inspector calls Flashcards
(25 cards)
pmt
what are the 5 context points
- priestley was a socialist - crititsed the capitalist edwardian society
- women’s lack of rghts
- deep class divide
- social responsibility
- set before ww1, written after ww2 (post war britain 1945)
what are the 5 themes
generational divide
social responsibility
gender - feminist theory to have women and men treated equally
class - marxist theory to get rid of hierachy divide
socialism vs capitalism
guilt
mr birling
act 1, act 1, act 3 and an inspector one from act 1
themes:2nd one class, generational divide
act 1 “titanic… unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” dramatic irony, repetition demonstrates his poor judgement
act 1 “these people they’d sooner be asking for the earth” hyperbole explaining why he rejected eva’s pay rise. however the hyperbole is so absurd it reflects how absurd it is for him to refuse the request. “it’s better to ask… than take” symbolising captialists coruption and greed
act 3 “famous younger generation .. can’t take a joke” iorny since this is just before the phone call. he’s deminishing eva’s suffering to a “joke”. dismissing them
sheila birling
act 1, act 1, act 3 and an inpector one from act 1
themes: 2nd one social responsibility, generational divide
act 1 “these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”
act 1 “i felt rotten about it at the time” “rotten” informal adjective but shows sheila’s guilt of misusing her class and power by getting an innocent person fired. the inspector’s “it’s too late. she’s dead.” somberly reminds sheila she is powerless now
act 3 “i suppose we’re all nice people now” irony shows sheila’s frustration at her parent’s and gerald’s lack of remorse over eva’s death
gerald croft
act 1, act 2 , act 2
themes:
act 1 stage directions “young man about town” shows he’s sociable but had foreshadowing connotations of him going about town into the palace bar
act 2 “notrious womaniser” showing hes conscious of the cruelty in the upper class yet still partakes in it himself precieves himself as knight in shining armour saving Eva from that man
act 2 “ didn’t install her there” objectiying eva comparing her to just an object, very sexist - defensive
mrs birling
act 1, act 2, act 2
themes:
act 2 “i accept no blame” denies her role in the chain of event that led to suicide, doesn’t believe class inequalities led to her death its eva’s own fault. Sheila’s “i know I’m to blame” antithesis to her mother
act 2 “girls of that sort” her prejudice against people determiner “that” shows contempt for working class - dehumanisation of lower classes
act 2 “i wasnt satistfied with the girls claim” possibly she was equating one’s claim with their wealth, discriminating against her for being poor
“cold woman” contrary to the image of women at that time
eric birling
act 1, act 2, act 3 and an inspctor one from act 2
themes: class
act 1 “why shouldn’t they try for better wages” disagrees with exploiting labourers and has capacity for empathy. a moral form of capitalism
act 2 Inspector - “burnt her inside out”
“(involuntarily) my god” in reaction to hearing about eva. shows his innate moral nature
act 3 “when a chap easily turns nasty” third person when erics describing it allowing him to dissociate the atrocious action. colloquial language suggests h doens’t feel as remorseful as he should
inspector goole
act 1, act 1, act 3, act 3, act 3
themes:
act 1 stage directions “speaks carefully, weightily” very purposeful with his words (this is a morality play) they leave a resonating and strong impact on the person if they truly understood
act 1 “no thank you … im on duty” he refuses alcohol from mr b it has connoation to immoral behaviour symbolises him being resistant to corruption.
act 3”we are members of one body…” talking to audience too, marxist (no heirachy) idea, simple sentence with biblical references echoing Gods words on his behalf”…good night” no room for arguments
act 3 “fire and blood and anguish” connnecting socialism with this biblical imagery to relate it to their christianity with his political ideologies
act 3 “millions of eva smiths and john smiths” final speech and Eva represents the poorer population who are exploited by the richer class
what are priestley’s intentions with the theme of generation divide
that the younger gen are more progressive and will lead with more empathy than the older gen, also suggesting that social responsibilities will be more focused on in the future giving the audience optimism
what are priestley’s intentions with the theme / context of social reponsibility
that taking reponsibility and accountability needs to be spread beyond the confines of a family and spread to society as a whole
and that christianity and sociaism are so interwoven that it is impossible to have one without the other
everyone should be responsible for each other inspector vs mr birling
what are priestley’s intentions with the theme / context of gender
he explores the repression of womens rights and how women were subordinate to men however it also highlights the prevelent women’s suffrage movement that was rising up after the first world war in the 1920s
now women can vote before in 1912 they couldn’t
what are priestley’s intentions with the theme / context of class
priestley shows the fixation the upper class have on their status rather than focusing on their own basic morals
rigid hierarchical edwardian systems lower classes are exploited no care for their welfare
what are priestley’s intentions with the theme of guilt
priestley suggests guilt should be felt collectively and personal level for it to have significant change on people’s behaviours
what are Priestley’s intentions with the theme of capitalism vs socialism
that capitalism prevents social justice and equality and a socialist economic system would be fairer for all
how does priestley use the inspector
as a catalyst for change in the birlings behaviours, and as a mouthpiece for his own socialist ideologies
sheila birling
act 1, act 1, act 3, act 1 - 2/3
themes: 2nd one social responsibility, generational divide
act 1 “these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”
act 1 “i felt rotten about it at the time” “rotten” informal adjective but shows sheila’s guilt of misusing her class and power by getting an innocent person fired. the inspector’s “it’s too late. she’s dead.” somberly reminds sheila she is powerless now
act 3 “i suppose we’re all nice people now” irony shows sheila’s frustratio/ disbelief at her parent’s and gerald’s lack of remorse over eva’s death.
act 1 - 2/3 “mummy” to “mother” showing how her maturity develops, mirroring the progressive values of the younger gen
adjectives for mr birling
6 words
ignorant
static (never believes he’s responsible for Eva’s death)
arrogant (boasting about how he might be knighted soon)
pompous (pretentious)
concieted (thinks he’s better than everyone else)
obstinate (stubborn)
adjectives for mrs birling
6 words
ignorant (she’s unable to learn lesson for inspector)
withdrawn
critical of other women
condescending (tone of superiority)
prejudice (preconcieved notion on others thats bad)
unchanged
adjectives for sheila
6 words
overwhelmed
dismayed (concerned)
repentant (remorseful)
infantile
naive
penitent (guilt)
adjectives for gerald
6 words
confident
charming
established
aristocratic (belonging to upper class)
duplicitous (deceitful)
self serving - by implying photograph of Eva/ Daisy were actually different women for each person
adjectives for eric
6 words
bourgeois (expected to take over lucrative family business)
drunk
unstable
penitent
priviledged
apologetic
adjectives for inspector Goole
6 words
(Priestley’s mouthpiece)
omniscient (knows everything)
moral (understanding principles of right from wrong)
authoritative
righteous (morally good)
antithesis (of mr birling)
imposing (powerful)
how is it an anti-war play
the Ouspensky theory that everything happens again, how Eva’s death is reannounced at the end of the play so the family and gerald have opportunity to go through it again - like how there’s another WW and altho eric and shiela (younger gen) have learned a lesson Eric went to war and died. And patriachy so Sheilas opinions are less heard. SO people who didn’t like mr birling were still alive to continue their social views - having a greater influence of capitalism
adjectives for eva smith
vulnerable
weak
emblematic
destitute (extremely poor)
oppressed
maltreated (treated wrongly)
