An Inspector Calls Flashcards by Emma Mason

Mr Birling shows his misogynistic views

“Clothes mean something quite different to a woman…not only something to make ‘em look prettier”
- objectifies women
- separates men from women

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What setting description suggests tensions within the family?

“not cost and homelike”

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Lighting change that reflects the impact of the inspector/the harsh reality of life and their actions

“lighting should be pink and intimate until the INSPECTOR arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder”

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Description of Mrs Birling

“a rather cold woman and her husband’s social superior”
- “cold” = unnatural for a mother, negative, audience dislike her
- authoritative (orders family around with short, sharp imperatives like “stop it” and “don’t”)

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Eric’s description

“not quite at ease, half shy, half assertive”
- around family? lack of familial connection
- conflicting character (half shy, half assertive)

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Gerald’s air of authenticity

“I don’t pretend to know much about it”
suggests he is not pretentious? more likable than Mr Birling?

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…

“Tell cook from me”

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Gerald’s class reference

“Absolutely first-class”
- clearly shows he mixes with the social elite - audience has conflicted feelings towards him

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Mr B makes the celebration about business, coming across as greedy

“when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together -for lower costs and higher prices”

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Mr B indicates Eric is not an adequate son

“you’re just the kind of son-in-law I always wanted”
Often confrontational dialogue between E and Mr B which highlights their strained father-son relationship

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Sheila’s language change

“Mummy” -> over course of play -> “Mother”

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Sheila’s acceptance of the engagement ring

“Oh- Gerald - you’ve got it - is it the one you wanted me to have?”
- Her speech becomes broken and childlike with the use of dashes
- Sheila seeks to please Gerald -> direct pronoun “you” emphasises the importance she places on Gerald’s decision making
- the ring is a symbol for Sheila’s superficial characteristics

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Sheila is obedient to her parents

“I’m sorry Daddy”, “[looks attentive]”

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Dramatic irony that presents Birling as foolish

“there isn’t a chance of war” / “fiddlesticks!” / “unsinkable, absolutely unsinkable” / “silly little war scares” / “There’ll be peace and prosperity”

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Mr Birling’s arrogance

“hard- headed businessman”
- lacks empathy?
- stubborn?

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Gerald more likable?

Gerald turns down cigar (a symbol for social elitism)

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Mr Birling is against capitalism

“community and all that nonsense”, “cranks”
- “all that” generalises it, suggests he is not well-informed
- he mocks community by saying it is “nonsense” a noun which has connotations of child-like behaviour
- he is narrow-minded because he dismisses it without good reason

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The inspector’s interruption

“[sharp ring of a front door bell]”
- sharp = harsh reality
- …

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Changes of lighting

“Give us some more light”
Birling orders Edna by using monosyllabic imperative -> not likable
- having a maid is outdated in 1945
- Edna changes lighting, lower class will bring change?

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Inspector’s blunt reality (contrasts with previously playful atmosphere)

“swallowed a lot of strong disinfectant. Burnt her inside out”, “great agony”
- her death suggests she felt the need to be cleansed from the actions of the family
- the gruesome death == to the pain the family caused her?
- audience visualise her pain, encouraging them to empathise and therefore listen to Priestley’s messages

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Symbol of the photograph

Symbol of the objectification of women -> Eva was powerless and she could be “passed around” by everyone. Photograph = metaphor for Eva. Eva had no say what happened to her photo, and therefore herself. Represents the harsh consequences of the patriarchal capitalist society in 1912

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The names Eva Smith and Daisy Renton

Eva: biblical reference to Eve, the first woman -> presents her as representative
Smith: common name, literally “millions and millions and millions” -> emphasises the scale and severity of gender injustice in 1912
Daisy: like a flower, seen as pretty and nothing more
Renton: suggests she can be “rented” like how Gerald used her as a mistress

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Mr B doesn’t accept responsibility

“I can’t accept any responsibility…it would be very awkward”
Mr is unlikable, so audience disagrees with this view

Objectification of Eva

repeatedly called “pretty” and a “good-looking girl”, reflecting the significance of physical appearance -> highlights the objectification of women

Mr Birling's ignorance

"Does that satisfy you? So I refused. … It's a free country" - He leaves no time fore response, he arrogantly assumes he is right - 'So I refused.' - short sentence, dismissive "It's a free country" -> shows B is ignorant as he doesn't understand the difficulty for them to find a job, let alone a higher paying one

Mr Birling feels superior

"these people"

Significance of the name Goole

homophone to 'ghoul' -> mysterious and vague, therefore he is more intriguing to the audience

example of E + Mr B's strained relationship, and Mr B's hypocritical behaviour

"[rather angrily]…time you learnt to face a few responsibilities"

Sheila is immature (emotional outburst)

"How horrible!"

