An Inspector Calls

Summary

Overview

An Inspector Calls is a famous 1945 stage play by English dramatist J.B. Priestley. Set in 1912 in the fictional industrial city of Brumley, it examines the affluent Birling family, whose comfortable celebratory dinner party is abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious police inspector investigating the suicide of a young working-class woman named Eva Smith.

Plot Summary

The play opens with Arthur Birling celebrating his daughter Sheila's engagement to Gerald Croft, expressing capitalist views on individualism and business ('community and all that nonsense'). Suddenly, Inspector Goole arrives, announcing that a young woman named Eva Smith (later known as Daisy Renton) has died by suicide after drinking disinfectant. Through a meticulous chain of interrogation, the Inspector reveals how each family member—and Gerald—played a contributory role in her downward spiral: Arthur Birling fired her for demanding higher wages; Sheila had her dismissed from her next job out of jealousy; Gerald kept her as his mistress before discarding her; Eric forced himself upon her and stole money to support her; and Sybil Birling refused her charitable aid when she was pregnant and desperate. As the Inspector departs with a stern warning about social responsibility, Gerald returns with news that no Inspector Goole exists at the local police force and no girl has recently died. While the older Birlings (Arthur and Sybil) and Gerald dismiss the entire ordeal as a hoax and celebrate, the younger generation (Sheila and Eric) remain deeply shaken by their moral guilt. The play concludes with a chilling climax: a real phone call announces that a young woman has just died by suicide, and a real inspector is on his way to interrogate them.