capitalism vs socialism Flashcards
1 “lower costs and higher prices” “Hear hear! And I think my father would agree to that”
-G ultimately stands for + supports capitalist beliefs perhaps even deeming them more important than his marriage seeing it as a business deal
-G is the product of his parent’ belief - internalised his capitalist upbringing
-exclamation after “Hear hear!” portrays G’s overzealous excitement at the prospect of money
-priestley ridicules him as he already has an excess of wealth - highlights excessive greed associated with capitalism
1 “[cutting through, massively]”
-inspector (embodiment of socialism) is presented as antithesis + foil to MB (embodiment of capitalism)
-MB represents affluent “hard-headed” businessmen who profit from wars (political allusion to sir stanley baldwin)
-MB’s egotistical monologues are shorted through inspector’s arrivals where he expresses his self-proclaimed omniscience that the “titanic is unsinkable”
1 “it’s better to ask for the earth than to take it”
-syntax on “ask” prior to “take” highlights order of importance that’s required for society to be collectively responsible
-“ask” + share opposed to capitalist ideas of “taking” to benefit oneself
-idea of “take” connotes to steal - idea scorned in bible + is a mortal sin
-in edwardian era, religion was highly integral to society
-capitalist ideas dismiss religious teachings - socialism brings back moral foundations
1 “Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices”
-rhetorical question shows how E is developing his “half assertive” side due to the introduction of socialism - now directly questioning his father
-questioning language highlights immortality of capitalist system
-alliteration on “possible prices” compounding how E has realised the exploitation that individuals like MB perpetuate in order to acquire wealth
2 “Public men, Mr Birling, have responsibilities as well as privileges”
-inspector challenges MB’s capitalist view, emphasising responsibility alongside privilege
-highlights moral flaws of capitalism + contrasts it with socialist ideals of collective care
-priestley critiques capitalist greed + advocates for social responsibility
-post-WW2 audiences resonate with call for shared responsibility
3 “But that won’t bring Eva Smith back to life, will it?”
-rhetorical question - questioning MB’s infatuation with money + materialistic items
-by critiquing him, she is critiquing + questioning capitalism as a whole
-conjunction on “but” shows she is interjecting in MB’s distorted priorities
-he cares more for money stolen than life stolen
