Transcript An Inspector Calls – Plot Act 2

An Inspector Calls – Plot
Act 2
An Inspector Calls
• An Inspector Calls
was written by J.B.
Priestley in 1945 and
is set in 1912 just
before the 1st World
War.
• In the play there are 6
main characters - Mr
Birling, Mrs Birling,
Sheila, Eric, Gerald,
the Inspector - and
Edna, the house
maid, who only says a
few words.
Act 2
• At the start of Act 2 the
scene and situation are
exactly the same as at
the end of Act 1, with
the Inspector standing
at the door for a few
moments looking at
Sheila and Gerald.
Act 2
• At the end of the Act 1
there had been tense
words between Shelia
and Gerald.
• When Mrs Birling
tries to get the
Inspector to leave, it
comes out that Eric is
a heavy drinker.
Act 2
• Gerald admits he knew Daisy
Renton and that's when he
tells the Inspector and Sheila
the story about him meeting
her in the Variety Theatre, a
local place for the women of
the town.
• He got to know her when
Alderman Meggarty had her
in a corner and she put out a
kind of call for help to Gerald.
Then he gave her a place to
stay and some money.
The Chain of Events
• In Act 2 Gerald admits that he knew Daisy
Renton and had an affair with her which
ended that September.
• Then Mrs Burling refused Eva/Daisy help
and advice from the Brumley Women's
Charity Organisation.
• Mrs Birling seems almost proud of refusing the girl
aid.
• She claims that she did her ‘duty’ and sees no
reason at all why she should take any blame for the
girl's death.
• Right at the end, Mrs Birling denounces the father of
the child and claims he needs to be made an
example of.
• At this point, Sheila realises that Eric is involved.
• When Eric comes into the room, Act 2 ends.