J. B. Priestley’ and An Inspector Calls

Introduction

J. B. Priestley (1894–1984) was a prominent English novelist, playwright, essayist, and social critic. His works reflect the social, political, and economic conditions of twentieth-century England. He was deeply influenced by his experiences during the First World War and was particularly concerned with social inequality, class differences, poverty, responsibility, and human relationships. His major works include The Good Companions, Angel Pavement, Dangerous Corner, Time and the Conways, English Journey, and his famous play An Inspector Calls. Through his writing, Priestley often encouraged readers to think critically about society and their responsibilities toward others.

J. B. Priestley (1894–1984) was an English novelist, playwright, essayist, and social commentator. He is especially famous for his play An Inspector Calls (1945).

An Inspector Calls is a play by J. B. Priestley, set in 1912. The wealthy Birlings are having a family dinner when Inspector Goole arrives and questions them about the death of a young woman, Eva Smith.

One by one, it is revealed that each family member played a part in Eva’s suffering:

• Mr Birling fired Eva from his factory.
• Sheila Birling got Eva dismissed from a shop.
• Gerald Croft had an affair with Eva.
• Mrs Birling refused to help Eva when she was pregnant.
• Eric Birling stole money and had a relationship with Eva.

The Inspector teaches that everyone is responsible for how they treat others and that society must care for the vulnerable.

Main themes

• Social responsibility
• Class inequality
• Gender inequality
• Capitalism vs socialism
• Guilt and responsibility
• Generational differences

An Inspector Calls

— Detailed Summary by Act

Author: J. B. Priestley
First performed: 1946
Setting: Brumley, England, in 1912

Act 1 — The Birlings’ Dinner

The play begins at the wealthy Birling family’s home. Arthur Birling, a successful businessman, is celebrating the engagement of his daughter Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft, the son of another wealthy businessman.

Mr Birling gives a speech in which he says people should look after themselves and not worry too much about others. He confidently says that there will be no major problems in the future.

Suddenly, a mysterious Inspector Goole arrives. He tells the family that a young woman named Eva Smith has died after drinking disinfectant.

The Inspector shows Mr Birling a photograph of Eva and begins questioning him.

It is revealed that:

• Eva worked at Mr Birling’s factory.
• She was an excellent worker but asked for a higher wage.
• Mr Birling considered this unreasonable and fired her.

The Inspector then reveals that Eva later worked at a shop where Sheila saw her. Sheila became jealous of Eva because Eva looked attractive in a dress. Sheila used her influence to have Eva dismissed from the shop.

Sheila feels guilty and accepts responsibility.

Act 1 ends with the Inspector continuing his investigation.

Act 2 — Gerald and Mrs Birling

The Inspector questions Gerald Croft.

Gerald admits that he knew Eva. Eva had changed her name to Daisy Renton. Gerald met her at a bar and began a relationship with her.

Gerald admits that he kept her as his mistress for several months. He gave her money and helped her find somewhere to live, but eventually ended the relationship.

Sheila understands that Gerald had been unfaithful to her and returns his engagement ring temporarily.

The Inspector then questions Mrs Birling.

Mrs Birling admits that Eva came to a charity organisation where she was a senior member. Eva was pregnant and asked for financial help.

Eva had used the name Mrs Birling, which made the real Mrs Birling angry. Mrs Birling refused to help her and blamed the father of the unborn child.

Mrs Birling insists that the father should be punished.

The Inspector then reveals that Eric Birling, Mrs Birling’s own son, is the father.

Act 3 — Eric’s Secret

Eric returns home and is questioned by the Inspector.

Eric admits that he knew Eva and had a relationship with her. He had met her at a bar and later visited her home.

Eva became pregnant with Eric’s child.

Eric wanted to help her but did not have enough money. He stole money from his father’s business to give to Eva.

Eva refused to marry Eric because she knew he was stealing money and already had problems with alcohol.

The Inspector explains the importance of what has happened. He tells the family that their actions are connected to Eva’s death.

His famous message is that people must take responsibility for one another.

The Inspector leaves.

After he leaves, the family begins arguing about whether the Inspector was real. Mr Birling and Gerald discover that there may not have been an Inspector Goole working at the police station.

They then phone the police and discover that no girl has died that night—at least, not according to their information.

The family starts believing they have escaped punishment.

But then the telephone rings.

Mr Birling answers it and learns that a young woman has actually died by drinking disinfectant, and a real police inspector is on his way to question the family.

The play ends dramatically, suggesting that the family cannot escape responsibility.

Main Characters

Arthur Birling: Wealthy businessman who represents selfish capitalism and believes people should look after themselves.

Mrs Birling: Arthur’s wife. Proud, judgemental and concerned with social status. She refuses to help Eva.

Sheila Birling: Initially selfish and immature, but she learns from her mistakes and accepts responsibility.

