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GCSE · English Literature

GE.T-InspectorCalls-Char Literature: An Inspector Calls - Character Study in Depth

AQA 8702 · Calculators not allowed · about 120 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

Each description below refers to one character from An Inspector Calls. Name the character being described in each case. Use each character once only.

(a)The head of the household, who owns Birling and Company and is proud of his standing as a former Lord Mayor.(1)

(b)The character who becomes engaged to Sheila Birling during the events shown on stage.(1)

(c)The Birlings' son, who is shown to drink more heavily than his parents at first realise.(1)

(d)The unannounced visitor who questions the family about a young woman's death.(1)

(e)The young woman whose death is being investigated, who is also known to some characters by a second name.(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 5 marks)

Sheila Birling is first shown as a happy, excited young woman before the Inspector arrives. State three separate details Priestley establishes about Sheila's situation or mood in this opening part of the play.

(Total for Question 2 is 3 marks)

Identify two separate methods, other than what he says, that Priestley uses to give the audience a first impression of Mr Birling in Act One, and state the effect each has.

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

Explain one way Priestley presents Gerald Croft as confident and socially at ease when he is first introduced to the audience.

(Total for Question 4 is 4 marks)

Explain how Priestley presents Arthur Birling as an arrogant man in the early part of the play.

(Total for Question 5 is 6 marks)

Explain how Priestley presents Mrs Birling as a woman who is proud of her social class.

(Total for Question 6 is 6 marks)

Explain two ways Sheila Birling changes as a result of the Inspector's visit.

(Total for Question 7 is 8 marks)

Explain how Priestley presents Eric Birling as a character who does not fit comfortably into his own family.

(Total for Question 8 is 8 marks)

Explore how Priestley presents Gerald Croft as a character caught between two social worlds.

(Total for Question 9 is 8 marks)

Explain how Priestley presents the Inspector as a character who remains in control of the interrogation throughout the play.

(Total for Question 10 is 8 marks)

Although Eva Smith (also known as Daisy Renton) never appears on stage, explain how Priestley makes her presence felt throughout the play.

(Total for Question 11 is 10 marks)

Compare how Mr Birling and the Inspector present their views on responsibility towards other people.

(Total for Question 12 is 10 marks)

Explain how Priestley uses the character of Eric Birling to criticise the behaviour of some young men of his class towards women.

(Total for Question 13 is 10 marks)

Explore how Mrs Birling's treatment of Eva Smith's appeal to her charity organisation reveals Priestley's wider message about class and responsibility.

(Total for Question 14 is 10 marks)

Explain how Priestley uses the characters of Sheila and Eric together to suggest that the younger generation offers more hope for change than the older generation.

(Total for Question 15 is 10 marks)

Write about how Priestley presents the Inspector as a mysterious and controlling figure across the play as a whole. In your answer, you should refer to the ways Priestley uses language, form and structure, as well as characterisation, to create this impression.

(Total for Question 16 is 20 marks)

Compare how Priestley presents responsibility through two contrasting characters of your choice from Mr Birling, Mrs Birling, Sheila and Eric. Refer to the whole play in your answer.

(Total for Question 17 is 20 marks)

'Priestley presents Sheila as the character with the greatest capacity for change in the whole play.'

Starting with this idea, write about how far you agree, referring to the play as a whole. In your answer you should refer to the ways Priestley presents character, and to the play's historical and social context.

(Total for Question 18 is 30 marks)

Mark scheme · GE.T-InspectorCalls-Char Literature: An Inspector Calls - Character Study in Depth

Question 1

(a) B1 Accept Arthur Birling (or Mr Birling)
(a) Answer: Arthur Birling (Mr Birling)
(b) B1 Accept Gerald Croft (or Gerald)
(b) Answer: Gerald Croft
(c) B1 Accept Eric Birling (or Eric)
(c) Answer: Eric Birling
(d) B1 Accept the Inspector (or Inspector Goole)
(d) Answer: The Inspector (Inspector Goole)
(e) B1 Accept Eva Smith (or Daisy Renton, or both names given together)
(e) Answer: Eva Smith (also known as Daisy Renton)

