Act 1 Key Quotes Flashcards
‘Why - you fool - he knows!’
Shows how Sheila has quickly realised that Goole is shrewd and smart
Knows they cannot hide anything from him
She knows he is asking them questions to get them to realise their involvement
Shows maturity and intelligence
‘So I’m really responsible?’
Her first reaction toGoole,s questioning is to accept responsibility for her actions
Knows that she played a key role in Eva Smith’s suicide
Contrasts to Mr Birling’s complete denial
‘Is it the one you wanted me to have…now I really feel engaged’
Gerald wants to show his wealth and status with an expensive symbol
Social rules said that upper class women got a fancy ring to show that someone new owned them (feels the new ownership)
Doesn’t feel engaged until she gets the official jewellery
‘I can’t accept any responsibility’
Mr Birling argues that his involvement with Eva was unimportant and implies that Eva’s misfortune was her own fault
Shows upper class pre war attitudes to denial and refusing to acknowledge the consequences that their actions had on lower class people
‘A man has to make his own way…’
Priestley uses Birling to highlight selfish capitalist views
He encouraged Gerald and Eric to only think about themselves and not to help anyone else in society
Believes that people can be responsible for themselves - everyone’s is responsible for their own fate
Thinks if people fail, it is their own fault
‘I can’t accept any responsibility’
Shows uppper class pre war attitudes of denial and refusing to acknowledge the consequences that their actions had on lower class people
Implies that Eva’s misfortune was her own fault
His involvement with Eva was so small that it couldn’t have led to her death
‘When you’re married you’ll realise that men…’
Mrs Birling highlights that gender differences in pre war Britain - women gradually had much less power and place in society that men
Even upper class women had to be alive by the rules of men ^ highlights this by trying to teach her daughter about the expectations for women
‘Arthur, you’re not supposed to say such things’
Mrs Birling has strong views about appropriate conversation topics, both at the dinner table and in front of company
Although she is a higher social class than him, she still has very little power over him because he is the male
This means that he is the head of the household and in charge of the family.
There rules of a patriarchal society we’re more important than the rules of social standing
