An Inspector Calls — J. B. Priestley
An Inspector Calls (1945, set 1912) is one of OCR's most popular modern drama set texts. Expect an extract-based question (AO1/AO2, 30 marks) followed by a whole-text essay (AO1/AO3, 30 marks — but OCR J352 Component 01 combines both skills). The play uses a detective-drama structure to deliver Priestley's socialist message about collective responsibility.
Context — why does it matter for OCR?
Priestley wrote the play in 1945 but set it in 1912 for deliberate effect:
- 1912: eve of WWI; Edwardian confidence; class hierarchy rigid; women had no vote; workers had few rights.
- 1945: WWII just ended; audience knows the Titanic sank, two world wars happened; socialist government about to be elected.
- The 1912 Birlings represent exactly the complacency Priestley blames for those disasters.
- The dramatic irony of Birling's speeches ("unsinkable" Titanic; no war coming) signals to the audience he is wrong — and his values are wrong.
The Inspector as a dramatic device
Inspector Goole is not a realistic character — he may be a ghost, a time-traveller, or a collective conscience:
- His name: "Goole" sounds like ghoul (supernatural).
- He has impossible knowledge (knows what each character will say before they say it).
- He arrives before Eva's death is officially confirmed (impossible in 1912 reality).
- His function is to act as Priestley's mouthpiece: to deliver the moral message directly.
Key speech: "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other." This is the play's central theme. Priestley uses the Inspector to argue for a socialist, collective society.
The Birlings: characters and responsibility
| Character | Role in Eva's death | Attitude at end |
|---|---|---|
| Arthur Birling | Sacked Eva for organising strike | Unchanged; worried only about scandal |
| Sybil Birling | Denied Eva charity; judged her harshly | Unchanged; self-righteous |
| Sheila Birling | Had Eva sacked from dress shop out of jealousy | Changed; accepts responsibility |
| Eric Birling | Got Eva pregnant; stole money; abandoned her | Changed but ashamed |
| Gerald Croft | Had an affair with Eva; abandoned her | Partially unchanged; relieved when Inspector may be fake |
The play divides characters into those who learn (Sheila, Eric — the younger generation) and those who refuse to change (Arthur, Sybil — the older generation). This contrast is Priestley's argument: the old order is morally bankrupt; the young must build something better.
Key language and dramatic techniques
- Structure: three-act; one location (the dining room); real time. This unity of place and time increases tension.
- Stage directions: the lighting shifts from "pink and intimate" to "brighter and harder" when the Inspector arrives — symbolising the shift from comfortable self-deception to harsh truth.
- Cyclical structure: the ending mirrors the beginning — another Inspector is on the way. There is no escape from responsibility.
- Eva Smith's name: "Eva" echoes Eve (the first woman; associated with suffering); "Smith" is the most common English surname (she represents all working-class women).
Common OCR exam mistakes
- Treating the Inspector as a real policeman — he is a dramatic device, possibly supernatural; his function is thematic.
- Not linking context to language choices. AO3 must be woven in, not bolted on ("The fact that the play is set in 1912 shows…").
- Writing a character study rather than a response to the question. Every paragraph must answer the question, not just summarise plot.
- Ignoring stage directions — they carry meaning (lighting, tone of voice, movement) and are fair game for AO2 analysis.
✦Worked example— Worked example: AO2 question
How does Priestley use the character of the Inspector to present ideas about responsibility?
Strong paragraph: Priestley uses the Inspector as a vehicle for collective responsibility: his name "Goole" (echoing ghoul) suggests he is a figure from beyond normal reality — not just a detective but a moral force. When he declares "We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other", the use of the first-person plural "We" is deliberate — he does not say "you" to the Birlings but "We", implicating the audience in the same guilt. Priestley, writing in 1945 after two world wars caused by the very complacency the Birlings represent, uses this supernatural Detective to argue that collective social responsibility is a moral imperative, not a choice.
AI-generated · claude-opus-4-7 · v3-ocr-english-literature