An Inspector Calls Flashcards
“P___ and _______” to “________ ___ harder” (Inspector’s entrance)
“Pink and intimate” to “Brighter and harder” (Inspector’s entrance)
“Pink and intimate” to “Brighter and harder” (Inspector’s entrance)
Analysis
Secrecy -
- “Brighter” Inspector brings light to the dim room, shows a clear image of their wrongdoings, reveals everything
- “Harder” Connotes intensity and demanding nature of their actions against socialism
Dramatic Entrance -
Conveys the inspector as a powerful being Foreshadows how he forces the Birling’s to confront their own conscience by revealing their own actions
“We are _______ __ one ____” (Inspector)
“We are members of one body” (Inspector)
“We are members of one body” (Inspector)
Analysis
Omniscience -
- Biblical language/connotations
- Presents the inspector as omniscient ‘god-like’ figure
Social Responsibility -
- Persuasive argument as play may not solely change the mindset of conservative audience
- Reminds them to look to their religion because they are not fully complying to its core beliefs
- Creates sense of guilt
- Stresses responsibility we all share with each other
Metaphorical image -
- In the human body if one part is ill or unable to properly function the whole body suffers
Lexical word choice -
- Highly selective choice of the word “members”
- Connoting a corrective to the Birlings rhetorical division within society
- Classing the working class and upper class together
“If ___ will not l____ ____ l_____ then they will be taught it in ____ _____ ___ _______” (Inspector)
“If men will not learn that lesson then they will be taught it in fire blood and anguish” (Inspector)
“If men will not learn that lesson then they will be taught it in fire blood and anguish” (Inspector)
Analysis
Powerful -
- Imperative “will” makes it sound like a threat, or he knows for certain that will be the case
- Priestley moulded the inspector as an authoritative powerful figure so he can shed light on the Upper Class’ wrongdoings in society
Gender -
- Does not say man (including all of humanity) but instead “men”
- In 1912 women has no power, the suffragettes fought for this but they only got the vote in 1928
- Implying it is men’s fault as they are the ones with financial power and social influence
Social Responsibility -
- These are the stakes here - offering a challenge to the audience
- Will they create a socialist state and uphold it or enter WW3
- Writer is telling audience that their children will face the consequence of their actions, just as they had to face the repercussions caused by the older generation
- Inspector leaves stage after this to test whether they learned their lesson
“C________ and all ____ ________… a man has to ____ ___ ___ ________” (Mr Birling)
“Community and all that nonsense… a man has to mind his own business” (Mr Birling)
“Community and all that nonsense… a man has to mind his own business” (Mr Birling)
Analysis
Language Analysis-
- “Nonsense” - dismissive of social responsibility, arrogant/ignorant
- “A man” - repetition, shows the patriarchal society of the time
- “Business” - Shows us what the priority is for Mr Birling
Self Centred & Business Minded -
- Ironic how he mentions looking after ‘his own’ when he is socially inferior to both the crofts and his wife
- Attempting to hide this fact by taking charge as the head of the household
- No concept of value other than wealth/social status
Social Responsibility -
- Immediately after the inspector is summoned to correct this perspective
- Rejecting community and socialism
- Mr Birling favours the interest of his business rather than his workers
Irony -
- Lack of understanding of his own capitalist views
- Minding ‘his own business’ is ironic
- Priestly presented a BBC radio program but was cancelled by people like Mr Birling due to his views being deemed too left wing
“The _______ don’t want ___, ______ ____s war” (Mr Birling)
“The Germans don’t want war, nobody wants war” (Mr Birling)
“The Germans don’t want war, nobody wants war” (Mr Birling)
Analysis
Dramatic Irony -
- Play set in 1912 - Two years before WW1
- Play published in 1945 - The year WW2 ended
- Sets up Mr Birling as unreliable and untrustworthy
- Ignorance / Shortsighted
- Doesn’t understand how his own capitalist system works
- Use of capitalist language “loss” and “
Capitalism -
- Making the point that the capitalist system is dependant on war as it builds demand to replace destruction
Irony -
- “Nothing to gain by war”
- Ironic to audience due to a national scandal
- Many British businessmen made a fortune from WW1
“Now l___ at the ____ __ ____ - the ______ y______ __________ who ____ __ ___. And they can’t even ____ _ ____-” (Mr Birling)
“Now look at the pair of them - the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke -” (Mr Birling)
“Now look at the pair of them - the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can’t even take a joke -” (Mr Birling)
