An Inspector Calls Flashcards
“But these girls aren’t cheap labour- they’re people”
Sheila, Act 1(socialist and sympathetic)
“ I know I’m to blame and I’m desperately sorry”
Shows guilt, honestly with herself proves her maturity. Ironic as Sheila’s one of the youngest characters
“Oh, how horrible”
Sheila, the only one that reacts the first time Eva’s death is announced, empathetic, caring, sensitive
“Mummy” “Daddy”
Sheila shown as childish
“A pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited”
Naive, oblivious, higher class, innocent(first set of stage directions, first introduction to Sheila)
“I didn’t even remember- that’s the hellish part. Oh my god!”
Eric feels ashamed, proves he feels responsible
“You see? Then I’m staying”
Sheila, act 2- knows her own mind, assertive and becoming more dominant
“We often do on the young ones. They’re more impressionable”
Act 2 Inspector, faith in the younger generation, intuitive and able to adapt, less stubborn
“Yes, she’s dead”
Inspector, hard line, to the point
“You gave yourself away at once”
Inspector, rude, dominance asserted over the family
“I only did what any employer might have done”
Birling, unable to take responsibility, has to involve other people and try to diffuse the blame- sees it as completely normal
“Sheila, don’t talk nonsense”
Mrs Birling undermining Sheila and trying to get her to stop talking, she doesn’t want the mouth of honesty(Sheila) to get out. She wants to protect their status and stay superior
“Sheila, I simply don’t understand your attitude”
Mrs Birling not only cant take any responsibility but can’t even understand why anyone would. Closed minded
“These days you’d think that everyone has to look after everyone else”
Birling, capitalist, hard headed, unsympathetic, only cares for himself/if anything benefits him
“I accept no blame for it”
Mrs Birling defusing responsibility, older generation, stubborn , denial, selfish
“Justified in turning her away”
Mrs Birling, defensive, no remorse,
“What about War?”
Eric- curiosity, awareness,
“There will be no war” “unsinkable”
Birling- dramatic irony, ignorance, fool, arrogance, assumptions, made a laughing stock because Priestly didn’t like capitalists
“You know, of course, that my husband was Lord Mayor only two years ago and that he’s still a magistrate?”
Rude rhetorical question, abusing social power, intimidate, stereotypical rich Edwardian capitalist family, hierarchy, status
“We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for eachother”
Inspector- power available unity, togetherness, Priestly’s socialist mouthpiece, stronger as a team(power through responsibility)
“Now listen, darling-“
Gerald using terms of endearment to butter up Sheila, calm her down(condescending)
“So-for gods sake-don’t say anything to the inspector”
Gerald attempting to shut up Sheila’s truth. Manipulating her out of fear not to tell inspector anything, attempting to control her
“Women of the town-“
Gerald tries to sugar coat the fact he used prostitutes while with Sheila
“We’ve no profit was the same photograph and therefore no proof it was the same girl”
Gerald let’s the audience down, they hope he changes but immediately after the inspectors gone he acts like nothing happened
“I speak as a hard-headed business man”
Mr Birling exerting power of business and is proud and wants to show off the fact he owns a business. He thinks this means he knows everything about business
“I can’t accept any responsibility”
Mr Birling refuses to take responsibility
“It’s my duty to keep labour costs down”
Mr Birling feels he’s responsible for keeping other people staying in their inferior status and benefit off of their struggle
