An Inspector Calls - Guidance Notes

An Inspector Calls - Guidance Notes

It was not until I had finished typing up this document that I realised it had become quite so involved and, as a result, I run the risk of losing the interest of the reader before I have even begun. However, I trust I will be forgiven this failing for I feel that despite its length there is much in it that is of interest, even importance. Certainly, I have found that by putting all my thoughts and experiences down on paper 1 have a far more structured view of what KS4 English and English literature are all about and I can now prepare a topic or piece of literature with more confidence than I would ever have thought possible.

The writing of this was undertaken at various points in the six weeks it took to complete the unit and therefore it might well appear a little disjointed. I have not spent a great deal of time on its presentation, nor is the quality of the typing anything other than acceptable. However, the strength of the document lies in its common-sense approach. Within these pages lie the answers to a number of questions which many colleagues have asked in relation to the teaching of KS4. The purpose of this document is to show how the play 'An Inspector Calls' by JB Priestley can be studied as part of a combined GCSE English/Literature course, fulfilling a number of the requirements of both syllabuses.

When choosing a piece of literature, the most important consideration is what area of the literature syllabus you intend to concentrate on. All literature texts should be looked at in light of one or more of the following areas of study:

Plot and Structure
Characterisation
Setting and Atmosphere
Style
Viewpoint

I have decided to concentrate on 'Plot and Structure' and ' Characterisation', although all the other categories could be covered. I always feel a little uncomfortable studying 'Style' with anything other than a top group so I would tend to steer clear of that. The group I will be preparing work for is a Division 1 group of average ability, either Year 10 or Year 11. It is hard to envisage how long the whole unit would take to to study, but if you bank on an average half term then you won't go far wrong. That might seem a long time but I have included work which is suitable for both the English and literature components of the course so it is providing much which can be used in the final folders, if required.

In studying the play I hope also to cover a number of the compulsory components of the English coursework, notably drafting and redrafting, information retrieval and KAL, as well as including an oral assessment. Some of the work will be produced under controlled conditions with evidence of drafting and redrafting submitted.

Hopefully, on completion of the unit with my group I will have covered a significant percentage of the syllabus. Unfortunately, it has taken me five terms to come to grips with this approach and I feel that in retrospect I did not really do my two year 11 groups justice in the first year of the new KS4 GCSE course.

Introducing a new book, play or series of poems is really a matter of individual judgment and can depend upon the ability of the group or on the nature of the activities that will be undertaken. However, I tend not to spend a great deal of time on background information, preferring to get straight into the reading. Important details can then be included at the appropriate time. In addition, part of the information retrieval exercise planned for the unit will be to collect information relating to various aspects of the play from sources other than those supplied by the teacher. Having therefore mentioned a little background information about Priestley and the setting of the play itself, the group will read the play out aloud in class. I am aware that some staff encourage pupils to read the texts at home, enabling valuable lesson time to be spent in a more profitable analysis of the text. However, given that this group is of mixed ability and that certain individuals cannot be relied upon to do the reading in their own time, I tend to go through it with them in class. I find written homeworks more successful, if only because it is far easier to keep a check on the work that is actually being done.

As the group read through the play, I will interrupt at key points and ask the group for their reactions to what they have read, their predictions of what might take place and of their understanding of the key themes within the play. Having decided to look closely at 'Characterisation' and 'Plot and Structure' much of the discussion will centre around these two areas. I would expect most of the group to take notes where appropriate.

As the play will also be one of the texts the group will most likely answer on in the terminal examination, I would encourage pupils to annotate their own copy of the play. The form of annotation is really up to the individual pupil; as a department we haven't really explored the possibilities and certainly my groups aren't very good at this aspect of their English work. What I have tended to do is record all the points discussed in class and that I feel will be needed for the written assignments and the examination so that I can type them out for revision purposes nearer the exam.

At the end of each act I will show the video of the play. This helps break up the reading and allows pupils to visualise the events far more easily than they would do were they only to rely on the text itself. One problem with this is that the film version of the text doesn't always tie in closely enough with the text and pupils can get confused between the two. This is particularly true of 'An Inspector Calls' as the director has changed events slightly with the result that the pupils tend to refer to the happenings in the film version rather than the text. The version that we have in school is the old black and white one starring Alistair Simm as the Inspector. We used to have an excellent colour version which was as true to the text as you could get, but unfortunately that appears to have gone missing. Surprise, surprise!

