An Inspector Calls Flashcards
Priestly uses characters in the play to what?
Reflect how different social classes view each other which mirrors the importance of Social Responsibility
Give an example of a character that is used to represent the Upper Class and how?
Mrs Birling is used to represent the views of the Upper Class; she refers to Eva Smith as a ‘girl of that sort’, the noun ‘sort’ illustrates how Mrs B doesn’t really view Eva as a human being as equal to her.
Mrs B is used to represent how upper class believe they are superior to working class, all because of their class
Explain how Priestley portrays the Middle/Upper Class
Priestley portrays the middle/upper class as having a limited sense of social responsibility and have little to no concern for the class system, because it worked for them
Explain how the middle class characters only worry about their social status
Mr Birling does not feel guilty about Eva, instead he is worried that he will not receive his Knighthood because this will cause a ‘public scandal’ and will impact how others view him
How does Preistley use Sheila and Eric to represent a change in Social Responsibility?
Sheila’s and Eric’s attudies have competently changed compared to the start of the play; this symbolises how:
1. The Younger generation can be influenced to take on board social responsibility.
2. Could symbolise how it is not too late to change attitudes towards social responsibility/ social class.
What year was an Inspector Calls written vs what year was it set in?
Written: 1945
Set: 1912
Give four words that describe Mr Birling
• Capitalist
• Selfish
• Arrogant
• Buisness-minded
Give two quotes that’s support Mrs Birlings characteristics of Capitalist and Arrogance
• Capitalist - ‘It’s my duty to keep labour costs down’
• Arrogant - ‘Germans don’t want war’ or ‘unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable’
Give two quotes that’s support Mrs Birlings characteristics of Selfish and Buisness-minded
• Selfish - ‘a man has to make his own way’
• Buisness-mind - see’s the engagement as a business deal for ‘lower costs and higher prices’
On the Outside, Mr Birling is portrayed as a confident but selfish businessman, however underneath it all, Mr Birling is an anxious person. How?
•When his name is threatened he worries about there being a ‘public scandal’, and said he would ‘give thousands’ (a bribe - also ties into his selfishness).
• Mr B feels he ‘ought to warn’ the inspector that the chief constable is an ‘old friend’ of his (trying to threaten him, chief is an important person).
What is the Conflict between Mr Birlings position as the ‘head of the family’ and the fact he’s socially inferior to his wife and the Crofts.
Mr B tries to act like he’s in charge but doesn’t always know how to behave. E.g, he makes Gerald ‘embarrassed’ by suggesting that Lady Croft might not approve of Sheila, and moreover, in the stage directions, Mrs Birling is directly described as her husbands ‘social superiors’ (Mrs Birling is in Upper-Class)
What word class is the word ‘Duty’?
Noun
