Study Guide: An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley

Study Guide: An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley is a detailed analysis of J. B. Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls.

LP Team

February 22, 2026

Overview

Study Guide	An Inspector Calls
Pages	66
Price	₦3,000

Description

Study Guide: An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley is a detailed analysis of J. B. Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls. The play is one of the two non-African plays recommended for the harmonised Literature-in-English syllabus for senior secondary schools (2026–2030) in West Africa. The text is prescribed for WASSCE, NECO SSCE, and other equivalent O-Level examinations within this period. This study guide is also suitable for students preparing for Cambridge IGCSE Literature-in-English examinations.

An Inspector Calls is a three-act drama written by J. B. Priestley in 1945. The play is set in the dining room of the Birling family’s home in the English Midlands in 1912, just before the First World War. The story centres on Arthur Birling, a prosperous factory owner, who is celebrating two achievements: his daughter Sheila’s engagement to Gerald Croft and the anticipated honour of a knighthood. The mood of the evening is confident and self-satisfied until an unexpected visitor arrives. Inspector Goole announces that a young working-class woman has taken her own life. As he questions each family member in turn, it becomes clear that they all played a role in her downfall. When the inspector leaves, Mr Birling contacts the authorities and discovers that no officer named Goole exists. The family, relieved, assume they have been victims of a hoax until a final telephone call announces that a young woman has just died and a real inspector is on his way.

This Literature PADI study guide offers a comprehensive analysis of the play, covering its background, setting, plot summary, act-to-act summary and analysis, dramatic techniques, characterisation, themes, memorable quotes and model questions.

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