Plot Summary

Knowing the plot of An Inspector Calls inside out is non-negotiable at GCSE. Unlike Shakespeare's plays, Priestley's drama takes place in a single room on a single evening — but the revelations are devastating. This lesson provides a detailed breakdown of all three acts, identifies key turning points, and maps the dramatic structure.

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Dramatic Structure Overview

                     Climax
                     (Eva's death revealed;
                      Gerald's confession)
                        /\
                       /  \
                      /    \       Falling Action
                     /      \      (Act 3: Family debates
                    /        \      whether Inspector was real)
                   /  Rising   \
                  /   Action    \
                 / (Acts 1-2:    \         Resolution?
                / Inspector       \        (Phone call — a real
               /  interrogates     \        inspector is on his way)
              /   each character    \
             /                       \
            --Exposition--------------\----->
            (Act 1 opening:
             Engagement dinner,
             Birling's speeches)

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Before the Inspector Arrives

The play opens with the Birling family celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft. The mood is warm, self-congratulatory, and comfortable.

The Family at the Table

Character	Role	Status
Arthur Birling	Father / industrialist	Wealthy, self-made businessman
Sybil Birling	Mother	Cold, socially superior
Sheila Birling	Daughter	Young, initially sheltered
Eric Birling	Son	Drinks too much, nervous
Gerald Croft	Sheila's fiance	Upper class, son of Sir George
Edna	The maid	Working class, barely noticed

Birling's Speeches

Mr Birling makes several confident pronouncements:

"The Titanic — she sails next week ... unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable" (Act 1)

"I say there isn't a chance of war" (Act 1)

"a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own" (Act 1)

Every single prediction is catastrophically wrong. The 1945 audience would have known about the Titanic disaster, two world wars, and the need for collective responsibility. Priestley uses dramatic irony to completely undermine Birling's authority from the very start.

Examiner's tip: Birling's speeches are not just wrong — they represent an entire worldview that Priestley wants to demolish. When you write about Birling, connect his individual foolishness to the broader failure of the capitalist class.

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Act 1: The Inspector Arrives

The Doorbell

The doorbell rings immediately after Birling's speech about every man looking after himself. This is a deliberate structural choice — the Inspector's arrival interrupts and contradicts Birling's philosophy.

Examiner's tip: The timing of the doorbell is one of the most important structural moments in the play. Priestley uses it to dramatically undercut Birling's capitalist worldview — it is as if the Inspector has been summoned by Birling's selfishness.

Eva Smith / Daisy Renton — Birling's Involvement

The Inspector announces that a young woman named Eva Smith has died — she killed herself by swallowing disinfectant. He shows a photograph to Birling (but notably, only to one person at a time).

Birling recognises her: she was one of his factory workers. In September 1910, she and other workers went on strike asking for a pay rise from twenty-two shillings and sixpence to twenty-five shillings a week. Birling refused and sacked her.

"If you don't come down sharply on some of these people, they'd soon be asking for the earth" (Act 1)

Birling feels no remorse. He sees the sacking as sound business.

Sheila's Involvement

The Inspector reveals that after being sacked, Eva found work at Milwards department store. Sheila, in a moment of jealous spite, complained to the manager and had Eva dismissed. Sheila is immediately struck with guilt:

"I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a lot worse" (Act 1)

Sheila is the first character to accept responsibility. She recognises the Inspector's power and warns the others:

"He's giving us the rope — so that we'll hang ourselves" (Act 1)

Gerald's Reaction

The Inspector mentions the name Daisy Renton. Gerald's startled reaction reveals he knows who she is. Act 1 ends with the tension rising.

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Act 2: The Investigation Deepens

Gerald's Confession

Gerald admits he met Daisy Renton (Eva Smith's assumed name) at the Palace Bar in March 1911. She was being harassed by Alderman Meggarty. Gerald rescued her and began an affair. He installed her in a friend's rooms, gave her money, and she fell in love with him. He then ended the relationship in September 1911.

Gerald insists he cared for her: "She was young and pretty and warm-hearted — and intensely grateful" (Act 2). But Sheila points out the power imbalance:

"He at least had some affection for her and made her happy for a time" (Act 2) — but the relationship was always unequal.

Mrs Birling's Involvement