After reading Act 1 I will set the group their first written assignment. This will be a piece of imaginative writing and will double up as an example of their understanding of KAL.The assignment will consist of two short pieces of writing both connected with Eva Smith's meeting with Sheila Birling in Milwards, the department store in Brumley. In the first, pupils have to imagine what Eva would say to her flatmate on return from the department store that evening. Within this they should show that they know how to write out speech in such a way as to bring out the informal tone of the conversation. Presumably, Eva would use words and phrases which she would not use in a more formal setting. To show this still further, in the second piece of writing Eva would then have a similar conversation, this time with the manager of Milwards. Because of the seriousness of the situation and the different audience, Eva would inevitably talk in a different manner and the pupils would be required to make this apparent.

Whilst testing understanding of the particular episode within the play, the assignment also deals with KAL, an area of the syllabus that I find especially difficult to cover.

This work would be produced at home, allowing lessons to be given over to further reading of the text. I should mention that I tend to 'encourage' as many pupils to read as possible. It is important to make the atmosphere in the classroom is relaxed so that noone feels threatened. Even the most reluctant of readers can cope with the part of Edna, the maid, as she only speaks less than a dozen lines within the whole play. Possibilities or oral assessment include a group presentation of one of the key scenes, a prepared reading, a Jonathan Ross interview with either Priestley or characters from the play, a discussion of who is most to blame and so on.

As the reading of the play continues, I tend to stop at the point where the Inspector leaves and ask the group what might happen in the remaining pages. This helps to concentrate the minds of the group on the ending which pupils understandably have a few problems with. Indeed, there are a number of possible explanations, most revolving around exactly who the Inspector is and what, if anything, he stands for. Provided pupils are aware of the possible interpretations, then that should suffice.

The group is then ready for the final assignments). I mentioned in the introduction that I was going to concentrate on two of the five categories that need to be covered as a requirement of the Literature syllabus. The first is 'Characterisation' as this is the most straightforward and much preliminary work will already have taken place in the discussions conducted whilst reading through the text. Indeed, many of the pupils will have made marginal notes which should form the basis of the written assignment. SEG appear particularly keen on comparative studies of characters so the most appropriate title would be something along the lines of:

Compare and contrast two characters from the play 'An Inspector Calls' by JB Priestley.

The choice of characters is fairly clear cut, either Mr or Mrs Birling and Sheila or Eric. The comparison of two differing age groups is important as this is at the heart of the play, the comparison of a male and female character is less obvious but equally important. I am concerned that when it comes to the exam the wording of the question under the heading 'Characterisation' might be such as to prevent pupils from answering what should be a banker. For instance, let's suppose that I have provided my group with the opportunity to answer questions related to character on Macbeth, Lennie Small and George Milton, Napoleon (from 'Animal Farm') and Mr Birling and the Inspector. At first sight this would seem impressive, but come the exam this happens:

CHARACTERISATION

Write about any female character you have come across in your studies.

Whoops! By including a female character I am hedging my bets a little. Equally you might be asked to write about a 'sympathetic' character, a 'young' character and so on. The list is endless so it is as well to try and cover as many permutations as possible.

Anyway, I am probably worrying unnecessarily but it is as well to be prepared.

Discussion of the two characters will take the from of groups of between 4/5 each working on a different one. Leaders will report back and I will then write the notes on the board, keeping a copy for my own use. The copy will t hen be typed up for revision purposes nearer the exam. In order to show the type of comments usually made when discussing characters the play, I have included what my present year 11 group came up with, having first added a few of my own comments and those 'removed' from other sources.