Eric Birling: Their son. He secretly drinks, steals money and is Eva’s partner and the father of her child.

Gerald Croft: Sheila’s fiancé. He has a relationship with Eva/Daisy Renton.

Eva Smith: A working-class young woman who never appears on stage. Her experiences reveal the consequences of the Birlings’ actions.

Inspector Goole: A mysterious figure who forces the family to confront their behaviour and represents Priestley’s message about social responsibility.

Central Message

Priestley uses Eva Smith to represent working-class people who suffer because of the actions of powerful and wealthy people. The play argues that society is connected and that everyone has a responsibility to care for others.

Key facts

• Full name: John Boynton Priestley
• Born: 13 September 1894, Bradford, England
• Died: 14 August 1984
• Known for: An Inspector Calls, The Good Companions, Time and the Conways
• Major themes: social responsibility, class inequality, generational conflict, morality, and the effects of industrial society

Novels

• Adam in Moonshine (1927)
• Benighted (1927)
• The Good Companions (1929)
• Angel Pavement (1930)
• Faraway (1932)
• Wonder Hero (1933)
• The Amazing Mr. Lutterworth (1945)
• Bright Day (1946)
• The Magicians (1954)
• Lost Empires (1965)
• The Image Men, Vol. I: Out of Town (1968)
• The Image Men, Vol. II: London End (1969)

Plays

• Dangerous Corner (1932)
• Laburnum Grove (1933)
• Time and the Conways (1937)
• I Have Been Here Before (1937)
• Johnson Over Jordan (1939)
• An Inspector Calls (1945)
• The Linden Tree (1947)
• Home Is Tomorrow (1949)
• The Magicians (1954)
• Mr. Kettle and Mrs. Moon (1955)
• A Visit to a Small Planet (1955)
• The Glass Cage (1957)
• The Long Mirror (1960)
• An Adventure (1961)
• The Roundabout (1932)
• Cornelius (1935)
• Miss in Her Teens (1935)
• Mystery at Greenfingers (1974)

Autobiography & memoir

• Margin Released (1962)
• Apprenticeship to a Novelist (1960)
• Midnight on the Desert (1937)
• Rain Upon Godshill (1939)
• Delight (1949)
• Open House (1957)
• Self-Selected Essays (1970)

Non-fiction / social & political writing

• English Journey (1934)
• Literature and Western Man (1960)
• The English (1973)
• Man and Time (1964)
• Out of the People (1941)
• Britain Speaks (1941)

Important works to remember for exams

If this is for literature study, focus particularly on:

1. The Good Companions — novel
2. Angel Pavement — novel
3. Dangerous Corner — play
4. Time and the Conways — play
5. I Have Been Here Before — play
6. An Inspector Calls — play
7. English Journey — social commentary
8. Literature and Western Man — literary criticism

1.

The Good Companions

(1929) — Novel

Priestley’s breakthrough novel follows a group of people who become connected through a struggling travelling theatre company called the Good Companions. Their lives change as they travel around England performing.

Main ideas: friendship, hope, social class, entertainment, human relationships.

2.

Angel Pavement

(1930) — Novel

The story focuses on employees of Twigg & Dersingham, a failing business in London. Their lives are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious businessman, Mr. Golspie.

Main ideas: modern urban life, insecurity, economic hardship, illusion versus reality.

3.

Dangerous Corner

(1932) — Play

A group of friends discuss the mysterious death of a man named Martin Caplan. As they uncover hidden information and secrets, their relationships begin to collapse.

Main ideas: truth, secrets, deception, relationships, psychological tension.

Important point: Priestley suggests that discovering the complete truth is not always beneficial.

4.

Time and the Conways

(1937) — Play

The play follows the Conway family across two different periods, 1919 and 1937. The young family members have ambitious dreams after World War I, but their later lives reveal how far those dreams have failed.

Main ideas: time, fate, dreams, disappointment, family relationships, social change.

Important technique: Priestley uses a non-linear structure to make the audience think about the relationship between past, present and future.

5.

I Have Been Here Before

(1937) — Play

Several characters meet in a Yorkshire village, and one character believes that they have experienced the same events before.

The play explores the idea of déjà vu and recurring time.

Main ideas: time, destiny, free will, human choices, repetition.

6.

An Inspector Calls

(1945) — Play ⭐

This is Priestley’s most famous work.

The wealthy Birling family is celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft. Inspector Goole arrives and investigates the suicide of Eva Smith, a working-class young woman.

Through questioning, the Inspector reveals that different members of the family have contributed to Eva’s suffering.

Main ideas:

• Social responsibility
• Class inequality
• Capitalism versus socialism
• Generational conflict
• Guilt and responsibility
• Gender inequality

Key message: Society is interconnected, and people should take responsibility for how their actions affect others.

7.

English Journey

(1934) — Non-fiction

Priestley travels through England and describes what he sees, particularly poverty, unemployment, industrial decline and class inequality.