Sheila's curiosity and superficiality

"Pretty?", "Quite young?"

Sheila starts to become aware of reality

"But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people" 'people' is in italics, showing Sheila's empathy The plosive in 'But' emphasises her challenge

Sheila accepts responsibility and gains maturity

"I know I'm to blame", "I'm desperately sorry" Audience forgives her

Inspector says the younger generation can bring about change

"We often do on the young ones. They're more impressionable"

Mrs B feels superior

"Girls of that class" suggests a sense of 'us' vs 'them' -> Mrs B is prejudiced

"Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges"

Sheila stands up for what she believes

Sheila monologues, taking control of the dialogue

Mrs B treats Eric as a misbehaving child

"silly boy!" -> shows their distanced relationship

Mrs B refuses to accept responsibility

"I did nothing I'm ashamed of"

Eric's gluttony

"[the drink shows his familiarity with quick heavy drinking]" -> alcoholic, to numb emotions? uncomfortable with responsibility

Eva is treated like an object

"she was pretty and a good sport" shows the misogyny passed down generations by fathers

"millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths"

literally and figuratively, the repetition emphasises the scale and severity of the issue

Priestley uses the Inspector as a mouthpiece for his own socialist views

"We are responsible for each other"

Inspector uses hellish imagery, almost prophesising the wars to come (that the audience know)

"fire and blood and anguish" - he seems more trustworthy and omniscient? - presents wars as a result of capitalism

Mr B is preoccupied with maintaining a respectable façade -> pride?

"public scandal"

Sheila challenges her parents

"[passionately] You're pretending everything's just as it was before." - stage directions emphasise her growth in confidence and character

Eric matures and becomes more assertive

"I'm ashamed of you"

Gerald has not learnt his lesson

"What about this ring?"

Cyclical structure

"telephone rings sharply" - after just being warned about the "fire and blood and anguish", audience may think change is required or more wars will come, the cycle will repeat until lessons is learnt

Why does Sheila admit to "probably" being "hysterical"?

Hysteria was a fabricated disorder frequently used to oppress women Sheila's acknowledgement of the accusation of being 'hysterical' marks a change in her character, as she moves from seeming naïve and sheltered to more aware of societal expectations. She challenges the societal acceptance of deeming a woman 'hysterical' when they experience strong emotions/challenge societal norms by suggesting her feelings are real and valid. In this way, Priestley challenges the gender inequality present in society

"Old Joe Meggarty…notorious womanizer"

"I hate those hard-eyed dough-faced women"

"mistress"

Mrs B is naïve and believes her kids are innocent

"he's only a boy"

Sheila's assertiveness

"You mustn't"

Sheila's response to Gerald re-offering the ring

She replies "No, not yet. It's too soon. I must think" - Highlights the great personal change she has undergone; instead of allowing Gerald to make the decisions, she must now 'think; for herself. Priestley's use of the imperative 'must' indicates to the audience how important autonomy of mind is - However, Sheila says "not yet" -> implying that she might forgive him eventually. Perhaps this is a message to the audience - in 1912, Sheila was still required to get married, however things are different for the women in the 1945 audience, who have the ability to vote. In this way, Priestley urges them to use their new power to change these oppressive patriarchal ideas, and progress towards a more equal society.

Eric uses exclamatory language

"[involuntarily] My God!", "[bursting out]" - highlights his impulsive and immature tendencies"

Gerald has a romanticised view of life and perceives himself as a saviour figue

Sheila sarcastically calls him a "Fairy Prince" - the fairy tale metaphor reveals Gerald' superficial understanding of their relationship - critiques the upper class's detachment from the realities of the working class and their tendency to see themselves as detached saviours