4 Things To Remeber Flashcards
Age
There is a marked difference in attitude between the younger and the older generations, as noted by Inspector Goole in Act One.
The young are honest and admit their faults. Eric refuses to try to cover his part up, saying, “the fact remains that I did what I did.”
Gerald Croft is caught in the middle,hesides with the older generation, because his aristocratic roots influence himto want to keep the status quo
Parent/child relationships become increasingly strained as the play progresses.
Responsibility
The Inspector wanted each member of the family to share the responsibility of Eva’s death
Eva Smith is the symbol of the poor who are denied social justice.
Birling believes his responsibilities are only to himself and his family – and to makeprofit Mrs Birling only gives charity to those she feels deserve it.
Through the Inspector, Priestley delivers a powerful socialist political message about
social responsibility.
Time
At the end of the play, we understand that time and events are about to repeat themselves (the second twist) upsetting this idea of real time.
Inspector Goole appears to know about events before they occur.
Eva’s story occurs off-stage in the past (as a backstory) but at the end of the play it is
about to be told again – in the future.
Priestley’s timing of the first twist, the discovery that Inspector Goole was not a real
police officer, creates mystery and a false sense of relief for the older Birlings.
Gender
Mr Birling shows that he has a patronising view of women, making the suggestion that clothes are a sign of self-respect for them.
Gerald makes sexist and superficial comments about the women in the bar he visits.
Priestley shows that even women like Mrs Birling can hold the same old-fashioned
Edwardian values as the men.
Sheila begins the play powerless and voiceless but later asserts herself and develops
independence, like the suffragettes fighting for the vote.