Mr Birling

prosperous factory owner, not the social equal of his wife. He is 'a self made man'

first priority is to make money 'It's my duty to keep labour cost down'

welcomes Croft into his family as he represents a business link between his firm and that of Gerald Croft's father (a rival)

has an honest approach to life, he tells the Inspector that he wouldn't listen to Eva Smith's demand for a wage rise 'I refused, of course' and is surprised why anyone should question why.

strongly believes that 'a man has to make his own way'. He does not consider the harm he may cause to other people because of his attitude. He is a 'hard headed business man '

he is a magistrate and former mayor who is looking forward to receiving a knighthood

he is very aware that Gerald's mother is rather against her son's marriage because she believes him to be marrying beneath him socially

he is optimistic about the future, yet we know that what he predicts will not become true (NB dramatic irony)

he refuses to accept any responsibility for Eva 's death. He becomes increasing annoyed by the Inspector's questioning and Eric's unsympathetic attitude

he tries to threaten the Inspector by talking about his friendship with the Chief Constable

the most disturbing part of the play for Birling is the scene in which he learns that his own son is shown to be a thief, a drunkard and is responsible for fathering a child. When he learns of all this he exclaims 'You damned fool - why didn't you come to me when you found yourself in this mess?'

Eric's reply indicates that Mr Birling was never close to his son 'Because you're not the kind of chap a man could turn to when he's in trouble'. Such a response indicates that things aren't going to improve much after the play ends

he represents a very unattractive sort of person. At the end of the play he grudgingly wishes things were better but even here he still thinks in terms of money 'Look, Inspector - I'd give thousands'

he continues to ignore the shameful things that his family has done. When it appears that the Inspector might be a hoaxer he is happy to believe that everything is as it was a few hours ago. He copies the Inspector and laughs when he remembers the faces of Eric and Sheila and accuses them of being 'the famous younger generation who know it all'. This is an example of pride coming before a fall, a moment later of course he is panicking as the phone rings again

Mr Birling represents Priestley's hatred of businessmen who are only interested in making money. He will never alter his ways and it is left to the younger generation to learn from their mistakes

Sheila

at the start of the play she is 'very pleased with life'. She is young, attractive and has just become engaged

her happiness is soon to be destroyed as is her faith in her family

her response to the tragedy is one of the few encouraging things to come out of the play. She is genuinely upset when she hears of Eva's death and learns from her own behaviour

she is very distressed by the girl's suicide and thinks that her father's behaviour was unacceptable. She readily agrees that she behaved very badly and insists that she never meant the girl any harm.

the Inspector says that she is only partly responsible and later on, when he is about to question Gerald, he encourages her to stay and listen to what he has to say so that she doesn't feel entirely responsible

not only is she prepared to admit her faults, she also appears keen and anxious to change her behaviour in the future, 'I'll never, never do it again'

she is aware of the mystery surrounding the Inspector, yet realises that there is no point in trying to hide the facts from him

she is mature about the breaking up of her engagement and remains calm. She won't be rushed into accepting the ring back once the Inspector has left

she is unable to accept her parents attitude and is both amazed and concerned that they haven't learned anything from the episode. Although the Inspector might be a hoax, the family have still behaved in an entirely unsuitable manner

she learns of her responsibilities to others less fortunate than herself (the idea of the community) and is sensitive. Her readiness to learn from experience is in great contrast to her parents

Before beginning the writing of the unit I'll give the group at least one, probably three controlled tests on the characters, simulating the conditions pupils will have in the final exam i.e. 40 minutes with the text in front of them. One of the questions would be a comparative study of the two.

Having then marked the answers, I will return the papers and go through with the group any problems that were evident. The group are now ready to tackle the coursework unit as described above. In order to ensure that I have evidence of what the group can produce entirely on their own, this will be done under controlled conditions. Normal rules apply; I don't usually enforce too strict a time limit. It is important that pupils produce their best work and this might mean some needing a little longer than others. In addition, all rough work will be included - rather than a complete draft I suggest notes (the more evidence of the process of writing the better, so I'd expect plenty of crossings out, additions in the margin and so on) and perhaps a brainstorm as well.

The other area of study I said I would look at is 'Plot and Structure'. This isn't an easy concept to get across but 'An Inspector Calls' is one of the better texts to use here. As I understand it, 'Plot and Structure' refers to the study of some or all of the following features: (see SEG syllabus)

A useful resource here is the tension graph I have included on a separate sheet. I can't recall where I purloined this from but I find it provides much of the information needed to answer such a question in a form which is readily accessible to our pupils.

