an inspector calls Flashcards
quotes (18 cards)
how is gerald presented? (4 key points)
- wealthy, old money (‘the upper class’)
- toxic masculinity/role of men
- tries to preserve reputation and privacy
- refusal to accept responsibility without consequences
START OF THE PLAY (act 1)
Gerald is presented as the only character who is truly a member of the wealthy, upper class due to his generational wealth.
4 quotes
- ‘crofts limited’, ‘sir’ and ‘lady’ croft ( titles of knighthood show his ‘old money’)
- opening stage direction - ‘easy, well-bred man about town’
- mr b calls gerald’s family ‘old country family’ and ‘landed people’
- leads to mr b trying to impress him
MIDDLE OF PLAY (act 2 and 1)
Priestley presents Gerald as someone trying to preserve his own and the family’s reputation and privacy.
2 quotes
- when mr b starts being interrogated wouldn’t you rather i was out of this? (not wanting to get involved, respecting family’s privacy)
- doesn’t want inspector to judge him so tries to excuse his behaviours during his interrogation
‘i want you to understand that i didn’t install her there so i could make love to her’
MIDDLE OF THE PLAY (act 2) - INTERROGATION
Priestley uses the character of Gerald to present the role of men in society. (5 key quotes)
(7 quotes)
- power over women insistedx 2
- womanizer/ often uses prostitues it’s a favourite haunt of women of the town (knows where prostitues go and can be find)
- hero/saviour mentality ‘she’d better let me take her out of there (negative results if someone does not do what is desired or suggested)
- sheila tells gerald that he must have ‘adored’ being eva’s ‘fairy prince’ (nobility and superiority)
and he agrees that ‘nearly any man would have’ (suggesting its a normal experiece for men to love to feel superior)
END OF THE PLAY (act 2 and 3)
Priestley presents Gerald as unwilling to change and accept responsibilty without consequence.
- structure (he tells the family that the inspector was not real)
- ‘but how do you know it’s the same girl?’
- stage directions (‘looks around triumphantly’) (doesn’t feel remorseful for his actions, now complacent since there aren’t consequences)
how is the theme of responsibility presented? (4 key points)
- introduce social responsibilty through mr b
- generational divide and responsibility
- social responsibility through inspector
- responsibility with a lack of consequences
START OF THE PLAY (act 1)
At the start of the play, Priestley introduces social responsibility through the character of Mr Birling.
(5 key quotes)
- ‘all mixed up together like bees in a hive’ (similie, negative portrayal), ‘community and all that nonsense’
- ‘mind his own business’, ‘has to look after himself’ (rugged individualism/ against social responsibilty
- dramatic irony [titanic is] ‘ unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’ (also makes audience doubt his views on social responsibility)
START/ MIDDLE OF PLAY (act 1 and 2)
In Act One, Priestley contrasts the older generation’s rejection of personal responsibility to the younger generation’s acceptance.
(5 key quotes)
- structure > first mr b’s rejection immediately followed by sheila’s acceptance
- mr b interrogation says he ‘can’t accept any responsibilty’ (any - complete refusal) and that if all events were linked it would be ‘awkward’ (eva’s death is down played as a minor inconvenience)
- sheila interrogation stage directions ‘coming in, closing door’ no escape and accepting fate
- ‘it was my own fault’, ‘i know i’m to blame’ belongs to or is connected with sheila and no one else:
MIDDLE/END OF PLAY (act 3)
Towards the end of the play, Priestley used the character of the Inspector to enforce the message of social responsibility. (3 key quotes)
- inspector’s final speech
- ‘we are members of one body’, ‘all intertwined with our lives (includes himself and audience)
- contrast to mr b at start of play (p1)
- more serious ‘fire and blood and anguish’
END OF PLAY (act 3)
At the end of the play, Priestley makes the audience question whether responsibility should be accepted with a lack of consequence
- gerald believes goole isnt real so older gen return to complacency
- (eric) ‘between us we drove that girl to suicide’ (gerald) did we? who says so?’ (questions - critical)
- (eric) ‘ you lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but i can’t’
- final stage directions stare guiltily (ultimately know that if you have sinned, there will be consequences)
how is conflict presented? (4 key ideas)
- conflict within the family and within characters
- conflict with inspector in struggle for power
- conflict caused by the revelation of the truth
- ideological conflict between the older and younger generation
START OF THE PLAY (act 1)
From the beginning of the play, Priestley creates an undertone of conflict within the characters. (3 key quotes)
- opening stage directions eric is separated from rest of family (Eric (seated) downstage)
- tension within eric ‘half shy, half assertive’ and sheila ‘half serious, half playful’)
- (oxymornic/paradoxical), repetition of adverbial phrase ‘half’
In Act One, Priestley creates conflict between the Inspector and Mr Birling in their struggle for power.
