Themes Flashcards
The supernatural
Is the inspector real? Does it matter?
Socialism + Capitalism
What responsibility to the rich have to look after the poor? What responsibility do the poor have to work diligently for the rich?
Extreme poverty + extreme wealth
How do people cope with being around the opposite? How do they treat each other?
Acceptance
Who is the most accepted member of the family? Respected, loved, forgiven? Do they accept the inspector? How judgmental is character x?
Social conscience
How does character x feel about their responsibility towards others?
Greed/avarice
Who’s the greediest? What could have made them greedy in the first place?
Time/ chronology
Is the order or events significant? Why doesn’t it matter? Why does it?
Social class divide
How do the rich people think and feel about the poor? How do the poor think and feel about the rich? What reasons could there be for presenting him that way?
Age/generation divide/ maturity
What are the differences between the members of the generations and how they react to the inspector?
Prejudice
What examples of shallow judgments can you think of in the play?
Honesty
Who’s the most honest character?
Remorse and repentance
Who actually acts on their feelings in some way? Who feel guilt? Who doesn’t? Does anyone pretend?
Personal responsibility / accountability
Who blames others? Who blames themselves?
