An Inspector Calls (MK) Flashcards
Inspector presentation
Priestley uses the inspector as a mouthpiece to deliver his socialist message. As such, he can be compared to a medieval ‘vice’ character. As appears to be the case with the Inspector (Goole = Ghoul), vice characters were typically supernatural presences.
Vice Character - someone who recognises others bad habits.
Inspector (massiveness)
“he creates at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness.”
The fact that his presence combines ‘massiveness’ with ‘purposefulness’ suggests that the Inspector would be a very imposing figure.
Insepctor (happened)
“What happened to her then may have determined what happened to her afterwards.”
The Inspector outlines the nature of the moral crime the family have committed against Eva and shows that each of them are partly responsible for her death.
Inspector (one)
‘One person and one line of inquiry at a time.’
This means we learn about all characters individually which reinforces the idea of individual responsibility.
Inspector (duty)
“It’s my duty to ask questions” (Act 1)
The inspector repeats the noun ‘duty’ throughout the play to emphasise how he has a moral and professional obligation to find out the truth.
Inspector (earth)
“It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it.”
Here the Inspector is suggesting that it is socially irresponsible to be greedy and ‘take’ things without permission. This could also symbolise revolution if things do not change showing if we don’t give the people what they want then they will overthrow the ‘earth’.
Inspector about Daisy (job)
“It was the last real steady job she had.”
Work was very important to her and once she lost this job she went off the rails. ‘When she lost it- for no reason that she could discover- she decided she might as well try another type of life.
Inspector (agony)
“She died in misery and agony – hating life.”
The graphic adjectives “misery and agony” encourage the audience to empathise with Eva, visualising the pain and suffering she endured at the hands of the Birlings.
Inspector (share)
The Inspector states that if we share nothing else, “we have to share our guilt”.
Here Priestley uses the personal pronoun “we” to give society a sense of unity, implying everyone must do the same and follow the inspector’s teachings.
Inspector (taught)
“they will be taught in fire, blood, and anguish”
‘Fire’ and ‘blood’ and ‘anguish’ are all words with connotations of war and death - semantic field. Priestley is reminding the audience that if we carry on living selfishly there will be consequences of war (world war 1 broke out just after Priestley set this play) and the death of millions.
Name Eva and Daisy symbols
Eva ironically means ‘life’ and tied to the biblical Eve, on whom blame for sin was laid, Smith being a common surname to denote how she represents the working class.
Daisy could symbolise her common charm, beauty or frail vulnerability, Renton could symbolise how she was seemingly forced to ‘rent’ her body to survive.
Eva (recall)
He sexualises Eva Smith when he recalls, “She was a lively good-looking girl.”
Suggesting her appearance was more important to her identity than how good a worker she was.
Eva (say)
“She’d had a lot to say - far too much - so she had to go.”
Far too much’ suggests he wants to silence the working classes, particularly the women. He feels they should be voiceless and is disapproving when they stand up for themselves. ‘Had to go’ shows his certainty that his actions were correct.
Eva Smith (pretty)
“She was very pretty - soft brown hair and big dark eyes.”
Priestley has Gerald use adjectives that describe Eva as innocent and vulnerable, therefore making actions that led to her demise more atrocious as the audience feel protective of her.
Eva (millions)
To convey to the Birlings how widespread their actions are, the Inspector uses the extended metaphor of ‘millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’ to represent the number of working- class men and women who were exploited on a daily basis by the greed of capitalism.
Birling (costs)
“perhaps we may look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together – for lower costs and higher prices.”
It is clear here that Mr Birling is driven by money, he is a capitalist. The fact that he sees his daughter’s engagement as a chance to push for ‘lower costs and higher prices’ shows just how greedy he is. He does not consider the impact ‘higher prices’ might have on anyone else, he just wants more money.
Birling (knighthood)
“There’s a fair chance that I may find myself into the next honours list.”
Mr Birling’s insecurity is revealed by his feeling of inadequacy due to his lower social status, compared to the Crofts. Therefore, he feels the need to compensate with boasts of a potential knighthood.
Birling (horrid)
“Yes, yes. Horrid business. But I don’t understand why you should come here, Inspector.”
This shows how selfish Mr. Birling actually is. He obviously doesn’t care about Eva, which is apparent from his impatience – he just wants to know why the Inspector has bothered him
Birling (wretched)
the Birlings’ detachment as a result of their selfishness and wealth has led to a degree of inhumanity, with Eva Smith being described as a “wretched girl”.
The word “wretched” implies pity, not sympathy, and the word “girl” is demeaning to an adult woman who had recently died.
Birling (responsibility)
‘I can’t accept any responsibility’
Throughout the play, Mr Birling refuses to accept that he played any part in Eva Smith’s death. He argues that his involvement with Eva was so small and unimportant that it could not have led to her death. He implies that Eva’s misfortune was her own fault.
Birling (duty)
“Well, it’s my duty to keep labour costs down.”
The fact that he considers it ‘my duty’ means that he sees keeping labour costs down as some sort of noble quest he has undertaken. Of course, keeping labour costs down increases his own profits.
Birling (cover)
I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can’
Mr Birling, stays the same with his character throughout the play, only cares about covering up this story so it doesn’t affect their reputations, social status, or his chance at receiving a knighthood.
Birling about Inspector (prejudice)
“Prejudiced from the start. Probably a socialist or some sort of crank.”
The colloquial term ‘crank’ means for a person to hold a belief that the majority of people believe is false, so here, Birling links the idea of a crank with ‘a socialist’, both having a negative attitude; this leads to the audience disregarding and detesting Mr Birling’s character.
Birling (fake)
Mr Birling: ‘this [fake inspector] makes a difference…’
If the Inspector has no connection to the police, he has no power to cause problems for Birling, and so Mr Birling is prepared to forget the whole story and continue with life as before.
Mrs Birling (realize)
“When you’re married you’ll realize that men have important work to do sometimes have to spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had”
There is created a clear hierarchical distinction between men and women where men ‘have important work to do’ and women must make themselves busy with something of far less importance. This is a key example of patriarchy.
Mrs Birling (deserving)
“We’ve done a great deal of useful work helping deserving cases.”
This emphasis on the adjective “deserving” reveals Mrs Birling’s joy in playing God in these young women’s lives, deciding whether they receive aid and benefit or are refused and suffer, a reflection of the power of the upper classes.
Mrs Birling (naturally)
She continues, “Naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case,”
Which shows how she is shameless in her bias. She feels she is entitled to think the way she does and describes her reaction as “natural”.
Mrs Birling (ashamed)
Shows her true lack of empathy and understanding. ‘I did nothing I’m ashamed of. ‘
using unambiguous language, Mrs Birling makes it clear that she feels no remorse for what she did and shows that, despite the Inspector’s efforts, she does not accept her responsibility.
