An Inspector Calls Flashcards
1912 class system context
rigid, little social mobility, 25% lived in poverty, 10% below subsistence (eva smith)
1945 class system context
equal franchise act: men and women over 21 vote, lower classes has a voice too, still prejudice
1912 politics context (birlings)
capitalist & conservative, 1906 free school meals, not enough support, liberal gov supported social reform, gov had little intervention in economy
1945 politics context (eric + sheila)
labour won by landslide, NHS and social security, shock to conservative party
jb priestley
surrounded by socialism, scathing about WW1 (he fought), co founder of commonwealth party.
1912 women context (female in play)
no vote, inferior to husbands and fathers, campaign for women’s rights created in 1867
1945 women context (sheila)
women gained more rights but not equal, effort on home front seen as valuable, equal voting rights 1928
key words: DEPRECAIDS
disillusioned (see reality), exploitation, political diatribe, remorseless, emancipation, social conscience, absolve (free from guilt), interconnected, dehumanising, scrupulous (morals)
key theme: SCROGG
social class, capitalism v socialism, responsibility, old v young gen, guilt, gender
priestley intentions:
vilify capitalism, scrutinises detrimental ideology, cause society to regress rather than progress, allegorical diatribe, collective responsibility, solution to division
“as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive” (AB) class, responsibility, older gen
zoomorphism: mocks & degrades lower class, trivialises community & interconnection
hyphen: theatrical pause, physical repulsion to community, inability to verbalise
microcosm for capitalised ideology , prefers materialism than human relationships
“there’ll be a public scandal” (AB) act 3
euphemism: doesn’t want to admit to his crimes, brands as a mere “scandal”
exacerbates his stubbornness, older gen, remorseless of eva exploitation
hesitancy to confront crime, crafted facade for public perception maintain, stagnant character, self-serving
“look mummy - isn’t it a beauty?” (S) act 1, social class old, v young
speech is short & simplistic in act 1, perceived as inferior, disenfranchisement, priestley’s critique of the limited political agency women had.
shelia remains oppressed and marginalised despite her high social status, speech shows infantile and sheltered perspective. “pretty” and “beauty” her and eva subject to objectifying social perceptions
“but these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people” (S) act 1
exposes fathers exploitative capitalism, “girls” connotes innocence and vulnerability, sheila understands upper class prays on disadvantaged, fuels her disgust with dehumanising and scrupulous behaviour of capitalist
sheila is cocooned in act 1, metamorphosis, infantile facade crumbles.
“the famous younger generation who know it all. and now they can’t even take a joke” (AB) act 3
irony: derisively labels younger gen, but claims to know everything “titanic” “silly war scares”
priestley set play in 1912 to fragmentise ignorance of older gen, aligns sheila and eric with audience
urges audience to repudiate the capitalist culture from their parents
“[rather wildly with a laugh] no, he’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves” guilt, old v young gen, class
wildly: depicts sheila’s disillusionment with capitalism, liberates herself, embracing unrestrained nature without apology.
laugh: finds capitalism absurd, laughing at its societal significance, parents want to avoid wrongdoing
“rope”: everyone is intertwined with responsibility, each individual woven into fabric, birlings bear moral duty
“what he made me feel. fire and blood and anguish” (S) act 3 responsibility, social class
inspectors proxy, precise emulation, repetition of polysyndeton on “and”, illuminates relentless consequences of lacking social conscience of parents, older gen and her fiancé indoctrinated in capitalist beliefs.
moral compass in her family, awareness extends beyond personal remorse.
“it’s better to ask for the earth than take it” (I) act 1 guilt
syntax on “ask”: ask before take, collective social responsibility, contrast to individualistic capitalist notion, taking exacerbates inequality, perpetuates cycle of poverty
inspectors condemns priority of greed, taking is a sin, edwardian society was religious
“we are members of one body” (I) act 3
biblical allusions: relays biblical teaching, members of one body in Christ, inspector promotes togetherness, reinforcing spread of christianity, alike Jesus salvation to mankind inspector salvation to birlings
teaches them it’s their moral imperative, duty to care, “one” interconnected (socialist view)
“as if she were an animal, a thing, not a person” (I) act 3, guilt, social class, gender
dehumanising treatment, eva is a microcosm for exploited lower class, beastly image, constantly battle social injustice and inequality, asyndetic listing: eva’s constant marginalisation of class & gender, priestley critics dehumising and objectifying, audience was post-war, women
“if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish” (I) act 3, guilt, responsibility
polysyndeton: perpetual torment to who avoids responsibility & guilt, inspector omniscient & prophetic so message is significant, WW2, inspector is priestly’s mouthpiece, humanity fails to learn mistakes, cyclical, inspector is agent of God