In addition, after small group discussions following the lines of those described earlier, I would expect the group to have mentioned the following points, all of which are directly relevant:

very compact structure to the play, nothing is allowed to distract the audience from the central theme. There is no sub-plot
the play takes place in just one location, the action is continuous (NB Priestley observes the Unities)
Act One begins by introducing the characters and establishing the idea of a happy and united family looking forward to the future with a degree of confidence. In retrospect, there are a number of hints that all is not as it seems but these are not particularly obvious until later in the play. There is nothing to warn us of the shock of the Inspector's visit
events soon gather speed and it is not long before we are being informed of Birling and Sheila's involvement with Eva Smith
tensions increase, firstly as Gerald's affair is unveiled (and the scandal it would cause) and Sheila begins to realise that they are all implicated in some way 'he is giving us rope - so that we=ll hang ourselves'.
Mrs Birling's attempts to shift the blame for the girl's suicide leads her to blame the father of the unborn child. The tension is heightened at this point by the dramatic entrance of Eric.
with the departure of the Inspector it would appear that what follows will be something of an anti-climax as the Inspector's identity is put into doubt by a series of observations made by the Birling family and Gerald. Even the existence of Eva is called into question.
however, the tension remains to some extent as the two generations confirm the differences as suggested by the Inspector - the moral divide is very great indeed
the final denouement, the phone call announcing that a police inspector is on his way to ask some questions about a girl who has just died in the infirmary is as shocking as it is surprising and ensures that the audience will leave the auditorium in a state of real shock

Again, I would encourage the group to make annotated, marginal notes in their texts and would ensure that the key points are understood in another 40 minute controlled test, the question being something on the lines of:

Write about how the plot and structure of a novel or play ,you have read contributes to your enjoyment of it.

Once again, all comments made by the group would be recorded by me for use as revision later in the course.

The final piece of work I would ask of the group is a short exercise in information retrieval. Obviously, this is a requirement of the SEG syllabus and one that at first sight appears a little divorced from the study of a text such as 'An Inspector Calls'. However, with a little imagination it can be tied in quite closely with the text and add to the pupils' understanding. I see no point in making a great issue out of the group finding their own resources, and provided they can include evidence that they have researched the information themselves that should suffice.

There are a number of references to external events within the play and these could provide the areas which could be developed further by the pupil. Among these are:

The Titanic
The emergence of Russia as a world power
The outbreak of World War One
The writings of H G Wells

also:

A biography of J B Priestley
The Music Hall

Obviously, there are other events which could be developed. Most texts throw up areas which could be developed in this way. I usually encourage pupils to write no more than one or two sides, so the detail is secondary to the actual retrieval of the information itself. It is important that pupils work individually on this as otherwise you might end up with a number of very similar pieces of writing! By offering a choice of topics this reduces the likelihood (in theory!) of this happening. Ensure that at the end of the writing a bibliography is included.

I hope that by showing you how I would go about studying a piece of literature as KS4, I have, at the very least, encouraged you to think about the importance of ensuring that everything you ask pupils to do is in some way relevant to the two SEG syllabuses. I am well aware of the fact that I am constantly trying to ensure that I have covered the areas of study, as these are at the heart of all the literature studied in years 10 + 11. Perhaps this is not the most effective way of teaching English at KS4, but at least I can be assured that I have fulfilled the demands of the two syllabuses. There is probably much that can be improved upon within this unit and hopefully colleagues will suggest ideas that they have used which have been successful. Obviously, some of the details outlined can be adapted for other texts and in other areas of study.

Finally, and very much as an after-thought, to cover the requirement of wider reading, a look at the theme of responsibility could be included - such erudite literature as 'Meditation 17' (John Donne), 'Imagine' (John Lennon), 'We are the World' (Various), 'I am a Rock' (Paul Simon) could all be included.

TSM - Feb. 1994

Appendix

Whilst rooting through some old worksheets, I came across an oral activity that I undertook with a top year 11 group some years ago. It worked extremely well and I thought I'd include it as it is a very interesting exercise and, like much of what I have outlined above, it can be adapted for other texts. If I remember correctly, SBI helped me to conduct the actual oral (which takes a week from start to finish) as I was still convalescing at the time, so thanks must go to him as well for his input.

