An Inspector Calls

Question 1

When was AIC written?

Answer 1

Written in 1945 and set in 1912

Question 2

‘I accept n_ b____ f__ i_ a___’

Answer 2

-I accept no blame for it at all

Said by Mrs Birling after she found out
she had a part to play in eva’s death,

-Theme of social responsibility

• suggests she is arrogant
• doesnt care as long as her status is not affected

-Alternatively, she could be willing to put the blame on someone else which is why she says ‘Go and find the father of the child it’s his responsibility’

Question 3

‘girls of th__ c____’ and ‘girls of th__ s___’

Answer 3

-girls of that class and girls of that sort

-girls: lack of respect, belittling

-class: othering the working class, looking down upon them

-sort: dismissive tone, doesnt want to associate with then

-social class

Question 4

‘That- I consider- is a t___ im________

‘gr___ impertinence’

Answer 4

• That-I consider- is a trifle impertinent
• gross impertinence

mrs birling thinks eva pretending to be her was mad disrespectful;offended (gross)

-impertinence: only respects ppl from her class but expects everyone to respect her , formality of language corresponds with her class , thinks eva doing that was not showing the proper respect she deserves , arrogance

• Theme: Social class

Question 5

What does philandering mean?

Answer 5

to frequently enter into casual sexual relationships with women
(eric/verald?

Question 6

‘When you’re m____ y__’__ r____ …. men… i______ w_____’

Answer 6

-When you’re married you’ll realise… men…. important work’ (said my Mrs b)
-Theme: gender

• married: assumes every woman will get married + reinforces angel in the house- believes marriage is key to financial security

-realise: not a complete woman until married, obligation

-important: believes marriage is ultimate goal

-suggest that only men can do work of value

Question 7

What was ‘The Angel in the House’?
(Context for AIC)

Answer 7

A poem written in the Victorian era about a loving wife being devoted to her husband and mother to children- stereotypical woman

Question 8

What was ‘The New Woman’?
(Context for AIC)

Answer 8

A poem written in the Edwardian era about an independent, educated and uninterested in marriage and children.

marriage no longer seen as key to financial security

Question 9

Contrasting quotes:

‘Is this t__ o__ y__ w_____ m_ t_ h___’

[gi__ b__ t__ r___]

Answer 9

‘Is this the one you wanted me to have’

‘[gives back the ring]’

-Contrasting quotes FROM 2 DIFF MOMENTS

you wanted: submissive, focused on what Gerald wants, patriarchal value of angel in the house,

back: power over gerald(The New Woman)[odd on this period], taking autonomy by making own decisions(The New Woman)

Theme: Gender

Said by: Sheila and stage direction

Question 10

‘T_____ g___ a___’t c____ l_____ t_____’re p_____’

Answer 10

-Said by Sheila contrasts ‘working for lower costs and higher prices’

-‘These girls arent cheap labour theyre people’

-girls: young,vulnerable females who are unfairly treated

-cheap: should be paid fairly, exploited

-people: rehumanises them + she’s shocked that they were not seen as humans

Theme: socialism vs capitalism, generational divide

Question 11

‘I h___ th___ h____-eyed dough-f____ w_____’

Answer 11

-‘I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women’
-Theme: Gender
-Said by Gerald

-dough: thinks that women like this are ugly and that if a woman doesn’t look the way Gerald wants then he dislikes them

• Personality is irrelevant to Gerald

-hard-eyed: hates women who are,dominant, standing her ground, Alludes toThe New Woman

Question 12

What quotation should I use to show Gerald is a static character?

Answer 12

‘But how do you know it’s the same girl? …. We’ve no proof it was the same photograph and therefore no proof it was the same girl’

Theme: Social Responsibility

• Rhetorical question: overcompensating for his capitalist wrong doings and refusal to accept responsibility unless there is ‘proof’

-same girl: doesnt matter who it is, its wrong, lack of social responsibility

• The inspector showed the photos one at a time; Eva and Daisy could be different ppl?; they could have interacted with different girls who have no connection to eachother

Question 13

What are the themes of An Inspector Calls?

