an inspector calls - younger vs older generation Flashcards
” a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own” refers socialists as “cranks” and “ as if we are all mixed up together like bees in a hive”- mr birling - act 1
prieslty uses mr birlings businessman persona to associate older generations with selfishness and right-wing conservatism. his toast and lecture to eric and Gerald are introduced at the start of the play to esablish the capitaslist ideologies of the family to the audience
suggests how the older generation focused on self preservation and privacy rather than community.
he uses derogatory language by mocking socialists calling them “cranks” and spewing “nonsense”
“bees in a hive” is a metaphor priestly uses as a way to potray a capitalsit man (mr birling) complaing about socialist ideology. further suggest how mr birling views how rigid the upper class and lower class divide really is
suggest how older generations did not respect socialism as avalid poltical system. presents them as cruel and narrow minded
“mrs birling” “simply a piece of gross impertinence - quite deliberate” - mrs birling - act 2
preislty revelas mrs birlings prejudices , specifically classism , when reacting to eva coming to her charity for help.
despises how eva smith has uses the her name because eva is a working class girl - and chooses to interpret this as a purposefully direspectful act
suggest to the audience that mrs birlings aims to see the worst in people
explains how “naturally” she rejected her case due to her prejudice towards eva because of using the ssame name as her. implies how she is shameless in her bias and how she feels entitledto think the way she does as its natural
This is “one of the things” that made her express prejudice agaisnt eva and so other prejudices could have been about her class and gender . this is becasue she says how eva’s reasons for not accepting the money are “ a lot of silly nonsense!” and insists that “as if a girl of that sort would ever refuse money”
exclamation marks - shows her disbelief and is consumed by her prejudices
refusal of trusting and respecting eva smith
older genrations were blindedby their intolerence and werent seeing how ruthless they were being
“he could have kept her instead of throwing her out” - eric - act 1
eric is willing to challenge his fathers decisions he chooses to make.These exchanges show the audience the younger generation have the ability g against traditions and therfore make a change for the future.
this also shows how the older generation see no possibilty in forgiving others(mr birling firing eva )
while the younger generation are open to compassion and mercy
eric also asks to his dad how “why shouldn’t try for higher wages”, showing he recognises the capitalist system is selfish and exploitive. he sees the workers dont benefit from the company’s high profits, impling how mr birling is unjustified in denying their request.
“these girls arent cheap labour, they”re people” - sheila - act 1
sheila question her father’s descions as well she views his decisions to sack eva was a “mean thing to do” and a ‘rotten shame”- though these words sound childish - they portray her as sympathetic and well meaning.
she explicitly goes against capitalist ideas as workers being purely “labour” and instead shows the audience that “they’re people” which is more reflective of right wing politics
here priestly uses her shrewdness to expose the absurdity of the older generations facades. though these exchanges priestly encourages his audicne to view their elders with cynicism and realise they are perforimg rather than being genuine
“rotten” can also be connected though eva smiths corpse as sheila as well finds out the suicide of eva smith. this is a rather flagrant description that priestly uses as a way to potray the intensity between the family as they are the causation of eva smiths death.
“shame” said by sheila can aslo forshadow what she will soon experience as she finds out that she had also caused eva smith to be fired again for her selfish actions and feels extreme remorse for it.
” i’m absolutley ashamed of you” - mrs birling - act 3
addtionally mr birling says how he specifilcally blames Eric.
through blaming others they ensure they aren’t burdened with any resposnsibilty themselves and shows the audience they don’t learn from the inspectors message of “fire ,blood and anguish” and so they are the same people who sat down for dinner in act 1.
priestly has presented how the older generationsare stuck in their traditional ways, are selfish andpass responsibility onto others
- this can be an allusion to how in 1945, the youger generations were left by their elders to recover from the damage of the world wars and the Great Depression has caused, despite not being the ones who started them.
