Inspector Calls Flashcards
“The famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke” -act 3
-Mr Birling
-Sarcasm, mocking the younger generation
-Irony, Sheila and Eric have learnt a lesson he hasn’t
“Unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable”- act 1
-Mr Birling
-Repetition, shows arrogance and confidence
-Titanic reference, dramatic irony
-Trying to sound like an expert in a 🗣 he knows nothing about
“A man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own”-act 1
-Mr Birling
-delivering a long 🗣 on his capitalist views
-only has responsibility for his 👨👩👧👦 and himself
-reinforced by the way the Birlings treat Eva Smith
“All mixed up together like bees in a hive”-act 1
-Mr Birling
-implies class shouldn’t be mixed
-Simile, implies socialists are mindless 🐶🐱🐭, worker 🐝 a symbol of working class in manny for over a century
-delivering a 🗣 on mocking capitalist views
“Everything’s alright now Sheila”-act 3
-Gerald
-didn’t learn his lesson from inspector
-reverted back to his old ways
-believes inspectors a fake
“After all, y’know we’re respectable citizens and not dangerous 🥷🏼 ”-act 1
-Gerald
-foreshadowing involvement in Eva’s death
-upper think only lower class are criminals
-learn along the way their all convicted of something
“She’s had a long, exciting and tiring day.. and now she’s obviously has about as much as she can stand”-act 2
-Gerald
-dismissive of Shiela while she’s in the room
-referring to her state of mind
-adverb, finds her behaviour embarrassing, assumes others agree
-adjectives suggest Sheila cant deal with dramatic events because she’s a 👩🏼
“I suppose it was inevitable. She was young and pretty and warm hearted and intensely greatful”- act 2
-Gerald
-implies he could not prevent their 👩🏼❤️👨🏼
-list of Daisy’s different qualities trying to justify
-Priestley shows that it was common for the upper class to behave so badly towards the lower-class by having Gerald present
-If the Inspector only questioned the Birling family, Priestley wouldn’t be able to convey to the audience how widespread the problem was
“No, of course not. He’s only a boy”- act 2
-Mrs Birling
-regarding Eric’s drinking habits Mrs B is unaware and hasn’t been pay any attention to her children, lack of family connection
-She is ignorant of the fact that he is a young man
-In her eyes her children can do no wrong
“She was claiming elaborate fine feelings and scruples that were simply absurd in a girl of her position”- act 2
-Mrs Birling
-She assumes that just because Eva is unmarried and pregnant that she is unable to have ‘fine feelings’, a very cruel and cold opinion to have
-very unsympathetic when describing Eva Smith’s position
“As if a girl of that sort would ever refuse any money”- act 2
-Mrs Birling
-implies Eva’s lying as she’s lower class with no morals
-believes the ideas ridiculous
-judgment
-stereotyping the poor, assuming they look for every opportunity to be handed money
“You know of course, that my husband was Lord Mayor only 2 years ago and that he’s still a magistrate”-act 2
-Mrs Birling
-assumes inspector already knows Birlings social status
-snobbery, showing off
-tries to challenge inspectors authority
-attempts to use social status to overpower
“But these 👯♀️ aren’t cheap labour they’re people”- act 1
-Sheila
-shows the new and emerging feminist ideas of the time
-presents more social awareness than Mr and Mrs Birling
-beginning to adopt more socialist views and becoming more aware of the faults in capitalism
-demonstrates her sense of awareness of the dehumanisation women in the lower classes faced
“Why you fool he knows. Of course he knows.”- act 1
-Sheila
-crucially understands the importance of the Inspector and the fact that he has more information than he is revealing
-first person in the play to really begin to understand the Inspector which, in turn, leads her to see her relationship with Gerald in a more realistic, more cynical way
“You mustn’t try and build up a sort of wall between us and that 👩🏼”-act 2
-Sheila
-metaphor, barriers Birling put up between social classes
-Priestley speaking through Sheila to the rich
-do not build walls with the working class but try to understand them, try to understand the reality of the vast majority of your society and the world
-warning her family about being superior to the situation
“I tell you- whoever that inspector was, it was anything but a joke”- act 2
-Sheila
-imperative verb, shows she’s standing up to her family
-shows her assertiveness
-shows how the younger generation understand inspectors message
-more socially aware than the older generation
“ I was in the state where the chap easily turns nasty”- act 3
-Eric
-blaming alcohol for his aggressive state
-first time he met Eva and forced his way in to where she was staying
-“in the state” vague phrase, shows he won’t admit his own behaviour and be specific. Also phrased to make it sound normal
-“chap”, connotes someone who is doing something cheeky rather than doing something evil. Also a phrase of the upper class
“You killed her- and the child she’d have had too- my child!”- act 3
-Eric
-could be trying to shift responsibility of Eva’s death off him
-tries to get his mother to understand her responsibility towards a stranger is just as important as her feelings for her own son
-anger towards his mother for her lack of empathy
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices.”- act 1
-Eric
-condemns his father is capitalist view of his workers and challenges this through the question
-clear Eric is able to empathise with the lower classes and can recognise the need for better workplace rights
-Priestly presents Eric with the capacity for empathy and emotion which therefore separates him and Sheila from the other characters who are unable to experience such emotions
-This is done to demonstrate Eric as morally superior and as a character which the audience should align themselves with
“I don’t know really-suddenly I felt I just had to laugh”- act 2
-Eric
-At the start of the play Eric is very unsure of himself
-He tries to speak up but is often talked down by his father.
-His behaviour is awkward and stilted.
-The stage directions describe Eric as being ‘half shy, half assertive’ and this comes across in his dialogue.
-He is awkward and unsure of himself.
-Here he cannot explain his sudden laughter.
“We are members of one body-we are responsible for each other”- act 3
-Inspector
-‘one body’ METAPHOR=society
-members=implies we are all equal, socialist
-inclusive personal pronoun, no exceptions
“ The time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire blood and anguish”
-Inspector
-DRAMATIC IRONY-capitalism falls during WW1+WW2
-‘will’-MODAL VERB, predictions inevitable
-religious imagery, hell and punishment
-LIST OF 3, consequences of humanity’s inability to change
-‘blood’- foreshadows death and war
“Millions and millions and millions of Eva Smith and John Smith still left with us”- act 3
-Inspector
-REPETITION-emphasise amount of people who need social support
-represents men and women of working class
-‘us’, INCLUSIVE PERSONAL PRONOUN, everybody is responsible for each other
“I didn’t do it. She’s upsetting herself.”- act 1
-Inspector
-putting blame on Shelia, not letting her escape responsibility because she’s a 👩🏼
-inspector interrogated Mrs B now it’s Sheila’s turn
-treating her equally to the men
