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*Quiz Question: An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley*
At the end of An Inspector Calls, we learn that Inspector Goole wasn’t actually a real police inspector. What occurs right after this revelation that briefly gives the Birling family a sense of relief — only to have it shattered again in the final moments of the play?
A) A letter arrives confirming that Eva Smith never existed.
B) Arthur Birling receives a promotion, distracting the family from the evening's events.
C) A phone call comes informing the family that a real inspector is on his way to question them about the suicide of a young woman.
D) Sheila confesses that she invented the story of Eva Smith to teach her family a lesson.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: After realizing that Inspector Goole was not a genuine inspector and that no girl had recently died in the infirmary, the older Birlings (Arthur and Sybil) dismiss the entire evening as a prank. However, the play concludes on a chilling note when the telephone rings and Arthur announces that a real police inspector is on his way to question them — implying that the moral reckoning the family attempted to avoid is unavoidable.
At the conclusion of An Inspector Calls, it becomes clear that Inspector Goole was not a genuine police inspector. What occurs right after this shocking revelation that unsettles the Birling family?
Rationale
The play concludes with a haunting phone call that tells the Birlings a girl has just died and a real inspector is en route — indicating that the moral reckoning of the night is far from over, and underscoring Priestley's message that social responsibility cannot be easily ignored.
Who unexpectedly shows up at the Birling family's dinner party and interrupts their celebrations in An Inspector Calls?
Rationale
Inspector Goole unexpectedly arrives at the Birling household during the engagement party for Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft, and begins to interrogate each family member about their involvement in the death of a young woman named Eva Smith.