Sheila- quotes: theme- responsibility Flashcards
(3 cards)
'’I felt rotten about it at the time’’
Act 1
intersects with class
-the adjective ‘rotten’ alludes to the apple after Eve took a bite of it from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. This highlights the Birling’s complicity in Eva’s demise as she is essentially responsible for the easily impressionable, vulnerable state Eva was left in after she was sacked that drove her to make poor decisions
-‘at the time’ is connotative of a fleeting interaction with guilt which suggests that her sheltered lifestyle protects her from any discomfort stemming from her cruelty
-Through this Priestley encourages the destruction of class divides which protect the conscience of the upper class by shielding them from the consequences of their actions and allows them to turn a blind eye to the harsh realities their actions contribute to
'’It’s too soon, I must think’’
Act 3
intersects with gender
-imperative ‘must’ imbues Priestley’s message to his audience that we ‘must think’ for ourselves regardless of others as it is the only way of breaking the recurrent nature of history as often narrated by misogynistic old men
-growing out of old patterns- sitting idly whilst others make decisions for her- shows character development: when she is first offered the ring she prompts, ‘is it the one you wanted me to have?’
stage directions: ‘‘pretty girl in her early twenties’’
-draws parallel between women of contrary class and reality as Eva Smith is additionally, repeatedly referred to as ‘pretty’. This highlights the ignorance of upper class women like Sybil Birling who wrongfully assume that the patriarchal values they endorse are of benefit to them when they are reduced to the same standards- beauty through the male gaze
-As evident through Sybil’s superior social standing partnered with Arthur’s provincial background, we can infer that a woman’s existence was entirely reliant on the male figure in their life. This implies that women were viewed as commodities with no alternate value than the sum of their appearance and emphasises how the male objectification of women transcended class.
-Through this, Priestley further pronounces his message of responsibility as capitalism doesn’t possess any more worth for a woman of the aristocracy or the working class. Therefore, it is their responsibility to work in solidarity with one another to reconstruct society’s view of women through socialism.
