An Inspector Calls Plot Synopsis

On an evening in early April 1912, we join Arthur Birling, his wife Sybil, their daughter Sheila and son Eric in the drawing room of their home just after dinner as they celebrate Sheila’s engagement to Gerald Croft, son of Sir George Croft.  The Birlings are a relatively prosperous, nouveau riche family who live in the industrial town of Brumley in the British Midlands.

The tranquil celebration is suddenly interrupted when Edna, the parlor maid, announces the arrival of a stranger, Police Inspector Poole. The Inspector has come to the Birling home as part of an inquiry into the suicide death that day of a desperate young woman.  As the Inspector’s investigation unfolds, we discover how the life of the dead woman had been intertwined with the Birlings and observe how these revelations affect each of them.