Why An Inspector Calls is Set in 1912 (But Written in 1945)

I very rarely hear students talking about this point - but it is so important!

The plot and themes of An Inspector Calls are heavily influenced by the politics and values of Britain in the early 20th century. In this video, I will talk you through the essential historical context that you need to understand about the period, and Priestley's aims and intentions. I will then explain how this helps us to understand why Priestley has set his play in 1912 even though it was performed decades later. We'll talk through the key analysis you can do and how it helps you to answer exam questions on the play.

I really believe that this is such a simple concept, and yet it opens up a hugely insightful angle to analysing the play. So few students talk about this that it also gives you a unique perspective that will wake those exhausted examiners up and make them pay more attention! (no shade to examiners - I cannot imagine how exhausting it must be to mark literally hundreds of essays on the same play).

This video is on my YouTube channel. However, there are a few benefits to watching it here instead:

1. You can register to keep a track of which videos you’ve watched
2. You can bookmark lessons for later
3. There may or may not be no ads, but I can neither confirm nor deny and I definitely didn't tell you if YouTube asked, OK?

There are also resources to help you in the Study Materials section:

An Inspector Calls Vocabulary Bank

The words in this vocabulary bank will help you to develop a more sophisticated and high level understanding of the key ideas and concepts in 'An Inspector Calls'.

As well as providing a range of words, their definitions and an example sentence, this book also suggests a number of activities that you can use to revise and put the vocabulary into practice.

Bonus - it's completely free!

An Inspector Calls AQA GCSE Model Answers (Coming soon!)

This resource will have model answers for multiple years of AQA past papers, giving you the ability to see what high grade essays look like for a range of essay questions.

An Inspector Calls Edexcel IGCSE Model Answers (Coming soon!)

This resource will have model answers for multiple years of Edexcel past papers, giving you the ability to see what high grade essays look like for a range of essay questions.

An Inspector Calls Flipped Learning (Coming soon!)

This resource is designed for teachers and students: it is a workbook designed to be completed alongside all of my An Inspector Calls videos. It is essentially a structured way for you to take notes and ensure that you are squeezing every ounce of advice my videos have to offer.

I fully intend to add more videos and study materials on this play. If there's something in particular you're looking for, then register and get in touch to let me know what would help you.