Finally, Eric Birling—the alcoholic, nervous son—confessed he’d forced himself on Eva, gotten her pregnant, then stolen money from his father’s company to try to help her.
“That was the infirmary,” he whispered. “A young woman just died on her way there – swallowed disinfectant. And a real inspector is on his way. To ask us some questions.” an inspector calls gcse revision
Gerald confirmed it. No one named Goole existed. The family rejoiced. “No real inspector, no crime!” Arthur crowed. And a real inspector is on his way
Sheila sobbed. “But I didn’t mean for her to die!” The family rejoiced
Goole leaned to your ear. “ Arthur represents capitalist greed. The play was written in 1945, but set in 1912. The audience knows two world wars and the Titanic sank. Birling’s ‘unsinkable’ confidence in ‘self-help’ is dramatic irony. Priestley wants you to see that ‘looking after yourself’ destroys others.” The Second Knock: The Chain of Events Sheila Birling, young and fashionable, froze. Her smile vanished. “Oh – it was me next, wasn’t it?” she whispered.
You woke up at your desk, pen in hand. The first question on your mock paper: How does Priestley present attitudes to social responsibility in ‘An Inspector Calls’?
“Forget the memes,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “We have a dinner party to crash. Come with me if you want to get a Grade 9.”