Question 2

B1 she has just become engaged to Gerald Croft (oe, accept reference to the engagement/ring)
B1 she is presented as excited and playful with her family during the celebration
B1 any other valid detail, e.g. she is comfortable and sheltered within her family's wealth, or she teases Gerald lightly about the previous summer
Answer: Any three of: newly engaged to Gerald Croft; in a celebratory, playful mood with her family; comfortable and sheltered by her family's wealth and position; close to her mother in this scene; lightly teasing Gerald about his absence the previous summer, without yet suspecting anything serious.

Question 3

B1 identifies a valid method (e.g. the stage directions describing his appearance and manner, or the formal dinner-party setting and toast)
B1 states a plausible effect for this method (e.g. suggests self-satisfaction, or a wish to impress Gerald's family)
B1 identifies a second, different valid method (e.g. his lengthy, uninterrupted speeches, or his manner towards the servants)
B1 states a plausible effect for the second method (e.g. suggests he enjoys the sound of his own authority, or that he expects to be obeyed without question)
Answer: Accept any two of: stage directions/physical description; the dinner-party setting and toast; his long, uninterrupted speeches; his manner towards the servants or towards Gerald; each paired with a sensible stated effect such as self-importance, a wish to impress, or an expectation of authority.

Question 4

Level 2 (3-4): Clear explanation: identifies a specific detail of Gerald's early presentation (his relaxed manner with the Birlings, his readiness with compliments, his comfort in an unfamiliar household) and explains a clear effect, with reference to the text.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple or general comment about Gerald with little development or textual reference.
Indicative content:
- Gerald's easy, polished manner towards Mr and Mrs Birling suggests someone used to social situations above his own family's standing
- his readiness with toasts and compliments during the engagement celebration presents him as socially practised and charming
- his apparent comfort in a household he has not previously visited in this way suggests confidence rooted in his own social class
- any other valid, plausible point supported by knowledge of the character's early presentation

Question 5

Level 3 (5-6): Clear, relevant explanation: analyses more than one way Birling's arrogance is presented, with clear reference to the text and some understanding of Priestley's method.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies a relevant detail of Birling's arrogance with a generally appropriate comment, with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple or general comment on Birling with little development.
Indicative content:
- his confident, mistaken predictions about the future (dismissing the possibility of war, or trusting the safety of a famous new ocean liner), which the audience recognises as ironic
- his pride in his position as a former Lord Mayor and magistrate, and his hope of a future honour
- his tendency to lecture the younger characters, Eric and Gerald, as though his experience makes him automatically right
- his dismissal of the idea that a business owes anything to the people it employs
- his growing irritation once his authority is questioned by the Inspector, rather than by his own family

Question 6

Level 3 (5-6): Clear, relevant explanation: analyses more than one way Mrs Birling's class pride is presented, with clear textual reference and some understanding of context.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies a relevant detail of Mrs Birling's class pride with a generally appropriate comment, with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple or general comment on Mrs Birling with little development.
Indicative content:
- her formal, correcting manner towards her husband and children, reminding Arthur of the correct way to behave
- her position chairing a women's charity organisation, giving her a public image of respectability she is anxious to protect
- her cold, dismissive treatment of Eva Smith's appeal for help, judging her by her class and manner of speech rather than her need
- her refusal to believe a member of her own family could be responsible, based on assumptions about class and character
- her continued lack of self-awareness even after the Inspector's visit has clearly affected the younger characters

Question 7

Level 4 (7-8): Clear, well-supported explanation: analyses two distinct ways Sheila changes, with well-chosen textual reference and clear understanding of her development.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation: explains at least one clear way Sheila changes, with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies a relevant change in Sheila with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple or general comment on Sheila with little development.
Indicative content:
- she moves from a light-hearted, self-centred young woman to someone who accepts responsibility for her own role in Eva Smith's story
- she becomes increasingly willing to challenge her parents and Gerald, rather than simply agreeing with them
- she shows growing insight into the Inspector's methods and message, shown by her warnings to the other characters
- her decision not to simply accept Gerald's ring again without reflection signals a change, at least for a time, in what she values
- by the play's end she acts, alongside Eric, as a voice of conscience within the family