Analysis
Warning -
- Mr Birling is a warning on what has gone wrong in society
- The inspector is the mouthpiece of Priestly to enforce and teach this lesson
- Inspector Goole is presented powerfully and almost as a supernatural being so his message has more weight
Generational Gap -
- Older generation represents capitalism
- Younger generation represents socialism
- The older generation look down on the youth because they refuse to accept their ideas
Play Message -
- Priestley is saying it’s up to young people to change society - the older generation have already failed
- Second phone call represents WW2 which happened due to their refusal to learn their lesson
- Ouspensky Time Theory: Priestley is influenced by time theorists, the universe is a cycle and the cycle can only be broken if we change and learn from our mistakes
“In fact, in a ____ __ ___, you might __ ____ to have been _______of ___” (Inspector - To Sheila)
“In fact, in a kind of way, you might be said to have been jealous of her” (Inspector - To Sheila)
“In fact, in a kind of way, you might be said to have been jealous of her” (Inspector - To Sheila)
Analysis
Sheila - Inspector’s Proxy
Inspector - Priestley’s Proxy
Language analysis -
- Conditional verbs and qualifiers emphasise this is ridiculous and petty since Sheila is much more privileged than Eva
Oppressed -
- Points out how odd it is that someone as privileged as Sheila somehow became jealous of a shopkeeper
- Although Eva had low life prospects, 1912 society heavily valued a woman’s appearance
- Women are oppressed in terms of opportunity and their way of thinking has been tainted to conform
- Women are victims of society, they are the very ones who should stand up and make a change
Gender -
- Society has damages women
- Teaches them to value the wrong things
- Not only do they have to marry to gain ‘independence’ but they have to make themselves marketable for marriage
“Mummy ___‘_ __ a b_____?” (Sheila)
“Mummy isn’t it a beauty?” (Sheila)
“Mummy isn’t it a beauty?” (Sheila)
Analysis
Infantilised “mummy” -
- Sheila is infantilised by her parents
- Immature and dependant
- Perhaps she still sees herself as a child and relies on her mother to nurture her
Materialism “beauty” -
- Highly materialistic
- Seems more focused on the value of the ring rather than a symbolic value as a sign of her and Gerald’s relationship
Question mark -
- Suggest she seeks comfort and reassurance from her mother
- Looks to please Gerald
- She wants to be led and influenced by others which may explain her later influence by the inspector
- Sheila is impressionable
Gender -
- Due to heavy gender roles and limited freedom, daughters were raised to depend on their parents
- Seeks to establish Sheila as a representation of a typical young upper class women / Raised to look beautiful and marry well
- Sheila addresses her question to Mrs Birling, rather than her father, implies that both women are constrained by patriarchal expectations of the era
“These _____ aren’t _____ ______, they’re people!” (Sheila)
“These girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people!” (Sheila)
“These girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people!” (Sheila)
Analysis
Shift in tone -
- Highlights realisation
- Empathy / Social / moral awareness
Declarative sentence -
- Shows she is certain of what she is saying
- Stands up to her father
Noun “girls” -
- They are seen as children in society - seen to lack maturity
- No power
- Lack respect
Noun “people” -
- Humanising marginalized workers
- Changing socialist views in society
Exclamative Sentence -
- Emphasises social beliefs
- Her own beliefs contrast her fathers
Priestley’s intentions -
- Promotion of socialist views / treating everyone equally
- Capitalist views only cause pain to the lower class
“He’s giving us ___ ____ - so that __‘__ ____ _________” (Sheila)
Analysis
“He’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves” (Sheila)
“He’s giving us the rope - so that we’ll hang ourselves” (Sheila)
Analysis
Metaphor -
- Mimics the Inspector’s constant metaphors
- The inspector will elicit things from the Birlings that will make them incriminate themselves
- Acknowledges the inspectors role in bringing justice to the Birlings’ part in causing their own fall from grace
- Alternate interpretation of “ropes” : ropes can save you, shows the inspector is giving them a second chance to redeem themselves and save Eva Smith
Character development -
- Sheila is more receptive to the Inspector’s message
- She is taking responsibility
- Shaken state of mind due to the severity of the situation
“Why shouldn’t ____ ___ for _______ _____? We try them for the _______ ________ ______” (Eric)
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try them for the highest possible prices” (Eric)