The work gives a picture of England during the 1930s economic depression.

Main ideas: poverty, unemployment, regional inequality, industrialisation, social reform.

8.

Literature and Western Man

(1960) — Literary criticism

Priestley examines the development of Western literature and its relationship with society and intellectual history.

It is important because it shows Priestley not only as a novelist and playwright but also as a literary critic and thinker

 J. B. Priestley —

1. Full name: John Boynton Priestley.
2. He was born on 13 September 1894 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England.
3. He died on 14 August 1984.
4. He was an English novelist, playwright, essayist and social commentator.
5. He served in the British Army during World War I.
6. His wartime experiences strongly influenced his writing.
7. His first major literary success was The Good Companions (1929).
8. The Good Companions is a novel about a travelling theatre company.
9. Angel Pavement (1930) deals with insecurity and difficulties in modern urban life.
10. Dangerous Corner (1932) explores secrets, truth and deception.
11. English Journey (1934) describes social conditions in England, especially poverty and unemployment.
12. Time and the Conways (1937) explores time, dreams, fate and disappointment.
13. I Have Been Here Before (1937) deals with recurring time and déjà vu.
14. His most famous play is An Inspector Calls (1945).
15. An Inspector Calls is set in 1912, although it was written after World War II.
16. The play centres on the Birling family and the mysterious Inspector Goole.
17. Eva Smith represents vulnerable working-class people affected by the actions of the powerful.
18. Priestley frequently criticised class inequality, selfishness and social injustice.
19. A major idea in his writing is social responsibility—people are responsible for how their actions affect others.
20. Priestley remains important because his works combine entertainment with social and moral criticism, particularly the message that society should care for its members

20 MCQs on J. B. Priestley

1. What was J. B. Priestley’s full name?
A. John Benjamin Priestley
B. John Boynton Priestley
C. James Bernard Priestley
D. Joseph Boynton Priestley
Answer: B

2. When was J. B. Priestley born?
A. 1884
B. 1890
C. 1894
D. 1900
Answer: C

3. Where was Priestley born?
A. London
B. Manchester
C. Oxford
D. Bradford
Answer: D

4. Priestley served in which war?
A. Crimean War
B. First World War
C. Second World War
D. Boer War
Answer: B

5. Which work brought Priestley major early success?
A. Angel Pavement
B. The Good Companions
C. Dangerous Corner
D. An Inspector Calls
Answer: B

6. The Good Companions was published in:
A. 1925
B. 1927
C. 1929
D. 1931
Answer: C

7. Which of these is a novel by Priestley?
A. Angel Pavement
B. The Waste Land
C. Sons and Lovers
D. A Passage to India
Answer: A

8. Dangerous Corner is a:
A. Novel
B. Poem
C. Play
D. Biography
Answer: C

9. Which work deals with secrets and the search for truth?
A. Dangerous Corner
B. English Journey
C. The Good Companions
D. Angel Pavement
Answer: A

10. Time and the Conways was published in:
A. 1932
B. 1934
C. 1937
D. 1945
Answer: C

11. Which work is based on Priestley’s travels through England?
A. English Journey
B. Angel Pavement
C. Dangerous Corner
D. Bright Day
Answer: A

12. An Inspector Calls was first produced in:
A. 1937
B. 1940
C. 1945
D. 1950
Answer: C

13. What is the surname of the family in An Inspector Calls?
A. Croft
B. Smith
C. Birling
D. Goole
Answer: C

14. Who investigates Eva Smith’s death?
A. Gerald Croft
B. Mr Birling
C. Inspector Goole
D. Eric Birling
Answer: C

15. Eva Smith belongs to which social class?
A. Upper class
B. Working class
C. Royal class
D. Aristocratic class
Answer: B

16. Which is a major theme of An Inspector Calls?
A. Adventure
B. Social responsibility
C. Colonial exploration
D. Romantic comedy
Answer: B

17. Priestley strongly criticised:
A. Social inequality
B. Scientific progress
C. Classical poetry
D. Foreign languages
Answer: A

18. I Have Been Here Before mainly explores:
A. War and patriotism
B. Recurring time and destiny
C. Colonialism
D. Crime and punishment
Answer: B

19. Priestley was primarily known as a:
A. Scientist
B. Politician
C. Writer and social critic
D. Painter
Answer: C

20. What central message is associated with Priestley’s social writing?
A. Individual wealth is most important
B. People should avoid society
C. People have responsibility toward one another
D. Society cannot be changed
Answer: C

Conclusion

J. B. Priestley occupies an important place in modern English literature because he combined literary creativity with social criticism. His novels, plays, and essays examine the problems of ordinary people and challenge selfishness, inequality, and social injustice. An Inspector Calls remains his best-known work and clearly expresses his belief in collective social responsibility. His works continue to be studied because their themes of morality, society, class, and human responsibility remain relevant.