How Does 'An Inspector Calls' End?

The ending of 'An Inspector Calls' is one of those twists that leaves you reeling, and I love how J.B. Priestley masterfully pulls the rug out from under the audience. After the Birlings and Gerald Croft spend the entire play being interrogated by the mysterious Inspector Goole about their roles in Eva Smith's suicide, they think it's all over when the Inspector leaves. But then, Gerald makes a phone call to the infirmary and discovers there’s no record of a girl dying by suicide that night. The family starts to relax, thinking the Inspector was a fraud or a hoax, and they even laugh off the whole ordeal. Mr. Birling especially revels in the idea that they’ve been tricked, dismissing the moral lessons the Inspector tried to impart.

Just when they’re about to return to their selfish, uncaring ways, the phone rings. It’s the police—a girl has just died at the infirmary, and an inspector is on his way to question them. The play ends with this chilling moment, leaving the characters (and the audience) in stunned silence. It’s a brilliant way to drive home Priestley’s message about collective responsibility and the consequences of ignoring social injustice. The cyclical structure suggests that unless people change, history will keep repeating itself. I still get goosebumps thinking about that final phone call—it’s such a powerful way to underscore the play’s themes.