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try them for the highest possible prices” (Eric)
Analysis
Lukewarm -
- Eric follows Priestley’s beliefs yet he fails to act on them
- Questions the exploitation of workers who are denied wage increases while the wealthy seek maximum profits
- “They”, “We” : He distances himself from the lower class, but believes they should have rights and a voice
- He identifies himself with bosses rather than workers, but questions his fathers actions and values
- Symbol to the audience that there is no inbetween, that will lead to to a repeat of history, instead they must create a totally socialist state
Capitalism -
- Makes it clear capitalism is based on gaining through the misfortune of others
- Those at the top make cuts in as many possible places so that their salary doesn’t suffer, regardless of their workers suffering
Generational Gap -
- Eric embodies the Inspector’s views but doesn’t learn his lesson in the end, he represents that 1912 generation that led themselves to WW2
- Symbolically Preistley makes Eric a complex character in the middle of socialism and capitalism
“I was in the _____ when a ____ easily turns _____ - and I ___________ to ____ _ ___” (Eric)
“I was in the state when a chap easily turns nasty - and I threatened to make a row” (Eric)
“I was in the state when a chap easily turns nasty - and I threatened to make a row” (Eric)
Analysis
Irresponsible alcoholic -
- Claims he cannot remember what happened as he was drunk
- Although we know he is struggling with alcohol, he may still remember this and simply be a front to defend his innocence
“Chap” -
- Distances himself from his own actions
- Makes him seem less violent and cruel
- Implies that this is a common occurrence that all men go through
- Ge assumes everyone knows what he is talking about which says a lot about 1912 society
- “Nasty” is a euphemism for rape
Double Standards -
- Society allows men to act like this
- This is a euphemism, regardless of what happened it was clearly abusive against Eva’s wishes yet she felt obligated to stay with him as it was her only route to financial security
- In Eric’s favor he offers to marry her however she turns him down as she believes he doesn’t love her
- He didn’t have prospects to do this as he doesn’t have his own money, hence why he steals from his father
“It’s still the same ______ _____ whether it’s been ____ __ _ ______ _________ or ________ ____” (Eric)
“It’s still the same rotten story whether it’s been told to a police inspector or somebody else” (Eric)
“It’s still the same rotten story whether it’s been told to a police inspector or somebody else” (Eric)
Analysis
Potential Change -
- He agrees with sheila
- Characterises this as a ‘story’ - Priestley is saying this is repeated infinitely, it’s not just a theatrical story
- The rich exploit the poor, businesses exploit their workers - but this can change if the audience vote for a socialist government
Hint to the saying “rotten to the core” -
- Connotations of “rotten” : moral corruption, decay, spoilage
- Erics use of the word “rotten” could symbolise the fact that his family is already so corrupt their is no going back
- His family has already built a name through exploiting others
- On the contrary, Sheila and Eria, as the younger generation have not yet been contaminated fully with the capitalist ideology
“Girls of ____ _____” (Mrs Birling)
“Girls of that class” (Mrs Birling)
“Girls of that class” (Mrs Birling)
Analysis
Sense of snobbery -
- Zero empathy for Eva
- Does not accept responsibility - saying she is a superior figure and could never empathise with a ‘subhuman’ inferior figure like Eva
- Dehumanises Eva by calling her a “girl” despite her maturity and everything she’s gone through
- Shows how upper class view lower class
Irony -
- The owner of a woman’s charity couldn’t care less about those in need and alludes to the needs of welfare state
Social Class -
- Priestly points out that the true evils of the class society that stops people seeing each other as one body and those under than as human
- Construct to attack the concept of social hierarchy
- The class system is the enemy, not solely capitalism
- Class disparity was huge in 1912, there was a huge distinction between the upper and lower classes
“The ____ had begun by telling us _ ____ __ ____” (Mrs Birling)
“The girl had begun by telling us a pack of lies” (Mrs Birling)
“The girl had begun by telling us a pack of lies” (Mrs Birling)
Analysis
“Pack of lies” -
- Idiom used to describe false claims
“Girl” -
- Refusal to refer to her by name
- Dehumanising Eva
- Logical to have doubted Eva after she has lied saying she was married and her name was Mrs Birling
- Even still, Eva would rather commit suicide than take the stolen money or marry Eric
- Priestley’s device is to get Sybil to confess first so that we realise Eric’s offence is far greater.
