Age and Time (AIC) Flashcards
Give a quote that shows the age gap between Mrs b and sheila
‘You seem to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector.’
MRS B act 2
Give analysis for the quote
‘You seem to have made a great impression on this child, Inspector.’
The use of the noun ‘child’ reinforces the generation gap and shows that Mrs Birling considers herself superior to her susceptible daughter, the implication being that the Inspector will fail to have any impression on her.
How does Mrs B show she is unaware of her children?
Mrs Birling appears unaware that her son has developed into a young man capable of heavy drinking and womanising. This demonstrates how little she knows her own child and is typical of her infantilising Eric and Sheila throughout
How does Mrs B describe eric?
“He’s only a boy”
Mrs B act 2
How does Sheila address her and Gerald?
You and I aren’t the same people who sat
down to dinner here.’
Sheila Act 2
How does Sheila attitude towards Gerald change?
Sheila’s statement to Gerald is an affirmation that she has grown and changed, even in such a short space of time. The older characters, meanwhile, are resistant to change.
What does Eric say about Mr B?
‘You’re not the kind of father a chap could go
to when he’s in trouble.’
What does Birling not offer Eric?
Birling doesn’t offer the nurturing parental support that one might expect from a father. His authoritarian approach instead creates a barrier between him and his more sensitive, troubled son.
Give a quote that show MR B belittlies his son
Why, you hysterical young fool – get back –
or I’ll–’
What is ironic in the quote Why, you hysterical young fool – get back –
or I’ll–’ ?
Birling belittles his son’s high wrought emotions as hysteria, suggesting Eric isn’t in control of his thoughts or actions. . Yet, ironically, the older man is also on the verge of losing control and resorting to physical violence.
Give analysis for the adjective “hysterical young fool?
The adjectival phrase ‘hysterical young fool’ seems to suggest that foolishness and hysteria are consequences of youth.
What attitude will die out?
Priestley uses the younger generation’s agreement with the Inspector’s socialist viewpoints to indicate that this is the way of the future: the laissez-faire attitude, belongs to the past and will die out with antiquated relics like Mr and Mrs Birling who think they know it all but are wrong on so many levels.
How does Priestly show the young and how does he show Birling view of the young?
In presenting the younger characters as attentive
and understanding, Priestley counteracts Birling’s stereotypical
view of youth as naïve and impulsive
What is a Socrates?
The point being that elders have always criticised youth whilst also expecting the next generation to defer to them. This was particularly true of the strict Victorian moral code that
Arthur and Sybil would have grown up under.
What was the Victorian moral code?
This code promoted family duty, discipline and propriety, which Eric and Sheila are guilty of violating,
