An Inspector Calls (In-depth key quotes) Flashcards
1
Q
“In that state when a ____ turns easily _____” Act 3 - Eric Birling
A
“In that state when a chap turns easily nasty”
- Although Eric seems to have learnt his lesson just like Sheila, he still takes no responsibility for his actions against Eva. He claims that he has no memory of it “I didn’t even remember”.
- He uses the pronoun ‘chap’ because he refuses to say ‘I’ to suggest that he was victimised by the common flaw of men in the patriarchal society : Drunkenness.
- Also suggests that it’s normal for men to be aggressive and that women should accept that, highlighting a major flaw in the patriarchal society of the time.
- Seen as remorseful - Use of euphemistic phrases show that he does not like to think about his actions as he is ashamed of them. Despite learning that no girl has died, he still believes each of their actions was wrong. However, he is also implying that he was not in full control of his actions due to being in an emotional and mental state that made him more agitated. This explanation does not excuse the fact that Eric played a role in Eva’s suicide, he felt sorry for what he did do and took responsibility for his actions unlike his parents that stand for capitalist ideals.
- Eric is left to tell the story about what he did to Eva which means his narration is likely to be unrealisable and biased. “And that’s when it happened” the use of pronoun “it” allows the audience to perceive Eric as redeemable as they are able to retain their own opinion of whether he actually did rape Eva or not. This implies that Priestley’s intention is for Eric to be favoured by the audience. Priestley uses “Quote” as a substitute for the admittance of Eric being a drunk. Priestley’s choice of language normalises Eric’s lack of restraint which implies that it is the alcohol which caused him to act a certain way, not his lack of morals. This prompts the question to the audience of would Eric had of abused Eva if he was sober.
- Priestley is demonstrating Eric’s subconscious attempts to distance himself from his actions by switching from first person to third person as he refers to himself as ‘a chap’ rather than ‘I’. Eric attempts to lighten such violence of a possible rape, through the use of ‘a chap’ is an attempt to soften the harshness of his actions.
1
Q
“we all ______ to kill her” Act 3 -Eric Birling
A
“we all helped to kill her”
- Seen as moral - He is able to tell the difference between what is right and wrong - even at the end, he accepts his responsibility. In contrast to his father when they first hear about Eva’s death, where Mr Birling is ‘rather impatient’, unlike Eric who suddenly exclaimed ‘my god’ highlights his distress.
- Here Priestley is showing Eric is showing character development as he is understanding social responsibility. The plural pronoun ‘we’ emphasises how they all helped to kill her which reinforces Eric’s understanding of the need to take responsibility, much different from his fathers views. This symbolises Priestley’s own socialist views as he is representing them through Eric, that everyone had a collective input in the welfare of Eva ( who was a microcosm for the other vulnerable members of society ). Priestley is showing here that Eric understands the message that the inspector brought to their attention was more important than whether the inspector was real or not.
2
Q
“Why shouldn’t they try for _______ _____?” Act 1 - Eric Birling
A
“Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?”
- Eric (as well as Sheila) has distanced himself from his parents by expressing his anti capitalist and pro equality views.
- Seen as a socialist - He stands up for the workers rights, he acknowledges the hypocrisy of the upper class imposing standards of high prices and profit while expecting low wages. His remark is also a criticism for his family’s business that involves exploiting workers, he understands that hard work and struggles the workers face so he empathises with them - he consistently challenges his fathers views. He presents a progressive outlook that aligns with the same social ideology as Priestley.
- Maybe Eric growing up feeling isolated and unsupported has lead him to be able to understand and feel sympathy for the working class and therefore detach a bit from his fathers heavily capitalist views, maybe to have someone going against his father. It is clear Eric is able to empathise with the lower-class and can recognise the need for better workplace rights and even more desperate need of ridding society of exploiting labourers. Priestley presents Eric with the capacity for empathy and emotion, which therefore separates him and Sheila from the other characters, who are unable to experience such emotions. This may be done to demonstrate Eric as morally superior and as a character which the audience should align themselves with.
- This is Eric’s first piece of genuine sympathy for Eva. As Priestley starts to show the audience, Eva is an allegory—a story with a double meaning. On the surface, it is about the death of a worker that they have all been connected to. Although underneath it is about the realisation of moral responsibilities. While Eric is siding with Eva Smith, it is still evident from his use of pronouns that he regards her as something separate from his family. There is a distinct difference between using ‘they’ to describe the lower class and ‘we’ to describe the business. He distances himself from her and still does not associate himself with the class. He only believes that as people, they should have rights that allow them to have a voice. Also, he values her labour because ‘she was a good worker’. This shows a more selfish and business like approach to whether letting her stay or not was a good idea. This is Eric’s longest piece of dialogue so far, and this is a more knowledgeable and less conservative image of him. Unlike the more ‘squiffy’ Eric we saw earlier, this is one of the underlying layers of Eric coming out and campaigning for what he believes is moral. The inspector is a catalyst that has allowed Eric to contradict his father.
- Eric is growing in assertiveness, and his consciousness has awakened. He highlights and criticises the contradictions and sheer hypocrisy within bourgeois society. The lower class is suppressed from gaining wealth, whereas, in this exploitative system, the upper class is free to get wealthier. “We may look forward to a time when Crofts and Birlings are no longer competing but are working together—for lower costs and higher prices”. Not only will the rhetorical question, ‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages?’, resonate with both modern and post-war audiences, but it is fundamental as it reflects the idea that Eric is gradually rejecting capitalist ideology. While he begins to mirror and favour Priestley’s more ideal socialist society. This demonstrates how Eric is not only maturing as a character. But also being enlightened to the corruptness of the hypocritical capitalist system.
3
Q
“your not the type of father a chap could go to when he’s in trouble” Act 3 - Eric Birling
A
- Seen as redeemable - This statement reveals a lot about the strained relationship between Eric and his parents, audience feels sorry for him by the lack of a role model his father is which had influenced Eric’s behaviour, he is treated in a callous manner by his parents therefore stunning his moral growth, we feel sympathetic towards Eric hence he becomes a redeemable character. The word ‘chap’ also implies Eric and his father - they are not close enough to use more familiar language.
- This shows the seclusion Eric has from his family, how he is an outcast as he cannot go to them for help. Dysfunctional family relationship
