an inspecor calls - class Flashcards
Lighting described as “pink and intimate” - act 1 - stage directions
the upper class birlings intially live in blissful ignorance of others suffering
the stage directions can symbolise the birlings optimistic, rose tinted perspective.
The audience are forced to see life through the same lens. The “initmate” atmosphere shows how they are undisturbed by the troubles of others.
The family are descibed as being “pleased with themselves” revealing their complacency. They are free to feel confident ad satisfied with themselves .
Priestly implies how upper classes lack a conscience. They are not confronted with what their happinesscosts others
“i was an alderman for years - and Lord Mayor two years ago- and i’m still on the bench” - mr birling - act 1
mr birling is a symbol of upperclass privilege , showing how the uppper classes used their positions to evade conf;ict and responsibility.Upon meeting the inspector retell him(embed quote)
he details his career history to boast his power and respectability .The positions he lists are white collar jobs that were greatly respectedin society and associated with the upper classes.he expects his class will impress the inspector.
mr birling expects to be treated differently by the inspector because he is a”public man”, but the inspector informs him “public men… have responsibilities as weel as privileges”
This shows how mr birling is a member of the council and an attorney so that he can enjor the “privilege” of being favoured by the law enforcement .Because the inspector has to remind mr birling and other “public men “ have been neglecting their duties.
” i don’t suppose for a moment that we can understand why the girl commited suicide . Girls of that class” - Act 2 - mrs birling
mrs birling is the epitome of upper class prejudice . Her “cold” demeanor and social superiority make her particularly judgemental and blunt
mrs brirling makes assupmtions about eva smith because she is a working class girl and these lead her to deny Eva any help from the charity .Before she hears what the inspector has to say . She declares( embed quote )
which show how different she thinks the working class are.
the verb “understand” suggests the working class are so different that their actions are incomprehensible to the upper class. This demonstates that mrs birling won’t even be empathetic to them and doesnt want to try to “understand “ them
The noun “girl” infantilises eva smith which potrays her as weak and foolish which can further suggest that mrs briling views younger women of the working class as inferior to her.
she generalises all “girls of that class”, and doesn’t believe eva deserves her time or attention .
Prieslty inteneds to show how ingrained prejudice was in society and how delibrately dismissive the upper class were of their lower class peers
” i simply think it was a gross piece of impertinence - quite delibrate - and naturally that was one of the things that prejudiced me against her case “ - mrs birling - act 2
mrs birling believes all lower class people are immoral nd money hungry and she is not afraid to admit it.These beliefs make her over react , as she sees every small flaw as confirmation of her bias.
here she is portayed as outraged because she thinks it will sully or taint her name if it is sued by a working class girl.
The phrase “ gross impertinence - quite delibrate “ demonstates her insistence that eva inentionally stepped out of line and disrespected her . the words themselves are excessive and pretentious , giving her a supeior air.
The adverb “naturally implies she is justified in her “prejudice” even though she should be impartial nd compassionate as a member of the charity.
priesty implies the upperclasses were determined to find any excuses to disgrace and discredit the working classes .
evene when she is confronted with someone who disproves her prejudices , mrs birling holds onto her stereotypes . She is fixated on how a eva is a “girl of that sort” and in that “position” , implying there is a specific way eva should act.
these phrases are also pointed euphemismsthat intend to mock eva without comprismisng mrs birlings own responsibiltiy .
” we’ve no excuse now for putting on airs “ “ we really must stop these silly pretences” - act 2 - sheila
preislty uses sheila to break the upper classes facade of respectability . she tell her family “ embed quote “
showing how the birlings present themselves as more innocent and flawless than they actually are .
sheila understands that the most harmful ascpect of the facade of respectability is that her family are fooled by their own lines , so they are shocked to discover each other’s flaws
prieslty presents the facade of respectibilty as an invention by the upper classes for the upper classes . he suggests the upper classes become convivnced they are perfect , and this leads to a delusion of grandeur that contributes to the class divide
