Class Flashcards
Ts1: The Birlings and Gerald illustrate class prejudice and think WC are immoral people.
‘Girls of that class…’
‘They’d be all broke- if I know them’
‘Get into trouble? Go on the streets?’
‘Gross impertinence… prejudiced me against her case’
‘She looked as if she could take care of herself. I couldn’t be sorry for her’
Ts2: the inspector tries to get the Birlings to understand that they have abused their power over a girl of lower class.
‘It’s better to ask for the earth than to take it’
‘Lonely, half starved, desperate’
‘You slammed the door in her face’
Ts3: Eva is used by Priestley to show how the WC are less privileged and have to grow up faster. Also conveys differences in class
‘She treated me- as if I were a kid’
‘I was in that state where a chap easily turns nasty’
‘An animal, a thing’
Ts4: Priestley’s hope for social change and greater equality lies with the younger generation.
‘These girls aren’t cheap labour… they’re people’
‘I know I’m to blame’
‘He was our police inspector all right
‘The girl’s dead and we all helped to kill her’
‘These girls aren’t cheap labour, they’re people’
‘Why shouldn’t they try for higher wages? We try for the highest possible prices’
Topic sentences:
Ts1: The B’s and G illustrate class prejudice and think WC are immoral people. Ts2: I tries to get the Birlings to understand that they have abused their power over a girl of lower class. Ts3: Eva is used by Priestley to show how the WC are less privileged and have to grow up faster. Ts4: Priestley’s hope for social change and greater equality lies with the younger generation.
‘Girls of that class’
C= reflects class prejudice in highly stratified Edwardian society. L= use of determiner(‘that’ not this)- established WC as ‘other’ to UMC in its values and behaviour.
‘She treated me- as if I were a kid’
L= noun ‘kid’. Eric less mature than Daisy. C= Daisy had had to grow up faster- less privileged WC life and no parents; had to fend for herself.
‘They’d all be broke- if I know them’
C= reflects class prejudice that WC are irresponsible with money. In fact it is the Birlings and Gerald who are irresponsible. L= WC treated as collective ‘other’- pronoun ‘they’- not as individuals. Supports Mr B’s capitalist views.
‘Lonely, half starved, desperate’
L= emotive language. Inspector uses this to try to provoke a sense of guilt in the Birlings so they feel responsible for what happened to her. R= makes audience sympathise with Eva and realise how vulnerable she is.
‘She looked as if she could take care of herself. I couldn’t be sorry for her’
C= reflects class prejudice. Eva does not appear to be vulnerable or needy therefore Sheila does not regret her actions. R= audience perceives Sheila as spoilt and unsympathetic in abusing her power to get Eva sacked.
‘Gross impertinence… prejudiced me against her case’
C= implies that WC should behave with humility towards UMC and be respectful. Mrs B takes offence at Daisy’s use of the Birling surname; ironically the offence is the Birlings’ for mistreating her.
‘Get into trouble? Go on the streets?’
C= reflects UMC prejudice against WC- they’re considered immoral and troublesome; irony= Birlings are exposed as immoral not Eva.
‘It’s better to ask for the Earth than to take it’
L= hyperbolic metaphor emphasises unreasonable nature of Mr Birling’s exploitation of his workers; they’ve asked for a pay rise; he exploits them for low wages without asking.
‘These girls aren’t cheap labour… they’re people’
C= Sheila begins to realise that her father’s workers aren’t just a collective workforce, but individual human beings and deserve to be treated with respect. L= adj ‘cheap’ normally applied to goods. I/D= reflects Marxist interpretation- human beings reduced to means of production in capitalist society. Even though they are generationally similar, S+G have different views on the treatment of workers.
‘The girls dead and we all helped to kill her’
Eric understands whether or not the Inspector was a hoax is irrelevant. He does not see to pass the blame for the girl’s death but accepts we share responsibility. R= audience feels he has atoned for his terrible treatment of Daisy by accepting it and trying to change and become a better, socially responsible person.
