An Inspector Calls - Quotes and Analysis Flashcards
1
Q
“pink and intimate” - stage directions
A
- forces the audience to witness the opening scenes with the same rose tinted glasses as the characters on stage; blissfully ignorant of the struggles of the wider world
2
Q
“brighter and harder” - stage directions
A
- imitates the atmosphere of a police interrogation
- indicates the truth will be exposed, with no bias or erasure => Birlings can’t escape scrutiny
3
Q
Mr Birling: “A man has to mind his own business - has to look after himself”
A
- antithesis of what Inspector + Priestley stand for
- being a self made man, perfect representation of capitalism
- thinks highly of his lecture, thinks he is infallible (incapable of being wrong)
4
Q
Mr Birling: “One of the happiest nights of my life”
A
- leaves the audience to question why its the happiest night of his life
- is he happy because he’s proud and delighted for his daughter and her new development in life, and the prospect of her having a happy fulfilling future
- or is he happy because of the business ventures her relationship proposes for him with crofts limited
- highlights his lack of a paternal nature, what he believes to be important in life
5
Q
Mr Birling: “hard-headed practical man of business”
A
- values his businessman life and how he is perceived by the public, over his fatherly/paternal abilities
- thinks highly of himself, and his ideas about how to live life and run a business
6
Q
Mr Birling: “all mixed up together like bees in a hive” “community and all that nonsense”
A
- believes he is above caring for others
- rejects his responsibilities to others, failing to understand that everyone in society relies on each other for progress and a good standard of living
- “bees in a hive” => animalistic, portraying Socialism as primitive and demeaning
7
Q
Mr Birling: “unsinkable…absolutely unsinkable”
A
- Titanic = example of human progress, but as the audience we know it sinks
- Priestley uses Titanic as symbol for Capitalist ideas; represents strength, luxury and progress. The fact it sinks shows Priestley’s views about this government system
8
Q
“the sharp ring of a doorbell” - stage directions
A
- the sharpness bringing about the man who is about to correct Mr Birling’s attitudes
- cutting in with an unexpected interruption => about to completely upturn the lives and views of this family
9
Q
“an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness” - stage directions
A
- takes over from Mr Birling’s and Gerald’s dominance, showing that he will control what follows next
- don’t have to be a rich, capitalist businessman to be respected
10
Q
The Inspector: “a chain of events”
A
- everything is linked together
- the inspector, as Priestley’s mouthpiece, demonstrates to the Birlings how all actions have consequences because of how society works - nothing happens out of the blue
- metaphor, creates an image of connection and intimacy
- could also connote imprisonment; our social responsibilities is a duty we cannot escape - cost of living in society
11
Q
The Inspector: “And you think young women ought to be protected against unpleasant and disturbing things?”
A
- misogynistic => views women as innocent, naive and weak
- contextual of the power and overusing nature of the patriarchy, particularly in 1912 (before women even got the vote)
12
Q
Sheila: “but these girls aren’t cheap labour - they’re people”
A
- immediately understands what the Inspector is telling her
- recognises how workers are exploited and dehumanised by employers, reduced to cheap labour + financial statistics rather than people
- contradicts her father with ideology like the Inspectors
- situational irony as she get Eva fired from her next job, which we find out later => hypocrisy of the upper classes + its easier to have beliefs of equality than to practice it
13
Q
Mrs Birling: “You seem to have made a great impression on this child Inspector”The Inspector: “We often do on the young ones”
A
- generational divide, highlights how the younger generation is more openminded to change, willing to adapt their ideologies if necessary
- Mrs Birling, however talks about this in a patronising tone, suggesting that this ability to adapt and develop is a bad thing
14
Q
Sheila: “You mustn’t try and build up a wall between us and that girl”
A
- quick to follow Inspectors lead, holding her family accountable
- seems she wants to make up for what she has done
- the wall = metaphor for class divide, implying that society is constructed to block certain people from reaching the same success and wealth as others => hierarchy is rigged
15
Q
Mrs Birling: “girls of that class”
A
- clear distinction between how Mrs Birling views herself compared to Eva
- “that” dehumanising her, suggesting she is vile and unworthy of even being referred to as a human due to her class
- views the lower class morally and socially inferior
16
Q
Mrs Birling: “as if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money”
A
- her prejudices and judgements show that she can’t even entertain the possibility that Eva wouldn’t want to accept stolen money => portraying lower class as greedy, immoral creatures
- suggests Eva should have abandoned her morals instead of bothering her with her problems, however Eva and the Inspector are the two most moral characters in the play
17
Q
Eric: “It’s what happened to the girl and what we did to her that matters… I don’t feel like sitting down and having a nice cosy talk”
A
- clear distinction between generations
- Eric is rejecting his fathers ideology of money, reputation and legibility being the most important matters of life
- Priestley encourages compassion and empathy with this quote
- Showing the morality and motivation of the action is just as important as its consequences
- common for lower classes to be forgotten and neglected by the government, so Priestley continues to steer the focus back to Eva/what she went through and in turn all lower class citizens
18
Q
Mr Birling: “I’ve got to cover this up as soon as I can”
A
- tension between Mr Birling and Eric, suggesting the culture of masculinity means they’ve never bonded as father and son
- Birling’s first priority is to cover up what Eric did before there is a public scandal
- its not the crimes Eric did (stealing money) that matters to him, its the way it affects his reputation he cares about
- Priestley suggest upper class culture = people valued reputation and deceit over morality
- willing to conceal what his son did, knowing it was wrong, to preserve his status
19
Q
The Inspector: “if men do not learn this lesson they will be taught in fire and blood and anguish”
A
- triadic structure => shows how the speech is supposed to be persuasive
- almost apocalyptic evoking a sense of godly wrath, conveying how serious and urgent Priestley finds this issue
- allusion to world wars, humanity’s selfishness and neglect is the cause of violence and conflict => Evas death being referred to as “burnt her insides out” links to this, showing the effects of humanity on both small and large scales
20
Q
The Inspector: “Millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths”
A
- triadic structure => shows how the speech is supposed to be persuasive
- her death symbolises worldwide suffering of the lower class
21
Q
The Inspector: “We don’t live alone. We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other.”
A
- triadic structure => shows how the speech is supposed to be persuasive
- duties we have as society to ensure its proper functioning
- one body => metaphor, creates an image of one human, showing how society is greater than the sum of its working parts - if one individual suffers, we all suffer
22
Q
Mr Birling: “look at them, the famous younger generation, and they can’t even take a joke”
A
- Birling believes his children are oversensitive, arrogant and foolish, enjoying the opportunity to mock them
- shows how little guilt and regret he feels
- situational irony as they are in fact right, a girl had died and the parents instantly regret what they said
- dramatic irony as the audience knows to side with the children, as all the “fire and blood and anguish” does come
- Priestley implies the arrogance + stubbornness of older generations, who want to uphold tradition, leaving themselves in power, are dangerous barriers to social progress and equality
