AIC Flashcards
Mr Birling
Insecurity- “Provincial in his speech”- the adjective “provincial” is used to show the low-class origins of Mr Birling. He ha to compensate for his lower-class accent with material possessions- hence why he is often so pretentious
And “You ought to like this port, Gerald It’s exactly the same port your father gets” verb “ought”2 reveals Mr Birling insecurities regarding social status; he is hesitant to command Gerald(who is of higher class) like he would command Eric
“There’s a fair chance that I may find myself into the next honours list”- Mr Birling’s insecurity is revealed by his feeling of inadequacy due to his lower social status, compared to the crofts. Therefore, he feels the need to compensate with boasts of a potential knighthood.
Capitalism
“We may look forward to the time wen Crofts and Birling’s are no longer competing but are working together- for lower costs and higher prices”- symbolism of irresponsible capitalist attitudes and reveals the true motive behind the marriage
”as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive- community and nonsense”-The simile “like bees in a hive” is an attempt by Mr Birling to trivialise the concept of socialism
”A man has to mind his own business and look after himself”- Here Mr Birling speaks in third person in attempt to create a philosophical element to his speech to almost impress people
“If you don’t come down sharply on some of these people, they’d be asking for the earth”
“Probably a socialist or some crank”**- The noun”2crank”2 is an attempt by Mr Birling to do dem socialism, however, Priestley’s use of dramatic irony causes the audience to oppose Mr Birling’s views and therefore sympathise with socialists
Older generation v younger generation
“Why you hysterical young fool-get back-or I’ll “
“Now look at the pair of them-the famous younger greneration who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke”
Responsibility
“As it happened more than 18 months ago-nearly two years ago- obviously it has nothing to do with he wretched girls suicide”-clling someone who is defending their working conditions wretched captures the zeitgeist of the 20th century
**“If we were ll responsible for everything that happened to everybody… it would be very awkward wouldn’t it?“May be seen as a hyperbole - **adjective awkwars coupled with Birlings self absorbed character reveals that an increased sense of responsibility for everyone would really only be awkward for him. This awkwardness extends to the class adn ideology that he represents
”I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”
”There’s every excuse for what both your mother and I did”- Seperates himself and Mrs Birling from the younger generation
Inspector to birling ”Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”- Priestley uses the inspector as a vehicle for socialism as Mr Birling is reminded of his “responsibilities” and needs to address them
Self absorbed
“It’s one of the happiest nights of my life.. your engagement to Sheila means a tremendous lot to me”
“Perhaps I ought to warn you (that the chief countable) is an old friend of mine, we play golf together”- epitome the need for greater social justice and responsibility
Marxism
Ev smith has no position on stage shows the view as long as capitalism around
Through Eric and Gerald we are given male gears - E
Daisy Renton analysis staling about her
Her name is daisy flowers are easily to trample on
Daisy are white which shows that Gerald is going to come along and corrupt her , gerald is almost predatory he manipulates the income of daisy Renton - he sets a Perspective he saved her from but he was there in the first place he don e the Same as alderman mgaarty
Renton- was a colloquial term for prostitution in Edwardian England
Daisy is an amblomitic of motherhood
Daisy Renton is presented as o b so loads - Simon dubovaoire is a femist theorist argued that women will will always find them self as second gender, priestly conforms to this - applies to Sheila when she is protected by wealth doesn’t have much to any
Eva is a play on the biblical term eve is the first woman that god crates - the suffering of Eva smith is in her name -
The inspector says she burnt her insides - eve is crooked in garden of Eden this is guilt she isn’t guilty but she is reflecting guilt of society - the captiasts have corrupted her
Eric says “she was a good sport”2 - sport something you derive physical pleasure from how women are viewed highlight and signifies how lust is a sin. Dehumanises Eva smith and objectifies her
Inspector
Morality/responsibility
“Speaks carefully, weightily”
“If your’e easy with me I’m easy with you”
“Yes, but you can’t. It’s too late. She’s dead”
“Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”
“Their lives, their hopes and fear, their suffering and chance of happiness all intertwined with our lives”
“We are members of one body”
“Each of you helped kill her remember that. Never forget it”
“You used your power you had.. to punish the girl”
Omniscient
“I don’t need to know any more. Neither do you “
“Impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefullness”
“He is a man in his fifties, dressed in a plain darkish suit of the period.”
