An Inspector Calls Flashcards
What are the themes of an inspector calls?
Generations, gender, social class, family life, judgement, social responsibility, learning about life.
What influences the Birlings behaviour?
Class, it drives plot and shapes the characters.
How did Priestley design the characters?
In order to put across his message.
What do the characters in the play represent?
Classes, Priestley challenges their views and behaviour in order to challenge the class hierarchy.
Who were the working class?
Had all the hardest jobs and little money.
Who were the middle class?
Owned factories or we’re professionals. Had plenty of money and control.
Who were the upper class?
Inherited loads of land and money. Were often lords and ladies.
Who represents the working class?
Eva, struggles through jobs earning just enough to survive.
Who represents the middle class?
The Birlings are wealthy, own a business and live comfortably.
Who represents the lower class?
Gerald- his family own land and are socially better than Arthur’s. Inherited money had a higher status than trade.
What did the class system mean for the lower class?
It could make life very difficult.
How does Priestley portray the upper class?
Having a limited sense of social responsibility for those well off.
Why does Priestley suggest the higher classes didn’t question the class system?
Worked for them, same reason why they overlooked problems such as alcoholism- easier to ignore unpleasant things than deal with them.
What does the inspector tell the Birlings they must accept?
Responsibility or it’ll end in fire blood and anguish.
What do the Birlings believe about class?
It’s all that matters.
