An Inspector Calls Quotes Flashcards
(9 cards)
Mr Birling: ‘The Titanic… unsinkable.’
Dramatic irony used to demonstrate Mr Birling’s lack of any real knowledge about world events. Demonstrates the Middle and Upper Classes’ ability to speak or act however they like and not be challenged, even if they are in the wrong.
Also demonstrates Mr Birling’s focus on his business- describing the Titanic as if it is a product, ‘unsinkable’ demonstrating Capitalistic ideals of taglines to sell products; there is always a focus on selling the best product one can. In addition to this, it also demonstrates the tendency of businessmen to sell broken products in pursuit of profit rather than the needs of the consumer, perhaps illustrating Priestley’s ideas that capitalism is a broken and deeply flawed system.
Mr Birling: ‘It is my duty to keep labour costs down.’
Mr Birling is describing the women in his company as expenditures rather than the means to sell his own product, symbolising the idea that Edwardian women were often ignored despite keeping society going along, whether it be in factories or at home. To Birling, women are nothing but a means to his success and can be easily expendable if they cause trouble.
The word ‘duty’ also demonstrates society’s norm of keeping it’s workers as poorly paid as possible without causing issues in order to keep the leaders - Middle and Upper-class men - in as much money as possible.
Mr Birling: ‘Famous younger generation.’
Towards the end of the play, in response to Eric and Sheila’s want for change.
Mr Birling is mocking the younger generation for adopting more socialist and equal values. This illustrates Mr Birling’s refusal to change and his lack of character development within the play compared to other characters such as Sheila and Eric.
Gerald: ‘We’re respectable citizens and not criminals.’
Irony suggesting that Gerald sees himself above others, despite enacting immoral and unfair actions towards Daisy Renton in the play. Demonstrates his belief that the people of the middle and upper-classes are a separate group than that of the working class. ‘Criminals’ generalises working classes as trouble-makers or in the wrong, despite the fact that Eva Smith was consistently treated awfully or even criminally by the Birlings throughout the entire play. Shows hypocrisy and duplicity of middle and upper classes.
Gerald: ‘The most important person in her life.’
Gerald is admitting that he enjoyed the feeling of power he received when he was ‘looking after’ Eva in the flat. He sees himself as a hero for helping such a ‘damsel in distress’ as he believed Eva to be. Demonstrates the power of men over women within Edwardian society and suggests that Gerald likes to believe himself as a hero or as a saviour, despite treating Eva so awfully once he was done having sex with her.
Gerald: ‘What girl?… Four or five different girls.’
Demonstrates Geralds complete lack of remorse at the end of the play, Gerald no longer cares at all about Daisy Renton and is very dismissive of his and the Birling’s actions, essentially gripping at straws to make sure they are not seen as responsible for their actions- this shows that subconsciously, Gerald knows that he and the other Birling’s have acted wrongly, but his and his family’s reputations matter far more than he believes Eva does.
Eric Birling: ‘Half shy, half assertive’
Juxtaposition withing opening stage directions. The adjective ‘shy’, which connotes timidity or apprehension is directly contrasted by the adjective ‘assertive’. This displays Eric’s inner turmoil and also his fear of Mr. Birling’s authority.
Eric: ‘I didn’t… remember - that’s the hellish thing.’
Eric is admitting or alluding to his rape of Eva Smith. He recognises that he has done incredibly wrong and now fears that he and his family may go to hell as a consequence. He cannot remember due to his drunkenness or because he cannot bring himself to actually admit his wrongs to his parents, he is blocking it out of his mind and has an incredible amount of remorse and sorrow for his actions.
Eric: ‘You lot may be letting yourselves out nicely, but I can’t.’
Eric is holding himself accountable for his actions, but he cannot ignore the fact that his family are trying to weave themselves out of the problem, as if they had done nothing wrong themselves. Eric is trying to test his families loyalties to him at this point in time.
‘You lot’ suggests that there is a separation between Eric and the rest of the Birlings now, and that he no longer feels one of the rest of them.
