Studying 'An Inspector Calls' in Three Quotes (1) – "a chain of events"

 As an English tutor, I help students with GCSE and A Level English and English Literature.  An Inspector Calls is one of the most commonly-studied GCSE texts, and this series of posts will look in detail at one quotation from each of the three acts. 

Most students will know the phrase “a chain of events”, which the Inspector uses in Act 1.  But not so many are able to analyse effectively the language of this and other key quotations from the play. (You can read a previous post about the importance of focusing on quotations here)

Back to the quotation – “a chain of events”... It is a metaphor, and the phrase connects to the theme of responsibility in the play.

So a really good comment on this quotation could be this:

When the Inspector uses the metaphor of “the chain of events”, Priestley is implying that the actions of the family have had serious consequences, and that they are morally responsible for causing the suffering of members of the working class.

If you would like to know more about my teaching approaches, which I have developed over 30 years as a teacher, tutor and educational leader, you can book a free 30 minute consultation with me via the Contact Form.  You can find out more about my experience on the About page.

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