Answer 13

-Social Responsibility
-Socialism vs Capitalism
-Gender
-Social Class
- The Generational Divide

Question 14

Why did Priestley write AIC?
(AO3)

Answer 14

to publicise this mistreatment of the working class

(his mother, who died when he was just a baby, had in fact been a textile mill girl)

Question 15

Why did Priestley use the name ‘Goole’ ?
(AO3)

Answer 15

suggests a supernatural or ghost like element, omniscient

Question 16

What is the significance of the play being written after WW2?
(AO3)

Answer 16

As many British men went away to fight during the war, their positions in work had to be filled by women. This helped change existing perceptions. Men had to acknowledge the fact that women were just as capable as them

Question 17

How to use Marxism as a layer of analysis?(AO3)

Answer 17

from a Marxist perspective, it could be argued that Priestley uses the theme of social inequality to demonstrate that society would be improved by abolishing the class system which would, in turn, encourage a society that would invest more in people than profit.

Question 18

‘perhaps we may l___ f____ t_ a time w___ Crofts and B____ are n_ l____ competing b__ a__ w_____ t______ for l_____ c___ a__ h____ p_____’

Answer 18

-trying to climb the social ladder by using his daughter, would do anything to reach their goal

• business strategy to increase profit, whatever the bourgeosie have is never enough

-Dehumanising working class to figures/numbers

Said by: Mr Birling

Theme: Socialism vs Capitalism,

Question 19

‘W__ s____’t t___ try f__ h____ w____? W_ t__ f__ the h_____ p______ p____’

Answer 19

-Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices’

-Said by: Eric
-Theme: Socialism vs Capitalism
- Believes the working class should be treated fairly

-Already showing socialist views

-opposes views of his family(capitalist)

Question 20

‘You’re b_______ t_ p____ n__ t____ n_____’s r____ h______ at a__. And I c__’t s___ i_ l___ that’

Answer 20

Said by: Eric
-you’re beginning to pretend now that nothing’s really happened at all. And I can’t see it like that

Theme: Socialism vs Capitalism, The Generational Divide

• The birlings havent learned their lesson whilst Eric has(dynamic character)

-suggests he disagrees with his parents and views

-He feels regret

Question 21

‘I w__ in t___ s____ w___ a c___ e____ t____ nasty’

‘And I d___’t e___ r_______ - t____’s t__ hellish t_____’

Answer 21

‘I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty’- euphemism, (alcohol) , this shows the power dynamic between Eric and Eva where she is is stripped of autonomy and power. She has no power to say no to Eric

‘And I didn’t even remember/ thats the hellish thing’- he was drunk when it happened maybe thats why he dont remember but its possible that he cant describe what he did to his parents coz ashamed, hellish-religious connotataions

Theme: Gender

Question 22

‘I’m t_____ as a h___-h_____ p_____ m__ of b_______!’

Answer 22

‘I’m talking as a hard-headed practical man of business’

-Thinks of himself highly and thinks only his opinion matters

-practical: lacks emotion

-business: capitalist tendencies, values money

-hard-headed: stuck in his own views , stubborn

-Theme: Capitalism vs Socialism

Question 23

What are Birling’s predictions? [3 details]

Answer 23

-Does not believe there will be a war-‘fiddlesticks! The germans don’t want war’

-Thinks the titanic is unsinkable: ‘unsinkable absolutely unsinkable’

• Believes Russia will always be ‘behind technologically’

Question 24

Why did Priestley make Mr Birling wrong about his predictions?

Answer 24

Priestley does this to make the audience distrust Mr Birling. If Mr Birling is wrong about history, his capitalist views must also be wrong

Question 25

The Inspector’s Final Speech

Answer 25

Theme: Social responsibility, socialism vs capitalism

‘But just remember this’ - breaking the 4th wall(also talking to audience), imperative/command

‘millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths’- repetition emphasises how widespread the issues working class face+ lack of identity

‘lives, hopes, fears,suffering,happiness’- abstract noun, acknowledges theyre real ppl,summarises what it means to be
human

‘We are members of one body’- anaphoric repetition of ‘we’ suggests togetherness/community, bodies have diff organs which work together, upper class is brain dictates lower classes who are heart/limbs coz theyre overworked, alternatively could be skin coz they’re 1st to get hurt+ hold everything(society) together

‘taught in fire and blood and anguish’-alluding to hell/WW2 [double entendre]

Question 26

‘You d__’t s___ t_ have l_____ a_______’

Answer 26

-‘you dont seem to have learned anything’
-Theme: The generational divide

• looking down on older generation
  -believes they should’ve ‘learned that lesson’
  -contrasts with her development

Said by: Sheila

Question 27

What is Priestley’s main message in AIC?