Question 8

Level 4 (7-8): Clear, well-supported explanation: analyses more than one way Eric's discomfort within his family is presented, with well-chosen textual reference.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation: explains at least one clear method with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies a relevant point about Eric with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple or general comment on Eric with little development.
Indicative content:
- his awkward, nervous manner at the start of the play, contrasting sharply with his father's confidence
- his drinking, which other characters notice and comment on before its cause is fully explained
- his willingness to challenge his father's treatment of the workers, unlike the rest of the family at first
- his open honesty and guilt once his part in Eva Smith's story is revealed, contrasting with his parents' denial
- his isolation from his mother in particular once she realises her own refusal to help was connected to her son

Question 9

Level 4 (7-8): Clear, well-supported exploration: analyses more than one aspect of Gerald's position between social worlds, with well-chosen textual reference and clear understanding of context.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear exploration: explains at least one clear aspect with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-4): Some exploration: identifies a relevant point about Gerald with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited exploration: makes a simple or general comment on Gerald with little development.
Indicative content:
- his engagement to Sheila links him to the Birling family's social ambitions, since his own family's firm is presented as more established
- Mr Birling's evident eagerness for the match shows how the Birlings hope Gerald's status will benefit them
- his relationship with Eva Smith, under the name Daisy Renton, exposes him briefly to a very different level of society
- his eventual return to defending the old order, once the Inspector's identity is questioned, suggests his sympathies ultimately remain with his own class
- his more measured, less guilt-driven reaction compared with Eric and Sheila by the end of the play

Question 10

Level 4 (7-8): Clear, well-supported explanation: analyses more than one method the Inspector uses to control the interrogation, with well-chosen textual reference and confident subject terminology.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation: explains at least one clear method with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-4): Some explanation: identifies a relevant method with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple or general comment on the Inspector with little development.
Indicative content:
- his calm, unhurried manner, which contrasts with the family's growing agitation as the evening continues
- his method of questioning one character fully before moving to the next, controlling the order and pace of revelations
- his refusal to be intimidated by Mr Birling's status, wealth or threats to make trouble for him
- his apparent prior knowledge of events, suggesting he already knows the truth before he asks his questions
- the timing of his exits, particularly his final departure, leaving a lasting impression through his closing words

Question 11

Level 4 (9-10): Convincing, well-structured explanation: analyses several methods by which Eva's presence is sustained across the whole play, with judicious textual reference and confident subject terminology.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear explanation: explains at least two relevant methods with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-5): Some explanation: identifies one relevant method with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple, undeveloped point with little textual reference.
Indicative content:
- each family member's account, given in turn, builds up a cumulative picture of her situation and treatment
- the photograph the Inspector shows privately to each character keeps her presence central to the investigation, even though the audience never sees it
- her two names, Eva Smith and Daisy Renton, suggest how easily she was treated as replaceable or reshaped by those with power over her
- the Inspector's final speech generalises her story to represent millions of others in similar situations, rather than a single, isolated case
- her absence from the stage keeps attention firmly on the choices and words of the characters who wronged her, rather than allowing her to be individualised as a character in her own right

Question 12

Level 4 (9-10): Convincing, well-structured comparison: analyses the contrast between Birling's and the Inspector's views with judicious textual reference and clear understanding of context.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear comparison: explains the contrast between the two views with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-5): Some comparison: identifies a relevant point of contrast with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited comparison: makes a simple, undeveloped point with little textual reference.
Indicative content:
- Mr Birling argues that a man should only be responsible for himself and his own family and business
- the Inspector argues that everyone is responsible for everyone else, describing society as a single interconnected body
- Mr Birling's view is closely linked to his business interests and his fear of scandal or trouble
- the Inspector's view is delivered with increasing moral force across the play, culminating in his closing speech
- the contrast between the two views reflects Priestley's wider political message about collective versus individual responsibility