Basically, the oral takes the form of a courtroom scene in which members of the Birling family and other characters involved in the life of Eva Smith, but who don't necessarily have a speaking part, are questioned about their relationship with her. Thus, leading characters could be:

Mr Birling
Mrs Birling
Sheila
Eric
Gerald
The Inspector
Joe Meggarty
Friends of Eva from Birling' s factory
Women of the town at the Stalls Bar
Counsel for the defence
Counsel for the prosecution
Eva/Daisy

et al.

It would be perfectly feasible to split the main characters so that one pupil answers the questions from the defence, another those from the prosecution, thus allowing more pupils to be actively involved.

As with the comparative study of Mr Birling and Sheila, I have include the questions asked of each character as a result of small group discussions. These are just guidelines, clearly you will end up with slightly different questions but they are, nevertheless, a useful reference.

Mr Birling

when did you last see Eva Smith?

how did you come to meet the girl?

would you have described her as a good worker?

did you have any contact with her after she left?

what does the phrase 'lower costs and higher prices' mean to you?

what were the demands of the strikers in 1910?

would you describe yourself as a powerful member of the Brumley community?

what would happen if you had to close your factory?

was Eva Smith the only person to be sacked as a result of the strike

what would be the effects of a merger between your company and that of Lord Croft?

what did you mean when you accused your children of 'not being able to take a joke'?

do you feel that you are in any way to blame for the girl's death

Mrs Birling

what is the name of the charity organisation of which you are chairperson?

what is the purpose of the organisation?

how did you come to meet the deceased woman?

can you think of any particular reason why this woman would have chosen to use your name?

why did the girl come to your organisation?

why did you reject her appeal?

are you aware of the identity of the person who was 'responsible' for her condition?

do you still believe him to be entirely responsible?

what help was available to the girl after she left you?

would you say that your organisation has helped many young women in a similar position?

how do you decide if a particular case deserves your help?

what effect will the publicity and court case have on you and your family?

do you hold yourself to blame in any way for the girl's death?

Sheila Birling

have you ever held down a job for any length of time?

where does your income come from?

have you ever known what it is like to be desperate?

describe your meeting with Eva Smith

describe the girl to the court

would you say that she was attractive?

what was her job at Milwards?

is it true to say that you had her fired?

you claim that you saw the girl smiling, what do you think she found that was so funny?

are you aware that she enjoyed the job she was doing and hoped to make a career of it?

do you think that you would have become so annoyed had the girl been a little less attractive?

was Eva Smith asked to model this dress for you?

what was your reaction when you first learned of the girl's death?

after your father's phone call to the police to check up on the identity of the Inspector, you were heard to mutter: 'I suppose we're all nice people now'. What did you mean by this ?

do you feel in any way responsible for the death of Eva Smith?

Gerald Croft

when and where did you first meet Eva?

describe to the jury the type of place the Stalls Bar is

what sort of people frequent this establishment?

do you visit there regularly?

is it usual for the son of titled parents to visit such a place?

explain how you met the deceased for the first time.

what was her reaction to Mr Megarty's advances?

was she grateful for your intervention?

what happened when Mr Megarty left?

what did she tell you about herself on that first night?

what were your reasons for installing her into a 'nice set of rooms'?

did you help her financially?

did you have a regular girlfriend at the time?

is it true to say that you became her lover?

why did the affair end?

what did Miss Renton say to you when the affair ended?

do you feel, in any way, responsible for the girl's death?

Eric Birling

what is your present employment?

do you drink?

are you in control of yourself when you drink?

when and where did you first meet the deceased?

were you drunk?

did you force your attentions on her that night?

did you meet her again?

when did she tell you that she was pregnant?

how did you feel when you found out?

did you love the girl?

did you get her pregnant?

did you give her any money?

where did you get it from?

what was the girl's attitude when she discovered how you were obtaining it?

why didn't you do the decent thing and marry the girl?

did you intend to return the money?

what was your father's reaction when he learned what you had been up to?

why didn't you ask your parents for help when you realised that you were in so much trouble?

explain your feelings to the jury when you heard that the girl had committed suicide

do you think that you were in any way to blame for the girl's death?