Capitalism v Socialism Flashcards
How are capitalists and socialists represented 2
Birlings represent rich capitalist society
Inspector acts as a mouthpiece for socialists - he condems capitalism and teaches socialist ideals
What does the play illustrate 2
that capitalism falls to socialism -
socialism is superior, more beneficial and a more powerful political system
what is capitalism 4
an economic system where things for production are owned and controlled by individuals - they own companies and the labour
they need to keep production costs low to increase profit.
In a capitalist society people are rewarded according to wealth not their contribution -
Britain was and is a capitalist society
what is socialism 3
production is owned equally by everyone in society.
People are rewarded by how much they contribute.
Socialism ensures that those who can not contribute are still cared for.
what sort of person is Mr Birling 3
capitalist business man - greedy, driven by money and selfish
wants to make as much profit as possible in any way he can
the description 2hard headed practical man business” is repeated 3 times showing how arrogant and self assured he is
how has he got his money
it is new money, he has made his fourtune
how does priestly present capitalism 2
selfish amoral system where
an individuals purpose is to make money
how does Birling demonstrate capitalist greed, identify 2 quotes and explain
1 in the quote “ … and now you have brought us together and perhaps we can look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings …. are working together- for lower costs higher prices”.
this show he only views life through business eyes
proposing working together with Crofts suggests he sees Sheila’s marriage as a business opportunity
lower costs higher prices shows how money motivates everything in capitalist society
2 “employers are at last coming together to see that our interests and the interest of capital are properly protected”
Priestly suggests employers chose to protect profits instead of their workers
how does Mr Birling demonstrate the selfish qualities of capitalism
1 He repeats “a man has to make his own way he has to look after himself - capitalism discourages people from looking after one another
2 When the inspector told them of Eva’s death his response was “ Don’t tell me thats’ because I discharged her from my employment nearly 2 years ago” He refuses to consider his influence of the lives of others. capitalist employers do not appreciate that their workers depend on them for a decent wage in the same way that they depend on them to do their job.
How does the inspector show socialist ideology 5
he acts for the good of others,
he has a clear moral code and champions social responsibility
He holds the Birlings accountable for their actions,
he confronts and challenges them -
shows how priestly wanted capitlism to be held accountable.
how does Priestly use the inspector
to communicate his own ideas to the audience
what is the inspectors message
in society everyone and everything is connected - opposite to the Birlings who believe in every man making his own way and not been responsible for anyone else
how is connection shown as a destructive force
” what happened afterwards may have driven her to suicide. A chain of events”.
It suggest Birlings were oblivious to how society is joined by a chain and how easy it is for people - especially in the upper classes to ruin the lives of others
metaphor of the chain implies people are linked by more than just property and money. Life is a chain that links everyone
how is Mrs Birling linked to theme of capitalism and socialism
She shows how capitalism encourages gatekeeping - limit others access to certain resources.
When justifying why she didn’t give help to Eva she said “ I wasn’t satisfied with the girls claim”. - because she wasn’t satisfied she decided to use her influence to have her claim refused - an example of gatekeeping She used her power to prevent Eva accessing resources available. Shows wealth and support are not equally accessible in capitalist society
which side does Eva represent 2
Labour
she is exploited and abused by capitalists,
never rewarded for her hard work
punished for demanding recognition - she was fired for striking over pay.