Question 13

Level 4 (9-10): Convincing, well-structured explanation: analyses how Eric's characterisation criticises male privilege, with judicious textual reference and clear understanding of context.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear explanation: explains at least two relevant points with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-5): Some explanation: identifies one relevant point with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple, undeveloped point with little textual reference.
Indicative content:
- Eric's drinking is linked to the pressure and unearned privilege he feels within his social position
- his initial encounter with Eva Smith begins because he will not leave her alone and later takes advantage of her while drunk
- he uses his position to give her stolen money rather than offering genuine, honest support
- his shame and inability to explain his own actions clearly contrast with his father's outright denial of wrongdoing
- Priestley uses Eric's honesty by the play's end to suggest some hope that younger men of his class might behave differently, despite his earlier conduct

Question 14

Level 4 (9-10): Convincing, well-structured exploration: analyses how this scene reveals Priestley's wider message, with judicious textual reference and clear understanding of context.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear exploration: explains at least two relevant points with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-5): Some exploration: identifies one relevant point with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited exploration: makes a simple, undeveloped point with little textual reference.
Indicative content:
- Mrs Birling judges Eva's case on her manner and her use of a false name, rather than on her genuine need
- she refuses help partly because she believes Eva is presuming above her station simply by asking
- she insists the father of Eva's child should be made an example of, without realising this is her own son
- her continued refusal to accept responsibility, even once the truth is revealed, shows a lack of the change Priestley hopes for
- the scene links private charity and personal prejudice to Priestley's broader argument about how society treats its poorest members

Question 15

Level 4 (9-10): Convincing, well-structured explanation: analyses how Sheila and Eric together suggest generational hope, with judicious textual reference and confident subject terminology.
Level 3 (6-8): Clear explanation: explains at least two relevant points with relevant textual reference.
Level 2 (3-5): Some explanation: identifies one relevant point with some textual reference.
Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited explanation: makes a simple, undeveloped point with little textual reference.
Indicative content:
- both Sheila and Eric accept responsibility for their part in Eva Smith's story relatively quickly, compared with their parents
- both continue to feel guilt and distress throughout the final act, rather than trying to move past the evening's events
- both attempt, at different points, to stop their parents and Gerald from simply dismissing the Inspector's message
- their reactions are placed in direct contrast with Mr and Mrs Birling's relief once they believe the Inspector may not have been genuine
- this generational contrast supports Priestley's argument that social attitudes can change over time, even if the older generation resists

Question 16

Level 4 (16-20): Convincing, well-structured response: sustained, perceptive analysis of the Inspector's mystery and control across the whole play, with judicious quotation and confident subject terminology; contextual understanding integrated fully into the argument.
Level 3 (11-15): Clear, relevant response: explains how the Inspector's mystery and control are presented through several methods, with relevant quotation and a clear contextual point.
Level 2 (6-10): Some, generic response: identifies relevant moments relating to the Inspector with some quotation; makes a generic or partly relevant contextual comment.
Level 1 (1-5): Simple, limited response: makes a simple, undeveloped point with little or no quotation; little or no contextual comment.
Indicative content:
- his sudden, unexplained arrival immediately after Mr Birling's confident speech dismissing collective responsibility creates an unsettling contrast that structures the rest of the play
- his ambiguous name (suggesting 'ghoul') hints at something beyond an ordinary police officer, without ever confirming or denying a supernatural explanation
- his method of questioning one character at a time, at his own pace, and refusing to be rushed, keeps control of the interrogation firmly with him rather than the family
- his apparent prior knowledge of facts before he asks about them suggests an authority beyond what an ordinary investigating officer would have
- his refusal to be intimidated by Mr Birling's wealth, status or threats presents him as answerable to a different, higher kind of authority
- his closing speech, warning of dire consequences if society does not learn the lesson of collective responsibility, functions as Priestley's own political mouthpiece rather than simply the words of an investigating officer
- the play's ending, leaving his true identity unresolved and immediately followed by news of a real death and a real inspector on the way, sustains his mystery right up to the final curtain
- Priestley, writing shortly after the Second World War but setting the play in 1912, uses the Inspector's control and unresolved mystery to press a contemporary post-war audience towards accepting a message of shared responsibility

