description An Inspector Calls Overview
An Inspector Calls is a play by J. B. Priestley, first performed in 1945 and set in the English industrial town of Brumley in 1912. During a prosperous family's engagement dinner, Inspector Goole questions each person about actions that contributed to the death of a young working-class woman, Eva Smith.
Combining social criticism with mystery, the drama examines class, generational conflict, moral accountability, and the consequences of treating responsibility as purely individual.
help An Inspector Calls FAQ
Who is Inspector Goole in "An Inspector Calls"?
Inspector Goole is a mysterious police inspector who interrupts the wealthy Birling family's engagement dinner to question them about the suicide of a young working-class woman named Eva Smith. His interrogations reveal that each family member played a role in her tragic downfall.
When does "An Inspector Calls" take place?
J.B. Priestley's play is set in 1912 in the fictional English industrial town of Brumley. However, it was actually written and first performed in 1945, creating dramatic irony as the 1912 characters are unaware of the impending World Wars.
What is the main message of "An Inspector Calls"?
The play is a scathing critique of the hypocrisies and moral blindness of the Edwardian upper-middle class. Priestley uses the inspector to deliver a strong socialist message about social responsibility, famously stating that "we are members of one body."
Is Inspector Goole a real police inspector?
The play leaves the true nature of Inspector Goole ambiguous, as the family later discovers no such inspector works at the local police station. Many directors and critics interpret him as a supernatural entity, a ghost, or a personification of the characters' collective conscience.
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