( 3 key quotes)
- when inspector enters and begins talking to mr b, interrupts him
stage directions (cutting through, massively) - mr b’s interrogation, inspector asking about mr b’s factory ‘i don’t like that tone’ (berrating tone, like a child, bickering)
- when mr b tries to assert dominance, inspector shuts it down immidiately (dryly)’ i don’t play golf’
MIDDLE OF PLAY (act 1 and 2)
In the middle of the play, Priestley creates conflict caused by the revelation of the truth between Sheila and Gerald. (4 key quotes)
- repetition of (bitterly) for both sheila and gerald
- gerald mentions palace bar ‘well, we didn’t think you meant Buckingham palace’ (snarky tone)
- change in relationship from gerald watig to make sheila as happy as you deserve to be to sheila thinking gerald believes her to be a ‘selfish, vindictive creature’
END OF THE PLAY (act 2 and 3)
At the end of the play, the divide between the older and younger generation creates conflict. (5 key quotes)
- mr b (angrily) he was’t an inspector (so believes they shouldn’t take responibility), sheila (flaring up) well, he inspected us alright
- when sheila and eric still think they are responsible mr b mocks them ‘famous younger generation who knows it all’
- (amused) vs ‘frightens’
key gerald quotes (12)
- ‘sir’ and ‘lady’ croft
- ‘easy, well-bred man about town’
- ‘old country family’ and ‘landed people’
- wouldn’t you rather i was out of this?
- ‘i want you to understand that i didn’t install her there so i could make love to her’
- insisted x 2
- it’s a favourite haunt of women of the town
8.’she’d better let me take her out of there
9.’adored’ being eva’s ‘fairy prince’
10.’nearly any man would have’ - ‘but how do you know it’s the same girl?’
- stage directions (‘looks around triumphantly’)
key responsibility quotes (15)
- ‘all mixed up together like bees in a hive’
- ‘community and all that nonsense’
- [titanic is] ‘ unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’
- ‘can’t accept any responsibilty’
- ‘awkward’
- stage directions ‘coming in, closing door’
- ‘it was my own fault’
- ‘i know i’m to blame’
- ‘we are members of one body’
- ‘all intertwined with our lives’
- ‘fire and blood and anguish’
- (eric) ‘between us we drove that girl to suicide’
- (gerald) did we? who says so?’
- ’ you lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but i can’t’
- end stage direction (stare guiltily)
key quotes conflict (15)
- (Eric (seated) downstage)
- ‘half shy, half assertive
- ‘half serious, half playful’
- (cutting through, massively)
- ‘i don’t like that tone’
- (dryly)’ i don’t play golf’
- (bitterly) x 3
- ‘well, we didn’t think you meant Buckingham palace’
- ‘happy as you deserve to be’
- ‘selfish, vindictive creature’
- (angrily) he was’t an inspector
- (flaring up) well, he inspected us alright
- ‘famous younger generation who knows it all’
- (amused) x 2
- ‘frightens’ x 3
