Inspector calls Flashcards
We members of one body - inspector goole
ACT 3
Priestly uses biblical and Christian imagery to connect with his audience’s moral values, many of whom are Christians. By blending Christian teachings with socialist ideas, Priestly implies that being a socialist aligns with being a good Christian. The message of “We are responsible for each other” reflects socialist beliefs and challenges the selfish attitudes promoted by characters Priestley’s opposition to war, depicted before World War I, criticizes the capitalist system he associates with warfare. He shows how the willingness of the political elite to sacrifice their own children led to the tragedies of World War II, serving as a cautionary tale against such actions.
Fire and blood and anguish - Inspector goole
ACT 3
the Inspector’s departure is marked by a stark warning: unless men don’t learn the lesson, they’ll face dire consequences in “Fire and Blood and anguish,” symbolizing the wartime suffering witnessed not only in 1914 but also during the WW2. Priestly suggests that adopting socialist values could prevent such tragedies, prioritizing human life over profit margins. This perspective offers insight into Eric’s inability to change the future; despite understanding the Inspector’s message, Eric’s fate may have been sealed by the extensive loss of young men in the First World War.
respectable citizens not criminals - Gerald
ACT 1
Clearly, this is accusing all the ruling classes of being criminal.
In the literal sense, we’re going to find out that Eric is a thief; he’s actually stolen at least 50 pounds from his father’s business.
In the moral sense, they are also corrupt:
Burling sacked Eva without a valid reason.
Sheila got Eva sacked simply because she was jealous.
Gerald exploited Eva, installing her as his mistress in his friend’s flat, and then abandoning her with little money when his friend returned.
Eric forced himself on Eva, impregnating her and providing insufficient financial support.
Mrs. Burling refused to offer charity to Eva, which could have saved her life and the life of her baby, simply because she didn’t believe Eva’s story.
each of you helped to kill her rememeber that- inspector
ACT 3
the Inspector’s repetitive emphasis on “remember” serves as a stark warning, he wants to deliver the powerful message he instinctively knows they will not remember and therefore act on what they have learned they are going to choose to forget that lesson now that is going to. It suggests that despite understanding the consequences, individuals may still choose to forget or ignore the Inspector’s message. This becomes significant as the play ends just before World War I, indicating a failure to apply the learned lessons to prevent future tragedies. it highlights societal barriers, such as the patriarchal system limiting Sheila’s influence, and the impact of the First World War on potential agents of change like Eric, as factors contributing to this failure to act.
we are responsible for each other - inspector goole
Socialist message and it contradicts what Birling said at the beginning of the play that a man just has to look after his family and himself. this is being published in when the country has just lived through its second world war so Priestly so obsessed with war because he’s linking war to capitalism now Priestly sets this before the first world war because he wants to explore why a second world war happened it’s because of the political classes who were willing to sacrifice their own children and so this is the warning
“higher prices” “Higher wages” - Eric
ACT 1
-Eric shows signs of discordance with his father
as he questions why it should not be given.
-The repetition of higher normalises the idea that the workers are seeking profits.
Eric directly acts as Priestley proxy as he questions why Mr birling sacked Eva as he understands the purpose the inspector serves. Priestley’s portrays as a positive sign as he questions the capitalistic thinking and ideology
“goes to him wonderingly” - Shelia
ACT 2
Shelia adopts socialist mind-set and starts to accept Inspectors message In Act 2
physical movement from Sheila, away from her parents reflects her ideologically towards socialism
Priestley constructs Shelia to be responsive to change to act as an exemplar for the ideological transformation that Priestley wishes the audience to undergo, moving away from capitalism to socialism.
“refused”
ACT 2
Mr Birling refused to help Eva to rise her pay she desired but however towards the end of the play, this echoed when Mrs Birling justifies her actions when declining Eva financial support. The verb “refused” perhaps suggests that both characters had the opportunity to help the working classes with their wealth and influence but choses not to.
The short delcartive phrase - I don’t believe it or I wouldn’t believe
by structurally placing Mrs Birling in the last order of events Priestley is placing the most blame on Mrs Birling as it was a final opportunity to help her. This however infuriates the audience as this was a last final opportunity to save her life. This further implies she unwillingly to change. At the end of Act 2 Priestley builds up an accusation on the upper class. who are unwillingly to recognise the need of societal change despite having the power to do so.
Man has to look after themselves
-MR BIRLING
His point is there’s no such thing as wide as society. There is no social responsibility. There is only personal responsibility. The words that he says immediately lead to doorbell ringing because, like an incantation, they summon the inspector. He arrives exactly, and in fact interrupts what Burling is saying. This is Priestley’s way of showing a kind of supernatural reaction to Burling selfishness and rejection of social responsibility, and so his words act as a kind of spell that summon vigour.
jealous - Shelia
Actors didn’t play real people, they played constructs who represented the sins or virtues. The seven deadly sins . One of them is jealousy, and the inspector points out to Sheila that she had her sacked because she was jealous. that’s one of the deadly sins, but Priestly uses it to reinforce a feminist message because Sheila says she couldn’t feel sorry for her and that the girl could look after herself. Patriarchal society values a woman’s appearance as their most important quality, and because Eva is better looking than Sheila and Sheila’s eyes, then that justifies her jealousy in getting her sacked and also justifies her thinking she’s lost her job, she’ll find a nice man and get married and that’s what society rewards. I don’t feel guilty. Inspector confronts her with that guilt. But Priestley’s wider message is that Sheila’s cruelty is not just because she’s upper class, is because she’s been taught by society that the most important thing about being a woman is your appearance. Priestly wants to go against that. He explores that through Sheila, so her transformation through the play is a way of him exploring the inner lives of women and calling for a more feminist society.
prince- GERALD
This gives us a contrast to Gerald, who is, if you like, an antithesis to Sheila and she describes him as seeing himself as a Prince because he has rescued Eva Daisy when she appeared to be in trouble however Priestly is kind of unpicking this as a facade. Gerald sees himself as the Prince who installs her in a nice little set of rooms is the quote and gives her money, affection, and then after a few months bids her goodbye. However Priestly lays the ground for us being much more cynical about this Prince