Question 17

Level 4 (16-20): Convincing, well-structured comparison: sustained, perceptive analysis of the contrast in how responsibility is presented, with judicious quotation and confident subject terminology; contextual understanding integrated fully.
Level 3 (11-15): Clear, relevant comparison: explains the contrast between the two chosen characters through several methods, with relevant quotation and a clear contextual point.
Level 2 (6-10): Some, generic comparison: identifies relevant moments relating to responsibility with some quotation; makes a generic or partly relevant contextual comment.
Level 1 (1-5): Simple, limited comparison: makes a simple, undeveloped point with little or no quotation; little or no contextual comment.
Indicative content:
- a comparison of an older character (Mr or Mrs Birling) with a younger character (Sheila or Eric) is likely to be the most productive contrast, though other pairings are valid if well supported
- the older generation consistently deny or minimise personal responsibility, insisting the matter is closed once the Inspector leaves
- the younger generation accept responsibility more fully, showing genuine and sustained guilt
- the older characters' relief once doubt is cast on the Inspector's identity is directly opposed by the younger characters' continued distress and insistence that nothing has really been resolved
- this generational contrast supports Priestley's own political argument, writing after two world wars, that a fairer society depends on the younger generation learning what the older generation refuses to
- answers may also validly compare within a single generation (e.g. Mr and Mrs Birling's similarly rigid denial, or Sheila and Eric's similarly genuine guilt) if the comparison remains focused and well evidenced

Question 18

Level 4 (25-30): Compelling, critical response: sustained, sophisticated engagement with the statement across the whole play; judicious, precisely selected references including embedded quotation; perceptive analysis of characterisation, form and structure with consistently precise subject terminology; contextual understanding woven fully into the argument.
Level 3 (17-24): Critical, exploratory response: exploratory, critical engagement with the statement sustained across the play; judicious range of references; analyses effects of characterisation and structure with precise subject terminology; contextual factors integrated fully where relevant.
Level 2 (9-16): Detailed, well-structured response: consistently clear, detailed engagement with the statement; well-chosen range of references; explains effects of characterisation and structure with subject terminology used accurately; understanding of relevant context clearly shown.
Level 1 (1-8): Simple or clear response: simple or clear engagement with the statement with some relevant reference; some comment on characterisation with limited or accurate use of subject terminology; some or little awareness of context.
Indicative content:
- agree: Sheila moves from a light-hearted, self-centred young woman to someone who accepts full responsibility for her role in Eva Smith's dismissal from Milwards, and this shift is sustained rather than temporary
- agree: unlike her parents and Gerald, Sheila continues to feel guilt and press for change even once doubt is cast on the Inspector's identity, suggesting her change in outlook is genuine rather than a reaction to fear of exposure
- agree: her refusal to simply accept Gerald's ring again without reflection shows the change reaches her personal choices, not only her stated opinions
- qualify/counter-view: Eric arguably shows an equally significant capacity for change, having also behaved wrongly towards Eva and also ending the play with genuine remorse and a wish to act differently in future
- qualify/counter-view: some may argue the Inspector himself, rather than any Birling, is the play's true agent and symbol of change, since it is his intervention that makes any of the family's development possible at all
- qualify: Sheila's privileged position means her 'change' costs her comparatively little in practical terms, unlike the real, irreversible consequences suffered by Eva Smith, which might limit how far her transformation should be admired
- context: Priestley was closely associated with socialist politics and wrote the play as Britain considered how to rebuild society after the Second World War, making a hopeful, changing younger female character a deliberate contrast with the unmoving older generation
- context: in 1912, a young woman such as Sheila had limited independent social and economic power compared with her father or fiance, which makes her willingness to challenge them, however privileged her position, more dramatically significant within its own social setting

Literature: An Inspector Calls - Character Study in Depth - Worksheets, Questions and Revision