generational diff Flashcards
(9 cards)
overview
Priestley uses the play ‘An Inspector Calls’ as a vehicle to highlight the disparity between the views held by different generations. The older generations, represented by Mr and Mrs Birling, lack the ability to take social responsibility and demonstrate capitalist ideologies. However, the younger generation who are represented by Sheila and Eric act as the antithesis to their parents and are able to take social responsibility and embrace socialist ideologies. Their polarising ideas serve to create a divide between the two generations within the Birling family.
quote 1 (birling)
“Now you three young people, just listen to this– and remember what I’m telling you now”
- Priestley shows how Mr Birling thinks of himself as a teacher to the younger generations because of his age and experience. The imperatives “listen” and “remember” emphasise Mr Birling’s desire for attention and for his children to be his disciples. He wants to have an impact on the younger generation.
quote 2 (birling)
“Some people say that war’s inevitable. And to that I say - fiddlesticks!” and “I say there isn’t a chance of war,”
- His hubris leads him to make bold claims. He presents his predictions with absolute certainty even though he is no expert, showing how men were taught their opinions were always valuable. Priestley uses the dramatic irony in these claims to express how deluded the ego of the older generations was. He implies that this arrogance and overconfidence of the capitalist upper class caused these disasters, as they refused to see them coming.
quote 3
Eric tries to debate with his father about the likelihood of war and after his opinion is dismissed he tries to renter the conversation with “Yes, I know - but still”. Despite this Mr Birling interrupts him again:
“Just let me finish, Eric. You’ve a lot to learn yet,”
- Mr Birling commanding “just let me finish” suggests the older generations craved attention and respect. Men were taught to be aggressive and domineering, possibly presenting this exchange as a competition for authority. Mr Birling dismisses Eric’s opinion because he has “a lot to learn yet”, showing how the younger generations weren’t taken seriously because of their youth. The country did not want the benefit of a new perspective.
quote 4
“And I know I’m to blame - and I’m desperately sorry”
– Shelia admits she was at fault and displays her remorse and regret. She feels guilty and embraces socialist ideologies whereas the older generation dismiss any responsibility and only want to protect their reputation.
quote 5
“You seem to have made a great impression on this child, inspector” - Mrs Birling sees Sheila as a child and uses every opportunity in an attempt to infantilise her. She underestimates the younger generation and feels Sheila should be sheltered. The use of the term , “child” implies that Mrs Birling thinks that Sheila should not be held responsible for her actions.
quote 6
“And probably between us we killed her”. - Sheila is already putting forward Priestly’s ideologies of collective responsibility and societal change. It is the younger generation who realise that we must all take responsibility for our actions whereas the older generation reject any ideas of socialism and do not repent for their actions.
quote 7
“If you’ve nothing more sensible than that to say, Sheila, you’d better keep quiet”
– Birling believes that Sheila is being insensible and has nothing good to say, as she is of a different generation and they have different views. He treats her as a child, despite being in her twenties, this emphasises the divide between the generations
quote 8
“the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke”
– Birling here attempts to gloat towards Eric and Sheila as they are still upset about what’s happened. He sarcastically says that the younger generation “know it all” showing he thinks they are ignorant and naïve, however this is ironic as in this play, the older generation show ignorance as they refuse to take social responsibility.
