An Inspector Calls - directors notes.

An Inspector Calls - directors notes.

Introduction:

Arthur Birling, a prosperous manufacturer, is holding a family dinner

party to celebrate his daughter's engagement. Into this cozy scene

intrudes the harsh figure of a police inspector.

Text:

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INSPECTOR Mr. Birling?

BIRLING Yes. Sit down, Inspector.

INSPECTOR (sitting) Thank you, sir.

BIRLING Have a glass of port - or a little whisky?

INSPECTOR No, thank you, Mr. Birling. I'm on duty.

BIRLING You're new, aren't you?

INSPECTOR Yes, sir. Only recently transferred.

BIRLING I thought you must be. I was an alderman for years - and lord

Mayor two years ago - and I'm still on the Bench - so I know the

Brumley police officers pretty well - and I thought I'd never seen you

before.

ERIC ASIDE: Why is father asking and saying the following to the

inspector? He said that everyone has to care for himself and now he is

giving out a really good example. I think that he is behaving in this

way so that Gerald can be really impressed by the fact that Mr Birling

is a hardheaded businessman like Lord Croft. Now he is trying to

fright the inspector by saying that he knows someone at The

Constabulary. He is treating the inspector as a person, which belongs

to a lower class. My dad will never change and will never realise that

actions have got effects on other people.

INSPECTOR Quite so.

BIRLING Well, what can I do for you? Some trouble about a warrant?

INSPECTOR No, Mr. Birling

BIRLING (after a pause, with a touch of impatience) Well, what is it

then?

INSPECTOR I'd like some information, if you don't mind, Mr. Birling.

Two hours ago a young woman died in the infirmary. She'd been taken

there this afternoon because she'd swallowed a lot of strong

disinfectant. Burnt her inside out, of course.

ERIC (involuntary) My God!

INSPECTOR Yes, she was in great agony. They did everything they could

for her at the infirmary, but she died. Suicide, of course.

BIRLING (rather impatiently) Yes, yes. Horrid business. But I don't

understand why you should come here, Inspector -

INSPECTOR (cutting through, massively) I've been round to the room she

had, and she'd left a letter there and a sort of diary. Like a lot of

these young women who get into various kinds of trouble, she'd used

more than one name. But her original name - her real name - was Eva

Smith....

... middle of paper ...

...he's not kicking women out onto

the street, what is he doing? Playing golf, or making a fool of

himself in front of Colonel Roberts and, by the sound of it, this Mr.

Croft chap.

ERIC No, I mean about this girl - Eva Smith. Why shouldn't they try

for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices. And I don't

see why she should have been sacked just because she'd a bit more

spirit than the others. You said yourself she was a good worker. I'd

have let her stay.

BIRLING (rather angrily) Unless you brighten your ideas, you'll never

be in a position to let anybody stay or to tell anybody to go. It's

about time you learnt to face a few responsibilities. That's something

this public-school-and-Varsity life you've had doesn't seem to teach

you.

ERIC (sulkily) Well, we don't need to tell the inspector all about

that, do we?

BIRLING I don't see we need to tell the Inspector anything more. In

fact, there's nothing I can tell him. I told the girl to clear out,

and she went. That's the last I heard of her. Have you any idea what

happened to her after that? Get into trouble? Go on the streets?

INSPECTOR (rather slowly) No, she didn't exactly go on the streets.