An Inspector Calls Flashcards
(30 cards)
Treatment of Women
‘Clothes mean….
‘Clothes mean something quite different to women’
Treatment of Women
Arthur interrupts Sheila…
Arthur interrupts Sheila ‘Just a minuet, Sheila. Now, Inspector….’
Treatment of Women
‘I think Miss Birling should be….
‘I think miss Birling should be excused… She’s had a long, exciting and tiring day’
Treatment of Women
‘You think young women ought…
‘You think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disgusting things’
Treatment of Women
‘When your married dear…
‘When your married dear, you’ll realise that men with important work to do spend nearly all their time and energy on their business’
What was society like for women in 1912?
- Main role was as a wife and mother
- Domestic role
- Were not given the vote
- Subservient to men
- Patriarchy ruled
What was society like for women in 1945?
- Were given a little more respect after their important role in the war effort
- Slightly more independence
- Women over 30 had the vote
- More women now worked as a result of the war
How can we relate Arthur’s treatment of Eva to her gender?
- He didn’t take her seriously because she is a woman
- He didn’t like that fact that a woman was leading the campaign
- He thought she should just get on and do what she’s told
- Men would have had higher pay anyway
How can we relate Sheila’s treatment of Eva to her gender?
Sheila was jealous of her youth and beauty - jealously is deemed a stereotypically female trait
How can we relate Gerald’s treatment of Daisy to her gender?
He feels the need to look after her and that she needs protecting, and stereotypical gender roles dictate that he should be the protector, and that she needs protecting
How can we relate Eric’s treatment of Daisy to her gender?
He is lonely and looking for comfort, he doesn’t love her, he is just using her for sex
Treatment of women
‘Run…’
‘Run along’
What is the message of the play?
Mistakes
We need to learn from our mistakes. This message is reflected in the fact that, as a nation, we did not learn from our mistakes, and went to war a seconds time. Reflected by the quote ‘fire, and blood and anguish’
What is the message of the play?
Actions
Our lives are all intertwined together, more then we may initially think. We are ignorant to the extent at which our actions may affect another person. We should act together as one body, and look our for one another
What is the message of the play?
Equality
Equality and class division. Daisy is lower down in the class system, therefor deeming her insignificant, so the characters didn't really consider their treatment of her. Fundamentally, Priestly is writing the play to criticise Britain's rigid class system, calling upon the sinking of the Titanic to explore this idea. The lives of upperclass, wealthy people were prioritised over the lower class, many of whom died. In addition, unlike the characters, Priestly and the audience are aware of WW2 and Hitlers fascism, bringing another dimension to the message of equality. The play is very much a criticism of a lack of equality, and the rigid class system in Britain
What year were the following events? 'An Inspector Calls' is set - The Titanic sinks - World War One - World War Two - 'An Inspector Calls' is written -
'An Inspector Calls' is set - 1912 The Titanic sinks - 1912 (just after the play is set) World War One - 1914 - 1918 World War Two - 1939 - 1945 'An Inspector Calls' is written - 1945
Inspector Goole not being real renders the play unbelievable and pointless
Agree
- Disrupts reality
- The audience question the validity of the characters responses
- Disappointing
- Priestly was being lazy
Inspector Goole not being real renders the play unbelievable and pointless
Disagree
- There is still a lesson to be learnt
- In the end, an Inspector still comes round to question them
- The audience are forced to consider the message more, which is still very much present
- Doesn’t change the function of the text
- The characters working this out brings another dimension to the play
Give 2 quotes about the inspectors role as a ‘story teller’
(Your daughter….)
(She felt….)
‘Your daughter isn’t living on the moon. She lives here in Brumley too’
‘She felt there would never be anything as good for her again. So she had to make it last longer’
Give four quotes for the Inspector as a social commentator (No, he's a...) (Public men...) (And you think...) (I think you did...)
‘No, he’s a young man. And some young men drink far too much’
‘Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges’
‘And you think that young women ought to be protected again unpleasant and disturbing things’
‘I think you did something terribly wrong, and that you’re going to spend the rest of your life regretting it’
Give two quotes for the Inspector as a humanist philosopher
(You see…)
(She needed not only money…)
‘You see, we have to share something. If nothing else, we’ll have to share our guilt’
‘She needed not only money, but advice, sympathy, friendliness’
What were Priestly’s political views?
- He was a fundamental socialist
- He helped to found CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament)
- He helped to found a new political party, called the Common Wealth Party, which later merged with labour
‘I suppose….’
‘I suppose we’re all nice people now?’
‘Youre just beginning……’
‘Youre just beginning to pretend all over again’
