An Inspector Calls: Plot

Introduction and Exposition:

• The play begins on an evening in spring 1912. The Birlings, a prosperous industrial family, are having a dinner celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling to Gerald Croft.
• Arthur Birling, a successful businessman, his wife Sybil, an aristocratic lady, and their two children, Sheila and Eric are present. Gerald Croft, the son of Arthur's competitor, is also with them.
• Arthur gives a speech about the importance of self-reliance and spurns the idea of community, unaware of the forthcoming interrogation.

Rising Action:

• An Inspector Goole arrives and starts interrogating every member of the family, saying that a girl named Eva Smith, also known as Daisy Renton, committed suicide by drinking disinfectant.
• First, Arthur is interrogated. He fired Eva Smith because she asked for higher wages.
• Next, Sheila is questioned. She made Eva lose her job at a shop because she was jealous of her.
• When it's Gerald's turn, it emerges that he knows Daisy Renton. He had a summer-long affair with her.
• The Inspector then moves on to Eric. Eric met Eva at a bar and later discovered that he made her pregnant.
• Finally, Sybil, who denies recognizing Eva, is revealed to have turned down her application for help from a charity Sybil runs.

Climax:

• This brings out secrets and guilt in each character causing disruption in the family.

Falling Action:

• As the Inspector leaves, he warns the Birlings of the disastrous consequences of not learning from their actions.
• Gerald then learns there might not be an Inspector Goole on the police force.

Conclusion:

• The family, much relieved, begin to think the investigations were a hoax, and everything goes back to how it was before.
• But then a call from the police station reports that a girl has died, and an officer is on his way to question them. The play ends leaving the audience in suspense.

By understanding the plot progression, the prevailing themes of class, age, gender, and responsibility are more easily unearthed, helping you to refine your comprehension and analysis of 'An Inspector Calls'.