Act 1 Flashcards
What does Mrs B correcting Mr. B’s behaviour when he talks about the cook show about her?
- Shows she is of higher class than him.
How is Mrs B described in the stage directions and how does she uphold this behaviour?
- Described as “cold.”
- Absent from conversations.
What does Mr. B say about community in his big Capitalism speech?
“as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive - community and all that nonesense.”
What is the significance of Gerald saying: “you seem to be a nice well- behaved family?”
- Dramatic Irony.
- It would alert a perceptive audience that they are no such thing!!
How is Mr B hyprocritical when it comes to the knighthood?
CONTEXT
- Knighthood is from community.
- He is willing to accept a knighthood from the community but dismisses his responsibilty of the community.
What is the significance of Edna saying “An Inspector has called?”
- She is working class.
- Shows she is of importance, she is saying the title of the play.
How do the stage directions describe the inspector?
- Intimidating (stare hard at someone.)
- He has purposefullness (Priestly is hinting that he will have an impact on future events and will take control of the situation
What is the biggest difference between Mr B and The Inspector?
- The Inspector is determined to pursue justice for Eva Smith.
- Mr B is determined to “keep labour costs down.”
What was The Living Wage?
CONTEXT
- Published 2 weeks after Mr Birling’s workers striked.
- A book that spoke about the minimum amount a person needs to live.
- It’s still campaigned for today.
What does complacency mean?
- Complacency (n.) – a feeling of smugness with oneself or one’s achievements.
How would a 1945 audience view Mr B’s beliefs about not caring about community?
- Old - fashioned, ignorant, narrow- minded, bigotry.
What public honour did Priestely turn down?
Why might he have done this?
- The Order of Merit.
- Didn’t want to accept awward from people of upper- class.
- Didn’t want to have higher social class than others (become smug…) Wanted eveveryone to be treated with importance…
Who does Mr B aspire to be like?
- Landed gentry
- Live solely off land been in family for years through rent.
- Who don’t need to work in “trade” (ie. having own factory/ business to make money.)
What is the significance of Eva being pretty?
- Innocence!!
- Needs to be protected
Might show Priestly’s undeveloped view of who should actually be treated well: ie. is it just pretty women
What is the difference in the reaction of Mr B and Sheila when they hear that Eva Smith killed herself?
- Mr B doesn’t care –> is just confused/ offended that he is being questioned.
- Sheila is empathetic and genuine ie. “she was destroying herself and I’ve been so happy.”
