smith's death shows how Priestley viewed different generations . He viewed the younger generation as hope for the future and this is why both Sheila and Eric learn a lesson from the Inspector.

How the male characters behave towards the females in the play highlights important points on gender and inequality.

Class issues are also dealt with by having a middle-class family involved in the death of a working-class girl.

J B Priestley explored these themes in a lot of his work. They are political in nature and are still relevant today.