Warning of not leaning lesson
“Burnt her inside out, of course”- could also be referencing sin the society commandeers
“If men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish”
Other quotes
“We are all members of one body”
“Young minds are more impressionable”
Time
“I don’t have much time “(to Sheila and Gerald)
“There’ll be plenty of time whe I’ve gone”2
“Settle it afterwards”
“And i tell you that the time will soon come when, if men do not learn their lesson they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish”
“
Sheila Birling Quotes
Capitalism V socialism
“But these girls and cheap labour -they’re people”
Maturity
“Pretty girl in her early twenties”2 and “very pleased with life and rather excited”
“You and I aren’t the same people”- ironic as capitalists act as the same people
“You don’t seem to have learned anything”
Responsibility
“I suppose we’re all nice people now”
Sheila Birling Analysis
In her inital potrayal she is potrayal. She is described as a pretty girl…. She deops as the olay develops she has jeapus oneticnts whoch are replaced by a sense of maturity st the end of the play
Part of younger generation, aomgside eric - shows resentment to lack of social responsibility
How is Social responsibility presented- characters, quotes etc
Inspector highlights social repsosnibilyiu through how the vulnerable are mistreated and also creates collective responsibility
•Priestley shows audiences that all action have consequences
•Priestley almost creates a spectrum of responsibility Mr Birling showing the issues in not embracing repsobnisbilty , then there is Gerald who is is conflicted, then Eric who has done wrong but rectified then there is Sheila who acknowledges and matures as a character. Eva is at the end of the spectrum as she is a victim she doesn’t really address social responsibility
•Play condemns those in power for not protecting poor
And for leading into war
Capitalist make more money from war…
•P uses theme of social responsibility to advocated for a welfare state
•Uses religious imagery “ we are all member of one body”
Mr Birling
•Represent antithesis of P message . Only cares about himself and money
•He doesn’t acce[t responsibility
First time he addresses social responsibility is through the quite
“As if we were all mixed together like bees in a hive- community and all tat nonsesne2”- condemns socialism - His intolerance of socialism reflects te political climate at the time
- from this audience recognise him as heartless
“Like bees in a hive”- simile suggests that social responsibility is primitive and demeaning. “You’d. Think” shows he thinks it’s Propertius
•Capitalism creates idea of responsibility to make money and not a responsibility for society
Links to quote “It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”- Meataphor / hyperbole - moral oblicagiton to. Neglect humanit
Priestly shows neglect of humanity is part of Business
“A man has to make his own way- has to look after himself- and his family too” - are his family an afterthought
Rejection of responsibility-Mr B
When faced with consequcneds of a own action he refuses to accept responsibility
He decors in act 1 “Obviouslyit has nothing whatever to do with the wretched girls sucicide”- thinks two events cant link becuase happened far apart - brings idea of changing of events
“I can’t accept any responsibility”- in testing he is first character under spotlight of inspector and yet watches all nod and shows how he is the catalyst but yet doesn’t acccept responsibility
“There is every excuse for what bot your mother and I did”2
Mrs Birling
Personifies the upper classes contempt towards the poor and authorise neglect those in need. Like Birling she is committed to the idea of her own innocence . She is willing to condem the antonyms father
“He should be made an example of”2- shows responsibility in e Scene but when she finds it Eric she retracts
“2But i didnt know it was you, i never dreamt”- superficial. Hypocrisy
Class prejudice
“Naturally I don’t know anything about this girl”
“Naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her”
“We’ve done a great deal of useful work in helping deserving cases”
Moral Duty
“I consider I did my duty[…} I’ve done nothing wrong “
She blames the “girl herself”2 for her death
The Inspector
Values of socialism- a vehicle for socialism
•He is a teacher- teaches the family to split repsosnsibilty between them
He says “You are partly to blame.Just as your father is “
He carries out social rspsosnsibity through warnings millions and millions to
“We have to share something. If there’s nothing else, well have to share guilt”Act 2 sharing brings communities together- also alludes to world wars suggesting social repsosnibitly will help the world war recover criticise the iaissez s-faire government in power in 1912 and shows not to go back to this Mrs Birling in act 2 says its not her resosnsibilty “That does’t make it any less yours. She came to you for help”
“This girl killed here self- and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her”9 act 3) cotnracist the culture of scapegoating condemns it he releases they scapegoat
“Apologies e for what- doing my duty?”
“We are all responsible for eachother”- act 3
“We are all embed of 1 body”2
One eve smith died tonight but there are millions and millions and millions of eVA SMITHS AND JOHN SMITHS STILL ELFT WITH US, their opes and fears, their suffering and cancer of happiness all intertwined with our lives”- act 3
Sheila
First e ever to truly grasp the concept of shared responsibility - She is shaped by the inspector
“How could I know what would happpens afterwards?… it siddint seem anything terrible at the time - act 1
After death she realises extent - does it take a death for change ossicle “
”Probably between us we killed her”
Wealth and materialism
•MR Birling’s main i test
“Fairly argue suburban hours, belonging to a prosperous manufacturer”
“Now i really feel engaged “