Answer 27

wanted his audience to be responsible for their own behaviour and responsible for the welfare of others

Question 28

What is Gerald’s purpose?

Answer 28

He bridges the gap between the younger and older Birlings. Although he’s young the fact that he’s upper class means his traditional/capitalist values are still deeply rooted within him

Question 29

‘We’re res________ c______ not c________s’

Answer 29

‘We’re respectable citizens not criminals’

• Said by:Gerald
  -Theme: Social class

-Believe that only lower class are criminals

-He’s ‘respectable’ so he can’t be a criminal -juxtaposition makes modern audience question if their actions are criminal offences or ok coz they’re upper class

Alternatively this is arrogance

Question 30

“A man h__ to m___ his o__ way – has t_ l___ a_____ h______ – and his
f_____ too, of course’

Answer 30

-‘A man has to make his own way- has to look after himself- and his family too, of course’

-believing that only men are capable to provide for a family; reinforces ‘when you’re married you’ll realise…. men…. important work’

-believes that a man should do whatever it takes for him and his family profit even if it means disregarding rest of society- contrasts ‘we are members of one body’

-men are obligated to do this coz they’re head of family- stereotypical man

Said by: Mr Birling
Theme: Gender

Question 31

‘T__ f_____ younger g_________ who k____ it a__. And t___ c__’t e___ take a j___’

Answer 31

‘the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke’

-After mr birling finds out the inspector isn’t real

• shows that the younger generation have accepted responsibility while the parents are not taking it seriously
• Birling mocks the younger generation. which shows He has not changed since the beginning of the play and refuses to take the Inspector’s warning seriously
• Dismisses the gravity of the situation because they’re off the hook

Theme: Generational divide

Question 32

What happens in Act 1?

Answer 32

Birlings celebrating engagement of Sheila and Gerald

inspector Goole arrives; tells eva died by Goole disinfectant and that in her diary states the Birlings were involved in it
Mr Birling questioned first; recalls that he fired her for instigating a wage strike

Investigation then shifts ti Sheila; she got Eva fired from the mall [using her influence because she was jealous of her beauty

The inspector also revels she went by the name Daisy Renton; Gerald’s face gives away that e knows her; Sheila then accuses him for having an affair; Gerald begs her not to tell the Inspector

Question 33

What happens in Act 2?

Answer 33

Investigation shifts to Gerald and he admits he had an affair; Sheila gives the ring back and thus he goes on a walk to clear his head

Investigation then shifts to Mrs Birling and its revealed she turned away a pregnant woman from her charity because she said her name was Mrs Birling but she refuse to take responsibility

Then she blames the father for (not supporting financially[ however Eva was initially taking money from him but she stopped when she realised that the money was stolen (went to the charity instead)

Question 34

What happens in Act 3?

Answer 34

Eric confirms that hes the father and that he raped her when drunk; admitted to stealing money from Mr Birling’s business in order to support her[ he didnt intend on marrying her]

Inspector Goole lectures them and condemns them for their selfish actions

Arthur and Sybil are upset for the wrong reasons which is: loss of good reputation; Sheila points out that they still don’t feel remorse

The birlings have doubts if Goole was an actual inspector

Gerald returns and told the birlings he spoke to a seargant who said he has never heard of an inspector called Goole

Gerald calls the morgue and discovers there are no recent reports of suicide

Sheila and Eric remind their parents they still done horrible things even if their actions didn’t result in a public scandal

The telephone rings; they’re informed a young woman has died [suicide] and that an inspector is on the way to investigate

ends there