- “If the girl’s death is due to anybody, it’s due to him” - Irony, doesn’t know she’s talking about Eric
- Soon to discover “he” who she assumes is a working class man, is instead her son Eric
“(agitated) I ___‘_ believe it, I ___‘t _______ __…” (Mrs Birling)
“(agitated) I don’t believe it, I won’t believe it…” (Mrs Birling)
“(agitated) I don’t believe it, I won’t believe it…” (Mrs Birling)
Analysis
Stage Directions -
- Mrs Birling is disturbed and angered by this revelation
Denial and Resistance -
- Repetition : Shows her inability and unwillingness to accept the Inspector’s revelations
- Clinging to her constructed image of her family’s moral standing and her social superiority
Social Prejudice -
- Refusal to believe her family is implicated in the tragic events of Eva Smith’s death
- Ignorance / Upper class tendency to view the working class as inferior
“_____ knew it was coming __ __ ___” (Gerald)
“Daisy knew it was coming to an end” (Gerald)
“Daisy knew it was coming to an end” (Gerald)
Analysis
Language Analysis -
- Simple Sentence : short, declarative and blunt; shows the finality of the situation
- Passive “it was coming to an end” : “it” is vague, he doesn’t want to touch on what happened; emphasises it was out of her control
Deceiving -
- Gerald is kind yet deceitful
- “she’d been happier than she’d been before’ - implies that even kind men come to be immoral under capitalism
- He deceits himself mentioning how happy she had been
- Men are powerful and able to act in such villainy because they tell themselves otherwise
- Gerald believes he is a good samaritan just because he gave her a small reimbursement
Selfish -
- Claims their relationship ended because he needed to go away on business, however in reality his friend was returning from Canada
- Unwilling to pay for a flat to put her in
- Eva / Daisy was not even worth a months rent to him
- He is a cunning man looking to benefit from Eva’s misfortune
“Everything’s ___ _____ now, Sheila. What ____t ____ ____?” (Gerald)
“Everything’s all right now, Sheila. What about this ring?” (Gerald)
“Everything’s all right now, Sheila. What about this ring?” (Gerald)
Analysis
- Attempt to resume his engagement with Sheila after the Inspector’s departure reveals his failure to learn or change
Lexical word choice of “everything” -
- Dismisses the gravity of what has occurred
- Sees the evening’s revelations as inconsequential now that they might avoid a scandal
- Exemplifies Preistley’s criticisms of the upper class’s superficial morality
- More concerned about appearances rather than accountability
Eva Smith / Edna
- Inspector is a mouthpiece for the working class
- Brings a voice to Eva who has no lines in the play, yet her presence is felt throughout the play
- Eva’s voice is channelled through the Inspector
- Edna only has a few brief lines (we can visually see the inequality)
Charactonyms (Eva)
- Eva : Eve (The mother of humanity)
- Eva symbolises all women
- Smith - Most common English last name ; represents every man
Charactonyms (Inspector Goole)
- Goole is a homophone for ghoul
- May be a supernatural being
- An omniscient moral force who even knows Eva died before she actually did
Charactonyms (Edna)
- Edna means ‘kernel or grain’ small and insignificant
- Popular phrases ‘a kernel/grain of truth’
- She symbolically brings them the truth
- Similar name to Eva - They both symbolise the working class
Charactonyms (Daisy)
- She chose the name ‘Daisy for herself, as if she saw herself as fragile and uprooted
- Vulnerability, easily picked
- Eva’s mental state
Charactonyms (Eric)
- Viking name
- Violence
- Means ‘ever ruler’ his father has money, so that will give him power to be a ruler
Charactonyms (Sybil)
- Greek / Roman legend: 10 female prophets w/ divine knowledge
- Ironic as Sybil is portrayed as lacking in knowledge
Charactonyms (Shrila)
- Comes from latin ‘cecilia’ which means blind - she is blind to her actions
- Ironic as she is the only one who sees the inspectors message
Charactonyms (Gerald)
- Name came from Norman conquest
- Symbolic of power
- Gerald is the only one with a name directly linked to killing
- May be Priestley’s way of revealing he is the ultimate perpetrator
