An Inspector Calls Flashcards
‘So I’m really responsible?’ -Sheila-Act 1
-Sheila’s first reaction to Inspector Goole’s questioning is to accept responsibility for her actions.
-Although she is still very worried about how the experience affects her, she acknowledges that she played a key role in Eva Smith’s suicide.
-This contrasts to Mr Birling’s complete denial.
‘Is it the one you wanted me to have… now I really feel engaged’ -Sheila-Act 1
-Sheila doesn’t feel properly engaged until she gets a ring.
-Upper-class women got a fancy ring when they got engaged to show that someone new (instead of their father) owned them.
-Now that she's got the ring - the symbol of ownership - she seems to feel the new ownership too.
‘Why – you fool – he knows!’ -Sheila-Act 1
-This exclamation shows that Sheila has quickly realised that Goole is shrewd (has good judgment) and smart.
-She knows that they cannot hide anything from him, and that he knows all of the answers and how they are all involved.
-She knows he is asking them questions to get them to realise their involvement themselves.
-She shows maturity and intelligence here.
‘A man has to make his own way’ -Mr Birling -Act 1
-Priestley uses Birling to highlight selfish capitalist views.
-Right before Inspector Goole arrives, Birling is seen trying to educate Gerald and Eric on how he feels the world should work – he encourages them to only think about themselves and not to help anyone else in society.
-He feels that people can only be responsible for themselves – he feels that everyone is responsible for their own fate.
-He thinks if people fail, it is their own fault.
‘I cant accept any responsibility’ -Mr Birling- Act 1
-Throughout the play, Mr Birling refuses to accept that he played any part in Eva Smith’s death.
-He argues that his involvement with Eva was so small and unimportant that it could not have led to her death.
-He implies that Eva’s misfortune was her own fault.
-Birling shows upper-class pre-war attitudes of denial (not accepting blame) and refusing to acknowledge the consequences that their actions had on lower-class people.
‘Arthur you’re not supposed to say such things’ -Mrs Birling - Act 1
-Mrs Birling has strong views about appropriate conversation topics, both at the dinner table and in front of company.
-She scolds (tells off) Mr Birling many times for what she thinks are inappropriate comments or topics.
-But although she is of a higher social class than him, she still has very little power over him because he is the male.
-This means he is the head of the household and in charge of the family. The rules of a patriarchal (male-ruled) society were more important than the rules of social standing.
‘When you’re married you’ll realise that men…’ -Mrs Birling - Act 1
-‘When you’re married you’ll realise that men with important work to do sometimes spend nearly all their time and energy on their business. You’ll have to get used to that, just as I had.’
-Mrs Birling highlights the gender differences in pre-war Britain – women generally had much less power and place in society than men.
-Even upper-class women had to live by the rules of men.
-Mrs Birling highlights this by trying to teach her daughter about the expectations for women.
‘You and I aren’t the same people who sat down to dinner here’ -Sheila- Act 2
-Sheila shows a great deal of emotional maturity.
-She breaks her engagement because she realises that she does not really know her fiancé.
-Although she had said many sarcastic, harsh comments to Gerald during his interrogation (questioning), she does not hate him. But she feels that she cannot commit to spending her life with a man she does not know – she is not worried about losing a close business connection (unlike her father).
‘I’m afraid you’ll say something…’ -Sheila- Act 2
-I’m afraid you’ll say something or do something that you’ll be sorry for afterwards.’
-At this point, Sheila understands the Inspector’s role in the story. She attempts to warn her mother about the Inspector knowing more than he seems to.
-She knows that Inspector Goole is giving each character the rope to hang themselves with – he is letting them explore their own involvement and work out their own guilt.
‘We really must stop these silly pretences’ -Sheila- Act 2
-Sheila quickly becomes the mature voice of reason (person who influences others to act sensibly) – she knows that the Inspector already knows how every member of the family was involved with Eva Smith.
-She tries to get her family to just play along and tell the truth. This could also link to the idea that these upper-class people cared so much about presenting perfect personas that they never presented their true selves to anyone.
-Priestley, through Sheila, tells these upper-class people that they need to care less about social appearances and more about the consequences of their actions.
Message-‘Public men, Mr Birling, have their responsibilities as well as their privileges’.-Inspector Goole- Act 2
-This is a message to wider British society in 1945.
-During his time fighting in World War One, Priestley saw soldiers being sent off to die for their country. Upper-class generals and leaders stayed in safe places. They didn’t fear for their own lives but sent their social inferiors (those of lower class) into battle. This made him feel very angry at the class system.
-In this quote, Goole wants to make it clear that although upper-class men are free to enjoy the benefits of their lifestyle, they must also be responsible members of society who care about the lower-class people who make the upper-class lifestyles possible.
‘You seem to have made a great impression on this child’ -Mrs Birling- Act 2
-Mrs Birling is talking to Inspector Goole.
-She shows that she doesn’t respect Sheila as a young adult – she still thinks of her as a child, and talks about her as if she is not in the room.
-She also belittles (plays down) the effect the Inspector has had. She suggests that this ‘impression’ will be short-lived, and that Sheila will not be permanently affected by him.
‘You know, of course, that my husband…’ -Mrs Birling- Act 2
-You know, of course, that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate?’
-This highlights the influence of the upper classes.
-Most people would let the Birlings be treated differently and receive special treatment – both Mr and Mrs Birling find it unacceptable that Inspector Goole refuses to worship or fear them.
-Priestley uses their attitudes to show the corruption (moral wrongness) in a society that lets the social classes be treated differently and, in some cases, not even be included in criminal investigations purely because of their social class.
